t inches over the brass handle. His dark eyes were locked on Audrey, trac

mand to stay put. She held her hands open and empty by her sides, palms fa

it looked painful. His gaze dropped to her bare feet on the hardwood floor, calc

drey spoke hi

throw at him. She used his first name with a raw te

gain. A micro-expression of pure, agonizing pain crossed his handsome face. It was

tly rejecting the emotional manip

is voice dripped with a corrosive sarcasm that hid his bleeding hear

ghtened. But she suppressed the urge to argue. She took a deep breath, letting

enough now to feel the heat radiating from his body. Close enough to smell the intoxicating,

e refused to back away, his pride demanding he hold his

im ample time to pull away or block her. She gently rested her sm

is breathing hitched audibly. The physical contact seemed to bu

, looking directly into h

e was clear, firm, and unwavering. "I do

ng for the lie. He was searching for the hidden smirk, the subtle twit

s cracked. Audrey saw a flash of desperate yearning. He w

humiliations, the screaming matches-it all over

this time, but it was clinically precise. He removed he

definitive, unbridgeable phy

His voice returned to absolute zero. The de

hanical click sounded incredibly loud in

stepped forward quickly, her finge

ising in genuine panic. "Don't leave

is sleeve. His paranoid mind twisted her vulnerability into a tactic. H

nt jerk. Her fingers slipped off the wool. Hi

ing warning. "Any attempt to leave this estate tonight will result in Car

to scream that she didn't care if Carl burned i

idn't give he

The harsh light cast a long, dark shadow into

ut behind him. The solid thud e

. The distinct, heavy metallic slide of

d her in the

ed wood. She pressed her ear to the door, listening to the sound of his heavy,

door, sliding down the smooth wood until she h

ords were entirely useless against Barrett's trauma. She had traumatized

a stray tear with the back of her hand. Her expres

cross the room. She decided that her first action must