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Jace grabbed ed me back to hiht pushed me onto the mattress and he instantly pinnedwant Dalton!” he snapped “Don’t you get it, Caleb? It’s you!” he practically snarled “It’s only ever been you! You’re all I’ve ever wanted from the moment I met you”

Before I could even respond, his mouth closed over mine The kiss was harsh, but my body welcomed it anyway But it ended way too soon

“You were seventeen fucking years old,” Jace said, his voice quieter now “You’d been brutalized in the worst way and I just wanted… I just wanted…”

“What?” I asked softly, so as I watched the helplessness flash in his eyes

“I had to stay away,” he said hoarsely “Don’t you understand?”

He didn’t give me a chance to answer Instead, he shook his head violently “I couldn’t go through that Not again Not with you”

“Go through what?” I asked His body was shaking on top of mine

“I couldn’t love you and lose you like all the others I just couldn’t… I can’t… I won’t”

I held my breath Had he just ad about were the family members who’d all been stolen away from him

I forced sos “You wouldn’t talk toan slipping downabout that

Jace released one of ht cheek, then h because it was just like hi like that

“When we had sex,” Jace finished for me “That’s what it was, Caleb And it was perfect”

“Then why didn’t you speak to ht I’d hurt you – that I’d treated you like my father and Rush had—”

Jace kissed ainst my mouth “Don’t ever compare what happens between us to what those assholes did to you I loved everything we did” He kissed ain and I couldn’t help but kiss him back “You want the simple answer?” he asked “I freaked out Thatscared And I had no clue what to do with that There was no cutting it out… there was no fucking it away”

“You could have talked to me,” I said softly