A flash of lightningilluminated the bed. Anissa was curied into a tight fetal position sobbinghysterically, her fingers clawing at her own throat as if she were suffocating.
Harding's heart physically ached. He crossed the room in two strides, climbed onto the mattress, and pulled her entire trembling body into his arms.
*Anissa Wake up. You're safe,’ Harding commanded softly, wrappinghis large frame around her, crushingher against his bare chest.
She fought him for a second, her fists weakly hitting his shoulders, still trapped inthe nightmare.
Harding buriedhis face in her damp hair, inhalingde eply. He tightened his grip rocking her slowly. ‘Ive got you. m right here. Nobody is goingto hurtyou."
The de ep, vibrating rumble of his volce and the familiar, groundingscent of cedarwood finally pierced through the terror. Anissa let out a long, shuddering breath. Her rigid muscles collapsed. Acting on pure exhausted instinct, she buried her face into the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around his torso, clingingto him like a lifeline. Hardinglet out a heavy sigh He knew he should leave, but he couldn't. He leaned back against the headboard, pulling the duvet over both of them, and let her sle ep on his chest.
Hours later, the storm passed. The soft, golden light of dawn cr ept throughthe gaps inthe curtains.
Anissa slowly drifted awake. She felt Incrediblywarm.
She blinked her eyes open. The first thing she saw was the smooth, tanned skinof a muscular chest.
But as she shifted her weight her thigh dragged directly across the hard ridge
Harding's eyes snapped open.
“I have an emergency board meeting in London," Harding said, his voice completely devoid of emotion, sounding like a machine 1 am leaving immediately. | will be gonefor a week *
He walked straight into the en-suite bathroom. A second later, the sound of the showerturningon blasted throughthe room. It wasn't warm water. She could hear the sharp hiss of the pipesthat only happenedwhen the water was turned to freezing cold.
402% 1026 wl
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Chapter 30 š +120 Points at most Anissa sat up inthe empty bed, pullingthe sheets to her chest.
The cold water. The sudden unannouncedtrip to another continent.
The tiny spark of hope that had ignited when he held her duringthe storm was instantly snuffed out. He was so disgusted by her touch, so r epulsed by the physical reality of waking up with her, that he had to physically flee the country to get away from her.
Anissa closed her eyes, a bitter, painful lump forming in her throat
100.0% 1029 NI
< Marrying My Ex Powerful Blonske Un... 4120 Points at most