Page 189 of By His Rule

“Yeah, she’s as crazy as ever.”

“So if you spent the night at the hospital, how come there are photos of you and Tia Halliwell on Instagram?”

“You know, you don’t have to say her whole name every time.”

“Shut up,” she hisses.

“I went for a drink after I left the hospital, and she happened to be there. It was nothing more than a coincidence.”

“How lucky after such a long and stressful night. What?” she snaps when I laugh at her comment.

“Nothing. You’re jealous because you think I fucked her.”

Lorelei sits up so fast, it’s a miracle she doesn’t break something.

“I am not jealous. I don’t care who you spend time with,” she argues.

“Is that right?” I mutter under my breath.

“It’s just rude to be canceled on for a celebrity.”

“Well, I can assure you that that didn’t happen. I canceled because of my little sister.”

She slumps back in her seat with her arms crossed under her breasts. With her blouse unbuttoned the way it is, I get a great shot of her cleavage. And with the image that’s saved secretly on my cell, I can conjure up a very pretty picture of what she might look like if her blouse and bra were to magically disappear.

“You could have just said that.”

She’s right, I could. “I’m not used to considering other people’s feelings in the way I live my life. I should have been more considerate to my…girlfriend.”

“I’m not your girlfriend.”

Reaching for my coffee, I take a sip, keeping my eyes on her the whole time.

“I’ve got to tell you, I’m concerned,” I say cryptically.

“That I have the audacity to turn you down?”

“Well, yes, obviously. But I’m more concerned that my girlfriend is sending other men photographs of her boobs.”

“Fuck off, Kian.”

I smirk at her, loving the way she glares at me.

“They’ve just put our gate up. We should make a move.”

Draining what’s left of my coffee, I push to my feet.

Lorelei stares up at me with a small frown between her brows.

“What’s wrong?”

“I should run in the opposite direction and never look back, shouldn’t I?”

My heart slams against my ribs at the thought of her doing just that.

“Probably,” I force out. I’m not going to fucking let you, though.

The air between us continues to crackle, ensuring my body temperature simmers just beneath boiling.

---