dge's gavel. Harrison dropped her. Arlene hit the mattress, the breath kn

opped her. Harrison was already moving. He planted one knee on the bed, the mattr

he moonlight spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It carved his face into sharp plan

s hands went to his collar, pulling the silk tie loose. He let it

e hammering in her ears. "Yes," she said, forcing the

foot of the bed, the next he was on to

asion. His teeth scraped against her lip, hard enoug

gling in her hair and gripping tight, holding her in place. His other hand cau

dy was a dead weight pressing her into the

aw, biting the sensitive skin of her nec

e glittering in the dark. "What's wrong?" he taunted, his breath hot

e neckline of her sweater. The sound of tearing fabric was obscenely lou

d prickling. Tears pricked at the corners of he

second. Something flickered in his eyes-was it doubt? Regret?-

a low sneer. "You didn't cry three y

time he had touched her like this. It had been cold, clinical, a duty he had to perform

t. This wasn't duty.

g between them. There was no tenderness, no preparation. He too

pillow. She bit down on the fabric to muffle her sobs.

the baby. The tiny, fragile life growing inside her. I'm s

crushing weight of her helplessness. She was a

ed as he stood up. Arlene lay there, a broken doll, her lim

shower starting, the spray hitting the tile. He was

he tears drying on her cheeks. A sharp, twisting pain gripped

lease

shaky breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She couldn't fall

sely around his waist. His hair was damp, his face scrubbed clean. H

r in the corner of the room. He poured two fingers of whisk

out at the dark ocean. The moonlight

ound herself like armor. Her voice was hoa

ned to face her, his expression unreadab

arp clink. "Tomorrow morning. Seven o'clock.

. He turned and walked out of the bedr

sed in on her, heavy and suffocating. The smell of him lingere

was still there, a constant reminder of what she had just endured. But

he didn't know the truth. He didn't know that she was alr