“Staying with me last night.” She dropped her gaze. “Rescuing me. I don’t think I’ve said it.”
“Think it’s one of those things that can go without saying. You doing okay?”
Was she doing okay? Her shoulder ached. Every now and then, her ribs would twinge when she breathed too deeply. Her face was still a patchwork of fading bruises. Physically, she’d heal. But everything else? The mental things? The nightmares and flashbacks? She’d need to talk to someone. But right now… Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Hey. Hey, hey. What’s going on? What happened?”
She shook her head and tried to hide her face.
“Emme, talk to me.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. What could she say? She couldn’t even explain it to herself.
“Do you want me to leave?”
She moved closer to him and shook her head. That was the last thing she wanted. Jordan made her feel safe. Protected. She knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He’d literally fought for her already.
“You’re killing me. I don’t know what to do.” His hands ran up and down her back, trying to sooth her.
“Kiss me.” Oh, jeez. Did she really just say that? Is that what she wanted?
“Emme—”
“Please, Jordan.” She unburied her head. “I want you to kiss me. I need you to. I need to feel something other than all the crap I’m feeling now.”
A small furrow appeared between his brows.
“Please,” she whispered.
His head tilted and hovered a hairsbreadth away from her lips. She slid her hand behind his head, running her fingers over the soft stubble at the base of his neck and pulled him closer. His lips were firm but gentle.
She didn’t want gentle. She wanted to feel.
She wanted to feelhim.
Opening her mouth, she touched her tongue to his lips.
His sharp inhale signaled his surprise and he groaned. “Emme.”
“More.” She pressed her mouth against his again. He reciprocated and his tongue laved her bottom lip before delving into her mouth to tangle with hers. She moaned and pressed closer, closing the distance between their bodies.
Now she realized why he’d kept some space between them. His erection nudged her lower stomach through their pajama bottoms. She threw her leg over his hips, eliciting a deep groan.
He ended their kiss, pressing his forehead against hers. His breathing was harsh. Tortured. “Emme, we have to stop.”
“No, we don’t.” She tried to pull him back to her mouth, but he resisted.
“You’ve just gone through a horrible experience. I know you’re feeling a lot of confusing emotions, but this isn’t the way to handle them.”
“You don’t understand. You might think you do, but you don’t. All my power was stripped from me. I was beaten and tossed around like I was trash. I need to feel something good. I need to have hands on me that don’t bring me pain.”
God, she sounded pathetic. She was begging a man to touch her. Something she’d promised she’d never do again after Jordan, of all people, made her realize she was better than that.
What was she doing? He was right — this wasn’t the way to handle her issues.
Shame washed over her. Tucking her chin, she tried to roll to the edge of the bed. The bathroom was as good a place as any to hide until he went back to his own room.
His arms held her in place. “Don’t run. You’re vulnerable right now. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
