Without replying, she picked up a file folder from the drafting table that she’d set there earlier and moved off her chair in the opposite direction of where Connor stood, so there was no chance of her body touching his as she passed by.
Ignoring him completely, she walked on unsteady legs toward the back of the shop. “Jasmine, I’ll be in the storeroom doing the inventory.”
“Okay,” the other girl replied, oblivious to any tension between Katrina and Connor.
As Katrina stepped into the back room, she heard Connor say, “I’ll see you later, Jasmine,” in a terse tone that was no doubt meant for her.
“Bye, Connor,” Jasmine said, and the shop went quiet again.
Katrina set the file folder on a shelf and leaned against the wall, needing a few minutes alone to calm herself. Her palms felt clammy, and she was trembling as if it were forty degrees in the shop.
“Hey, Katrina,” Jasmine called out. “Since it’s quiet right now, I’m going to run down to the corner deli and get myself a sandwich for lunch. Do you want anything?”
“No,” she said as loud as her hoarse, scratchy voice would allow.
“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes,” Jasmine said, and once again, everything fell silent.
Katrina let her head drop back against the wall, closed her eyes, and drew deep, even breaths to ease the panicky sensation coursing through her. She’d barely calmed down when she heard the faint sound of footsteps that grew louder as they approached the back of the shop.
Mason was there. Finally!
Relief flooded her entire body, and she pushed away from the wall and started for the storeroom door . . . and came to an abrupt, sickening halt when Connor’s big, solid frame blocked her path instead.
There was no holding back the gasp that ripped from her throat, and because he was imposing in size, she instinctively took a few steps back. Animosity glittered in his dark eyes as he followed her slowly but purposefully, until he had her cornered against the wall. There was no way to move around him without Connor easily grabbing her, restraining her just as he had that long ago night.
When a sneer curled the corner of his mouth, it reminded her of the bully he’d been. That mean look on his face also solidified that he hadn’t changed, and he wasn’t here to apologize or make amends for the past. Belligerent men like him, like her stepfather, didn’t feel remorse for their actions. No, they believed they were entitled, especially when they weren’t held accountable for their cruel and disgusting behavior.
Despite the apprehension surging through her, she lifted her chin, refusing to let him see any weakness that he could prey upon, even if she did feel incredibly vulnerable. “You need to leave, Connor,” she said in a firm, strong voice. “Now.”
He didn’t move. Instead, his insolent gaze raked down the length of her, taking in the pretty vintage pinup style dress she’d chosen with such care today for Mason. She shuddered as Connor’s lewd perusal lingered at the bodice and on her breasts before rising once again.
“Why are you being such a stuck-up bitch?” he asked as a muscle in his cheek ticked with barely suppressed anger. “Every time I come in here, you’re rude and you blow me off. And you act like you’re too good to even talk to me. What the fuck is your problem?”
She should have been afraid, considering there was no escape, they were alone, and he was physically stronger and had no issues using force with a woman, as she well knew. But all the rage and pain she’d buried for so many years found their way to the surface, and she embraced the strength and fortitude it gave her to confront him about that night.
“You’re my problem, Connor,” she said, shocked at her bravery, but she didn’t stop there. “How can you come back here and expect everything to be just fine after what you did to me?”
Katrina hated the unapologetic smirk that he gave her, which he followed up with a callous laugh. “Are you still mad about that night before we graduated?” he asked in a mocking tone. “We were just having fun and things got a little rough. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“It wasn’t fun, asshole,” she yelled at him, and had to curl her hands into fists at her sides so she didn’t claw his eyes out. “You pushed me into an empty room at that party. You pinned me down when I tried to get away. You put your hand over my mouth when I screamed. And then you raped me!” God, she’d had terrifying nightmares for months afterward, and every time she’d woken up in a panic, she’d felt as though she were reliving that horrifying attack all over again.
He braced a hand on the wall by her head and leaned closer. “Well, maybe if you weren’t such a cock tease back then, it wouldn’t have happened,” he said, as if it had been her fault. “That short skirt you were wearing that night made you look like a tramp and begged a guy to fuck you, so I only did what you were asking for. Hell, you’re a fucking tease even now and no better than you were back then.”
/> “What a woman wears doesn’t define whether you can screw her or not, you prick,” she said, welcoming the surge of adrenaline that was pumping liquid courage through her veins, giving her the confidence to purge everything she’d kept bottled up for the past eight years. “I never teased you. I always hated you and did my best to keep my distance. You might have been able to convince Mason to be your friend in high school, but I never trusted you. And there was a reason why. You proved every one of my instincts correct that night when you assaulted me. You’re nothing but a sorry excuse for a man.”
His eyes blazed with malice. “And you’re nothing but a fucking whore.”
Without thinking, she slapped him across the face. So hard, it made his head snap to the side. He let out a heartless laugh, and when he looked at her again, his expression was ruthless enough to cause a frisson of real fear to trickle down her spine.
“See? You do like it rough, don’t you?” he said in a low, taunting voice.
Before she could gauge his actions, he shoved her up against the wall so hard that the impact stole her breath. Trapping her there with his muscular body, he groped at one of her breasts and twisted his fingers into her hair with his other hand to force her head back right before he tried to kiss her.
This time, she wasn’t going down without a fight.
She struggled against him, and the moment his mouth touched hers, she did the only thing she could and bit his lip as hard as she could, until she broke the skin and drew blood.
He jerked back with a howl, his expression furious. “Goddamn bitch,” he ground out, and lifted a fist to punch her in the face.