Page 31 of By His Rule

“What’s wrong? Your favorite fuck bunny suffering with a case of crabs?”

I roll my eyes. “If only I was so lucky,” I mutter.

“Aw, trouble in manwhore paradise?” Lorelei mocks, making Lewis laugh, although he attempts to cover it with a cough.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” I say, pushing my cell back into my pocket without opening the message.

“Oh, trust me, I am not worried about anything you do. Haven’t I already made that clear?”

“I get mixed messages. Every time you walk away, I can’t help but wonder if you’re summoning me to follow.”

“Rest assured, I am not.”

“Just trying to make me jealous with that ass of yours then, huh?”

“I-I’m n-not—” She swallows, cutting herself off, and I mentally give myself a high five for making her lose her train of thought. “Don’t look at my ass, Mr. Callahan.”

“Hard to look at anything else when you’re so intent on running away from me.”

Her lips part to bark another cutting retort, but Lewis beats her to it.

“Here you go, Miss Lori. Home sweet home.”

Sitting forward, she smiles before sweetly thanking Lewis for delivering her home safely.

In contrast, she doesn’t so much as glance in my direction as he opens the door for her and helps her out.

Fire burns through me as I watch her place her delicate hand in his.

Before I’ve had a chance to think about my actions, I’m shooting toward the door and climbing out behind her.

“I’ll be two minutes,” I explain to Lewis as I follow Lorelei to the front door of her building.

“You don’t have a doorman or any kind of security,” I say loudly as she approaches the elevators.

“Well done, Sherlock. Glad to see that private education of yours wasn’t wasted.”

She hesitates, looking between the staircase and the elevator, but she finally chooses the easy option.

The second the elevator doors open, she darts inside and pushes the button for her floor.

I don’t move immediately, letting her think that I’m not going to follow, but then just before the doors close, I jump inside.

“What did I ever do to you?” she asks, glaring up at me as I encroach on her personal space. “Other than turn you down, of course,” she adds smugly.

“Promised Tate I’d get you home safe. Just following through.”

Her lips twitch with the beginnings of a smile.

“Do you do that a lot?”

“What?”

“Follow through?” This time, she’s unable to contain her amusement at her own joke and snorts.

On anyone else, it would be completely unattractive and off-putting.

But on Lorelei…it’s weirdly not.

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