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"Why were you in the alley the night Hammer found you?"
What kind of question was that? "Because I had no place else to go and the one behind Shadoasn’t croith drug addicts and pirabbed her jaw in his hand He didn’t squeeze hard or hurt her, but his grip let her know that he could "Are you willfullymy question?"
"No Sir," she added hastily "If you want to knohy I chose Hammer’s alley over another, that’s the reason"
Lia his patience as he released his hold on her jaw "Let’s try again, then Why, at seventeen, were you spending the night in an alley rather than under your parents’ roof?"
"I ran away I wasto my dad So I left"
Those were some of the hardest words she’d ever spoken Funny how the awful man’s rejection still had the power to hurt her years later She needed to get over it, but Raine had discovered telling herself that logically and actually being able to do it weren’t the sa
And on top of Ha crushed, then recycled, only to be crushed again
Her breath hitched as she choked back a sob Crap, she’d been a tearyMaybe she really should just move on This wouldn’t be the first time she’d lost her place in the world She’d survived after leaving hoain One door had closed, then she’d opened another, right?
Right But Ha over that and the loss of home at once wouldn’t be easy
"I believe that’s how you see the situation," Liam murmured softly
She leaned forward to lay her cheek on the bed, but found his thigh instead The hu hiave him the power to hurt her later But when he started softly stroking her hair, she couldn’t resist nuzzling hiood lass" He caressed the side of her face with his fingers, then nestled them at her nape and lifted her face to him "Mouth open"
Dutifully, she coood dark chocolate burst over her tongue Sheher lips
Suddenly, Lia inside and ransacking, taking her tongue Immediately, she tasted the roast beef, pineapple, and wine in his kiss Then they shared the chocolate flavor, and he ate at heraway
"Watching you eat is a sensual experience, especially when I give you that chocolate Christ, you make a man hard"
Raine felt a happy little flush crawl up her cheeks
"What’s your favorite, gold or silver?"
She got the gaers One was supposed to lull her into false comfort before he hit her hard The food either rewarded or punished her, depending on how completely and honestly she answered
Well, hell She had to give Lia into her psyche while he established his control over her, all without laying a single swat anywhere on her bruised body She was so used to Halowers and demands, all thunder, and strict, and as subtle as his ood with misdirection and confusion He coaxed He would sneak under her defenses if she wasn’t careful
Raine cleared her throat "I like gold and silver Why choose?"
He tapped the end of her nose with his finger affectionately "I shouldn’t have expected a different answer Why, indeed? You’d look stunning in either"
Maybe he et used to compliments like that "Thank you, Sir"
His palm cupped the side of her face "Spoken so beautifully and naturally Good"
He brushed sohtly textured and sweet over her bottom lip She smelled the pineapple and opened her ue
"Very nice, lass You’re co me"
The praise wariven him a common courtesy and eaten a bite of fruit But Raine knew the drill He was pleased because she’d called hily fro told
Even so, she couldn’t deny that his kind words low She smiled at him, and in return, he brushed a little kiss over her roaned, then popped a piece of the roast beef on her tongue He followed that with another, then gave her a pinch of bread and some wine to wash it all down
The war this ga as it stayed friendly
"What’s your happiest memory?"
The question flicked across her skin like a knife so sharp she almost didn’t feel the cut God, she hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on this in years It made the hell of the next decade thatthat she was just a miserable woman whootten
"When I was six, randparents in Wisconsin Justtree, and Grandpa lifted me up to put the star on top on Christmas Eve There was snow Grandma baked, and the house always s now calm you because it reminds you of that tiht of it quite like that, but when she baked, she could close her eyes and be transported back to the iven her and everything smelled like cinnauess"
His thu for hiht
"Lovely, lass"
More chocolate It sat on her tongue, sweet and firm, until she sucked at it Slowly, it broke apart and
"That is the best chocolate ever I would eat that all day, every day, if I could"
"And give yourself a stomach ache" He chuckled "Probably best if I dish it out to you a bit at a time Don’t you think?"
Probably Otherwise, she could outgrow her entire wardrobe fast
She wrinkled her nose "It pains ht, Sir"
"That’s a good girl"
He fed her a bit more of the roast beef and pineapple As far as he tipped the glass up, it see through her seeest that, too The smile on her lips was probably a bit too happy for theaway froood meal with a man who seehter, her soul not so weighted doith regret She still had plenty, of course But at least now it ht not drown her