Amaury's Hellion
Page 80
He probably already regretted having slept with her. His “I’m sorry” had dripped with pity. She guessed he’d spent the remaining hours of the day thinking about how he could extricate himself gracefully from this relationship. Nina would make it easy on him. She wouldn’t stay where she wasn’t wanted.
As Nina let the warm water of the shower run over her body, she knew she should have never opened up to him. She’d been lulled into feeling safe by his gentle words and by his admissions of his own past. At first it had been a shock to hear what he’d done, but she had found it in her heart to forgive him, because he’d not been himself. The pain in his eyes when he spoke of his son had cut deep into her own heart.
But when it had come to her own guilt, Amaury hadn’t been able to do the same. She’d instantly felt his hesitation at even touching her, until he’d finally pulled away completely—as if he was disgusted with her. In the moment where she’d needed his touch most, he’d denied her, he’d withdrawn.
He’d rejected her, just like everybody else had done so before him. Like her foster mother had rejected her after she’d exposed her husband as a pervert. Even knowing that her husband was abusing young girls, she’d still chosen him over Nina. Her self worth at that point couldn’t have been any lower—until now: being rejected by Amaury after opening her heart to him was even more painful.
Nina dreaded facing him now. She didn’t want to see the pity in his eyes or the regret. Maybe he’d keep her around for a little while longer so it wouldn’t be too obvious that he didn’t want her anymore, but she would know.
She wouldn’t let this happen. She would leave—on her own terms. And there was only one way to do it: defend her aching heart by attacking him. She couldn’t let him know how much she hurt. It would only make it worse.
Nina stepped out of the shower and dried off before she dressed in the clothes from the night before.
She found Amaury in the living room where one corner doubled as a small gym. He was dressed in gym shorts. His upper body was bare, his muscles flexing with every move he made, his skin glistening with sweat.
He greeted her with a cautious look. “You’re up.”
“Yes, I took a shower. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No. No, of course not.”
Was this nervousness he displayed? He wiped his face with a towel then took a few steps toward her. Midway he seemed to change his mind and stopped.
“Can I leave you alone for an hour? I need to go feed.”
The words didn’t immediately sink in. “Feed?”
He nodded, his eyes remaining cautious. “I didn’t feed last night, and the night before I already barely had any blood.”
So she had understood right after all. Amaury was planning to go out and drink somebody’s blood. Good—it provided her with just the right ammunition to make her exit.
“You’re going out to bite somebody?”
The look he launched her could only be described as stubborn. “I need blood to survive.”
Nina knew what a vampire needed. “What’s wrong with mine?” Would he take the bait? Would he go in for the fight she tried to pick so she could leave with her head high?
His eyes wide, he stomped toward her and grabbed her shoulders. “Are you crazy? You don’t know what you’re saying. You can’t possibly want me to bite you.”
The moment he said it, a realization hit her like a thunderbolt.
She wanted him to bite her.
She wanted him to drink her blood.
Her life wouldn’t be complete without Amaury taking her. And in that instance of realization, she felt more fear clamp down on her than ever before in her life.
With the strength she thought she didn’t have, Nina shook off his hands. “Get away from me!” If she stayed, she would become his toy, something he could push around any which way he wanted, because she would have no strength to resist him. She couldn’t allow this. She could never again be at the mercy of a man, no matter how much she desired him. No matter how much her heart ached for him.
Amaury’s face took on a puzzled look. “Nina, what is this about?”
“I don’t … I can’t—” Her voice broke. She spun around and fled, yanking the door open.
“Nina!”
She heard him yell after her, but she was already in the stairway and kept running. She had to get away from the only man who had cracked the door to her heart open—leaving it exposed to be hurt.
Twenty-five
Amaury stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down. Nina’s rapid footsteps echoed in the hallway. What had just happened?
As Nina let the warm water of the shower run over her body, she knew she should have never opened up to him. She’d been lulled into feeling safe by his gentle words and by his admissions of his own past. At first it had been a shock to hear what he’d done, but she had found it in her heart to forgive him, because he’d not been himself. The pain in his eyes when he spoke of his son had cut deep into her own heart.
But when it had come to her own guilt, Amaury hadn’t been able to do the same. She’d instantly felt his hesitation at even touching her, until he’d finally pulled away completely—as if he was disgusted with her. In the moment where she’d needed his touch most, he’d denied her, he’d withdrawn.
He’d rejected her, just like everybody else had done so before him. Like her foster mother had rejected her after she’d exposed her husband as a pervert. Even knowing that her husband was abusing young girls, she’d still chosen him over Nina. Her self worth at that point couldn’t have been any lower—until now: being rejected by Amaury after opening her heart to him was even more painful.
Nina dreaded facing him now. She didn’t want to see the pity in his eyes or the regret. Maybe he’d keep her around for a little while longer so it wouldn’t be too obvious that he didn’t want her anymore, but she would know.
She wouldn’t let this happen. She would leave—on her own terms. And there was only one way to do it: defend her aching heart by attacking him. She couldn’t let him know how much she hurt. It would only make it worse.
Nina stepped out of the shower and dried off before she dressed in the clothes from the night before.
She found Amaury in the living room where one corner doubled as a small gym. He was dressed in gym shorts. His upper body was bare, his muscles flexing with every move he made, his skin glistening with sweat.
He greeted her with a cautious look. “You’re up.”
“Yes, I took a shower. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No. No, of course not.”
Was this nervousness he displayed? He wiped his face with a towel then took a few steps toward her. Midway he seemed to change his mind and stopped.
“Can I leave you alone for an hour? I need to go feed.”
The words didn’t immediately sink in. “Feed?”
He nodded, his eyes remaining cautious. “I didn’t feed last night, and the night before I already barely had any blood.”
So she had understood right after all. Amaury was planning to go out and drink somebody’s blood. Good—it provided her with just the right ammunition to make her exit.
“You’re going out to bite somebody?”
The look he launched her could only be described as stubborn. “I need blood to survive.”
Nina knew what a vampire needed. “What’s wrong with mine?” Would he take the bait? Would he go in for the fight she tried to pick so she could leave with her head high?
His eyes wide, he stomped toward her and grabbed her shoulders. “Are you crazy? You don’t know what you’re saying. You can’t possibly want me to bite you.”
The moment he said it, a realization hit her like a thunderbolt.
She wanted him to bite her.
She wanted him to drink her blood.
Her life wouldn’t be complete without Amaury taking her. And in that instance of realization, she felt more fear clamp down on her than ever before in her life.
With the strength she thought she didn’t have, Nina shook off his hands. “Get away from me!” If she stayed, she would become his toy, something he could push around any which way he wanted, because she would have no strength to resist him. She couldn’t allow this. She could never again be at the mercy of a man, no matter how much she desired him. No matter how much her heart ached for him.
Amaury’s face took on a puzzled look. “Nina, what is this about?”
“I don’t … I can’t—” Her voice broke. She spun around and fled, yanking the door open.
“Nina!”
She heard him yell after her, but she was already in the stairway and kept running. She had to get away from the only man who had cracked the door to her heart open—leaving it exposed to be hurt.
Twenty-five
Amaury stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down. Nina’s rapid footsteps echoed in the hallway. What had just happened?
