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She stared at hihtful But what hurt him the aze and just as quickly shut down Like hope was such a foreign concept that she wouldn’t allow herself to have it

Then finally she nodded and whispered, "Got it"

He kissed her forehead, feeling her treet it, baby But you will I proed her into his apartment and let the elevator doors close behind them She looked exhausted Physically and emotionally It was relatively early by his standards, but at themore he’d like to do than to take her to bed and let her sleep in his arms He wanted her to feel protected Safe Most important, cherished Like she mattered

She didn’t have any experience in any of those Thatof her childhood and her adult years He couldn’t change her past, but he could sure as hell change the present and alter the course of her future

"Let’s go to bed You’re wiped," Jace said

Her gaze skittered nervously up to his Her eyes ide in her face, giving her a haunted look She really was too thin but her beautyit shone like a beacon There was so about her eyes and her face He couldn’t explain why he’d been so inexorably drawn to her that very first night he’d seen her across the room at Mia’s party But he’d known even then that she was his

"Baby, I’ to jump you," Jace murmured

He took her hands and rubbed his thu circles

She sed and then nodded "I’m tired"

"You’re wiped," he repeated

Still holding her hand, he pulled her toward his bedroom and once there, he closed the door behind thean tugging it over her head

She cla with alar intently into her eyes "Baby, in that bed, there is nothing between us No clothing, barriers, nothing I said I wasn’t going to jump you, and that’s true I won’t lie to you But you aren’t wearing those clothes to bed Besides the fact they don’t fit you worth a damn, anytiet cold," she said with a frown

He smiled at the quick excuse and her atteh that he’d allow none between them

"I’ll keep you warhed, lowering her aresture of surrender

"Remember," he said softly "You don’t come here beaten down and defeated You hold your head up You sub less I’ bastard No doubt about that But the very last thing I want is for you to be some mindless puppet"

Confusion clouded her beautiful blue eyes "I guess I don’t understand Any of this I’"

He kissed her nose and then sloorked her shirt upward "We have all the ti as you can do that, everything ork out just fine I’ll take care of you and I’ll never do anything to overwhelm you"

"But I just said I’ed the shirt the rest of the way, baring her breasts--and the bruises--to his gaze

"I just want you naked Overwhelht That’ll co here"

Her ?"

"Nope"

"Evidently you and I have different opinions on what constitutes being overwhel," she muttered

"Now that I like," he said with satisfaction

She lifted an eyebrow as he went to work on the fly of her jeans

"You being sassy You’ve got fire, Bethany You haven’t lost that You’re fucking perfect for ain "Or ether, I’ood with it"

She threw up her hands as he worked the jeans down her legs "You honestly do always get your way, don’t you?"

He sain and helped her step fro is ever easy, baby And you don’t get things without fighting for them" He leaned down and brushed hisfor you and I have no intention of losing"

As he lifted his head, he saw hope flash again in her eyes and this time it stayed there She stared up at hi He could see that it was finally sinking in That this was real and that he was deadly serious

"Lose the underwear," he said

This tiument There was only brief hesitation as she slipped her thumbs into the waistband of the silky scrap of material A moment later, the panties fluttered to the floor and she toed them away

"Get into bed and wait forto shower and then join you Get coaze to meet his in response to the address