Adrian's Wrath by Jenika Snow

city to city because Cameron won’t give up. The last time he found me, right before I moved here, was quite possibly the most frightening experience of my life, even with all the abuse. The look in his eyes, the sound of his voice.” Her small body shook and she had a faraway look in her eyes, as if Cameron was right here in this very room. Adrian held her tighter. “I had just moved to a town about sixty miles south of where I was before. It wasn’t much of a distance, but I figured anything was better than nothing. I didn’t have the money to fund a long-distance trip and the odd jobs I did work were enough to get me a little farther away from Cameron. I knew he hired a private investigator when I caught some guy snooping around. I was too scared to confront him so I decided to file the police report.” The memories of that night came back to her like a sledgehammer to the skull. “Turns out Cameron hadn’t hired that private investigator.” She laughed humorlessly. “That guy wasn’t even poking around for information about me. The cops wouldn’t help me because I had no proof of what Cameron was doing, or should I say wasn’t doing. Turns out the first time I went to the police turned around and bit me in the ass because he found me that way.” Tears slowly slid down her cheeks as she thought about that night.
    “Shhh, it’s okay, Brea. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.” She buried her face in his chest, breathing roughly, clutching him like a lifeline.
    “I wish that were true, Adrian. The only reason I was able to escape the last time was because I was in public and saw him before he saw me.” She didn’t give him time to process what she was saying, because in the next moment her mouth was latched onto his, kissing him frantically. The taste of her tears mixed with her urgent passion had him instantly aroused. The feel of her warm, lush body pressed against his had him stiffening in his pants, but in the back of his mind he knew this was wrong. He couldn’t let their first time be tainted by the memory of her ex. Pushing her away was the hardest damn thing he had ever done, and the hurt look in her eyes was like a knife in his chest.
    “Brea, I can’t be with you like this, after everything that you just told me.” A sniffle left her and he knew she was crying. She thought he was turning her away because he didn’t want her. Damn it! “Look at me.” He cupped her cheeks in his hands and brought her face up so she was staring at him. “I want you, more than anything, but everything you just told me has made you desperate to forget.” He ran his thumbs methodically over the delicate bones under her creamy flesh. “You’ll regret our first time. I couldn’t bear that, baby.”
    “Please, Adrian. Please be with me so I can forget about Cameron.” Fat tears streamed down her cheeks and damn it if he couldn’t give her what she wanted. The pain that was radiating from her was too much to ignore. It took him a moment of just staring at her, but he couldn’t let her feel like this, not when he had the power to take it away. To make her feel better.
    “Please, Adrian.” Another whispered plea fell from her lips and that was what broke his resolve.
    Hands spearing into the long, silky blonde strands of her hair, he pulled her closer. Their tongues moved together, sliding, slipping, pressing as one until all he could think about was doing the same thing between her thighs. He knew she would taste so good, feel so soft against his tongue. That was too fast for her. With Brea he needed to go slow.
    “I’m sorry, Brea. I’m so sorry about everything.” It was all he could say between kisses. He was sorry for what happened to her, and he was sorry for what he was doing now. She might need this, but he still felt like he was taking advantage of her. He just prayed she still wanted him after it was all said and done.

Chapter Eleven
     
    Adrian used his big body to press her against