The memory of it all crashed into her, the overwhelming rush of fear and helplessness hitting her like a physical blow. A sob broke free, the sound raw and jagged as it tore through her chest.
He closed the space between them and pulled her into his arms. One hand dropped to the small of her back, the other curled behind her head, cradling it against his shoulder. For a selfish moment, she soaked it in—his presence, his strength—letting the weight of everything melt away as she pressed her forehead against his chest.
Too soon, reality crept in. With a shaky breath, she stepped back.
His thumbs wiped tears from her cheeks. “It’s over. Everything’s going to be alright.” The gentle weight of his lips pressed against her forehead.
If only it were so simple.
If only she could forget.
With a shuddering breath, she took a step back. “I—I should go.”
A fresh wave of tears etched new paths from her eyes as she spun to the door. She reached out with trembling fingers, grasping for the knob through blurry sight, as though escape could offer her some relief.
“Josephine.”
She stilled, her name echoing through the room—through hersoul. It traveled into the darkest and furthest corners of her being, entwined with a longing she couldn’t escape. Threatened to tear her apart.
“Before you go, there’s something I need to say. This morning… What I mean to say is, what you heard…”
Her eyes widened. He wanted to talk about it. What he’d said to Thorne. She wasn’t sure she could. She needed to leave. To start the process of forgetting this—all of this.
“I—” She had to take a breath. “I don’t want to hear excuses.”
“Fair enough. But I don’t want you to walk out of this room thinking any of it was true.”
Thump.
The thud of her heart drummed in her ears as the entire world narrowed to the charged space between them. A single footfall came from behind her, the soft pad of a bare foot on the floorboards. Moments later, his hands closed over her shoulders. Her throat went dry as he leaned in, his breath hot against her ear.
“The things you said…” She trailed off as his lips brushed her neck, sending a violent shiver through her.
“I lied to Thorne.” Teeth grazed against her skin. “Don’t you understand? Everything I said, I said to keep you safe.”
Her heart crashed in her chest, each wild beat willing it to be true. Still, she shook her head. “It hurt.” Tears pricked her eyes anew. “Worse than anything I’ve ever felt before.”
“I’m sorry.” His hands slipped down her sides. “I couldn’t let him know how much you mean to me, couldn’t let him use you against me. I would have never said it if I had known you would hear.”
For a moment, his eyes burned into hers, raw with desire and desperation. He turned her, his grip firm on her hips. “I never meant to hurt you.”
Something broke in her.
Not her resolve, but something deeper. Something primal.
“Isaac.” His name came out in a whisper as her throat seized.
His mouth found hers, the soft crush of his lips sending a wave of heat rippling through her. Her knees began to tremble as he deepened the kiss. Searching. Tasting. As if his life depended on it.
His arms slid behind her, lifting her from the floor in one fluid movement. With a yelp, she clutched her hands behind his neck, her legs wrapping around him to stay steady. He groaned into her mouth as if the very act of holding her had set something wild loose inside him.
Staggering to the bed, he laid her down, his body following her with a kind of desperate precision. His weight settled over her, warm and steady, his mouth consuming her. She melted beneath him, her fingers clutching at his shoulders, pulling him closer.
His hands slid to the hem of her shift, lifting it slowly, deliberately. The cool air from the room met her skin, a sharp contrast to the heat of his body pressed against hers. His lips broke away, dark eyes finding hers with a raw intensity that nearly stole her breath. With one swift motion, he yanked the fabric higher, exposing her to him completely.
A fractured breath shuddered from him as he sat up, eyes blazing. “You’re so damn beautiful.”
Her breath hitched as his hands slid over her exposed skin, tracing the contours of her body with a mix of reverence and need. Each glide of his fingers set her nerves alight, the warmth of his hands leaving a trail of heat in its wake. He shifted above her, his body pressing down on hers with an urgency that left no room for hesitation. She could feel the hard press of him against her, a silent promise of what was to come.
