She tried to fight him, to push him off, but he was too strong. His mouth mashed down on hers. She jerked her head away, but he gripped a handful of hair and forced her head still. She was totally helpless now, unable to move. She could smell the wave of sourness coming off him, mingling with the odor of stale beer. He brought his mouth down again. No! No, you bastard. I’ll die first! The instant his mouth touched hers, Ellen clamped her teeth down on his lower lip, bit down until she tasted blood. She fought the urge to gag. Frantic as a speared fish, his hand wound tighter in her hair and he smashed her head against the floor in an effort to make her let go. With their mouths joined, his own head could only follow up and down with hers, teeth and noses striking together. Pain exploded in Ellen’s skull. Still, she hung on. And then his hands were around her throat, his fingers digging into the soft flesh, squeezing the breath from her. There was a roaring in her ears, a burst of color behind her eyelids.
