Page 118 of If You Give an Artist a Killer Muse

He leans closer again, and I freeze. He has that look on his face that screams, “Invite me in! Please!” and I’m just not in the mood for that. The last person I fooled around with fucked with my head, and I’m done.

“I’ll text you for that coffee date?” I force a hopeful grin.

His features drop in disappointment, but he quickly masks it with a smile. “Yes, please.”

Okay, I feel bad now.

Yes, I know, I don’t owe him shit, but I can’t just let him walk away with nothing, right? I should have been enjoying the wedding with my best friends and the man I was addicted to, but he was a dick. This man saved the night with his kindness.

I smile at him and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. I gave Oscar and Nat the same type of kiss before we left.

Jamie looks stunned for a second before he quickly grins. Looking dapper now, he turns around, only looking over to give me a small wave.

“Have a good night, Briar.”

“You too, Jamie,” I murmur, watching him return inside his car and drive off.

As soon as he disappears from my view, exhaustion comes crashing in. Sighing, I turn back to my door and jab my key in the lock.

As soon as I open the door, a large hand is on my lower back, forcing me inside.

“Did you have fun with Jamie, Briar?”

I whirl around and gasp. “Rurik? What the fuck are you doing here?”

But Rurik just calmly closes the door behind him, securing the lock. His gaze remains fixed on my face as he takes a deliberate step closer. His expression appears serene, almost tranquil. He seems genuinely pleased to see me return home, as if eager to hear about my day.

I would have fallen for that shit.

But his eyes give him away.

Behind that mask of calmness he’s wearing, a storm brews.

Giving him a quick once-over, I notice his rigid posture. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showcasing the taut muscles in his forearms. His jaw clenches as though he's grinding his teeth, and his eyes gleam with a wild intensity.

They're so bright and piercing that I almost instinctively take a step back, unsettled by the intensity of his gaze. He seems on the brink of unraveling like a volcano primed to unleash chaos.

Fuck.

“Did you enjoy your time with Jamie?” He asks, another step closer to me.

I take a step back. “Why the hell do you care? Also, what the hell are you doing here?”

“You gave me your address, remember?” Rurik says, another step.

Another step back. “That was before we made up some bullshit about us—”

His face is right in front of me, his breath fanning my skin as I stare up at him with wide eyes.

Holy shit… What the fuck?

“What—”

“Shut your fucking mouth, Briar.”

“How dare you—”

“I said,” He swoops down, his lips inches from mine. “Shut. Your. Fucking. Mouth.”

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