Free Battle Lines. by Abigail Anderson Page A

taunt and berate her.
    “Y... y… you tho … thought that k… k… kissing me would make everything alright. T…t… that I wouldn’t be angry with you anymore.”
    “No.” He told her firmly.
    “You thought I would forgive you. Trust me that will never happen.” She sneered.
    “That’s not why I kissed you.”
    “You wanted revenge for all the mean things I have said to you.” She guessed. She could relate to that. She could not even blame him. She had said some very mean things to him. Most especially tonight.
    “That’s not it.” He said again.
    “Then why did you?” Even as she asked, she knew that she did not want to know the answer to that.
    “I kissed you be –”
    “No” she shouted. Desperately cutting him off and she put up her hands to cover her ears. She did not want to know. She was too frightened to know.
    “You wanted it just as much as I did.” He told her and she shook her head again. “You have always wanted it Mandy. Always.”
    “No… I…”
    “You can’t bury your pretty little head in the sand forever. You have never been a coward Mandy.” He told her.
    “No, the truth is I despise you with every ounce of life I have in my body.” Amanda wrapped her arms around herself for protection. It failed
    “Are we talking about that same body that just melted in my arms?” He asked her and she felt her skin burn with shame. “That same body that responded to my touch. That same body that felt sexual pleasure.”
    “I did not.” She protested.
    “No you don’t. You are going to have to face up to the truth eventually you know.” He told her bluntly. “Mandy…” he stepped closer to her and she moved again.
    “Stop calling me that.” Her voice rose. He knew that shortening her name was getting under her skin. He was doing it deliberately. That was the kind of man he was. Vicious and vile.
    “What is it about me that turns you into this wildcat?” He asked her softly and Amanda felt heat rise in her face as she gasped and looked up at him her mouth open. “You are like a sexually loaded gun waiting for a chance to go off.” He held out a hand to her a small smile tugging on the corner of his mouth. “I can make that explosion happen.” He invited.
    “You are disgustingly vile.” She told him.
    “Oh don’t get me wrong. I like that savage I bring out in you. I love knowing I can turn you into a wanton woman. It’s as sexy as hell.” His eyes swept over her. Slowly taking in her hard haggard breathing. Her voluptuous curves down her long kegs before coming back up to her heaving breasts and then over her flushed face.
    “Get out.” She told him.
    “Mandy.” Jake tried again, his hand came up and it looked as though he was going to reach for her and she stepped back.
    “I want you to go.” She said, choosing to ignore his ribbing. She knew that he was just trying to get a rise out of her. She was not going to give him that satisfaction.
    “I want…” his voice trailed off and he shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll go… for now,” then he warned her. “But don’t think for one minute that this is over.”
    “This is over.” Amanda told him firmly and she made to walk to the front door and see him out.
    She cried out in alarm when hard unforgiving fingers bit into the soft flesh of her upper arm and she was pulled up against Jake.
    She opened her mouth to complain. To say something but his lips were on hers in a punishing bruising kiss that left her whimpering against him. And then he was lifting his head and looking down into her eyes.
    “I will pick you up at ten tomorrow morning. Be ready.” She went to shake her head no but then changed her mind as she saw the look in his eyes. It stopped her dead in her tracks.
    Jake stepped forward, easily pushing her backward with him until she felt the wall at her back. Still he moved closer to her until his body was pressed tight up against hers.
    There was no escape now, nowhere to go. She felt his hips move