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Only this time he found her in the bedroom at the Ranch, not the hospital. He held his hand over her mouth until she couldn’t breathe.
“Baby! Wake up! Lilac, wake up, pretty girl! It’s just a dream. Wake up.”
She opened her eyes, gasping for air. Tanner grabbed hold of her, pulling her into his chest.
She trembled with the aftereffects of the nightmare.
“I think he’ll have a hold on me until he’s dead. Won’t he?” she whispered.
“Baby, if that’s what has to happen to free you, then that is what will happen.” He rolled her onto her back, leaning up on one elbow. “Will you be okay with that?”
Would she? He was her brother, but he also wasn’t a good man. After everything he’d done . . . she knew he deserved to die.
“Yes.”
Tanner leaned in and gave the softest, sweetest kiss she’d ever been given. By the time he drew back, there were tears in her eyes.
He rolled her over, then spooned her, drawing her back into his body. But she was too on edge to sleep. It felt like there was something crawling over her skin. She shivered.
“You’re tense, baby.”
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to go back to sleep. Maybe I should get up and let you sleep.” She tried to move away, but he drew her back down against him.
“Not happening, baby. You need your rest.”
“So do you.”
“Hmm. Perhaps we just need to tire you out.”
“How do you suggest we do that?” she asked as he ran his hand along her side.
Her body started to tremble for an entirely different reason as he slid his hand under her pajama top and over her stomach.
Shoot. What was he thinking? Was he thinking that she was too skinny now?
“Stop thinking,” he bossed. “Or I’ll make you.”
“You’ll make me?”
“Yeah, I think I’ll do that anyway.” He moved her onto her back and grabbed the bottom of her pajama top, sliding it up over her head.
“Tanner,” she whispered.
“Choose a safeword, baby.”
“I’m going to need one?” She didn’t think she was up for anything too exciting tonight.
“Just in case,” he said.
“Um. Scotch. It was Stefan’s favorite drink.” She could remember the stench.
“Okay, pretty girl. I’m going to make you feel so good that you forget about everything bad, all right? I just want you to lay there and relax.”
“But what if I want to touch you?” she asked.
“Not happening. Just lie still for me. Be a good girl and you’ll get a reward.”
He started kissing down her neck and between her breasts. Then he moved to her right nipple, sucking on it.
