paused, caught between arguing that her father could walk in at
any second and asking him to take his clothes off, he spoke.
?I only have so much willpower, Helen,? he whispered. ?And
since you apparently sleep in the most ridiculously transparent
tank top I?ve ever seen, I?m going to have to ask you to get under
the covers before I do something stupid.?
The blood rushed to Helen?s face, and she immediately crossed
her arms to cover her chest. She ran and jumped under the covers.
Lucas just laughed and folded the comforter up over her as if it
248/395
were some uncrossable line that would magically keep the two of
them from doing ?something stupid.? As she snuggled down, he
wrapped an arm around her and rubbed his face into the back of
her neck.
?No need to be embarrassed. After seeing you in my cousin?s
nightgown, you?ve got nothing to hide. But why were you crying in
the shower?? he murmured into her hair. She could feel his lips
moving against her scalp, and feel the press of his hips through the
covers, but his arms were an unyielding cage. She tried to turn over
to face him, to welcome him under the covers with her, but he
wouldn?t let her.
?I was crying because I?m frustrated! Why are you doing this??
she whispered into her pillow.
?We can?t, Helen,? was all he said.
He kissed her neck and said he was sorry over and over, but try
as she might, he wouldn?t let her face him. She began to feel like
she was being used.
?Please be patient,? he begged as he stopped her hand from
reaching back to touch him.
She tried to sit up, to push him out of her bed, anything but suffer