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An eon passed as he held me. I tried, I really tried not to letitnot take me. It felt like going crazy. All reason swept away into pure sensation, a need so deep it hurt. He finally eased me back onto my feet and off the wall. The towel slipped, I clutched at it to keep it in place. I turned and I hung my head. I couldn’t look at him. A sense of shame burned my cheeks. I pressed a palm to them to cool them off. I had never felt this so out of control and raw before. And it was all because… of him.

“Why the fuck did you do this to me?” I still couldn’t quit bring myself to look him in the eye.

I yelped when he slammed a hand over my mouth and pressed me back against the wall, his eyes burning right into me.

“Keep your mouth closed.”

I swiveled my head uselessly to break his hold.

“I cannot impress upon you the amount of danger we are in.” His voice was so soft but full of violence, ringing right inside my head. “No one can know about anything that happened before this moment.” He shook my head slightly to make sure I got the point. “Do you understand?” I didn’t, but I nodded anyway.

“We are dead if anyone figures out the truth.” The emotion in his eyes didn’t match the violence in his words.

But I got the message clear. He’d kill me. He’d kill me again if I disobeyed. He let go and stepped back, and brushed a lock wet of hair out of my face. I swatted at his hand and pushed him. It did nothing.

“The story is,” breath barely left his lips, but I had no trouble hearing, “arrangements fell through. You need a place to recover while the one who made you sorts things out.”

I nodded, no idea what I was actually agreeing to. I squeezed the towel closer to me, water squelching through my fingers.

“Say it.” He folded his arms across his chest and towered over me.

I lifted my chin to refuse the order. He went to take a step forward.

“Don’t you dare touch me.”

“Say it.”

“No.”

He blinked at me. Like it never occurred to him that someone would disobey.

“I understand.” I said through gritted teeth. I didn’t, not really, but I knew what the lie was he wanted told. Anger flashed through him, making his upper lip twitch. He pushed my shoulders into the wall, like he could push me into my place, and stalked out of the room.

I was dripping wet again, the towel drenched and streaked with pink. The blood I drank. I put my hand to my stomach. I felt… great. Awake, energized, none of that weird cramping. I knew there were no more towels in here. Fuck him, I’d make puddles on his carpet. I scraped together all the dignity I could find and pushed the bathroom door open.

He had his back to me, his head hung, and he was running hands through his hair. I shifted my weight from foot to foot. Being pissed burned out any fear I had. And that went nuclear at having to ask for basic necessities like a towel.

The door banged open, giving way to a petite blond. Her hair was pulled up into a high pony, with just the right amount of waves cascading down. Her t-shirt did that little pucker thing right between her boobs, like it was a size or two too small. She had on white skinny jeans, with strategically placed, artful rips and black flats on her feet.

“Oh, hi, you’re up.” She said brightly, setting a stack of clothes on the edge of the bed. “I brought you something to wear.” She looked me up and down and smiled. But not a genuine smile. “You might be bigger than I thought, so I hope these will do.”

Did.. Did she just call me fat? She turned towards Lachlan and put her hands on him. A flirtatious giggle bubbled out of her as she hip checked him to get him to step aside. She pulled open a drawer of a battered dresser and pulled out a stack of towels. She handed them to me with a cheeky smile.

“Here you go!”

“I’m sorry, but who are you?”

“Ugh, Lachlan is just terrible with little social niceties. I’m always having to play hostess with him.”

I flicked my eyes to Lachlan, he seemed not to be paying attention.

“I’m Aurora. Aurora Venier.”

I just stood there awkwardly with a stack of towels balanced in one hand while water was still dripping down me.

“And you are…?” She said, as if I was raised in a barn.

“Tiffany.” Lachlan answered before I could even open my mouth.