Chapter 8 Battered and Bruised

• His insides burned with the deepest darkest hatred for her abuser. His knuckles were white from holding down his anger when he saw her legs were full of bruises. Big and small, black, blue, even greenish-purple. They were all, showing off the continuous beatings which she received.
• He perfectly knew the victims who get this kind of beatings, will end up dead sooner or later. Taking a deep breath, he looked at her as she was looking back at him.
• "I'll heal, you don't have to give me the pity look." Her face was stoic as if she was used to people giving her the looks. That was when he gathered, that she has had hospital visits before. Meaning that she was once in a much worst condition, and that information made him took another deep breath.
• "Have you documented this?"
• "The hospital did, but I'm done with him." She shrugged trying to appear non affected by his question, but he had familiarized himself with too many abused victims to recognize the slight changes in their vulnerable stance.
• He was itching to pull her into his embrace and told her that she would be okay. He gritted his teeth and ran his fingers to his short strands frustratingly.
• It took him moments to finally gave her his pair of shorts, but she was having difficulties with her cast and her sprained ankle when she eventually asked his help.
• "Could you? I feel like Humpty Dumpty." She let out her nervous laughter, but he was helping her in seconds.
• His heart beats so fast when he was looking at her bruises at a closer range. He never wanted to kill a man so bad in his entire life, he was actually considering jail time and things that he could get away by killing the bastard.
• But his hate for her abuser was mistaken by her, as his resentment towards her bruised body. She sighed knowing that she was no longer attractive, but then seconds later she was wondering why would she want him to find her attractive?
• I'm on the run, I don't have time for a fling, and he's a cop! Snap out of it woman!
• He was pulling his shorts upwards through her slender thighs, his hands trailed her bruises while she was biting her lip. It has been ages since a man touches her softly. He was having all kinds of mixed feelings, but he was sure that his desire was playing a big part and he was cursing himself on the inside feeling like a pervert taking advantage of a battered beautiful woman.
• "I'm sorry..." his words were a bit dry. But he raised himself facing her, standing taller inches apart before her. She was looking at him, staying silent under his gaze. And she kept on staying still when he lowered his face down to hers and softly touched his lips to hers.
• Both were quiet, and pleasantly surprised when none was backing down.
• "I shouldn't..." it took all the power in him to pull himself back from the kiss. He could still taste her, he could still feel her fragile body and her soft skin under his touches. He had never been so fucking hard in his life, and at the same time feeling like such a bastard for taking advantage of her.
• Yet he didn't expect that she would step closer, and put her hands to his waist and her cheek to his chest. He had never felt such possessiveness towards someone when he mindlessly wrapped his arms around her body and kissed the top of her head.
• He could feel her relax in his embrace when he slowly rubbed her back, then both stayed holding on to each other for the longest time.
• "The coffee is getting cold, and I haven't finished with the pancake."
• He hugged her one last time before he moved back and caressed her cheek.
• "I'll finish everything for you, the maid will clean up later." He picked her up with all her objections and put her down on the couch.
• "Stay." He said softly whispering in her ear then kissed her temple, while she instinctively closed her eyes liking the way he treated her.
• It didn't take long for him to finish making her coffee and pancakes.
• "This is a good batter, what did you put in it?"
• "Hmm? Oh...lemon, couldn't find baking soda, so I just added milk and a squeeze of lemon to balance the acidity..."
• "Did you study culinary?" he was quick in his question trying not to alert her.
• "Nope, finance." She was quick to realize that he had just tricked her into answering and revealing more information about herself.
• Damn him.
• She cursed on the inside while gulping her coffee trying to hide her annoyance. But then was liking the taste of the brown sugar in her latte.
• "This is good coffee."
• "Thanks." He replied as he takes his seat next to her.
• "So, when will you let me go?" she asked while taking the first bite of her pancake. Not realizing that she was starving, she quickly took another bite of the fluffy pancake.
• "I'm not holding you against your will, I'm guessing you have a degree in your financial education. Meaning you're smart enough to deduce that you better off living with me, at least until you're healed."
• "You like taking in stray puppies?"
• "No, you're more like a lost kitten." He smirked and took another bite of his pancake.
• "Hmm...you're trying to get close to me why?"
• "Why not?"
• "Because I'm homeless?" she stated as she puts away her empty plate.
• "Because of certain circumstances."
• "But you're a cop."
• He took their dirty plates and put them on the sink for the maid to clean.
• "Detective."
• "So you're comfortable living with a stranger?" she asked from the couch while finishing off on her coffee.
• "You're not a stranger, you're Jane. Or are you not?"
• He knew that she was hiding her identity, and he was slowly scraping the surface trying to reveal the real her.
• "You can call me Jane."
• He took his seat back and finish off his coffee, then put their cup aside.
• "You mean I can moan Jane and you won't be offended?"
• He was mocking her, whispering to her ear while lightly trailing kisses to her neck.
• "Jane..." he whispered taking her knuckles and kissed them.
• "Jane..." he took her face and kissed her temple.
• "Jane..." his hand caressed her cheek and kissed the tip of her nose.
• She was lulled by his small little kisses, none was sexual but it makes her body wanted him. And she was blushing at the fact that she even considering it with her battered limbs.
• Then he was going in for the kill when he moves closer, and his hand resting casually on her upper thigh. His lips inches from her ear then he breathed out...
• "Jane..."
• To which she finally moaned.
• "Blair..."
• Damn it!