Page 5 of Damaged

I went to the front passenger seat and opened the door. My body protested every move as I climbed into the huge SUV. Once I was settled, Dalton put the car in gear but didn’t move it. I turned to see that he was watching me.

No, not watching… studying.

It sent a chill down my spine because there was something in his gaze that made butterflies dance in my stomach even as my brain warned me to get ready to run.

“Seat belt,” Dalton said as his big hand reached for me. I automatically jerked away and slammed my body into the door, causing blinding pain to shoot up the entire side of my body. My instinct to survive kicked in as I reached for the door handle but then Dalton’s singular word registered.

Seat belt.

His hand stopped just above the console he’d been reaching for, not me. “This button controls the seat’s heater and this one controls the temperature on your side,” Dalton said, his voice devoid of any kind of emotion. Thankfully, the man hadn’t seemed to care about my little freak-out moment when he’d reached for me… or rather for the array of dials and switches between us.

An awkward silence filled the car as Dalton waited. His eyes were looking straight ahead. I fumbled to get the seat belt on. I wanted to laugh out loud because I’d seen people put seat belts on thousands of times, but I’d never worn one myself. Ivan hadn’t cared enough about his “pet” to teach him how to buckle up.

Tears stung the backs of my eyes as I tugged on the strange material. Jesus, how was I going to survive on my own if I couldn’t do something as simple as put on a seat belt?

“Here,” I heard Dalton say and then suddenly he was practically pressed to my chest as he reached for the seat belt. The yummy, woodsy smell washed over me, stealing my senses for a moment. His cheek was only inches from my lips.

Which meant his mouth was right there. If he turned his head just a little…

“It sticks sometimes,” Dalton murmured as he eased the seat belt across my body and pressed the buckle into the receiver by my hip.

“No, it doesn’t,” I said quietly as something in his tone caught my attention. It was enough to get Dalton to pause. His face was still just inches from mine, but I couldn’t read his expression.

I wasn’t sure why I’d called him out on the lie. He’d only been trying to spare me the embarrassment.

You know why.

My inner voice was a harsh reminder of both the past and the present. People lied. They lied to me. All the time. They used me to get what they wanted. Maggie had been one of the few exceptions and now she was dead. I didn’t want or need Dalton to be another exception.

Who’s lying now?

“Fuck,” I whispered under my breath, hoping like hell the man nearly pressed up against my side hadn’t heard me.

A rush of sensation stole over my entire body in reaction to Dalton’s proximity. Amazingly, I felt my groin tighten as blood rushed to my dick.

God, what was happening to me?

Dalton’s eyes held mine for what seemed like a lifetime before he began to shift his body back into his own seat. Shame washed over me as Dalton struggled to get comfortable. His entire body was tight and there was sweat dotting his forehead.

He was hurting.

Because of me.

Because I didn’t know how to put on a fucking seat belt.

My brain must have been on hiatus because it didn’t stop me when I reached my hand out to cover Dalton’s right one which he’d wrapped around the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were bloodless.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I rubbed my fingers over his. He didn’t react to my touch or words. I caressed his fisted hand for a few more seconds before pulling away. I was shocked when Dalton suddenly released the steering wheel and grabbed my hand. His head was pressed back against the headrest and his eyes were closed as he pulled in several deep breaths.

Despite the pain he was clearly in, his hand was gentle as he closed it around mine. I wanted to ask him what I could do for him to take his pain away, but I kept my mouth shut. Instead, I opened my hand and linked our fingers together. I rubbed my thumb back and forth over his skin.

I wasn’t sure how long we sat there like that but when Dalton let out a long breath, released my hand, and got the car moving, I knew it was over.

Problem was, I had no clue what it was.

Chapter 3

DALTON

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