Page 14 (1/2)

His laugh was a rumbled chuckle before he kissed her Oh, she reentle this tio

"Condorabbed a packet from the bedside table, and returned to his arms before she lost her nerve

As he pulled the condoers, the war started inside her How could she have asked hi Sleazy Bad She was bad

When he kissed her, her body stiffened He lifted his head, his lips an inch from hers "Talk to me"

I want this I don’t I shouldn’t "I don’t want to…decide" She felt wrong Dirty Wanting to have sex was--

His eyes narrowed, and then he gripped her hair, holding her head immobile as he took her lips Not cruelly, not like…them Them The slavers Like an avalanche,her

A nasty pinch on her thighvoice was like sandpaper, scraping away the horrors, digging down to where her nerves were alive "Sayin her belly that had nothing to do with fear "Sahtened as he closed his other hand on her breast Cupping, kneading, tugging His penetrating gaze stayed on her face, and his fingers closed on her nipple And pinched…

When the pressure turned to pain, sensation streaht to her core "Sam"

His lips curved in a ruthless smile "Good that you respond to the reins" His handYet…careful Never with the careless brutality that the Overseer-- "Ow!" Her hip stung where he’d given it a mean pinch

"When I want you to think, I’ll tell you" And how could such an arrogant stateain, and at the sahtgown, pushing it to her waist in a whisper of cool silk His hand returned to her bare breasts Calloused, abrasive…war cla "They’ll hurt like this" His fingernail dug into the tender flesh until she gasped at the burning pain He bit her shoulder, adding a new sting to the ones bouards had… When they’d all… Hands and agony and… She shoved away frantically, gasping for air

He released her iripped her shoulders and gave her a firrowl--it haunted her dreahtmares Her eyes popped open and ht"

She was treh to shake the bed as he sat up next to her He gripped her, anchoring her with fir her in safety

Her heart rate slowed "I’m sorry"

The sun lines around his eyes deepened "You can control your body only so far Stupid to blaruff his language, Sam was very far from a stupid person But she felt du her shoulder with one hand, he ran his fingers through her hair, tugging slightly "More than one reason In a rooht?"

She remembered the sense of relief when she’d seen Ki she didn’t "And you didn’t seeHe’d seen a person, not an ani her restraints, he’d looked into her eyes "You still with me here, Linda?" He’d even used her name

"You trustedwith her hair "But you were scared, and then I hurt you"

"I don’t understand"

"Fight-or-flight revs up the nerves So does pain Means you felt more than normal So after I’d whipped you, you were loaded with endorphins and in subspace Turned your head right off" He cupped her face "Baby, once you gave me your trust, you were a peach ready to be plucked, and there was nothing you could do about it"

"Oh" The explanation helped "I still shouldn’t have…" She still felt guilty for co Felt dirty

"Do your eyes tear up when you peel an onion?"

"Huh?" What the heck? "Yes"

"That’s your nerves reacting to che onions, does that work?"