He didn’t like the way he’d felt exposed there at the end….weakened by his need for her. Still, her mouth tempted him. He kissed her with focused restraint, aware of her probable soreness. Her sweet sigh against his mouth made him want to take her over to the bed and spend the night with his lips and nose buried in her silky, fragrant skin.
The fantasy of doing just that plagued him. Instead, he gave her a final kiss and released her, needing to prove to himself he still had the ability to walk away.
At the end of Because I Said So Ian is left raw and open and to prove that he can, he starts to withdrawal from Francesca. Francesca is left with feelings of confusion and hurt because she doesn’t know what she did wrong. Ian is not very forthcoming which causes a fight. At first I was on Francesca side with the fight. I was irritated Ian shut down after what was such a raw moment for them. It felt like we had gone a step back in their relationship, not the step forward I wanted. But then Ian came back with something that rang so true.
“I suppose you feel you can make me a better man,” he’d said, his full lips twisting as if he’d tasted something bitter. “Take a word of advice, Francesca, and save yourself the effort. I am what I am, and I’ve never lied to you about being anything more.”
Such a profound statement but it left me at a loss. How are we ever going to see these two meet in the middle? And for this to work they have to meet in the middle. Francesca cannot totally change herself for the pleasure of Ian. Ian must grow into something worth all this pain and effort. Such a short time left that I am starting to get a little anxious.
Before going back to Chicago Francesca witnesses a private moment between Ian and someone he calls a family friend. Francesca sees Ian display more unguarded emotion than she ever has. But once back in Chicago Ian and Francesca go their separate ways promising to have dinner together several nights later. The dinner ends up being with a competitor whose business Ian is trying to buy. As an act of rebellion Francesca plays up the sex and causes some real issues. Ian’s reaction is priceless and I fell a bit more in love/lust with him because of his response to the competitor and to Francesca. In true Ian form, the rebellion deserved a priceless punishment, a punishment that I admit I read three times just to wrap my head around it. Whew, it was hot and uh creative?!
So, I am starting to get twitchy. How will they resolve their issues? Will Ian EVER open up? Guess we will all have to stay tuned until next week! Final Grade- A
Favorite Quote:
How had she fallen in love with this man? How else could she explain her total and absolute trust in him, her willingness to surrender completely to him? What else could this euphoric feeling be as she watched him there in the mirror, abandoning himself completely to bliss?
Either she was falling in love or she was going mad. Either way, he’d been right before. She was completely at his mercy.
Rating: A
Because You Torment Me by Beth Kery
September 4th 2012 by Berkley InterMix
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About Jen
Oh Jen, I’m holding out…being strong. Must resist…ahhhhhhhh
You are a better woman than me. I drool when I see the next installment on my kindle.
I could not take it, I would have to read everything at once!
I have read the first part like 6 times now because each time I get a new installment I reread from the beginning!