Page 33 of Charming Deception

“So what if I do? With your newfound braiding skills you can weave yourself a raft and float on home down the river.”

Her face reddens with anger. “Look. We both know if you leave me out here, I’ll probably die.”

Yeah. Don’t tempt me.

“Let’s just agree on that,” she huffs, “and you can stop throwing it in my face. You’re not going to abandon me, and we both know that, too.”

“And how do we know that?”

“Because you love my brothers.”

I don’t refute it, but I don’t like letting her win. “Love is a strong word between men. They’re not cunts, though, I’ll give them that. Your little brother, Forest, now there’s a cunt.” I start heading up the hill in front of us, forcing myself not to think about my little brother, or I might just leave her behind for real.

I hear her struggling to keep up with my long strides, and when I glance over my shoulder, she doesn’t appear pleased. “Will you stop saying that?”

“What? Cunt?” I stop short, and she bumps into me. “Cunt, cock, shit, fuck. What’s the problem?” She gapes at me. “Look, princess?—”

“It’s Lady Rowan,” she insists.

“It’s not Lady anything to me. And you might get used to the way I speak, because I’m not changing it.”

Then I stride on up the hill.

“Huh.” I lower my tablet to the patio table in front of me. I’m sitting out on the balcony off my bedroom, and I can see my new gardener in the backyard below. Over at the far corner, where that kid from the landscaping service who trims the hedges is showing her around.

I pull out my phone and send her a text; Locke procured her phone number for me. Security, of course.

Me: Wolf is an asshole.

I observe her reaction as she tugs her phone from the back pocket of her little khaki shorts and reads the message, then taps out a reply.

Megan: You’re reading my book???

Me: I started the first one last night. He just made Rowan give up her lovely dress. He’s quite a dick. The story’s good, though.

Her response, again, is quick.

Megan: His little brother was just killed right in front of him!

Me: Still.

I wait while she types, then shoves her phone back into her pocket. My phone chimes.

Megan: I’ll have you know that Wolf is hot.

I jolt when a hulking man with neck tattoos looms over me out of nowhere, blocking out the sun. Locke shoves his phone at me.

This, again.

I know my head of security wouldn’t barge into my bedroom unless it’s important. However, his sudden presence makes me uncomfortably aware that I have a hard-on.

“Jesus. Since when do you not knock?”

“I knocked. You didn’t answer.”

I take the phone and glare at him, and he leaves.

On the screen is yet another celeb gossip site, showing a photo of me—with another female celebrity.

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