Falling with Grace - Page 157

I stilled, my spine rigid.

Carter?

He killed him?

For me?

“Carter? Why? What did he do to you?”

My teeth chattered as the heat wicked from my body, a knot forming in my belly, my lungs vacant of air.

“Because he touched what was mine.” His lips trailed down my chest and sucked in a nipple between his teeth, nibbling the sensitive flesh.

My heart fluttered, and I drew tighter into him.”I wasn’t yours then.” My head tipped back as the pleasure rolled through me.

“You’ve always been mine. We just didn’t know it yet.”

Fuck.

Butterflies erupted in my belly, my heart leaping in their wake as he pulled us from the ocean and back to the retaining wall, where I grabbed the rosary.

He killed Carter for me?

How did our relationship converge from him trying to kill me forinformation, to him killingforme?

What did I do to deserve that?

He marched us through the villa and up the stairs, his footsteps stumbling as I distracted his path with kisses. My back hit the king-sized bed upstairs, his weight pressing down on me as he followed, his cock hardening between us. Our bodies melded together, the saltwater seeping into the comforter.

My skin rubbed against his, the salt gripping us like sandpaper. “Let’s take a bath.”

“Hmm.” His lips trailed down my body, licking the water beadlets across my chest, his tongue flicking my peaked nipple. “Perhaps a shower.”

He grabbed my hand and hauled me into the bathroom, plopping my ass on the granite counter with a tall oval mirror behind me.

I suffered a glance over my shoulder and cowered away.

Elias jerked me away from the counter, my feet hitting the wet floor, my body sliding against his as he spun me around. His hand slipped over my jaw, clenching my mouth. His fingers dimpled my cheeks as he forced me to look into the mirror.

“Look at her.” His arm snaked around my waist, his naked, tanned skin in sharp contrast to mine. “Look.” He gave me a gentle shake until I complied. “Tell me what you see.”

I glanced away, diverting my gaze to the side of the mirror, unable to bear the sight of the scarred woman. “Weak and used.”

“Wrong.” He jerked my attention back, our eyes locking in the mirror as his fingers held my chin, his lips skimming my ear. “You’re the strongest woman I know.” His kisses trailed down my shoulder, his hand sliding away from my cheeks.

He wrapped his hand around my neck, his fingertips pressing into my erratic pulse. A shiver wracked my body, sending goosebumps trailing the left side of my body.

I wasn’t the strongest woman.

He’s lost his mind.

Nothing I’d done showed strength. Nothing I’d gone through proved what he said was true.

He’s lying.

Elias bent lower, his lips pressing against the raised flesh, his gaze fluttering up, catching mine between each new kiss. “So beautiful.”

My eyes glistened. “You’re just saying that.”