her.
“I don’t give a damn what happened before,” he continued. “I care about right now. I care about seeing you think of me for a change and not some bastard who stole your innocence. And damn it, I care about you.”
“I know,” she whispered.
He dropped her arms, causing her own to fall from his shoulders. He raked a hand over his short hair and sighed. Then, as if he was really sorry he’d said anything, he rubbed both hands over his face, laughed and looked to the ceiling as if seeking divine intervention.
“I can’t keep fighting this ghost you’re putting between us,” he told her, coming to his feet to look down at her. “I know you’ve been hurt. You can’t hide forever from the truth.”
Okay, now she really felt exposed. She pulled her cups back over her breasts and crossed her arms. She tried to meet his gaze, but she couldn’t. Yeah, wasn’t she a catch? Her lack of self-confidence was sure to be a mood killer.
“I know you’re not ready for anything,” he told her. “At least not a relationship, but I can’t take back how I feel, Evie.”
She searched the room for her shirt and just as she spotted it, Vin turned, grabbed it and handed it to her as if he knew how uncomfortable she was.
After shrugging back into it, she came to her feet, awed at the fact that this strong man was humbling himself and fighting for her. He was fighting against a demon he knew nothing about and Evelyn wanted the good guy to win.
“Vin, the fact you care so much about me really makes me feel special.” She reached for his arm when he continued to look away. “I haven’t felt that way before and what you’re doing is helping, but I’m going to need time. I understand if you can’t give it.”
“I have all the time in the world for you, Evie,” he said, meeting her gaze. “But I hate the way you mentally beat yourself up and question what is right. That ugliness from your past has no room here. And unless you want to tell me about it, I have no idea how to move forward in this fight.”
“You’re not fighting,” she told him, dropping her arm. “I am. I’ll always battle this because I can never fully get away from it.”
“What?” he pleaded, grabbing her shoulders again. “What can’t you get away from? Please, Evelyn, for God’s sake let me help you.”
“No.” She jerked away. “I refuse to let this ruin the lives of those I care about, and trust me, if I told you or anyone else, a whole new type of hell would exist for me.”
Damn it. She wanted to scream at the proverbial rock and hard place she was stuck between. She wanted to throw something; she wanted to go into a fit of rage until she felt exonerated. But most of all she wanted Alan to get the punishment he so deserved. Unfortunately, that justice couldn’t come unless she was willing to risk the career of the man who’d taken her in and loved her as his own.
“I can’t stand by and watch this, Evie.”
The hurt, the anger in his eyes should frighten her, but she knew he was hurting and angry for her, not at her.
“Then don’t stand by me.”
A new fear slid through her at the idea of Vin giving up on her, but she couldn’t blame him and she had to give him the chance to walk away before they delved any deeper together.
“Like hell.” He settled his hands on his narrow hips and glared back at her. “What kind of man do you take me for? You think just because you’re afraid that I should be too? I’m not afraid of whatever you’re hiding, Evie. I’m worried that it will destroy you because you’re letting it.”
Anger consumed her. “I’m letting it? You think I enjoy the darkness that lives in me? You think that I haven’t had countless hours of therapy trying to get rid of the fear, the guilt and the humiliation I’ve endured? You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about, so don’t even pretend to.”
“How can I know what you’re going through when you won’t tell me?”
“I don’t give a damn what happened before,” he continued. “I care about right now. I care about seeing you think of me for a change and not some bastard who stole your innocence. And damn it, I care about you.”
“I know,” she whispered.
He dropped her arms, causing her own to fall from his shoulders. He raked a hand over his short hair and sighed. Then, as if he was really sorry he’d said anything, he rubbed both hands over his face, laughed and looked to the ceiling as if seeking divine intervention.
“I can’t keep fighting this ghost you’re putting between us,” he told her, coming to his feet to look down at her. “I know you’ve been hurt. You can’t hide forever from the truth.”
Okay, now she really felt exposed. She pulled her cups back over her breasts and crossed her arms. She tried to meet his gaze, but she couldn’t. Yeah, wasn’t she a catch? Her lack of self-confidence was sure to be a mood killer.
“I know you’re not ready for anything,” he told her. “At least not a relationship, but I can’t take back how I feel, Evie.”
She searched the room for her shirt and just as she spotted it, Vin turned, grabbed it and handed it to her as if he knew how uncomfortable she was.
After shrugging back into it, she came to her feet, awed at the fact that this strong man was humbling himself and fighting for her. He was fighting against a demon he knew nothing about and Evelyn wanted the good guy to win.
“Vin, the fact you care so much about me really makes me feel special.” She reached for his arm when he continued to look away. “I haven’t felt that way before and what you’re doing is helping, but I’m going to need time. I understand if you can’t give it.”
“I have all the time in the world for you, Evie,” he said, meeting her gaze. “But I hate the way you mentally beat yourself up and question what is right. That ugliness from your past has no room here. And unless you want to tell me about it, I have no idea how to move forward in this fight.”
“You’re not fighting,” she told him, dropping her arm. “I am. I’ll always battle this because I can never fully get away from it.”
“What?” he pleaded, grabbing her shoulders again. “What can’t you get away from? Please, Evelyn, for God’s sake let me help you.”
“No.” She jerked away. “I refuse to let this ruin the lives of those I care about, and trust me, if I told you or anyone else, a whole new type of hell would exist for me.”
Damn it. She wanted to scream at the proverbial rock and hard place she was stuck between. She wanted to throw something; she wanted to go into a fit of rage until she felt exonerated. But most of all she wanted Alan to get the punishment he so deserved. Unfortunately, that justice couldn’t come unless she was willing to risk the career of the man who’d taken her in and loved her as his own.
“I can’t stand by and watch this, Evie.”
The hurt, the anger in his eyes should frighten her, but she knew he was hurting and angry for her, not at her.
“Then don’t stand by me.”
A new fear slid through her at the idea of Vin giving up on her, but she couldn’t blame him and she had to give him the chance to walk away before they delved any deeper together.
“Like hell.” He settled his hands on his narrow hips and glared back at her. “What kind of man do you take me for? You think just because you’re afraid that I should be too? I’m not afraid of whatever you’re hiding, Evie. I’m worried that it will destroy you because you’re letting it.”
Anger consumed her. “I’m letting it? You think I enjoy the darkness that lives in me? You think that I haven’t had countless hours of therapy trying to get rid of the fear, the guilt and the humiliation I’ve endured? You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about, so don’t even pretend to.”
“How can I know what you’re going through when you won’t tell me?”
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