Page 125 of By His Rule

“Mr. Callahan,” the woman gushes, staring at him with blatant come-fuck-me eyes.

Does every woman in his city know this man standing beside me?

Yes. Yes, they do.

“It’s so wonderful to see you. It’s been too long,” she continues, resting her forearms against the desk and pushing her modest chest up to give him a show.

But to her disappointment—and my delight, not that I’d admit that to anyone—his eyes don’t so much as flicker to her chest.

His reaction to her is nothing like the one he had to me in that dress earlier.

“Lorelei has a hair and makeup appointment,” he states, completely unaffected by this woman’s attempt at flirting with him.

“Oh, yes,” she breathes before finally ripping her eyes from him and glancing at me.

Both her eyebrows shoot up.

I barely contain the need to roll my eyes the second she looks at the computer.

She taps away before announcing, “Yes, we have you in one of the private rooms upstairs. I’ll take you right up if you want to follow me.”

Reluctantly, I follow her, and I’m hardly surprised when the tapping of Kian’s shoes against the tiles beneath us rings out behind me.

She takes us to an elevator at the back of the salon and escorts us upstairs.

The whole way, she attempts to engage Kian in conversation while completely ignoring my presence.

“If you need anything during your stay with us, please don’t hesitate to reach out,” she says before none too discreetly slipping Kian a business card. Something tells me that it doesn’t hold the number for the salon…

Thankfully, my stylist is much more excited to see me, although that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t check out Kian the second he steps into the room.

“Lorelei,” he sings, rushing over to take my hands and kiss both of my cheeks. “I’m Richie, and I’m going to work my magic on your hair today.” Releasing my hands, he reaches for my locks. “Beautiful curls. And in such good condition as well.”

I stand there while he inspects me before ushering me over toward his station. After wrapping a gown around me, I take a seat, allowing him to continue with…well, whatever he’s doing, and move my hair this way and that while muttering to himself.

My eyes catch Kian’s in the mirror, and I can barely hold in my laugh at his expression.

Everyone might know him here, but it’s more than obvious that he hasn’t attended an appointment with anyone else. That thought does things to my insides that it really shouldn’t.

I’m no more important than any other woman he’s attended an event with. I’m just…more of a flight risk.

I smirk, loving that he has no idea how to handle a woman who isn’t falling at his feet.

There’s a knock on the door, and a woman enters with a tray in her hand and two glasses of champagne.

“No, thank you. I’ll take a black coffee if you have it,” Kian says, having made himself comfortable on a couch in the corner. “Lorelei can have both of those.” His eyes lock on mine again. “I think she’s going to need it.”

30

KIAN

Istand in front of the full-length mirror in my dressing room and adjust myself for the millionth time since putting my dinner suit on.

I’ve been rocking a semi since the moment I raced into the dressing room at the boutique, thinking that something was wrong.

Something was very fucking wrong.

Lorelei in that dress.

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