“None of that,” Eric chastised her. “Give me everything you gave him.”
“No,” she shouted. “I don’t want this! How many times do I have to say that?”
“Give me a chance. I’ll change your mind.” Eric cradled a breast in his hand, and a fresh need to kill crashed through Tyler. “God, I missed these. You’ve always had pretty tits.”
“Goddamn it, stop now!” Tyler roared. “Or I swear I’ll kill you.”
She sent him a glance that begged for his silence. Del wanted him to shut up and let her handle it? That went against every protective instinct he possessed. He knew she’d be dead if she didn’t get her hands on that flash drive, and Eric, the jealous bastard, wasn’t about to let her search for it until he got his pound of flesh.
His former pal didn’t respond to the threat, merely shifted so Tyler would have a great view of him pinching Del’s bare nipple. “You didn’t stop that night when I wanted you to. Instead, you f**ked her more. I think I’ll take a page out of your book.”
He’d barely processed that stab in the back before Eric lifted her breast and bent toward it. Del cringed, screamed, and pushed at him with all her might. Tyler saw red.
Fuck, he’d give anything to spare her this, to be able to fight this battle for her. Del needed him, and he’d never imagined that Eric would force his point or try to heal his own inferiority complex this way. Tyler wouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating him twice.
Her ex-husband came after her again, going after the sensitive tip of her breast she’d managed to keep from him. She pushed hard at his chest. “Stop, damn you!”
“Listen! The difference between that night and now? I wasn’t forcing her,” Tyler ground out. “I would never hurt her.”
Eric caressed her shoulder. “I wouldn’t, either.”
“Don’t you think she’d be running out the door now if she didn’t need your help? Call it what you want, but she said no. If you go any further, it’s rape.”
Eric merely grabbed Del’s arm tightly, forcing her to be still, and licked her nipple, dragging his tongue across the tip, throwing every ounce of possessive fury to race through Tyler’s veins. Del looked ashen, shaken as she punched at him.
Tyler didn’t bother to fight the urge to rip Eric limb from limb. He lunged, dragging the refrigerator across the floor with a screech another few inches, pulling the cord from the wall. “I’m going to annihilate you into so many pieces, they’ll need tweezers to find all the parts.”
“But first, you’ll know the joy of watching the woman you love coming for another man.”
As Eric backed Del against the counter so she had nowhere to retreat, he took her nipple back into his mouth. He tore at the snap of her pants. Even as Del shoved at him, he yanked her zipper down, jerking everything, including her panties, around her hips. Then he thrust his hand between her legs.
Del screamed and fought, but it only insinuated the bastard’s fingers deeper in her folds.
“You’re not wet yet,” Eric chided. “Stay still. Let me fix that.”
“What part of no don’t you understand?” She sounded damn close to hysterical, and Tyler had to fight back another wave of fury. “You’re angry and feel betrayed. I understand.” Del squeezed her thighs together, trying to dislodge him. “But I do not want this.”
“You will.”
“I won’t!” She sobbed. “It’s over, done. We’re divorced. I didn’t reject you. We grew apart and put an end to the marriage. Just move on.”
As Eric shook his head and rubbed in slow circles around Del’s pu**y, frustration poured hot acid fury all over Tyler. He growled and kicked at the refrigerator. God, it hurt to watch them, especially when tears began to run down her cheeks. Another mountain of impotent rage crashed through Tyler, like the bowels of hell had opened up and poured in pure molten fury.
“We can’t go back in time,” she pointed out. “And you can’t force me to want you.”
“Look at me.” Eric tangled his free hand in her hair and yanked, snapping her head back. Del’s eyes flew open, and he pinned her beneath his furious, dark stare. Violence poured off him.
Tyler feared there was a good chance Eric would leave Del violated and broken if he didn’t do something fast. As much as he hated to give Eric the satisfaction, Tyler gladly swallowed his pride.
“You wanted to hurt me, make me jealous? Angry?” he challenged Eric. “You got it. You win. Watching you touch her is like having my insides gnawed on and spit out. It’s f**king torture. You hate me, not Del, so stop hurting her, and let’s settle this like men.”
“No, Tyler!” she protested.
Eric paused, clearly listening. “Go on . . .”
“You want the chance to beat the shit out of me? Take it now. Don’t be a coward and hurt the woman. Come fight me like a man.”
Eric cocked his head. Some part of him was tempted. But then he turned his focus on Del again, as if he knew Tyler would hate seeing her mauled way more than having a black eye.