Page 3 of Absolution

This is not what he wants, the threats, the rage. I know it. I cup my hands over his. His skin is so cold. Mine is just as cold.

“I won’t run again. I promise.”

“I’m not sure I believe a word you say.” He pulls his hands out of mine and straightens, magnificent, terrifying, where he stands, towering over me.

I scoff. “That’s rich, coming from you.”

He frowns as his eyes dart to mine, then he shakes his head and drops onto the couch next to me. Lifting the blanket, he stares at my soaked clothes.

“What the fuck, Kerry? Go and change or you’ll catch a cold.”

“I’m too tired.” And I am. I have no energy left whatsoever; our last fight took the very last ounce I had, and I just want to sit here. I just want to sleep.

“That’s not good enough.”

“Since when do you worry ‘bout my health?” I slur. “That’s just so… not you.”

“Since now. Raise your arms.”

I obey and he yanks off my wet pullover and my thicker sweater in one move. My two T-shirts cling to my body and I have goosebumps all over as I hug myself, shaking violently.

“You have two choices. Either I undress you, or you do it yourself, either way you’re getting in the shower.”

His suggestion shoots heat straight between my legs. I want his touch. But I can’t have it. How can I let him close again? I can’t. Yet again it washes over me. I could have been dead, murdered by these hands, the hands that rest hot on my cold arms, making me tingle in all the wrong places.

Then the moment passes, and the choice is taken away from me.

“Arms up, Ker.”

Our eyes meet. He doesn’t let go and I’m sucked into the depths of that dark gaze that is filled with too many emotions for one human to carry alone. I inhale erratically as I obediently raise my arms. Christian grabs the hems of my T-shirts and pulls them up and over my head. I have no bra and my hands fly down to cover my breasts as I stare at him.

Christian shakes his head, and puts a large palm against my cheek. “Sweetheart, relax. You’re frozen blue. No matter how hot I normally find you, you look like a wet puppy right now, and that’s not a great turn-on.”

I scoff. My arms remain where they are.

“Stand up, hon.”

I dart up. “I can take it from here.” I am so not getting naked in front of him. That’s… No way. “I’ll go shower.”

He smiles, and it’s the most beautiful sight ever. “Good girl. Hop into the bathroom. I’ll bring you a bunch of dry clothes.”

“You’ve sure made yourself comfortable here.”

“Had to. Had to look for anything you could use as a weapon.”

I snort. “And here I was thinking you’d turned domestic.”

“Nah. It’s me ‘needing’ to be nice.”

I shake my head and stumble into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

“And Ker!” he shouts.

“Yeah?”

“I really am sorry.”

Sure. Okay. I know he thinks he means it. I fall back against the door once I’m alone and exhale. I tremble hard as I pull off my pants and underwear, and it’s not only from the cold. The rollercoaster that is being around this man makes my head spin.

“I want you, Kerry.”

Good God! How do I get out of this?

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