Chapter 21

He steps in close, still as broken, and I can hardly look into his pained face. Unexpectedly, his mouth molds to mine, making me inwardly gasp, his lips crushing to mine in the same excruciatingly perfect way. The instant searing heat and passion consuming from the first moment of touch catch me in shock.

Weakened by a tiny second of hesitation, I let him kiss me. The joining of lips and slightly parted mouths before that good old self-defense system ingrained inside me react, shoves, and slaps out at him like a psycho. Enraged that he would do this to me all over again.

It’s not the hardest of slaps I have ever delivered, but enough to snap his attention by connecting with his face and to the fact that he doesn’t get to ever touch me like that again. Taking me by surprise that I would lift my hands to Arry, of all people, with a proper assault. He barely seems to register it at all, looks at me with that same wounded, broken expression that claws at my heart and adds an