“No one loves you like I do,” he snarled into her prickling ear. His breath melted away the top layers of her bruising skin. His molten words hurt worse than the throbbing in her head.
“I know, I love you too,” she forced her voice to coo at him, hoping she could calm him. I used to love you, she blinked away tears. She used to call this man her soul mate.
“You know what?” he shifted his body weight, so that Claire could breathe again. Greedily she took deep, gorging breaths. “I don’t believe you. Prove to me that you love me.”
Claire swallowed her breath and recited what she had been programmed to say, “I need you. It’s my fault. I will never leave you. No one else wants me. No one else loves me the way you do…” her voice trailed off as she saw his face soften. It was over, the rampant sea in his eyes calmed.