Free Shane's Fall (The Escort Series Book 2) by Sloane Kennedy

off guard for a second and stiffened against her, but then he was kissing her back, his lips opening against hers and drawing her tongue into his mouth. Both his hands were full, so he ended up resting the two different bottles against her sides as he leaned into her and took over the kiss.
    His mouth was hard, ruthless as it plundered hers and she felt her body responding instantly. Everything this man did to her set her on fire. When she drew back just a little to try and draw in some much needed oxygen, he was following her, refusing to let her go. She felt his arms close around her back, the bottles thumping together and then coming to rest against her lower back as he claimed her mouth again. Fear lanced through her at the feel of his arms tightening like steel bands, but she forced it away and focused on him instead. His lips were both hard and soft at the same time and his tongue worshipped every part of her mouth. She could hear his harsh breathing and felt the muscles in his neck tighten and she realized that he was just as affected as she was. He finally released her mouth and then dropped his arms, seemingly confused by how they’d ended up around her in the first place.
    “Sorry, I just had to do that in case…” she mumbled as her body howled at the loss of his warmth.
    “In case what?”
    She shrugged and took a few steps back so she wouldn’t be tempted to reach for him again.
    “In case I backed out? Or is that what you were thinking of doing?” he asked, suddenly angry.
    “I don’t want to be like the others. I don’t want to use-” she stopped quickly when he jerked away from her.
    “Goddamn it Savannah!” he yelled as he spun around and went back to the kitchen. He slammed the two bottles down on the counter and then gripped the edges of the black granite hard. She’d never seen him this angry before and fear skittered up her spine. She didn’t even realize she was edging towards the door until he softly said, “Please don’t go.” If he’d yelled it, she would have been out of there in a heartbeat, but he’d said it so quietly, so desperately that she swore she could actually feel the words on her skin the same as a caress. She remained perfectly still and watched while he took several deep breaths to get himself under control.
    “Did you ever think I might need this?” he asked, his eyes still on the bottles sitting on the counter in front of him. “Did you ever think that maybe I was using you?”
    “But you’re not,” she responded, completely confused. “I was the one that lied…”
    “I don’t care about how you got me to that hotel room. I’m glad you chose me.” That shut her up. He stood up and walked towards her, no longer angry, just quiet…eerily so. “Why does it have to be that word? Using? Why can’t it be needing? You needed me. That’s it. You. Needed. Me.” He stopped in front of her, but didn’t touch her.
    “You needed me to hear you a long time ago and I didn’t and I’m going to regret that forever.” She started shaking her head, but he stopped her by framing her cheek with his hand and holding her still. Her breath hitched when he ran his thumb over her lips. “Those women – they don’t need me – they’d take whatever guy walked through their door. That’s why they pay for it – so that it isn’t about needing. That’s not what this is; that’s not who you are.”
    He dropped his hand and suddenly moved passed her and opened his apartment door. “I can’t do this if you only see me the way those women do. I don’t want to be just any guy to you. I can’t give you love or be your happily ever after, but I’m not going to play the whore for you like I do all the other women in my life, so if that’s what you want then yeah, you should go.”
    Tears burned in her eyes as she walked up to him and then carefully pushed the door closed.
    “Shane,” she began but he cut her off.
    “And Savannah, I swear to God, if I hear you