Aurora's POV
The heavy silence filled the small entryway. I could hear the rhythmic thud of his heart against my chest, fast and hard. Behind the mask, his eyes darkened, the pupils blowing out until they were twin pits of black fire. The "Raymond" I knew seemed to settle into his bones, but he didn't move to claim me. Not yet.
"What happened, Aurora?" he asked again, his voice dropping with concern, vibrating through my sternum.
"Don't fucking ask me, Raymond," I snapped, my voice cracking as a fresh wave of agony washed over me. I grabbed the front of his jacket, trying to pull his mouth back down to mine. I needed the heat. I needed the feeling. "Just fuck me. Make me forget. Put your hands on me until I can't breathe, until his name is burned out of my brain. Just do it!"
But he didn't move. He stood like a statue of black marble, his boots planted firmly on my rug. "No."
I froze, my hands falling limp against his chest. "What?"
