Rush

blamed her if she had done whatever was necessary to protect
     herself.
    But she hadn’t done any of the things he may have imagined. Instead she’d come to
     him. Hurt, frightened, confused. She’d still come to him when he deserved none of
     her trust.
    No longer able to stand her looking at him with so much uncertainty and panic in her
     eyes, he roughly pulled her to him, holding her so tightly he doubted she could breathe.
     He buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes, inhaling her scent, absorbing
     the sensation of her against his skin.
    She was tattooed on every part of his body. Deeper, in his heart, his very soul. A
     permanent brand that would never wear off.
    “Mia, my sweet, darling Mia,” he whispered. “I’ve let you down and yet you still had
     enough faith in me to come to me with this.”
    She pushed at him, putting hated distance between them. Her eyes were wild with grief
     and fear. No wonder she’d been in shock the day before. The bastard had not only hurt
     her but he’d terrified and humiliated her.
    “I couldn’t betray you,” she choked out. “God, Gabe, I’m in a no-win situation. Do
     you understand that? If I gave Charles what he wanted, you would have cut me out of
     your life with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. If I don’t give him what he wants,
     he’ll humiliate us both. Jace will find out, and not only will it affect your friendship,
     but it could ruin your business partnership as well. Not to mention the things that
     would be said about you. The way it looks in those pictures…”
    She trailed off, choking off as a sob welled in her throat. She swallowed, visibly
     making the effort to pull herself together.
    “It looks as though you’re forcing me. That you’re doing this horrible thing. Those
     pictures are so
damning
.”
    Hardened resolve screamed through his mind, roaring like an out-of-control freight
     train. But Mia needed calm. She needed reassurance. She needed him.
    She’d trusted him more than anyone had ever trusted him. She’d given him her unconditional
     faith. He’d be damned if he let her down now.
    “I’ll take care of the matter,” he said quietly. “I don’t want you to worry. I want
     you to put this from your mind.”
    Relief simmered in her eyes. There was hope as she stared back at him, damp trails
     down her cheeks. He lifted his hand and gently caressed away some of the moisture,
     and then he pulled her to him, lowering his mouth to crush hers.
    He kissed her, inhaling her sweetness, savoring it on his tongue. He kissed away all
     traces of her tears, pressing his lips to her eyelids and then her cheeks, and back
     to her mouth again.
    As he pulled away, a sob erupted from her throat, and it was as if she could no longer
     maintain her composure. Tears flooded her eyes and her shoulders sagged. It ripped
     his heart right out of his chest to see her sobbing as though her own heart were breaking.
    “Mia, baby, ah honey, please don’t cry,” he said, reaching for her again.
    This time he didn’t give her a choice. He pulled her over to the couch and down onto
     his lap, holding her as she wept against him.
    She clung fiercely to him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she pressed her
     face into the side of his neck.
    “I’m so scared, Gabe,” she choked out. “I don’t want my actions to make people I care
     about suffer. You, Jace. You both could be so hurt by this.”
    “Shhh, baby. This isn’t your fault. Goddamn it. It’s
mine
. I was stupid and careless and I didn’t protect you like I should have.None of this would have happened if I hadn’t been such a goddamn fool.”
    “What will you do?” she asked in an aching voice.
    Her face was blotchy and red, her eyes swollen from crying. She was pale and she looked
     ill. Anyone seeing her right now would think she’d been through the wringer.
    He cupped her head against him, stroking her soft hair.
    “I don’t want you to worry about that,” he murmured. “I
will
take care of the matter. You have my word on that.”
    He slid his hand up her arm, over the dark bruises that bastard had put on her. Rage
     made him crazy. This was twice that Charles had frightened and intended to harm Mia.
     He was going to take the son of a bitch apart and ruin him beyond repair.
    He kissed her hair and then carefully pulled her upright so that he could look into
     her eyes.
    “Listen to me, okay? Freshen up in the bathroom here. Take as long as you