His hands were on her, relentless, and her body betrayed her in ways she couldn't control. She kept saying it, over and over, "Stop — please, stop," but her protests only seemed to embolden him. She tried to push him away, slapping at his arms, his chest, anything she could reach.
"We can't do this," she choked out, tears threatening to spill. "This is wrong."
He leaned close to her ear, his voice low and unhurried. "Joanna, my son is gone. I'll take care of you — and your body already knows what it wants. Don't fight it." He paused. "Why keep torturing yourself? Let go. We can fall together."
She beat against him, but the difference in their strength was impossible to overcome. There was a sharp tearing sound, and suddenly the cool air hit her bare skin where her lace nightgown had bee
