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My gaze flew back to h left his throat It was a cackle of a laugh, dry and angry I began to back away, shakinganswer, cunt," he said

He waved the the pistol in front of her "You can’t take your eyes off of this Do you want it? Would you like ive this to you? Take it, if you want it You think I can’t touch you with a gun in your hand?"

My mother watched him, her eyes almost blank with terror Shetone of his voice, that he was testing her She would pay dearly if she took the gun frohed "I insist Take the gun"

Unexpectedly, and horrifyingly, she did She pointed it at him with hands that shook

"Get out," she said, her voice tres, especially in front of our daughter Get out, and don’t coed to pull the haain With no fear and no effort, he grabbed her hand His hand covered one of hers, ripping the other one away He turned the gun, slowly and inexorably pointing it away fro it into her ainst the wall as I watched their exchange, but when I saw his clear intent, I suddenly rushed forward, sobbing

"Mah I’d run into a henus, and the entire rooore

My horrified eyes met my father’s His showed no expression at all

I screa up

I was out of the bed and in the bathrooan to scrub at

The light turned on behind ht?" James asked, his voice soft with concern

I couldn’t look at him I especially couldn’t look attime I usually couldn’t look at myself for days after I had that dreahtmare I need to be alone, please"

I turned on the shower, knowing that the sink could never get ore

I stepped into the shoithout checking to see if he’d listened I got under the still cold spray, shivering and hugging myself I sank to the bottom of the tub as the water turned warmer

I didn’t realize that I’d leftit off ofbehind me to curl himself around me "I just need to be alone," I told him

"Not anymore, Love," James murmured into my ear

I didn’t cry I didn’t break down I just washed ain, until Ja into soft strokes

"You ready to dry off and go back to bed?" he asked, after several minutes under the spray

I nodded

He dried me and carried me back to bed, cradled like a child He wrapped me in the covers, then wrapped hily until I drifted back to sleep

We passed the next day together pleasantly, Jalued tohi at his beauty The sun strea pieces of his skin It looked flawless even in the bright sun, his tan set off darkly against et out of bed I was infatuated, and it wasn’t a condition that I planned to cultivate

I threw on a thin cotton sundress, not bothering with any kind of underwear I slipped quietly from the room

I mentally beat s that I was too s about a man like that

At the end of this, I ht And , because I knew I already felt too much for theafter I’d ainst the counter, sipping it

He made himself a cup and perched a hip on the counter atonly black boxer-briefs, and they were tight enough to show me his clear, heavy arousal

I looked deliberately away frohtlessly on the cupboards

He took a sip ofIt wasn’t for everyone He took another drink, trying to adjust to the harsh flavor

"You walking around like that should be illegal," I told hiain

He s up my tiny sundress, and et aith going braless and not have it be obvious

"I could say the same about you"

"You’re a tease," I told him

"I am not that A few days won’t kill us Besides, I need to prove to myself that I can exercise some self-control where you’re concerned"

This was news to me "Why?"

"Your…pain threshold is a concern to me I need to know that I can put your welfare before my own impulses I would hate myself if I went too far with you I know I’m a bastard, but even I’m not that much of a bastard

My brows shot up He had been sothan I had expected hiht of himself that way