Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 408

Chapter 408 A Test of Will

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He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but his self–control was fraying. “In the future, stop watching that kind of stuff!” he snapped. “For God’s sake, you’re a girl!”

Tammy looked even more bewildered. “But you’re suffering.”

“My suffering is my own business.”

“But I don’t want you to suffer. I can help.”

With that, Tammy stood up and began to unfasten her clothes.

In the environment where she grew up, this was a perfectly natural part of life. When she was a child, her tribe was small, and many had been lost at sea. To ensure the survival of their people, procreation was a shared responsibility; it was common to see couples together anywhere and everywhere. It didn’t matter who was who, as long as a child was conceived.

She had been born into that world. She knew who her mother was, but she had no idea who her father was not that it mattered to her. Before her mother died, she told Tammy to find a man she liked and to never settle for less.

So Tammy had searched for a long time. She had rejected countless men until she finally met Dr. Lucas. Since she liked him, she would take off her clothes. That was what her mother had taught her.

Lucas watched as the thin fabric dropped, revealing her soft curves, and his sanity nearly snapped. He used every ounce of strength he possessed to avert his eyes. “Put them back on! Don’t do this!”

Tammy tilted her head. “Why? Is my body not beautiful?”

She looked down at herself, a flash of annoyance crossing her face. “That woman was so much smaller than me. She wasn’t pretty at all. Look at me. Just look!”

Lucas felt as though he were enduring the ultimate torture. He had spent his entire life priding himself on his self–discipline, but now he was beginning to doubt it.

“Tammy! Don’t make me beg. Put your clothes back on!”

“No!”

Not only did she refuse to dress, but she threw her arms around him, pressing her body against

his.

“Look at me! Am I not beautiful?”

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Chapter 408 A Test of Will

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For a split second, a demon in the back of Lucas’s mind whispered: Take her. She was willing. She had practically forced herself on him. No one could blame him. Besides, he was drugged-

it wasn’t his fault!

Lost in a haze of desire, he reached out to pull her closer, nearly pinning her to the bed. But when he looked down and met her eyes, he froze.

Her eyes were too clean, too transparent. There was no guile in them–only concern and a desperate sort of longing.

He stopped dead.

Tammy blinked at him and then tugged playfully at his waistband, asking a question that hit him like a physical blow:

“Don’t you know how? I can teach you!”

“Dammit!”

He let out a sharp curse, somehow managed to tear himself away, and fled to the bathroom. He slammed the door and locked it before she could follow. Exhausted, he slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor, gasping for air.

Tammy pounded on the door in frustration.

“Dr. Lucas! Why did you run away? Open the door!”

He covered his face with one hand, murmuring to himself, “Please… just let me be…”

He was no saint, but he wasn’t an animal either. Tammy didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, but he had to.

No matter how hard she knocked, Lucas refused to open the door, leaving her fuming with rage.

“Dr. Lucas! You’re being impossible!”

In the end, Lucas relied on sheer willpower to fight through the effects of the drug. When he finally emerged from the bathroom, drained and exhausted, he found her asleep on the bed, looking utterly innocent.

“Tammy, you’re going to be the death of me.”

When Tammy finally woke up, she found Dr. Lucas already showered, dressed in a sharp suit, and looking every bit the professional.

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Chapter 408 A Test of Will

She felt a twinge of regret. “How did I fall asleep?”

“We need to talk,” Lucas said, his gaze piercing. “Why are you here?”

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Her expression grew guilty, and she looked up at the ceiling to change the subject. “Who was that woman?”

“Tammy, look at me.”

“No!”

Lucas didn’t hesitate. He reached out and tilted her head back, forcing her to meet his “Tell me. How did you know I was here? Were you following me?”

eyes.

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