Page 83 of Burn With Me

My heart feels like it’s getting crushed all over again as I nod my head. “I was so afraid of getting close to him, and when I finally let down my walls, he stabbed me in the back. Just like I knew he would.”

The stranger's arms tighten around me just a little, and I can hear him let out a deep breath behind his mask. “At the risk of potentially giving something personal about your life away, do you want to elaborate on what exactly happened?”

Real identities are the furthest thing from my mind right now, and I go full steam ahead with my tale of what happened last weekend. As I explain, the stranger leads me to the couch and sits with me in his lap, stroking the back of my hair while he listens.

“Things were weird all week after that. We barely spoke. I thought maybe I did something…like maybe I just wasn’t good at it?”

“I find that hard to believe, love.”

“Then I don’t know what happened. It was all so confusing. He kept acting as though we were dating, but the second we slept together, it was like he no longer cared. It was everything I was hoping wouldn’t happen. When I saw that photograph of him with that woman, I had a full-blown panic attack. I…I’m not proud of this, but Ihithim. I screamed at him like a lunatic and struck him. That isn’tme.”

“People can’t help what they do when they have attackslike that. I’m sure he doesn’t hold it against you.” His voice is quiet. Restrained and gravelly, as though he’s angry and is trying to hide it.

We’re silent for a few moments before I ask, “Do you think you could just hold me tonight? Would that be okay?”

“Absolutely. We haven’t been intimate since the night with the toy–”

“I know. I’m sorry, does that bother you?”

“Not at all, Little Ember. I’m here to be whatever you need me to be.” He pulls me closer to his chest.

Quietly, I laugh. “That’s supposed to bemyjob. I kind of suck at this. But you know what?”

“What?”

“I’m happy it was you in my room that day. You honestly have no idea how thankful I am for you.” Pulling back so that I can look into his eyes, I let out a sigh when he looks away, like he always does when we’re this close, and I try to peer behind his mask.

“I like to think I’d have killed any other man who tried to take you that night.”

A flood of warmth rushes through my body at the possessiveness of his tone.

“You know, there’s nothing wrong with you, Scarlett. It’s okay for you to be upset over the circumstances—you have every right to be. But I hope you can understandwhyI won’t sleep with you. It’s very obvious you’ve fallen for this boyfriend of yours, and feelings that strong don’t just go away.”

Letting his words sink in, I choose not to respond, and he takes that as a green light to keep talking.

“Is there not any way he can earn your forgiveness?”

“No.” My answer is instant and sharp as I pull away from him completely. His arms tighten, refusing to let me off his lap, but I turn so my back is to him, wings probably in his face.

“Maybe you should hear him out,” he presses.

“Excuse me?”

“Put yourself in his shoes, Little Ember. You should hear him out and give him a chance to explain his side instead of jumping to conclusions. What if it were you that'd been photographed with another man? Would you want the opportunity to explain your side?”

“Idon’t havehisreputation!”

“Regardless of his reputation, you fell for him anyway. Is that not deserving of a talk?”

Spinning, I glare at him before getting up from the couch and walking to the drink cart in the corner of the room. “Where were you last weekend?”

The change in subjects doesn’t even phase him. “I had things I needed to attend to.”

“You couldn’t have given me a heads-up?” Now I’m just being bratty. Never in a million years did I think he would take Jackson’s side.

I imagine he’s rolling his eyes at me. He starts to chuckle and stands, crossing the space to pull me back into his arms. “You can act like that all you want, love. Your attitude doesn’t phase me.”

“Nothingseems to phase you. You paid a disgusting amount of money to book me exclusively, and all we’ve done is play therapist. And it’s beenyoucounselingme. That isn’t normal.”

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