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“Do not be embarrassed over getting any sort of reaction from me. One, it’s been a while. Two, you’re beyond beautiful. Stunning in fact. And three?” A cheeky grin spread on his handsome face. “You’re such a good girl, that I wouldn’t want to do anything to taint that part of you, but I also know that there’s another part who wants to come out and play.” He tilted his head. “Isn’t there?”

I swallowed hard at the power rolling off of him and slowly nodded.

“It’s been a while for you too,” he said gently, the humor no longer there.

I looked away, shoveling another forkful of pie into my mouth. But this time, the sweet flavor was no longer there. It tasted bitter, much like the emotions rushing through me.

We ate the rest of the pie in silence, but I could feel Cyrus looking at me every so often. When I was done my piece along with my milkshake, I picked up my phone.

Me: It has been a long while for me, Cyrus, but I want to start over. I need a fresh start. I’ve been living in the past for a few years now and I need to change that. But I don’t know how to make that happen.

Taking a deep breath, I pressed send and waited.

Cyrus’s phone chimed. He pulled it out of his pocket, reading the text I sent him. When he was done, he placed it back in his pocket and signaled for the check.

My stomach tumbled. He was obviously done with me. Maybe he realized that I was too broken for him. He deserved more anyway but I had hoped that he wouldn’t have been like the other guys I had come across prior to my time in captivity. Not that I had much experience in that area, but I still thought he could be different.

Maybetheywere right. Maybetheyhad been right all along. I would forever be alone, no matter how much I didn’t want to be.

Once the waitress came over, Cyrus paid for our food and drinks. When she left, he slid out of the booth and reached out a hand.

I looked up at him then, but he never met my gaze. A shaky breath left me as I slipped my fingers in his. I would not cry. I refused to cry. So many tears had been shed already over the years, there would be no point in crying over this anyway. It wasn’t like Cyrus and I knew each other really. But I liked him. God did I ever like him.

He helped me out of the booth, only because he was a gentleman and didn’t want to cause a scene, I was sure.

We left the restaurant, hand in hand.

When we stepped outside, I pulled my hand from his and hugged my arms around myself. I just wanted to go home, take a long hot bath, and forget this night. Cyrus clearly didn’t want anything to do with me anymore, since he never responded to my text.

We walked to his car, the wind whipping around me, sending a shiver down my spine.

Once we reached his car, he opened the passenger door for me. I slipped into the vehicle and waited for him to join me.

When he sat in the driver’s seat, we still didn’t say anything to each other. Was he mad that I didn’t talk? He knew after a few short minutes of meeting me that I didn’t speak. Was that finally bothering him now? Did he think at first that he could handle it but realized now that he actually couldn’t?

When my building came into view, my eyes welled. I just wanted a normal life. I didn’t want to look over my shoulder constantly. I didn’t want to live in fear. But knowinghestill existed made it hard not to. It had been why I lived where I did. The security was top notch and made me feel safer than if I lived at a regular apartment. But the fact that Cyrus no longer wanted anything to do with me bothered me more than if I spent the rest of my life alone.

Cyrus pulled the car into the parking lot, found an empty space, and parked. He shut off the vehicle and much to my surprise, slid out of the driver’s seat.

Instead of waiting for him, I opened the door and left the car just the same.

“I’ll walk you to your door,” he murmured.

I bit back a sigh but never argued with him. When we were on my floor outside my door, I stuck my key into the doorknob. As soon as I opened the door, Cyrus spun me around and pushed me up against the doorjamb before crushing his mouth to mine.

I gasped, my purse and keys falling from my hand at the rough unexpected contact. Snaking my arms around his shoulders, I pulled him closer.

Cyrus grabbed my hands from around his neck and pushed them above my head. Holding them in one hand, he let the other trail down the side of my body as he stepped closer. So close that I could feel him everywhere. Every hard line, every inch, every throbbing muscle. But it wasn’t enough. My body suddenly burned, aching for more. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Cyrus ran his free hand back up the side of my body, cupping the side of my neck. He pushed his thumb beneath my jaw and tilted my head back. He took control of the kiss, igniting this desire and passion within me.

If his hands weren’t holding me, I would have fallen to my knees just from his lips being on mine once again.

His hold tightened on my hands above my head. Being restrained by him, not being able to touch him, ignited this burn. This need. This want and desire for more. Foreverything.

Breaking the kiss, he tilted my head back even more. “I’ll be your fresh start, pet,” he said, his voice low and husky.

My stomach tumbled.