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"Rainer!" I scream so loudly he stops, fist in the air

He turns and looks at , his big body heaving with anger

"Please," I whisper "If you kill himI won’t have you Raiplease"

His ry pants

"Please"

He turns back to Jack, who is now groaning on the ground, blood all over his face Leaning down, Rainer grabs Jack by the shirt "It’s only because of her that you’re not fucking dead right now"

Then he sla out for ot a bloody lip I don’t knohen that happened Jack et more than that Rainer curls his ar at us Rainer’s arm is protectively wrapped around me, and halfway there, he realizes how exposed I a it over ht there, is the moment I fall in love with Rainer Torrence

~~~~

"Just stay still," I whisper, dabbing an alcohol wipe against Rainer’s split lip

"Bit hard when you’re putting that shit on et infected I’ve done enough, I don’t need that, too" I say, looking anywhere but at his eyes

We’re in the bedroo to clean up his face, but the air between us is thick with unspoken truths that we’re both trying to avoid

"E

"Now"

Ielse in his brown depths, so at me with compassion but there’s a fierce protection behind his depths

"You didn’t do anything You didn’t ask for anything You deserved none of what happened to you tonight"

"Didn’t I?" I croak

"Fuck, Eed myself for hiht, I told hi so angry Maybe I did deserve it Maybe"

"Don’t," Rainer warns, cupping my jaw in his hand "Don’t you ever fuckin’ let ht to touch you I don’t care if you danced naked in front of hiht"

"Maybe he just doesn’t respect me because that’s the way I aet anyone like--"

"Enough," he growls "Don’t, E You’re beautiful, you’re funny, and anythat," I say,"I know you don’tit because you have to"

"When have I ever said anything I don’tthe passes between us, so we’ve never seen in each other’s eyes It’s lust I adore Rainer, hell, I think I love him, but I’ve never had such an intense e at him

"Rainer," I whisper

We lean closer andto kiss me Not because he stole my first kiss, but because he wants to I can see it in his eyes I can see it in the way he’s holding ontoto want it I think I ht want it just as much

My skin prickles and my entire body becomes alert and ready for hi to feel to have his ain So soft So intense I s and my lips part as htly wet, glistening, and ready for me My heart rate kicks up, and I don’t want to wait a second longer

I want him to kiss me

I want it more than my next breath

His lips finally connect with mine, and fireworks explode infor with Jack We both gasp and his aro willingly, wrapping ue and then slides it inside A shudder breaks out over leus both down

The kiss becomes intense and so damned passionate I can barely breathe I never realized until thisRainer would affect my life I knew I cared about hi in ht he’d be the person I’d fall in love with Yet here I aive