Page 146 of By His Rule

Jamie hesitates, not wanting to dive into a woman’s purse.

“Just get them,” I grunt, fed up with standing in the hallway.

“Yeah, okay,” he mutters before finally flipping it open and pulling them out.

It takes him two goes to find the correct key, and not a second later, I march through Lorelei’s apartment.

Not bothering with the living area, I immediately turn toward her bedroom.

“No,” she argues, wriggling in my arms the moment she realizes where I’m heading.

“Stop fighting, Temptress,” I mutter as I kick the door open and march into her room.

The lights around us flicker to life, and suddenly, we’re once again flooded with light, allowing me to see her room.

The place is a state. There’s makeup, clothes, shoes, and all kinds of products everywhere. It’s also possibly the girliest room I’ve ever stepped in. It is not what I was expecting at all.

“It’s pink,” I state, unable to stop the words from spilling free.

When she fights again, I finally release her, placing her on her feet at the end of her bed.

“You can leave now,” she says, her head bowed so I can’t see her face.

“Lorelei,” I warn, tucking two fingers under her chin and giving her little choice but to look up at me.

“Stop trying to hide from me,” I whisper, taking in her red, swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks. “You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.”

Moving both hands, I brush my thumbs under her eyes, wiping away some of the darkness and lingering wetness.

“I fell apart,” she confesses brokenly.

“So? That doesn't make you weak. Having a fear doesn’t make you inadequate.”

I study her closely, trying to gauge her reaction, to see if my words register at all.

“You need to leave,” she says, taking a step back and severing our connection.

“No,” I state. “Not until I know you’re okay.”

It’s the wrong thing to say. Her shoulders tense and a fierce expression appears on her face.

“I’m fine. I’ve never needed anyone to look after me before, and I don’t need you now.”

Her words hurt. If it weren’t for me—okay, if it weren’t for Jamie—then she’d still be trapped inside that elevator. I think it’s clear to both of us that she needed me tonight. Needed us.

“Are you sure about that, Temptress?”

The air turns thick around us. So thick that it becomes hard to suck in the breath I need.

She stares up at me with her big, watery eyes. Fear lingers within them, but there’s more than just that alone: anticipation, desire, and hope glitter within them.

She trembles in my hold, her tongue sneaking out to lick across her bottom lip.

Unable to do anything but lower my head, I bring our mouths closer as the magnetic pull I feel toward her becomes stronger than ever.

I still when my lips are a hair’s breadth from hers, giving her a very brief chance to react, to back away. But she doesn’t.

Instead, she holds my eyes steady, silently daring me to do it.

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