Page 141 of By His Rule

My breath catches and my surroundings vanish as his eyes drop to my lips again.

Do it, I want to scream when he finds my eyes again.

Suddenly, the door is pulled open and we both jump back. One glance out of the window tells me that I’m home now.

I should probably be glad, but honestly, I’m mostly disappointed that our time is over.

“Right, well. Thank you for this enlightening evening. I’ll see you on Monday.”

I climb out of the limo with Jamie’s help and then walk into my building without looking back.

Leave. Please leave.

I’m not sure I could be held responsible for my actions if he were to do anything else.

Hell, the guy just offered to make one of my biggest problems go away.

Sure, he’s going to benefit from it too. But still. People—men—don’t offer to do things like that for me.

The elevator doors open the second I press the button and I slip inside.

In seconds, I’m closed into the small car, and it jolts around me as it climbs through the building.

A few years ago, I never would have stepped into something so small and enclosed.

It was a fear that was born from my less-than-memorable childhood, and something I never want to think about again. It’s also something that I’ll forever be grateful to Tate for helping me with.

Pushing thoughts of my former years behind me, I focus on the present and Kian’s proposal.

It’s crazy, sure. But it also makes a lot of sense.

I have one big problem with it, though.

Who the hell in their right mind will believe that Kian Callahan has lowered his standards enough to choose me?

I’m lost in my own insecurities when the elevator jolts to a stop.

Shit.

My eyes shoot to the little screen to find that I’m one floor below where I need to be.

Jamming my finger against the button for my floor, I pray that it’ll kickstart it into moving.

I might be mostly okay with enclosed spaces these days, but getting stuck in an elevator is a very different situation.

I keep pressing the button over and over, but nothing happens.

“Come on, please,” I beg, my pulse beginning to race.

I jam my finger against the emergency call button. But nothing happens.

No alarm rings. No voice crackles down the line with supportive words about getting help.

Regretting my decision to run away from Kian the way I did, I weigh my options.

Normally, I’d call Tate. But she’s at a different event with King tonight.

Flipping open my purse, I pull my cell out.

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