Page 232 of Texting Dr. Stalker

A simple word that hid so many within it.

Why did she expose me?

Why did she tell me those things?

Why did she forgive me?

Why did she love me?

Christ, she loves me.

I staggered against the table, slapping my palm over the cutlery and stabbing myself with the fork. Hissing between my teeth, I—

“I called you Z,” she whispered. “And I did it because…I heard you last week. I was looking for Peng. I rang your doorbell and ran into your back garden searching for him. It was an honest mistake—this one I’m not lying about—I honestly didn’t mean to watch you that night. But…true to my history of being unable to tear myself away whenever you’re in a window, I stayed. And I saw. And I heard. Everything.”

“Everything?” I groaned.

Stepping into me, she planted her palm over my painfully chugging heart. “I heard why you did what you did. Why you disguised yourself. Why you put your own sleep and health on the line. Why you put me first, like you always do, and why…why you’ve made it impossible for me to let you walk out that door because…you’re everything I’ve ever wanted, Zander. I’ve loved you since I was a silly little girl with pigtails, crushing on the boy who called her Lori, but only recently did I fall into lust with the very masked protector who touched me because I begged him to. The kind-hearted villain who went against his morals and his unflappable rules of right and wrong. I did it because…by freeing me, I think you freed yourself, and you’re afraid that you can’t be the guy you used to be if you embrace this new version of yourself. But…” Her fingernails dug into my chest. “I’m telling you, Z…you can. You can still care while being erotically cruel to me. You can still protect me while punishing me. And you can have exactly what you need because I want to give you everything, just likeyougivemeeverything.”

Tears welled and spilled down her cheeks. “You’ve looked after me my entire life and…I want to look after you now. I want you to come home to a home-cooked meal, so I know you’re getting enough food after you work so hard. I want you to help me renovate because your house looks way better than mine, and it’s time to step into the future. I want a relationship with you…the good, the bad, the safe, the sinful…I just…I just want you. All of you.”

For a second, only white noise filled my ears. A hissing, annoying snow that drowned out my thoughts.

Sailor rolled her eyes in the direction of the living room. “Bloody Nana turned the TV on again.” Swaying backward, she laughed softly. “I’ll just go turn it off and—”

I snatched her wrist.

I jerked her into me.

I reached another limit.

The last one.

The one that would always be the finish line and the starting line, the before and after.

Snatching a fistful of her hair, I yanked her head back and kissed her.

Hard.

Painfully,deliciouslyhard.

She exploded.

She opened wide and let me plunge into her mouth.

She fought me back, fire with fire.

Kissing, nipping, slipping, sliding.

She squirmed as I grabbed her jaw and deepened the kiss with brutal lust.

Spinning around, I picked her up and tossed her onto the table, never stopping our connection. Our tongues fought. Our breaths caught. My hands roamed all over her body, the slipperiness of her black dress sending me straight to fucking hell.

Cupping her breasts with punishing fingers, I let loose all those needs inside me. The need to maul her and corrupt her. The desire to break her for having the power to break me.

Her back arched, pushing more of her flesh into my hold.

Her legs spread, cradling me as I stepped into her and ground myself against her.

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