Connor's Claim (Body Count, #2)

by Jolie Vines

She clutched my wrist with both hands, holding me to her. “If you want me, you can have me. Make me forget everything.” My spill of laughter came out hard. “You’d use me, even now.” Hurt filled her eyes. “No, God. I’m going home tomorrow, and this is over. Knock me out with your drugs again. Use me. All I know is you were once my home and my everything, and I just want to disappear into darkness and know one good thing will come out of it. Then tomorrow, we can talk.” For a godforsaken moment, I got caught in the intrigue. Time stood still. I wanted to fuck her like nothing else I’d ever needed or cared about. My dick had been hard from the second I’d touched her, but to give her what she’d asked for, lose yet another piece of me… “Ye don’t want me,” I found myself saying. “Ye don’t want to know me. Ye never did.” “What if that’s a lie?” “Then stay.” She tilted her head in beautiful question. My heart swelled. “Don’t go back to your da. Stay here.” Her lips parted then formed into a soft smile. It shattered something in me. This wasn’t the same as her last rejection. That, she’d obviously rehearsed, so little emotion was revealed. This time, her surprise and sorrow couldn’t be hidden. “You know I can’t.” With a wrench, I reversed the hold she had on me so now I gripped her arm, then pulled her to the locked door of my spare room. Not the room I’d imprisoned her fucking secret brother in, but the one next door. Windowless. Secret. “Then meet the real me.” Unlocking the door...