The male went down stumbling back over his own feet, but it wasn’t enough.Touches were bad, they meant things were going to happen to her.She rode him to the floor, landing with a grunt, her legs on either side of his chest, knees bent.
Holding herself over his form, she snarled as she continued to strike.
His mouth moved, but the words blurred and couldn’t penetrate the haze surrounding her.It sank in, finally, that he wasn’t fighting back.Not trying to harm her, but simply deflect her attacks.
She bared her teeth and went for his eyes.He moved to block and flipped her over, pinning her to the ground.Arms stretched above her head, his heavier weight pinning her hips down.
Bucking hard, try as she might, she couldn’t dislodge him.Panic welled up and she refused to give in.Not again.
He smacked her cheek, not overly hard but enough to jar her.
What was happening slammed into her and she lay there beneath Lance, chest heaving as she struggled to ingest the slightest bit of air.
“You with me, Jasmine?”
Sweat dripped down her face, soaked her back and through her tank top.He didn’t rush her, just sat there, watching her, eyes locked on her face as he continued to hold her wrists and keep his weight on her pelvis.
She dragged her tongue over her dry lips, shame rose and he clucked his as he shook his head.
“No, baby.Focus on my voice, not on any shame you may think you deserve to feel.”
He dipped his head, his dark hair falling forward.No anger existed on his features.
“I’m letting go of your wrists.”
He put action to his words and released her.Watching him with suspicion and shame, she brought them to her torso and rubbed.Not because he hurt her, no, merely because she needed to do something with her hands.Lance had been extremely gentle with her given how much she’d been fighting him.
“You with me?”
It was a struggle to even nod but she managed to give him a small one.
“Good girl.”Eyes locked on hers, Lance placed his hands by her shoulder and with a swift move lifted himself off her, settling once more at her side.
She didn’t hesitate, jumped up herself and beelined it straight to her room.She closed the door behind her, and had made it three steps to her bed when it popped open.
“I don’t think so, baby.”
“I can’t… Leave it alone.”She didn’t turn back toward him.
Even as the words left her mouth, she knew it wasn’t meant to be.Lance Baldwin did his own thing.Forged his own path.
“Not happening, baby.”
She felt him near.As always, the comforting warmth that never failed to surrounded her when he was close wrapped her up once more.He skimmed his touch over her bare shoulders and down her arms so he could lace their fingers together.
Shame flooded her and she remained rigid as his larger body curved around her.He shared his heat, his strength, his protection.
“Come on, talk to me.”
Coaxing, his words strummed along her skin and tugged at some need she hadn’t realized she had within her to share with this man.To allow him to shoulder some of her burden.
Had he been in front of her she would have glared at him.He wasn’t.
“My helping you keep your ass alive isn’t contingent on you knowing my personal feelings, Lance.”
His arms flexed around her and he pressed his lips to the rapid pulse in her neck.
“I’m not letting this go, baby.”He moved them to and the bed and put her on the mattress first before climbing in behind her.
