Page 14 of Ruthless Reign

I rarely smoke, but I always keep a cigarette on hand for times like these—when I’m tense as fuck, and there’s no punching bag in sight.

Anatoly’s announcement knocked the air out of my lungs. It shouldn't have. Liza’s been engaged the entire time I’ve known her, so a wedding was always on the horizon.

It doesn’t take an idiot to figure out that Liza isn’t with Anatoly for his sparkling personality but for his flush bank account. The man is as rich as sin.

Whatever the basis of their relationship, it shouldn’t be my concern. I’m not supposed to feel this way about a woman who is to be married to my business partner. But since I do, I need to put distance between us—at least for tonight.

Because lucky me, soon enough I’ll have to spend four whole days with her in London. Fuck my life.

My mind made up to get the hell out of here, I stub out my cigarette and flick it in the bushes. I’ll make up some excuse about work or my non-existent dog needing a walk, or some shit like that.

“You have another one of those?” An unexpected voice pulls me from my thoughts.

Liza stands in front of me, her bright green eyes cutting through the night like searchlights. She must be fucking with me. Perfect Liza wants a smoke?

Something in her expression makes me keep my mouth shut.

Without a word, I reach into my pocket, pull out my pack, and offer it to her. She takes a cigarette and places it between her lips. I flick the lighter to life, holding the flame steady as she inhales. When she takes a practiced drag off the cigarette, I’m pretty sure my eyebrows hit my hairline.

“I didn’t know you smoked.”

She shrugs. “I didn’t know you did either.”

“I only smoke when I’m stressed or after— Forget it.”

She gives me a wry look, exhaling a small puff of smoke into the night.

I take a moment to study her. Her hands are shaky, and her eyes are a little puffy. Whatever excitement I thought I glimpsed in her expression after Anatoly’s announcement is long gone.

“I guess congratulations are in order,” I say to test the waters.

She closes her eyes and tips her head back until it rests against the brick of the house. “Right.”

Not quite the flush of bridal joy I was expecting.

I reach out, take her hand, and bring the cigarette to my lips for a drag. She opens her eyes and watches me closely.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, no hint of teasing in my voice. There’s something melancholy about her right now that I can’t put my finger on.

“What do you mean?” She won’t meet my eyes now, looking into the distance instead.

I let the smoke trail out between my lips as I scan her in the low light. “You’re upset. What happened?” I ask again with a little more force.

She drops and stomps out her cigarette. “What does it matter to you?”

There’s the lioness, fierce only with me.

“It matters,” I growl. “Remember, we’re friends now.”

Friends, my ass.

Grasping her wrist, I draw her close until her chest brushes against mine. My palm lands on her waist, holding her in place, too close to be considered decent by any stretch of the imagination.

“What are you doing?” Her words are a puff of air against my lips, but she doesn’t push me away or tell me to let her go, like a good girl would. She holds my stare as her pulse hammers in her throat.

Leaning down, I inhale her vanilla scent and bask in the heat of her body, committing it to memory because this is probably the closest I’ll ever be to her. It’s beyond reckless, but I can’t find it in me to care.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

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