Текст книги "Ties That Bind"

Автор книги: T. A. Grey

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

CHAPTER 23

Lily awoke feeling groggy but not too bad considering her night. She had to remember to call her sisters and tell them about the woman in prison...her mother. She still couldn't believe it. It seemed impossible that she was even alive after nearly twenty-nine years, but strangely, it had to be true. And that gave her hope. If Rosa's vision proved true then at least she could try to free her mother before she died. And if she had any say in it, she wouldn't be dying.

That bitter thought sent her scurrying across the room to her potions. She made up her special juice and chugged. As the pervading warmth and happiness spread through her, she checked her injuries but decided the dull pain in her arms wasn't worth another pain potion. She felt a thousand times better after the juice filled her system, like a hot air balloon floating high in the sky.

She showered, dressed, and headed towards Telal's office in under an hour. He'd acted so odd last night, but seeing that part of him gave her hope. Her father wanted this demon specifically to be there for her. She'd long accepted that and now wanted to see what was there between them. Because something was. The attraction between them wasn't just one-sided, and she needed to see just where it would lead.

The elevator to his office floor opened and she paused. No guards stood at the door. Odd but refreshing. Maybe he'd ordered them off after their little breakthrough last night. She laughed, yeah right. Knowing him, his kindness had merely been a lapse in judgment brought on from the stress of the night. And it had been one hell of a night.

Flinging the door open, she found the lights off inside. Next she found the bedroom the same. A prickling feeling settled over the back of her neck. Lily took the elevator down to the lobby of the main floor.

The guard behind the desk looked up at her as she approached. “Where is he?”

“Mr. Demuzi?”

She glared. “No, Santa Claus.”

“I believe the North Pole, ma'am.”

Her lips twitched but she refused to laugh. “Try that attitude again with the mood I'm in and see where it gets you,” she said in a cold voice.

The guard narrowed his eyes on her and sized her up. She knew what he saw—a short, small woman. But she still had power, enough to kick his ass if need be.

Finally, he shrugged. “I can't tell you that.”

Lily threw up her hands and stalked back to the elevator. “Fucking idiots,” she mumbled. That sickly feeling told her something was wrong. He had to be in the building, she just knew it. So she punched in floor two and made her way down the halls one floor at a time looking for him.

By floor ten she was cursing. “Fucking place is huge.”

By floor twenty she wanted to pull her hair out. It wasn't until she reached floor thirty-five that the layout of the floor shifted completely. This looked totally different from the other floors. The elevator opened to a short white hallway with a single door. Her gut clenched in warning and she knew she'd found him.

The small keypad above the door handle lit up with a red light and she paused. She tried the door but it didn't budge.

“Well, shit.” She wasn't a hacker by any means. Still, she started entering a random variety of numbers hoping to get lucky. After a few minutes of trying, it didn't work.

Sighing, she made a fist and banged on the door. “Telal! Are you in there? It's Lily.” Quieter she mumbled, “Yeah, I'm sure that'll bring him running.”

Defeated by a door with a numbered lock, she slid to the floor. Lily contemplated all the ways she could get the door open starting with bribing a guard for the code. She had just gotten up to bombing it when the elevator dinged open.

Telal's bodyguard, Kearnyn, came through. A small smile formed as he saw her. “Keeping him safe?”

She scoffed and stood up. “Not really. Can you get me in?”

The smile died and he stared shrewdly at her as if trying to deduce what she was up to. She held her hands up innocently.

“I think something's wrong,” she said.

If anything his face shut down even more, hiding everything, showing nothing. “Why do you think that?”

“I may not be a witch like Rosa but I have similar strengths. Visions, feelings, things like that. Is he in there?”

He took a deep breath and eyed the door with a grimace. “The reports say he hasn't left.”

“Left since when?”

The big Irish man shrugged. “He's been in there since last night.”

“Damn. Get me in there big guy, and I'll fix him up.” Her stomach formed twisting knots of worry. Her claim was also a bold faced lie. She didn't know if she could help or not, but she'd die trying.

He took a deep breath then gave her a hard, penetrating stare. “You get five minutes, then I'm coming in to see what's going on.”

She nodded fast. “No problem.”

He crossed in front of her so she couldn't see the digits he entered, but they each made a sound to correspond to the number and she mentally memorized it. Four, two, five, seven, one. She just hoped her short-term memory remembered it. He pulled down the door handle then turned back to her.

“Be warned.”

She took a step back. “He's that bad?”

He didn't nod or disagree but opened the door for her. Lily took a deep breath and stepped inside. A large recreational room greeted her. The ceiling towered high in a dome shape and the walls were bright and white. The room had a decent-sized kitchen, a large bar, TV, radio system and pool table. A man's lounge.

A movie played on the TV, some gaudy looking flick with unattractive boys and really sexy women. Not the kind of movie she'd think he'd be interested in. Slowly, she made her way through the room finding the main area empty. A leather chair faced the TV but it was empty too.

She stepped next to it and could still see the dimpled impression from where he'd sat in it. Bottles were scattered on the ground around the chair. Beer cans, bottles of hard liquor and a wine bottle—all empty.

“Telal?” she called out.

Hell, the TV was so loud she probably wouldn't hear him if he called back anyway. She grabbed the remote and turned the volume down. Two more rooms lead off the main room. She went to the one on the right and found a surprisingly large workout room with padded mats on the floor, weights and other workout equipment.

She flicked on the light but he wasn't there. “Telal?” she tried again.

As she made her way across the polished white floors, her gut tightened, coiled with worry. She never did get the unique feelings quite like her sister Chloe did, but she'd described them before, and yup, it sucked. It felt like a mixture between severe anxiety and nausea.

The worry pushed her and she forced herself to walk fast to the other door. The door stood ajar and a faint glow came from inside.

Flashes crossed her mind as to what she'd find. A dead body? Though she couldn't see the strong demon taking his own life, she didn't know him well enough yet to be sure. Just how fucked up was he from his trip to the rift?

She realized she'd soon find out as she pushed the door open and found the room empty. It looked like a spare bedroom complete with a closet, dresser, bed, and mirror on the wall. Another door connected to the room sat to the right, the glowing light coming from there. Her stomach twisted even more and she bit her lip as she made her way towards it. Somehow she was too scared now to call out to him, afraid he wouldn't answer her.

Reaching the door, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, held it, and pushed the door open.

* * *

Telal's mouth felt like he'd been sucking on cotton balls the whole day. His tongue was dried and damn near crispy and his head throbbed like a hammer had been taken to it a dozen times. The worse was trying to walk. Nothing stayed still long enough for him to figure out which direction was which.

Slowly, he hunched forward in his seat, but in the process his legs kicked out and the bottles around him were knocked to the ground. Even the sound of the bottles hitting the floor sounded too loud to his ears, which had somehow gained hypersensitivity from the alcohol.

Bracing his hands on the arms wrests, he lurched forward, stumbling to keep his feet on the ground. It didn't work and his foot caught on one of the bottles. He shouted as the floor went out from under him. His ass landed hard on the floor, making his teeth clang together and his spine feel like it just got jacked up into his face.

“Ahh, fuck,” he groaned, his hand wiping over his pounding face.

He never drank. Didn't like the feeling of being out of control, but now he rejoiced in it. It dulled out all the shit that had happened last night. Shit he didn't want to think about for at least a hundred years.

With groans, grunts, and a fair amount of sweat spilling he finally managed to pull himself back up to stand. His whole body felt heavy like he'd gained two hundred pounds overnight. His arms hung at his side like boulders; each time he took a step, or tried to, it felt like he was dragging a planet behind him.

Bottles and cans slid across the floor as he shuffled by them. The room didn't just spin around it, it raced up and down, side to side, and freaking sideways. Squinting, he kept his eye on the bedroom door and made his way to it. By time he reached it, it felt like an hour later with the little baby steps he took and he’d managed to bump into every table and wall along the way.

The noise blaring from the TV, some obnoxious show he didn't even know he'd owned, helped him more than he could believe. The sounds seemed to keep him occupied, keep his mind from drifting where it wanted to go—even to his own detriment.

Pitch black surrounded him as he entered the bedroom. He'd turn on the light but right now the darkness felt welcoming. Like a cool hand on a feverish forehead. He made his way to the bathroom but must have been walking sideways because his shoulder slammed into the bedpost.

“Frika!” he cursed. His shoulder burned with the beginnings of a good bruise.

He stumbled into the bathroom and flicked on the light. With jerky movements he tore his shirt off, toed off his shoes, but lost his balance which sent him slamming face first into the ground. His cheek glanced off the hard tile and he felt the beginnings of another bruise start to form.

Fucking perfect.

Using his elbows and hands he crawled into the shower space and leaned against the wall. The frigid cold tiles sent a violent shiver over his heated body. He forced his eyes closed and made himself press all the way back until his entire body shivered like little electrical impulses shot through his body.

Swinging his arm up, he slammed his fist into the “on” button on the panel. Water poured down from a metal grate in the ceiling. The temperature was programmed in just how he liked it—a perfect lukewarm.

His eyes drifted shut and flashing images of his brother and mother projected behind his eyelids like scenes from an old movie reel.

Groaning, he shoved the heel of his hands into his eye sockets until pain flared and his eyeballs felt like they were going to explode.

As the water poured over him, matting his hair to his face, making his pants cling to his legs, he had a brief thought as to how ridiculous he looked. The laughter started and wouldn't stop. He slid down to the floor and felt the water beating over his face and neck. If he opened his mouth far enough he almost felt like he was drowning from the small downpour.

The images never went away. He saw his brother looking like he'd rolled around in coal dust, glaring at him with eyes so dark with hatred... Telal bit his lip until he felt blood.

He'd thought he could do this. Hell, he even thought it might be easy. How fucking wrong he was. With the water pouring over him, he closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.

* * *

“Oh, no,” she said.

In a rush, she ran across the bathroom, sliding on her knees to his prone body. She grabbed his shoulders, shaking him, saying his name, but his eyelids never even fluttered.

“Telal!”

Water poured over him from the shower head and she frantically pushed a metal button that shut it off. Her fingers pressed against his neck as her heart pounded. A solid bum bum bum beat against her fingertips.

Tears appeared in her eyes and she blinked them back. She let out an unsteady laugh as her heart slowly beat back at a normal rhythm.

“God you scared me.”

She called his name, getting louder each time but he didn't move. Was he in some kind of a coma or just that drunk? She hoped for the latter.

Gritting her teeth, she opened her palm and let it fly. The slap caught his cheek and jerked his head to the side. Finally his lips moved in a deep mumble she couldn't understand. So she slapped him again.

This time his eyes flew open but fluttered shut.

“Krinaru shetar'emu.”

“What the hell's that? Demonic?” Her palm stung with the force of the second hit and she sagged. She wanted to help him but with him like this there wasn't much she could do.

Footsteps sounded in the bedroom, then Kearnyn appeared at the door. “How's he doing?”

“Passed out stinking drunk, I think. He's alive though.”

Kearnyn nodded and lifted Telal bodily in his big arms. Lily whistled under her breath at his strength. It would have taken her an hour and a lot of struggling to drag Telal's big body into the other room, let alone actually lift him.

She followed Kearnyn into the bedroom and watched him put him on the bed. Spotting a small trash bin, she grabbed it and set it beside the bed. He'd probably need that.

“Good call,” Kearnyn said, grinning.

“Thanks.”

He headed towards the door and stopped. “You gonna stay and watch over him?”

Lily looked at Telal's sleeping form and nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think I will.” He looked handsome while he slept, his face and body relaxed in a way she rarely saw.

“All right, if you need anything there's a phone in the kitchen. Just press one and you'll get me. Let me know when he wakes up.”

She nodded absently and was already on her way to the other side of the bed. She crawled in it and sat next to him, just listening to the sound of his breathing. His wet hair was a mess so she pushed it off his face. His skin looked so beautiful in contrast to that unique hair. Golden and almost shimmery.

She took in his bare chest that was so strong and packed with muscles. Gently she touched one of the gold hoops in his nipples, tugging on the metal between her fingers. Why did he have these? She wondered. Was it just a demon thing or something kinky he preferred? She couldn't see him doing something like that just for kinky kicks, though she didn't know him well enough to be sure. God, she wanted to though.

Her father left her to him for a reason. He had to know why. Her father had to have a significant reason to leave her in his hands. They must be strong, trustworthy hands for her protective father to do such a thing. She'd taunted him with a letter before that he must know the reason why, but now uncertainty prevailed. It could just be out of all the people her father knew, mostly businessman supernatural or not, he, Tyrian, and Lyonis were the ones he trusted most of all. She'd have to ask him about that. A smile tugged at her lips. She could already sense it'd be a battle. The man never wanted to talk about anything.

Her eyes drifted down his strong torso to his side with the tattoo. Without a light on she couldn't make out what it was, so she gingerly reached to the nightstand by the bed and switched on the lamp. Dim orange light lit the room pushing back some of the shadows.

She blocked the light with her own body so she positioned herself on her stomach with her head cocked to face him. It looked like some kind of symbol. A vertical tattoo, it had a bulb like end at the top and bottom in dark, royal blue that reminded her of the tops of the Taj Mahal. It began under his arm pit and ran down to cover his hip bone.

She stopped her perusal to trail her fingers over his warm skin. She bit back a moan and snapped her fingers back. Touching him while he slept felt so...wrong.

Colored in navy blue and royal reds, the symbol had a black band in the center near his rib cage as if it held the whole symbol together and wispy edges swirled out from the main bulbs like petals to a flower. Each was colored equally in different shades of red. From the outside rim the shape was dark then inwards it faded lighter and lighter.

The beauty of the piece impressed her. The skill it had taken to draw something so large and bold had to mean something. She reached out one last time to trail a single fingertip over the design.

Suddenly he groaned something in demonic and rolled towards her, one arm catching her around the back and pulling her in close. Her eyes flared wide as he aggressively tucked her against his body.

Then, as if to keep her from moving away, his strong leg wrapped across the top of hers. He mumbled more incoherent words then she heard the soft even sounds of his breathing.

Okay then. She scolded herself. Well you want him, don't you? Then don't be so nervous. She couldn't help it though.

It was one thing to...act and another to actually be caught up in it. She was so close to him this way, her face could easily bury in his warm neck.

With the quiet noise from the TV in the other room, Telal’s soft breathing, and the incredible warmth of his body, Lily soon found her eyes drifting close.

CHAPTER 23

Lily woke to the sound of groaning. Her eyes fluttered open, then stayed open as she stared into the face of Telal Demuzi.

Her stomach tightened with butterflies. “Good morning.”

His eyes searched over her face as if realizing she was actually there and not some figment of his imagination. Her usual bravado faltered and the butterflies shot throughout her body making her heart race.

“Lily.” It sounded like a question.

“Hi, Telal.” She wanted to say something sharp and witty, but nothing came to mind. He was completely wrapped around her, his face only inches from hers. When his eyes fell to her mouth and darkened in the way it does when a man is attracted to a woman, her breath hitched.

He leaned in and her hand shot up to press against his mouth. “Did you throw up last night?” The erotic glint in his eyes vanished and he fell back on the bed with a groan.

“No, I don't think so.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, rubbing the palm of his hands into his eyes. “God I feel like shit.”

She laughed, which helped to put her back to rights. “I'm not surprised. I'd feel like a truck hit me too if I drank as much as you did.”

He started to sit up but groaned like he'd been stuck with a knife in his gut. “Fuck.” He stood and she heard the trash can get knocked over.

“Any evidence of upchuck in there?”

He shook his head in answer. She watched him stumble with heavy, uneven steps towards the bathroom. She couldn't help it, she grinned. Watching the strong, smart demon look...human was amazing to see.

He flicked the bathroom light on and the door closed partway. She heard the toilet flush a minute later, then the shower kick on. Not sure why exactly, she went into the bathroom.

 Her eyes widened. He'd already stripped down and stood under the spray of the shower. Under normal circumstances his body was incredible, but dripping wet, he looked glorious.

He'd just finished brushing his teeth when she stepped into the doublewide stall with him. He looked over at her with surprised eyes. So he hadn’t heard her. Grabbing the toothbrush out of his hand, she dispensed some paste on it from a container attached to the wall and scrubbed away. They watched each other, both getting doused under the oversized shower head.

She finished brushing and set the toothbrush back on the ledge carved into the wall. He picked up a rag, rubbed some soap on it, and began washing his arms and chest. Still his eyes watched her.

“You shouldn't be in here,” he said without any real heat.

She smiled because she couldn't find words as he slid that washcloth across his chest and over the loops in his nipples. Watching him made everything inside her feel tight and needy. With the wall of white suds on his chest she wanted nothing more than to step forward and rub her own chest across it.

He finished washing and she held her hand out for the cloth. Now it was his turn to smile and the feral look in in his eyes actually made her flush from chest to nose.

“Let me.”

She almost moaned and somewhere in the whirlwind of fog beginning to swim around her mind, she managed to nod.

“You shouldn't bite your lip,” he said softly as he soaped the cloth up again until it was nice and foamy.

“Why?” She sounded breathless and hoped he didn’t hear it.

His eyes flicked to hers. “Because it makes me want to.”

And breathing became difficult. God, she'd never expected this. Never thought he'd even speak kindly to her let alone...almost romantically. She closed her eyes and told herself not to think about it, if she did then she might jinx it.

“Turn around.”

She did, stiffly. When his body stepped up against hers, the air in her lungs exhaled in an unsteady stream of air. Hot and wet from the water, his chest pressed into her shoulders, and his groin against her lower back which gave her the strongest urge to rub back against him. And he was hard, his erection not quite digging into her, but making its presence known.

Dark golden arms came around her, so different from her own light skin tone. The washcloth flattened against her stomach, rubbed in small circles around her bellybutton and she sucked it in whether consciously or not. Her eyes watched his strong forearm, the dark dusting of hair there, a darker shade of gold, and the thick veins that fed blood through his system. He was so strong compared to her, it made her knees weak.

His arms curled more around her, bending her into him. His voice came at her ear, husky and deep. “You are quite beautiful, lilit.”

“What-what does that mean?” Her eyes closed as the washcloth swept across the expanse of her stomach from hip bones to just under her breasts.

“Succubus.”

She couldn't help it, she laughed. The answer was so underwhelming.

Her laughter stuttered to a stop as the washcloth moved up between the valley of her breasts, which sent some kind of signal to her nipples to pull them into hard, aching points. He rubbed the cloth along her neck and collar then back down between her breasts. Her chest sawed hard. It was almost painful how badly she needed him to run that cloth across her breasts, to squeeze her. But he didn't.

Moving slowly, he traced the cloth up either side of her arms, across her shoulders, occasionally stopping to rewet and soap it as it cooled. Her muscles turned to putty under his hands. She was completely at his mercy, under his control. She'd let him do anything to her in that moment. Hell, she hoped he'd do something to her. Like bend her forward then slip his cock inside. Her core clenched needily at the image and a soft moan bubbled out of her.

“What are you thinking about, Lily?” he asked in a soft, hypnotic voice. Her breathing quivered as he made his way with the washcloth across her hips, then rubbing bigger circles across each of her ass cheeks but never becoming indecent with the touch, never going as far as she craved.

A heated blush blazed across her cheeks. “I can't say it.”

She could hear the laughter in his voice. “Since when are you shy, Lily Bellum?”

“Since now apparently.”

Now he did laugh. A warm, delicious sound that drifted over her body like an embrace. He warmed the washcloth under the water again and knelt down, slowly tracing the cloth up first one leg, then the other. Her knees turned to jelly as he softly cleaned each foot forcing her to brace an arm against the shower wall to steady herself. She'd never have thought that rubbing a cloth slowly against the arch of her foot could connect to the need in her sex. But apparently that was the case because with each stroke across her arch, even in between her toes, need curled in her.

Her legs were squeaky clean by time he finished, but he didn't stop there. Oh no, he ran that decadent cloth up between her thighs then higher near her aching sex. Her breathing turned harsh and loud in the shower. He gave her the same treatment with the other inner thigh, and this time, just the barest piece of cloth scraped against her swollen lips. She moaned, a wild unsteady sound.

“Your ass is perfect.” His gruff voice bordered on demonic. She never knew crude words could turn her on until now.

The soapy cloth left her thighs to sweep more forcefully around each cheek and when he pressed in between her cheeks the caress was so erotic, her core actually spasmed.

“Telal!”

“You like my touch,” he murmured.

Then he stood, resoaped the cloth and rubbed it up her stomach, this time headed straight for her left breast. The first touch sent tremors throughout her body, making her thighs shake with the effort to keep standing. She had to lean back against him, if not to rely on his strength to hold her up, then to feel his body against hers.

He molded her breast with that cloth. It felt as if the cloth wasn't even there as his fingers shaped her, circled around her silkily, then he passed it across her distended nipple. Once, twice, then again and again. Panting moans escaped her throat. He brushed across that puckered tip creating a jolting sensation that ran straight inside her. She thrust her chest forward to get more of his touch but the washcloth left her and moved to her other breast, where he began the whole tortuous process again.

Lily felt like she was in a sensual cloud, her body a responsive tool to his touch. Her head fell back against his chest and she couldn't stop from kissing his collarbone, licking little droplets of warm water from him. In this position, her ear pressed near his heart and she could hear the hard, thumping beat of it. She wasn't the only one who was affected.

As if he couldn't bear it anymore, the cloth splashed to the ground and his hands cupped her breasts. Possessive and hard, his touch sent bolts of need crashing straight to her core. He plumped and squeezed, then gentled his touch, barely caressing her, alternating with touches that drove her wild. Her hips started moving, pumping and rocking, seeking him.

When he finally tugged her nipples between his hands, a little orgasm shivered inside her. It happened so quickly. The tightened response came, exploded, and left her panting in his arms.

“God,” he cursed, his voice as ragged as she felt.

They moved together in a dance as he turned her, forced her back against the shower wall, and claimed her with a kiss. Their movements, their bodies writhed to get closer, hands roamed freely over each other exploring and discovering. She couldn't seem to get close enough to him, to touch him everywhere at once. A frustrated moan escaped her.

He pulled back from her lips with a masculine laugh. Her lips followed his, loving the taste and feel of him. When his hands reached down to grasp her bottom and lifted her up to fit more easily against him, she sighed.

In this position, she could wrap her legs around his ass and her arms around his neck as she sucked on his wicked tongue. They ate at each other's lips, breathing erratic, hands grabbing harder, chests rubbing together in one of the most erotic sensations she'd ever experienced.

His cock nudged along her slippery sex and stroked up and down through her slippery lips. The sensation felt wild and wicked. He was so hard, she just wanted him to angle it right and shove inside.

“Telal,” she whispered against his lips.

Their eyes met, hot and wild. Then his gaze turned questioning and she knew exactly what he was asking her. After her heart did a little flip flop in her chest, she nodded.

“Please.”

That must have been what he needed because he shut off the water and carried her dripping wet back into the bedroom, their mouths fused together.

Her back hit the mattress and even it seemed to sigh as he followed her down. She made way for him with her legs and spread them wide. He paused at her hips and kissed first one hip bone then the other. His hands clasped them in a strong grip, this thumbs massaging the area.

“I like this.”

A muffled moan escaped her. That one touch, right there near her stomach, sent a flood of liquid heat pooling out from her. The first touch of his lips to her stomach sent her hips rocketing off the bed.

She was left squirming and panting as he lazily kissed and licked his away across from hip to hip, up to her belly button then up to her breasts. When he finally pulled her nipple between his lips she exhaled in relief and latched onto his hair to keep him from going anywhere. She had him right where she needed him.

The suckling, pulling sensation felt incredible and perfectly connected to her clitoris which throbbed with each pull. Everything felt connected. Each part of her he touched sent her temperature higher, her need tighter.

His hand curled over her hip then delved down and curled around her sex. She sounded hysterical when she moaned, but she didn't care. She just needed him to assuage the need he'd built up inside of her. She burned, her legs scissored, and nothing in her body could stay still for a moment.

He took his time like he had all the patience in the world. He petted her, sliding his fingers lightly across her, then teasing her entrance by barely pushing inside, and retreating.

“Telal!”

He didn't laugh at her eager cry but groaned and switched to work her other breast. She mentally applauded that he was equal opportunity but shook her head side to side with frustration. Her hips rocked against him and then finally he touched her for real. With a smooth glide, his fingers parted her folds then circled her wet clitoris in agonizingly slow circles. Her lungs tightened, lungs hitched to find air. Her entire body pulled as tight as a cranked up bowstring and her chest actually curved up, lifting off the mattress.

The touch began light and slow and her body coiled so tightly it only took that soft touch to shoot her apart. The climax came like hundreds of little explosions inside her. It started in her core where she froze for one second then shook her, legs kicking out, her chest jerking against his mouth, and her hands pulling so hard in his hair it was a wonder strands didn’t tear in her grasp.