pierced through the gap in
ony. Her head felt like it was splitting open, a rel
deep, bruised soreness, as if s
ed her e
hite she was used to. Instead, it was a sleek, indtching the impossibly soft
s star
s night shattered in her
g that man from the b
tubble against her skin, the posse
mpletely blank save for pure, unadulterate
e it made her physically
she been cheated on, but within a mere few hour
grip,
herself t
e, ex
to get out
rumpled in a heap, her bra dangling from the armrest of a sleek lea
y like a thief. She was struggling to zip up her dress-the zipper felt stu
dangerously low on his hips. Beads of water clung to the chiseled muscles of
broken zipper of her dress. She felt
ther towel, his gaze sweeping c
thick and raspy. She didn't dare look him in the eye
the corner of the room and poured a glass of wat
id. "It'll help w
dozen scenarios from crime shows flashing through
ips. He set the glass down on the
voice. "You weren't nearly this cautious las
her hairline. "That was the alcohol!" she shot back, her voi
ngly oppressive, blocking out the light streaming in from the window. H
e the way I saw it, our bodies
he weather. "I find myself in need of a stable, public relationship. You are... strik
ed at him, certain she had misheard, blaming
ack hitting the cold concrete wal
in, as if she were a particularly slow subordinate. "It wou
s fury. "You think this is what I want? To make a transaction with you,
landed. A muscle
ess, completely ignoring the fact that the broken zipper left he
m one last time, her
icy. "The biggest mistake of my life. I would ra
she turne
didn't look back to see the shocked, bewildered expres
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