Just as she’d known in her heart that said relationship had been flawed from the beginning. Her attachment to him was a sickness, an addiction, and she hadn’t had the strength to cure herself. If not for Claire, she might still be trapped in a situation she was unwilling to change. The confrontation with Brian earlier in the day had churned up old, addictive feelings that had threatened to swamp her. She’d needed every ounce of willpower to jerk herself away from him and run into the store. All the way home, she’d told herself she could just put it out of her mind, but even then she knew how unrealistic that was. Knew Cord would take one look at her and know something had happened. And she’d have to tell him. He had shocked her by refusing to punish her. Instead he’d wrung her out sexually and emotionally, silently telling her what she meant to him. With Cord it was far more than just a sexual relationship. More than a cycle of pain and pleasure. There were real feelings here, things she’d never felt before.
