Breaking our kiss for a moment, I speak the most honest words I’ve ever said. “I only want your touch.”
Lifting off the couch with me in his arms, he stalks towards the bedroom. He spends the next two hours imprinting his touch on every inch of my body and soul.
I’ve spent most of the day editing a new manuscript.
Gabe’s called to check on me a few times, and we’ve texted in between. His concern is not only sweet, but genuine, which makes me fall even harder for him.
I’m still upset about the altercation with Brian this morning. Seeing him opens a floodgate of emotions I don’t want to feel, and too many memories I don’t want to relive. Memories of our darkest times together re-emerge, and I push them away.
I won’t let him have control over me again.
I’ve moved past the misery he imprisoned me in for years, but I can’t shake the sadness I feel when I think of my family.
Would they be disappointed in me?
Aunt Helen raised me to be strong and independent, but after she passed away, he slithered into my life while I was at rock bottom. When it comes down to it, I’m ashamed of how I let him treat me.
A knock on the door draws my attention from the unwanted thoughts. Closing my laptop, I go to the door, a smile lighting my face when I see the gorgeous man on the other side.
Gabe saunters in, closing the door behind him. He envelops me with his body, and I breathe in his spicy, masculine scent. Melting further into his embrace, my mind clears, and my body relaxes for the first time since he went to work.
“I missed you.” He kisses my forehead, and I bury my face in his chest.
“I missed you, too.” His strong presence brings me solace, but a pang of sadness will always live in the corner of my heart.
Gripping my shoulders, he gently pushes me back, searching my face. “What’s wrong?” He lifts my arm, his gaze tracking the dark bruises on my wrist. His jaw clenches, anger flashing in his eyes. “Is the pain worse?”
“No, it’s just tender.” Glancing over his shoulder, the glint of a silver metal frame on my desk catches my eye. “I’ve been stuck in the past this afternoon.”
He turns, following my gaze, his arms falling from my shoulders. Taking the few steps to the desk, he picks up the shiny frame holding a picture of me and Aunt Helen. His eyes soften as he stares at the photo, a grin tugging at his lips.
Coming up beside him, I lean my head against his bicep, gripping his free hand with both of mine.
He sets the photo back on my desk, leading me to the couch. He sits down, pulling me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. “Tell me about her.”
A lump forms in my throat and my eyes burnwith unshed tears. “Aunt Helen saved me. She stepped in after my parents died, giving me the love and care of a mother. She never married or had children of her own, so in a way, I believe she needed me as much as I did her.”
He glides his hands up and down my spine with soothing strokes, his eyes locked on mine. “Tell me what haunts you, angel. What chains you to the past?”
A single tear slides down my cheek. He catches it with his thumb, bringing it to his lips. Something stirs inside me that I don’t want to think about right now. My emotions are all over the place today, and I’m a fucking mess.
“I began to notice things. In the middle of a conversation, her speech would begin to slur. She was having trouble remembering things. She was plagued with terrible migraines that left her in bed, unable to function for days at a time. She was a stubborn woman, but I put my foot down and dragged her to the doctor. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor, she started getting her affairs in order.” The tears flow freely now, and the pain is heavy in my chest.
He leans forward, pressing his lips to mine. “Give me your pain, baby.”
Sighing heavily, my body trembles as painful memories flash through my mind. “Watching her suffer every day shattered me. She was beautiful with a heart of gold, and she didn’t deserve her fate. I made sure to spend every free moment withher, trying to hold onto her as long as I could. My heart was broken, knowing I was going to lose her. Six months later, she was gone, and I was alone. It was the lowest point in my life.”
He kisses me again, his large hands trailing up and down my arms. “Tell me what triggered these memories today.”
Disgust fills me and I roll my eyes, sniffling as my tears fade at the thought of the bastard. “Brian.”
His eyebrows furrow in confusion. “How?”
My gaze finds the buttons on his shirt, my fingers smoothing the fabric around them. “We met shortly after she passed away. He was the real estate agent that sold our house. I couldn’t bring myself to live there without her, so I decided to sell. He was persistent and I was vulnerable. Eventually we became a couple. Things were good until we got married. It was like a switch flipped.”
He lifts my chin with his finger and his gaze penetrates my soul. “What happened after you were married?”
I don’t want to talk about this, but I can’t hide from Gabe. He won’t allow it. “We were together for six years, but it felt like a lifetime. He’s a pathological liar. He’s cold, disrespectful, and manipulative. He made me feel unattractive. He made me feel like everything I said and did was a disappointment. He’d tell me over and over how stupid I was and how I’d never be good enough. If he felt me distancing myself, he’d remind me thatno one else would want me.”
