Just a few minutes of self-pity, and I’d pick myself up and move on.

I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes and the tears fell faster and harder. It’s all gone. My home. My place. My stuff.

It’s just stuff, Yve. And your home didn’t even feel safe anymore. My inner, more logical self tried to reason this one out, but I wasn’t exactly consolable, because I wasn’t ready for logic. I just wanted to cry.

The low purr of the Aston slowed by the curb much too quickly and my pity party hadn’t yet concluded. I swiped the back of my hands across my cheeks, wondering how much of a mess I looked. No makeup, bed head, tear-stained face, hadn’t yet showered after an explosion had destroyed my house.

Screw it. I deserved a pass today.

And I would rip his head off and feed it to him if he was a jerk. I didn’t think I could handle it right now. I didn’t have my walls up, and armorless was no way to go into battle with Titan.

Based on our past encounters—especially last night—I wondered if he’d just tell me to get in. But he didn’t. I heard the car door open, and I looked up in time to see him crouching in front of me.

“Rough morning?”

I tried to laugh, I really did, but instead I burst into tears again.

“Shit.”

He didn’t say anything else, just lifted me off the stoop and into his arms before carrying me to the car. He set me inside, secured my seat belt, and closed the door.

I was swiping my tears away for what I hoped would be the final time when he climbed into the driver’s seat and shifted into gear. He still didn’t speak as he drove out of the neighborhood near what used to be my house, and headed back to the other side of town. When we reached his home, he still said nothing as he helped me out of the car, into the house, and to the guest bathroom.

I sat on the edge of the tub and gripped my purse and the CVS bag. For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes. Too raw and vulnerable.

“You want me to start the water for you?” His words weren’t harsh and they weren’t soft. They were just . . . normal. As if I hadn’t just bawled all over the front seat of his car.

“I’m fine.”

From beneath my lids I saw him reach out. He pulled my purse and the bag from my grip and set them on the floor. A hank of my hair fell forward over my face, and he tucked it behind my ear before backing away and leaning against the door frame.

“You’re not fine. But you will be.” He grabbed the door’s handle and pulled it closed behind him.

I hadn’t known what to expect from him, but it wasn’t this. Especially not after last night.

I glanced from the tub to the shower and decided that a shower was better. I didn’t want to soak in the grime I’d accumulated from being flung to the ground behind my apartment.

So I turned on the shower and waited for steam to fill the enclosure before stripping off my clothes and stepping inside. I pressed both palms to the cold tile and dropped my head, allowing the hot water to pour over me.

They started as sniffles. Little hiccups and catches of my breath. And within moments, they transitioned to full-on, body-racking sobs.

I could have died.

I lowered one hand from the wall and covered my mouth. But it seemed the damage was already done. The bathroom door opened and footfalls stopped at the shower door. I didn’t look up, just blinked furiously, trying to stem the flood of tears.

The glass door opened.

I stood straighter, swiping at the tears as Titan stepped inside. Naked.

“What are you doing?” I murmured, my voice rough from the sobs.

He caught one of my wrists in each hand, lowering my hands from my face.

“Holding you,” he replied, and pulled me into his arms. “So you can break and not worry about falling apart. Just for today, Yve, let me hold you together.”

His words pierced the shield I was desperately trying to throw up between us. How long had it been since someone shouldered my burden? How long since I’d let myself just break?

The sniffles started again, and the tears welled up and spilled over my lids onto Titan’s solid shoulder.

Just for today.

I let myself break.

And he held me, lowering us both to the floor and pulling me into his lap, until I’d cried all my tears.

LUCAS CARRIED ME FROM THE shower to the bed in the guest room after toweling us both dry. He said nothing as he laid me on the soft sheets. He followed me down, wrapping his big body around mine.

Cocooned in the strength and warmth of Lucas Titan, my solid walls shook and crumbled further.

Everything’s gone.

I could’ve died.

The two thoughts played on shuffle in my brain. No more tears fell, but my body still shuddered.

Lucas’s arms tightened around me. “Stop thinking about it.”

I huffed out a breath. “That’s impossible.”

Something pressed against my hair, and if it were anyone but Lucas wrapped around me, I might have thought he’d kissed my head.

“Nothing’s impossible.”

“Maybe not for you,” I said, sucking in a breath as warm, full lips touched my shoulder.

“For you either. Not anymore.”

I snuggled back into him, pausing only a moment when I felt his erection against my ass.

That’s one way to forget.

“Kiss me again,” I said, turning my face toward his. “Make me forget.”

Lucas wasted no time capturing my lips and taking my mouth. Flares of heat shot through me, pooling between my legs with every moment of the deep, drugging kiss.

Until he pulled away and rolled off the bed.

I reached out and grabbed his hand. “Don’t go.”

His eyes snapped to mine. “I wasn’t leaving.”

“Then what—?” I let the question trail off.

“Condom.”

“Oh.” I breathed out a sigh. “Yeah.”

My attention followed Lucas’s sculpted ass to the door between the bedrooms, the one that had been locked from my side. He unbolted it and pulled the door open. He was gone only a moment, but I barely noticed as I fixated on that open door. It was as if I’d just discovered a crack in the wall between us.

Lucas returned before I could think on it anymore. He tossed the condom to the bed before lowering himself over me and finding my mouth again.

For the first time, it wasn’t pure lust charging between our bodies like lightning strikes. The passion and the hunger were there, but they were softened by something else. Something I hadn’t expected to find in bed with Lucas.