Page 95 of Yearning For Her

He lowered the flowers with a sigh. “Come on, Will. Don’t be like that.”

“I don’t want to see you, Eli. Go.” She stepped back and closed the door.

Eli slapped a hand on the door before it was fully shut, halting its progress, and pushed it back open. “Just hear me out, okay?”

“There is nothing more for you to say, and nothing I want to hear from you. It’s over between us.”

“But I don’t want it to be.” He stepped across the threshold, standing directly in front of her. “I’ve had time to think. I know I fucked up. But Will, I miss you. What we had was special. I want you back.”

“But I don’t want you.”

“Aw, come on, Willow.” He reached out to touch her cheek, but she backed out of his reach. He frowned. “We were good together.”

“No, we weren’t. It just took me too long to realize it. I want you to leave.”

Eli scowled and moved forward, forcing Willow to retreat farther. He closed the door behind him.

An alarm blared inside her, and she backpedaled to get more space between them. While they’d been together, he’d never hit her, never threatened her, but there was something unsettling in his eyes now, something disconcerting about the way he moved.

“This is bullshit,” Eli said. “Are you seriously going to throw away a three-year relationship?”

“Are you serious right now? You threw that away when you cheated on me. But I’m glad it happened, I’m glad I found out who you really are before I wasted more of my life on you.”

“Wasted your life on me? What the fuck? You were never like this before. You never talked like this.”

“My eyes were opened, Eli. I deserve better.”

He thrust his hand into his hair and dragged it through the strands. Glancing around the living room, he frowned. “Where’d all these flowers come from?”

“From someone who values me.”

“You’re with someone?”

“I am.”

He clenched his jaw. “Wow. Didn’t take you long to start fucking someone else, did it?”

Rage sparked within her chest. “Don’t you fucking dare throw that shit at me. You were screwing someone else while you were with me. I was faithful to you the entire time we were together, and what I do now is none of your fucking business.” She thrust her finger toward the door. “You need to leave. Now. Before I call the cops.”

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have said that. Like I said, I fucked up.” He set the roses on the back of the sofa and approached her. She tried to move away, but he thrust his hand out, catching her wrist and pulling her toward him.

She gritted her teeth. “Eli, let me go.”

“Just give me another chance, Will. I won’t touch another woman again. I want us to start over. I really miss you.”

Willow tugged on her arm. “Let. Me. Go.”

“I know what will soften you up.” He banded an arm around her waist and yanked her body against his.

She struggled, but he didn’t let go. Releasing her wrist, he cupped the back of her head, preventing her escape as his head dipped.

“Eli, no!” She tried to turn her head away, but he only tightened his grip on her hair.

He pressed his mouth against hers.

That same sense of helplessness she’d felt with Lachlan overcame her. It was paralyzing, nauseating, humiliating. She hadn’t wanted what Lachlan was doing to her yesterday, and she didn’t want this now.

But Eli wasn’t Lachlan. He wasn’t a fae, wasn’t using magic. He was human. Bigger than her, stronger than her, but human all the same.

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