He was rugged and magnetic in a way that made her heart beat harder, even as her mind screamed at her to stay in control.
But she couldn’t. There was no denying the pull he had on her.
“Leave,” she gritted out, before pulling clothes from her drawers, desperate to find something to wear.
She yanked on a clean hoodie, her hands trembling as she slid her arms into the sleeves.
“No,” his voice was hoarse, low, and filled with an authority that both unsettled and soothed her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
In two quick strides, he was there, towering over her, his height and build imposing yet not touching her in any way.
His dimple had vanished, his expression stayed tight,but his eyes held something deeper that had her thinking he might actually care.
Her hair, still damp from the rain, clung to her cheeks and her lashes fluttered, doing her best to bat away tears.
She bit back a sob, her breathing ragged under his intense stare.
“Please… Just turn around and walk away,” she pleaded.
“What happened, Shannon?” he demanded. “Talk to me, love. I wanna know.”
Her head shook from side to side, the truth choking her. No one could know.
“I don’t want you here.” Her voice cracked, the lump in her throat refusing to go away.
His jaw clenched, and his spine went poker straight.
“I’m not going anywhere until you name the bastard who hurt you,” he said, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.
He widened his stance, crossing his arms as if he needed to stop himself from reaching for her. “Give me the name. Now.”
“Please, Jamie. This has nothing to do with you. Just go.” Her gaze fell to the messy bed sheets, the same ones she’d fixed that morning—or did she?
“Did you do that?” she asked, pointing a shaky finger at the bed.
The crease on his forehead deepened, and he stepped into her, his voice now a mix of confusion and concern. “What?”
Her brows snapped together.
“I made my bed this morning. Like I do every day…” She struggled to remember. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter.”
Jamie reached out and swept up a tear from her jaw. When her head jerked back at the light touch, he clenched his jaw and let his hand fall.
“Sorry,” she whispered, unable to meet his gaze. “It’s not you…”
“I know it’s not me, because I’d never, ever fucking hurt you,” he murmured, almost like a warning.
Shannon looked up at him, the urge to bury her face in his chest overwhelming.
She fought it, though, forcing herself to stay strong even though his closeness was both soothing and electrifying. She couldn’t stop the flutters in her chest as he dipped his face closer.
“Let me in, Shannon.”
The tips of his leather shoes nudged against her toes, sending a jolt of awareness through her body.
“Is this why you stopped texting back?” His hand moved to tease the wet strands of hair from her cheek, the touch so tender it made her heart stutter. “I’ll fucking kill whoever did this.”
The raw anger in his voice was unmistakable, and the fist at his side tightened like he battled the fury inside him.
