Heartstrings on Fire

Agnes was about to leave.

Jared, once again, grabbed her arm and continued, “Why bring in another when I have you?”

Then, without another word, he leaned in and kissed her. It was a fierce, unforgiving kiss. Agnes struggled, but in the end, she gave in.

Perhaps it was the warmth of their bodies that ignited a flame between them. In the end, Agnes didn’t feel forced by Jared. It was as if years of pent–up longing and desire flowed out all at once.

She never closed her eyes. She watched him: his anger, his obsession, his satisfaction.

Jared kept kissing her, trying to get her to close her eyes. Because in her wide–awake gaze, he could see his own downfall.

Her alertness was like a blade, stabbing into his heart with each passing second.

knew he was forcing her, but he couldn’t resist it. He didn’t want

every cell in his body was crying out for

like he had been waiting for a lifetime for this

basking in her

still, he wished

wished he could blend her into his bones so that he would never have to worry about her disappearing without a

kept making love with

finally exhausted, he buried his head in her neck, feeling a wave of dizziness. It was

into Agnes‘ ear, “Can we

from exhaustion, but his words snapped her back to reality. She felt a pang of sadness rise from deep within her heart. She wanted to agree, to say yes. But she knew well the obstacles that lay between them.

in Agnes‘ ear, “Tell me you love me,