Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

here. “I know, I’m sorry.”
My apology softens him, I can see it. I’m too panicked to entirely process it, though. I’m
preoccupied envisioning a bad response. Him flipping me over and holding my face in the pillow as
he forces himself between my thighs. It was fun to play at romance, but I wasn’t a fun enough
playmate; now he’ll just take what he wants and be done with it.
After all, I still have to come back one more time to let him do it again.
My stomach is so upset, it rocks. This future feels absolutely inevitable given what he did to me
in the dungeon, so when I look up at him, tears glint on the surface of my eyes and I’m not above
begging. “Please. I’m sorry.”
A shock of warmth takes me off guard when his hand touches my face. He cups it in his hand
almost tenderly, then he leans down and presses a soft kiss to my forehead.
“Calm down,” he commands.
His tone is firm, but gentle.
He seems so sure of himself, so unafraid, so opposite of everything I’m feeling in this moment,
and it makes me feel… strange. I want to be closer to it. I want to sink into it and believe as he seems
to that everything is okay.
My stomach sinks just considering what I’m about to do, but he’s still above me, so sure and so
strong, and I want to disappear for a moment. Following some instinct I don’t quite understand, I
tentatively wrap my arms around him, burrow my face into the crook of his neck, and take shelter
somewhere I’m not even sure I’m welcome.
He’s strong and hard, but his skin is so warm, so smooth beneath my lips as I absently press them
against the curve of his shoulder. There’s nowhere else to seek comfort. He’s my aggressor, but also
the only available sanctuary.
The low grumble of his voice soothes my frayed nerves. “What are you feeling?”
“Confused,” I answer honestly. “Afraid.”
“Afraid of me?”
I nod into his neck.
“Of what I’ll do to you?”
My heart thuds in my chest and I nod again.
“Which one scares you more?”
I frown. “What do you mean? Both. They’re basically the same thing.”
“They’re not. Are you most afraid of me, or what I might do to you?” When I don’t immediately
answer his confusing question, he adds, “I might suggest that since you’re currently clinging to me for