Free Queen of Hearts by Jami Denise

dangerous, and nothing good could come of letting him see that I was affected by him.
    I could feel the strength and anger roll off of him and the smooth pads of his fingers against my skin like it was yesterday. I closed my eyes, blocking out the arousal and the feelings and just everything. He pushed his nose into the crook of my neck, pulling a long breath, scenting me. I was so close to losing it.
    “I don’t want you to touch me.”
    My voice sounded small, even to my own ears. The battle between body and mind was fierce, but I was resolved to keep him away. There were still too many unanswered questions, and he was unyielding with his answers.
    His face moved closer. I could feel his breath and smell the sweet scent of liquor on his tongue.
    “You won’t stop me,” he whispered.
    He sounded so sure I wouldn’t, and the fact was, I wasn’t sure either. He rendered me completely stupid. I hated it, and I hated him.
    “This isn’t happening. You need to back off.”
    He chuckled. “And if I don’t?”
    Pushing his hips forward, he ground his erection into my stomach, making his intent clear. He was hard and ready, and my body was already showing signs of giving in. It’d been that way from day one. I was at his mercy, no matter what. He was like a drug, and I was jonesing. Hard.
    It’d been so long since I’d felt him. So damn long since I’d had his hands on me. I’d dreamed about him regularly, almost to the point of distraction. I was a lost cause.
    “Janie, I can’t let you run again. Even if I have to lock you up. I won’t let it happen. I’ve waited too long for you to come home.”
    Smug satisfaction coated his words, and I was more than done listening to his power trip.
    “Maybe I’d be less resistant if you treated me like a human being. I’m not your ‘thing’ to keep, Flynn. I never was.”
    He pulled back and brought both hands to my jaw, cupping it gently and drawing my face closer to his. “You’re wrong, Janie. You’re my everything.”
    Those tender words danced around in my head, but I sobered quickly, remembering similar words and the lies that followed.
    I was back in that orbit where nothing made sense, and a ball of confusion and mismatched emotions slammed right through me.
    “You don’t even know me. I’m just some... some idea you have,” I stuttered.
    His eyes scanned my face, and traces of a smile started forming on his lips.
    “I know enough. I know you’re strong, you’re beautiful, you’re smart and you have a kind heart. You don’t show it often, but I saw it. I don’t know anyone—no woman, no man—that would have sacrificed what you did to save a father that didn’t deserve it.”
    My chin quivered, and I could feel my eyes start to tear up. “I’m no savior. I’m not a martyr, Flynn.”
    Shaking his head, he brought his lips closer. “No, you’re not. You’re my bent-halo angel. I love the bad in you as much as I love the good.”
    There was something very wrong with him. That was the only conclusion I could come up with. I’d already figured out that he was a bit... off, strange, but that comment nailed it.
    “You like my bad, too?”
    “I love your bad. I want your bad.”
    My eyes fell closed, and I felt the moisture fall down my cheeks. I was losing. “I don’t trust you. Nothing works without trust, Flynn. You can’t talk your way out of everything, and you can’t pay me to be with you. This will never work. It didn’t work in the first place. It was a lie.”
    “I don’t trust you, either. It does work. It did work before you left without giving me a chance to explain. I trusted you then, and you bailed. I never lied about my feelings, Jayne. Ever.”
    I’d had enough—we were like fucked up poster children for dysfunctional crime families. The orphans of Sin City. It was stupid.
    I was getting nowhere with him, fast. He was a stubborn, spoiled brat. He was relentless until he got his way, and he wasn’t getting it, no matter