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"Protect me after what he did to you?" he asked, the exasperation in his tone cutting through the air Gavin lifted his hands to her face, his eyes boring into hers "My God, Emily, you didn’t cause any of this, but you can’t askto hi his teeth, Gavin turned away "No"

Fear shot through Emily’s stomach as she watched him yank his keys from the counter As she es of what he was about to do, Eht possible She’d criedheld a candle to what her tiny fra at this veryas though she was trudging through mud, she barely ers around the back of Gavin’s arm as he was about to open the front door

Gavin turned, his expression fierce, his stare raking over her "You’re askingdo that I can’t You’re mine, and if I didn’t leave, this wouldn’t have happened Don’t ask ht in the only way I kno"

Breath seized and heart disintegrating from the notion he bla her hand to his face Stroking his jaw, she shook her head, her voice a soft whisper "Gavin Blake, you’re entle You’re kind You’re strong and witty You’re personable and war puddles of goo with the siers from his jaw, she trailed them down to his chest "You have a heart you wear on your sleeve, and you couldn’t do a thing to " Pressing up on her tiptoes, she experienced a bout of nerves as she twined her hands behind his neck, bringing his face to hers "And you’re not to bla a hole in his stoainst hers "No, Emily If I didn’t leave--"

"And if I didn’t take hi touched you," he breathed, trying to contain his rage "It’s not the sa"

"I know it’s not But you want to knohat is?" Gavin placed his hand on her hip, his fingers digging into her side as he looked away Eaze back to hers "If you walk out that door and go after him, you’re no different than any man I’ve come across Please don’t take this man away from me, Gavin Please"

Dareen eyes, co froainst a wall His mind was fucked, completely bulldozed over by her words Torn between the need to beat Dillon within inches of his life and not wanting to drag Eh any more shit, tension bristled deep within Gavin

She’d bled herself out to hi her hurt and painful memories beneath his skin Before this, she’d seemed unreachable, but today, she drowned every fear she had into a sea of trust Gavin knew only he possessed But for fuck’s sake, he wouldn’t be able to escape his own hostility if he let Dillon get ahat he’d done Every male instinct in Gavin screamed to demolish the man who had hurt the wo… screwed

Stuck in his thoughts, Gavin clenched his jaw until it ached Staring into the eyes of the woman he knew he couldn’t live without, hehour of the rest of his life "I won’t go after hied when the words slipped fro me where he hit you Do you understand me? I need to know"

E true in his voice Ehtly "Yes," she cried

Gavin’s chest twisted at the slice of pain in her voice Grabbing her hand gently, he led her into the kitchen where he shut off the burner holding the seared-to-a-crisp chicken Gavin could feel the way Ehtened when, a mo at one another, they stood silently, as if neither knehat to say

Trying to wipe all traces of anger from his features, Gavin looped his arainst his body Within seconds, she was li hard and fast He nuzzled his nose in her hair, pulling in the sweet smell of her shampoo, as he attempted to prepare himself for what she was about to tell hi how anyone could hurt her She was fragile Loving Vulnerable With all his possessions, Gavin knew her touch was all he had that was true, pure Dillon hadparts of her no woman should have to bare In that oing after the sick fuck With each passing second she ca perilously close to losing any semblance of control

When E slowed to a nor flashed in his eyes "Are you okay?"

Emily wiped her nose "I am Are you?"

He wasn’t Not even close He was unhinged But wanting to keep her as calm as possible, Gavin nodded "God, you haven’t even eaten yet" Letting out an exhausted sigh, he slanted a hand through Ery?"

"No," she whispered She wasn’t Still feeling as though she could throw up, food was the last thing on herto toss some water on my face" He lowered his ht out"

Emily nodded and watched him disappear into the bathroom After he closed the door, she inhaled deeply in an atte She didn’t want to give Gavin details about thatblow to his sanity It was bad enough she could see he was fighting his instinct to leave and go after Dillon This could definitely send hie

She yanked herself fro boxes still holding so for a pair of pajamas, she came across a picture of her mother and sister from a trip to Santa Cruz many years earlier Forced smiles dowsed the photo Those s the chaos consu their lives, but that’s all they were Slivers of peace Slivers of so that was never constant As she stared at it, Eh for the evening She shoved the memory underneath a pile of sweaters

By the time she’d slipped out of her work clothes and into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, Gavin ree but a pair of boxer shorts, his face angrier than a few e of the bed So in the set of his body alarmed her It was as if the few e combustible ball of pissed off alpha-male Emily sed nervously and crawled onto the bed God, all she wanted to do was soothe hi up behind hi to re off him in hot waves