Who was he? Who had hurt her?
“Laken,” he said, grimacing at the harsh tone of his voice. She needed gentleness now. Not something that came to him naturally, particularly when he was on edge. He took a steadying breath, trying to hold back his raw emotions.
“Baby, look at me.”
She opened her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
He rocked back in surprise. “You’re sorry? For what?”
“For acting like a madwoman. That must have been so embarrassing for you, having me react like that. I’m more trouble than I’m worth, you know.”
“Fuck that. I wasn’t embarrassed. I was terrified. And to me, you are worth all the trouble in the world.”
“That’s not what you used to think. I was just there to scratch an itch, someone you visited when you had the time.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Did she really believe that? “Laken, that’s not true. I understand how you could think that. If I could change the past, I would go back and slap the man I was then until he saw sense. I was in a huge rush to make a success of myself and I sacrificed you in order to get there. I’ve regretted it ever since. But you were never, ever an itch to me.”
Her eyes, so large in her pale face, showed her surprise. “Really?” she asked in a small voice. God, she was tiny. Her personality made her seem much bigger than she was. She never hesitated to go head-to-head with him despite being a foot shorter than his own six foot four, and a hundred pounds lighter.
Duncan brushed her strawberry-blonde hair off her face, then leaned back against the arm of his chair.
“Sugar, you mean everything to me. You always have. I wanted to build us a great life, to be the provider that my father never was. I was an idiot. Hell, I’m surprised you put up with it for as long as you did. You were always a fighter, Laken. The last thing I expected was for you to run away, to ignore me. Why didn’t you fight for us?”
Laken heard the hurt in Duncan’s voice, although his face never changed expression. She longed to scoot closer to him, to surround herself in his heat, in the inherent safety that came from being held in his arms.
Laken swallowed. “I didn’t run,” she whispered.
“What?” he asked, his hand still on her head.
“I didn’t run.” She drew her legs against her chest, looking at the far wall.
“You wouldn’t answer my calls. You wouldn’t see me.”
“I couldn’t.” She barked out a laugh, even though there was nothing humorous about the situation. “I was a bit tied up.”
Oh God, she was becoming hysterical. From the corner of her eye, she saw the concerned look he sent her. Yep, any moment he was going to haul her off to the funny farm. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself.
“That night you were supposed to visit, I was so excited. I’d just learned about my promotion a few days before, but I was saving the news to tell you in person. I’d cooked your favorite food for dinner. I bought some new lingerie, a bottle of wine. Only you didn’t show. A few hours and some glasses of wine later, I was mad. I tried calling you but you weren’t answering so I did something really stupid.”
Duncan ran his hand up and down her back. She stiffened, then forced herself to relax and accept his comfort.
“I decided to go to the club and find another Dom. It was just a stupid, childish act of revenge. I couldn’t go through with it, of course. When I got to the club, I realized I didn’t want anyone else. I guess I was trying to punish you. Stupid, huh?”
“What did you do?”
“I stayed at the club for a while, had a few drinks with friends. Then I left.”
Memories clawed at her, threatening to swallow her into their depths. Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs.
“Easy, baby. You’re safe, I’m here.” Duncan placed an arm around her shoulders and she threw herself against his chest, desperately needing him.
“I was so stupid. Such an idiot,” she berated herself.
“Hush,” he said firmly, in a voice she knew all too well. “No talking down about yourself.” The warning in his voice came through loud and clear. He’d always claimed it was his job to protect her, even from herself.
“It’s just the truth. If I had just stayed home. If I’d gotten someone to give me a ride home…”
He stiffened beside her. “What happened, Laken?”