Page 94 of When Hearts Ignite

My eyes are glazed, unfocused, as I glance around the sea of blurry figures in the room and outside of the doorway. “Do I make myself clear?” I roar and I see some folks flinch and shrink back in terror.

A chorus of “yeses” echoes back.

“Back to work!”

The crowd scampers away like rodents and I whip my head toward the blonde and her friend, who are trying to sneak off inconspicuously.

“Don’t move.”

They freeze and the friend sneaks a glance at me before turning to the blonde, mouthing something that might be an apology before scurrying out of the room.

I step in front of the blonde’s face, watching as her eyes widen, her complexion paling.

“You’re fired. Pack your things and leave. I don’t want to see your face on Wall Street ever again.” My voice is low, lethal, as my fists tremble with the need to maim and destroy.

With a whimper, she nods and scrambles out of the room like the bully she is, torturing those she perceives to be weaker than her, but she is the true coward.

My lungs heave in large gulps of air as I struggle to calm the volcanic eruption inside me. A drop of sweat trickles down my forehead and my body shakes from tethered rage.

How dare they hurt Grace? How dare they hurt the woman I lov—

The thought sparks in my mind, a flame in the darkest night, and my heart slams to my throat, lodging it in place.

I love her.

Nothing could explain the way my world brightens with her by my side. The way my emotions spin out of control when it comes to matters involving her.

Just then, the sweet scent of jasmine wafts to my nose and I feel gentle arms encircling my waist and a warm, lithe body pressing on my back.

Grace.

I love her. My darling, Grace.

My heart slowly dislodges from my throat as my lungs draw in deep inhales of jasmine, the violence and anger surging inside me, slowly abating to a simmer, fading into a sultry, heady warmth.

A new burning sensation appears behind my eyes and I try to swallow the ball forming in my throat.

My chest rises and falls rapidly as I greedily take in more of her sweet, calming scent, my fingers gripping hers around my stomach.

“Grace,” I rasp. My voice is hoarse and thick with emotions.

Slowly, I turn around, and what I see in her expression takes my breath away. Tears cling to her lashes as she doles out a watery smile. Her left cheek is pink from the slap and I want to find the blonde and tear into her once again.

Instead, my fingers tremble as I graze her smarting cheek and she bites her plump lip and swallows, her slender neck rippling.

My words are trapped in my mouth, my heart hurling itself against my rib cage as if it wants to leap into her arms. I can only stand before her, rendered mute by all the thoughts and sensations running wild inside me.

Chaos. Mayhem. Paradise.

She smiles again and whispers, “You make me feel safe. We’re a team.”

With those words, my soul free falls, and I link my hands with hers, our fingers twining, and I haul her out of the room toward the exit, not caring if dozens of eyes are trailing us as we leave the building.

He drags me out of the building without a word. His tall frame, clad in the same sexy double-breasted suit he had on when he first visited me at Trésor, is clenched in tension. I can feel the dark energy pouring off him in waves. But despite the thundercloud hanging above him, there’s a softness in the way he holds my hand in his, like he’s treating me with delicate care.

Like I’m precious.

He gives my hand a squeeze and walks faster.

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