“Not leaving until we figure this out. You’re right. Maybe I wanted to hurt you.”
“Congratulations. Job well done. Now we’re sorted.”
“Sweetness.” He strokes my jaw.
“Nothing sweet about me right now.”
“I know you’re mad at me. All I can say is sorry.”
“Sorry can’t fix what’s broken between us. My trust. You took it and lit it on fire.”
“Tell me what you want.”
“I don’t know,” I answer him honestly because I don’t. I’m pissed off. I close my eyes and that damn image of him all smug in that chair with her between his thighs pierces my heart.
His lips touch my mouth and I roll mine inward. “Gonna deny me?”
“Sure, you had all the pussy you could get on the road. I don’t want to taste them on you.”
“I’m gonna give you that one hit because I fucked up. Know I gotta earn you back and I will. Whatever it takes. There’s no one else in this world I want but you. Know you don’t want to hear it, but honest to God, babe, I was thinking about you.”
I open my eyes and it rips me in fucking two the way he’s staring at me all vulnerable like he is truly sorry, but I can’t pretend what happened didn’t happen. That’s not who I am. I won’t be his fool.
Thinking of me the whole time. Yeah right. I bet he was.
“I don’t want you to do anything but leave.” I swallow hard, hating the words as I as I say them while knowing I have to. If he did it once he’ll do it again. What’s that saying? Once a cheater always a cheater. Not all men are like Murder. Yeah, he cheated on Ruthie with Alexa, but he’d never step out on Lex. The love they share is rare. Not everyone gets that all consuming love. I thought Link and I had that. I was wrong.
“You don’t mean that.”
I suck in a breath. My chest aches with both emotional and physical pain like I’ve never felt before because I have to cut him loose. If I don’t do it now I never will. My heart thunders against my ribs. Sweat trickles down my spine in clammy beads. Ringing sounds in my ears as I close my eyes. If I stare into his eyes, I will never get these words out. “I love you, honey. Have since the day we met. You made all my dreams come true. Showed me a love I never thought possible.” I bite back my tears and kiss my husband soft and sweet. My lips meet his with the sweetest sorrow burning through my veins because I love him so much it hurts deeper than I ever imagined walking away. To let him go. To give up on us.
His hands move down my sides, and he jerks me into his hard muscled body by the belt loops on my jeans.
“Love you too.”
I shake my head and shove his chest, forcing him to take a step back. “Stop lying to me. You don’t love me.” I push him back another step. “This isn’t love, babe. You don’t destroy the person you love.”
“Haven’t lied to you. Owned my shit. Told you what happened. I didn’t even get off.”
Didn’t even get off. Of course that’s all a man thinks with and about. Your dick is what’s important here. Not that you hurt me.”
“You can’t deny it. You love me.”
“Now I hate you.” I yell in his face. Before I even know I’m doing it my hand flies back then whips across his face with a deafening crack that stings my skin and leaves a welt on the visible part of his cheek.
His arms close around me. “You big and bad and gonna put your hands on me,” he growls. I bump my chest against his as he cages me in. That familiar scent of spice, tobacco, leather, and the road wraps around me, smothering me.
I scowl at him as he dips his head down and comes in for a kiss. I bite his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, the metallic taste coating my teeth.
A hiss escapes his mouth. “You want it rough, babe. I’ll give it to you rough.” He yanks on my hair, forcing my head up. Our heated gazes lock. His stormy eyes holding me hostage. “Fuck you so hard you won’t be able to think of anything but me between them legs.”
“I’ll never fuck you again,” I seethe, trying to break free of him, but warmth pools in the lower region of my belly. My pussy pulses. A tingle working through me as I spout my lie. I don’t want to be attracted to him, but I can’t deny that my body reacts to his strong touch and the roughness of his low and rumbly voice that grates over me like velvet rubbing sandpaper.
“Now who is the liar?” Not giving me an opportunity to respond, his mouth crashes down to mine hard. Link kisses me like a savage. Hot, deep, and wet with a dominating force I can’t refute even though everything in me is screaming no. I’m dying inside and yet my body craves him. The violent nature of the control he’s exuding over me in this moment. He backs me into the wall again and jerks my jeans down then grabs a handful of my ass. I pull his cut down his arms, and he tosses it to a nearby chair. We’re a flurry of teeth, tongues, and fingers. Groping, nipping, and sucking. Attacking one another like animals rutting in the wild.
“Fuckin’ soaked for me.” He runs a finger over the crotch of my panties. Heat inches up my neck, a pale blush spreading along the apples of my cheeks. “Bet I’ll slide right in but gonna eat you first.” Link drops to his knees and hitches one of my legs over his shoulder. He doesn’t bother to remove my underwear. Pulling them to the side he goes at me with his mouth on my clit and two fingers in me. Teasing at my ass with his thumb, Link is eager to please. His beard scrapes against my skin and will probably chafe me but I don’t care.
My ears ring louder as the back of my head hits the wall knocking a picture frame to the floor. The glass doesn’t break and neither of us miss a beat. I yank on his hair wanting more. Needing him in ways I’ve never needed him before. Wanting him to prove his devotion any way he can but in the back of my mind I know this ain’t love.