them stab her in the back, in the heart, in the fucking head because she didn’t want to incur their wrath and face what came after. She’d become this because she was too scared to change, to step out of line, because she was aware of what waited for her when she did.
Pathetic.
She had enough money saved up to get her away from here. Just get in her car and drive away, over as many state lines as she could cross. Maybe go north, up to North Dakota or Montana for a while. Hunker down in a log cabin for a few months until she hashed out the shit in her life and found where she needed to be.
She didn’t even have to go back to that wretched apartment if she didn’t want to. There was nothing left there for her, no keepsakes or mementos that were vital to her wellbeing. Everything she needed was stashed in her car under the passenger seat, so if she decided to go, there was nothing stopping her...
Well, aside from one important thing.
“Boadicea, you’re not fooling anyone, darlin'. Least of all me.” Braun’s breath ruffled her hair gently as he exhaled. “This busy mind is blowing shit way, way out of proportion again. Just be warned if you run a second time, I’m chasing your ass down to the ends of the earth and hauling you home.”
Goddamn him.
He shifted beneath her, leaning to the side and almost pitching her off his body onto the floor—or so it felt like. With a breathless squeak, she clung to him as he chuckled and checked the time on his phone. “Fucking four-forty a.m. Even the sun hasn’t gotten its ass out of bed yet, Bodie. Are you gonna be a good girl and go back to sleep, or do I need to keep you occupied until your brain switches off?”
Occupied how? No, bad thinking! Skipping merrily down that path can only lead to bad, bad things happening. But her stern warning fell on deaf ears as her pussy readied itself for one hell of a party. Even her breasts were anticipating the festivities, growing heavy and sensitive, her nipples tightening into peaked buds where they pressed against his firm pecs.
Her agreement to be a good girl fell by the wayside, locked in her throat when his hands skimmed up her back to knead her tense shoulders. Everything felt as though it was falling into place, and she wasn’t ready for it all to align.
The heat of him defrosted the chill seizing her insides, banishing much of her anxiety. As they lay in the darkness, his fingers working their magic on the knots in her muscles, she absorbed his warmth and his scent, bathed in both until the sensation of being cherished sank in.
The logical conclusion to their current situation was, of course, sex.
Her body was eager to participate; her mind not so much, recalling the horrors of what she’d once seen. But even with those images in mind, trusting Braun came easier than she’d ever believed possible. Naked, sprawled over him, she couldn’t be more vulnerable, but he didn’t seem inclined to rush anything.
Sounding more alert now, Braun was the first to disturb the peaceful silence. There was a rough edge of sleep still haunting the edges of his tone, as though he wasn’t quite ready to admit defeat and wake up properly. “Connie told me we have a little dilemma, darlin'. Something you’ve been scared to tell me, or anyone for that matter. I’d like to hear it from your lips.”
Obstinacy lifted its ugly head. If he knew, why did he need her to say it all again? The man had spent too much time in Jasper’s company; the sadist was rubbing off on Braun. “I’m not hashing it all out again, Braun.”
“Not asking you to, little one.” Shit, he was sliding back into Dom mode. “I’d just like to hear it from you for once. I think my firecracker has the balls to move past embarrassment and say the words.”
“And then what? I knew I shouldn’t have said anything to Connie. I told her I didn’t want to be coddled and fussed over—if we’re going to have sex, I just want to get it over with and move past this bullshit.” There was an edge to her voice she couldn’t stop, nerves making it snappy and irritable. Brattish.
Braun laughed, deep and devilish. “Who said anything about coddling you, Boadicea?” His hands cruised down to her