ove the door anno

her like a blanket, though nothing could soothe the cold ache in he

n light reflecting off shelves of expensive liquor,

h she hadn't realiz

er breath. "At least the universe

part of the furniture. His posture was still, a glass of something dark and expensiv

lked straight ahead, choosing a

hair and a crisp black vest, offered her a p

omething, miss?"

curled tightly around the edge of the bar. "Somet

t push. He turned, selected a dark bottle from the top shelf, uncorked

n front of her w

said before

htly. She brought it to her lips and drank not a sip, but a gulp th

Damien Valen, watched he

illed tumbler of bourbon, his sharp jaw t

ok at him. Di

oo busy u

faster than the first. He

ed as if the weight of her world had f

he tea

A single trail

er face, the hollowed eyes, the clenched jaw, the way

at the tears were betraying her, that h

kept d

en kept

with

int

ess in her pain, the fight in her posture, even as she

s used to seeing. And certainly not

ere sh

ouldn't

now, her vision swimming just a little more than before. She pou

idn't

her

empt to num

her lips, a hand reached from the

ked in d

urred just slightly. She turned, ready t

here

an unforgiving physique. His dark hair was neatly styled, but there was something a

, but neutral. Controlled. The kind of face tha

yes. "What do you

d simply, his voice deep an

stood up from her stool abruptly, stu

rom her reach and studied her like she was

drunk,"

her arms, fire flashing in her

xpression didn't change. "You're going to wake up tomorrow w

her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. "You d

seen enough people drink

en maybe I don't want to forget. Maybe I just want t

as. Raw. H

in hand, looking at her like she was somethin

another arrogant man trying to control what doesn't concern him. So

ly. "That usually means

him, stunned

hell was

ounter beside them. "I'm not here to fight with

ngue, but nothing came out. Because for the fir

e bar stool slowly, a

ed to the bartende

r nodded wit

tired and too broken to argu

locked with he

t stung more than

y touched

e glass, eyes glazed over, mind elsewhere, maybe in the past, maybe

staye

Just watchin

o run. But the moment her legs straightened benea

at her side

kly pushing. "Don't touch me," she mutter

s condition," he said. "And I'm n

need your

arm carefully, firm but not fo

ist, but her bod

s clean, dark, expensive cologne and the steady rhythm of

blurred a

car

otel

evator

caught her with the reflexes of