Her Off Limits Prince

She said the only thing that would end this painful confrontation. "Yes."

Tor bit out an ugly four-letter word.

He dressed in silence, his movements precise, emanating a fury that battered against her already bleeding heart.

He paused at the door to her bedroom. "I won't bother you again."

He waited a moment, like he expected her to say something, but Blythe had no words.

He left her then, his posture rigid, his expression as closed as she'd ever seen it.

Everything in her screamed to call him back, but she didn't.

What would be the point? Blythe had let their friends with benefits thing go on longer than she should have. Looking back, she realized it had not been fair to either of them.

Anything that led to this much hurt had not been a good idea.

It was time to let him go.

For both their sakes.

Blythe collapsed onto the bed, pulling his pillow into her body as a poor substitute for holding him. She buried her face in the ultra-soft Egyptian cotton case, his scent triggering the tears that she'd held back so hard while Tor had been in the room.

But she was alone now. Blythe could cry if she needed to.

Alone again. No hope of that solitude being broke by a meetup with Tor tomorrow, next week, next month…ever.

An awful sound, like that of a wounded animal, came out of her.

And no one was there to hear. Just like when she'd been small.

Just like then, she had no one she could call. Blythe could not tell Janice about this pain. She'd spent too long lying to the sister of her heart and was just now realizing how impossible that made it to go to the other woman for comfort when she needed it most.

And the worst thing was, that Blythe had no one to blame but herself.

She had fallen in love with the man she could never have. She had set herself up for this heartbreak and to have to face it alone.