Chapter 102

• “Emma, don’t, please.” His voice cracks and washes over me closely as his arms come around me, pulling me from my chair. I can’t look up at him. I can only let him guide and crush me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me so tightly that I can barely breathe. “Not now, Emma, not like this,” he croaks breathily. I don’t understand what he means; all I can do is sag against him and let everything flow out of me, all the anguish, heartache, and pain of the last few days while basking in his feel.
• I try and regain control of myself, my sobs finally turning to soft tears as I calm down. Unable to think of any words to fix this, I take deep breaths and try so hard to be calm again, ashamed of him seeing me so weak.
• With immense effort, I finally accomplish a stable state. Still held tightly in his arms, surrounded by his strength and intoxicating scent. I’m taking solace from the cause of my pain, the man who’s a haven to me, but how can he be when he’s told me I’m to be sent away from here, that I’m done working for him? He’s not my haven anymore; he’s my destroyer and the cause of my desperate agony.