Page 38 of Rebel Romeo

Her lips drew nearer to mine, our faces so damn close.

What was I doing? I was entering dangerous territory, crossing in front of a bullseye without any armor. Walking into a snake pit without anti-venom.

I was way too fucking aware of everything about Katherine with her in my arms. The floral rose-scent clinging to her hair, the satin-smooth skin of her arms, the soft press of her breasts…

“Should I trust you?”

Every piece of my soul wanted to scream no. “I guess that depends on what you’re trusting me with.”

If the question was, can I be trusted in a dark room alone with her for the night? The answer was most certainly no.

What was it about this girl? Why couldn’t I stay away? Why was I so inexplicably drawn to her and at the same time so fucking certain I would ruin her?

More than anything, I wanted to protect her.

Especially from me.

“Can I trust you to catch me when I fall?”

I sighed a long, slow stream of breath as I set her gently back on her feet and answered with one hundred percent honesty. “Always, Katherine. I’ll always be there to catch you.”

But even as I said the words—and as much as I wanted them to be true—I knew they weren’t. They couldn’t be. Not when you come from my family.

Happily ever afters were a privilege I’d never get.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Twenty minutes later, we’re across town, standing just outside of the elevators of the Empire State building.

I cautiously look around at all the tourists and buy myself an extra moment to breathe by finishing the last sip of my tea. Holden takes my hand and pulls me gently forward.

“What are we doing here, Holden?”

I already hate everything about this exercise and I don’t even know what it is yet. I hate crowded places. And tourist traps. And I’m terrified of heights. The Empire State Building is literally all these things rolled into one awful place.

“One of your Instagram posts said you’ve never been here before,” he says simply, as if this is a fact about myself I don’t already know.

“Uh-huh.”

“You’ve lived in New York for two years, and you’ve never stepped foot inside one of its most famous buildings.”

“Yeah, that post also said I’ve never stepped inside because I have no desire to.”

“Or you’re too chicken,” he counters, dodging a family of six as they rush to the observation deck.

A shiver tumbles down my spine. No shit, Sherlock, I want to say. It doesn’t take a genius to see this is my worst nightmare.

“Come on,” he coaxes. “It’s not too busy right now. And there are guard rails and nets and partitions. I promise, you’re safe.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before,” I mumble as I take a few hesitant steps toward the observation deck.

Holden wraps an arm around me and tucks me into his side. “I’ve got you, Katherine.”

“I’ve heard that before, too.”

Holden’s gaze slides down my body briefly, and for a moment, I see remnants of the desire we’d had back before the party.

Before everything around us crumbled.

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