Page 196 of By His Rule

Go out there and ask for his help.

Both are way more tempting than they should be.

Abandoning my dress, I slip my feet into my shoes and then give myself one final spritz of perfume before holding my head high and walking out of the bathroom.

The bedroom is empty, but voices coming from the main living area let me know where he is.

The sound of the TV seems to diminish as I get closer. The only thing I can hear is my heart slamming against my ribs.

You’re going to regret this, Lorelei, a little voice warns in my head. But it’s nowhere near loud enough to stop me.

I’m about to clear my throat to announce my presence, but I quickly discover that it’s not necessary, because he turns around.

The second his eyes land on me, I swear, time stops.

Something crackles so heavily between us, I have to take a step back to steady myself.

“Lorelei,” he rasps as he shifts to the edge of the couch and then pushes to his feet. “You look--” He swallows, cutting off his words before his eyes drop all the way to my toes and then back up again. His arm lifts and his fingers comb through his hair, dragging it back and ruining any styling he’d done before I commandeered the bathroom. “Fuck, Lorelei.”

His words, or more so the desire within them, hit me right between the thighs.

He’s dressed since the last time I saw him. He’d walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

I knew what he was doing, and I refused to fall for it.

My eyes refused to fall for it…at least they did until I was closing the door. Then, I looked. And I can confirm his naked back is almost as good as his front. He has those dimples just above his ass. Dimples that I want to—No, lock it down, Lorelei.

“I need a little help,” I confess, putting the very vivid image of his towel-clad body to the back of my mind.

His brows lift with intrigue a beat before a smirk spreads across his lips.

“Oh yeah?” he muses, moving closer with something wicked glittering in his eyes.

His white shirt fits his body like a second skin, and the sleeves are rolled up, revealing his ripped forearms. And his pants…shit, I’m pretty sure they’ll look better from behind than the towel.

“Y-yeah, I need…” I spin around, letting him see.

The second his eyes land on my exposed skin, a shockwave rocks through my body. But it’s got nothing on the moment he steps up behind me, his breath brushing over my neck and down my chest.

Suddenly, my bra feels too small. Hell, my skin feels too small.

His fingers brush my shoulder as he pushes my curls out of the way before his knuckles graze lower, making me flinch, the point of contact burning red hot.

No words are said as he drags the zipper up, securing my dress into place.

When he hits the top, I finally release the breath I was holding, expecting him to take a step back.

But he doesn’t. If anything, he only moves closer.

“Oh,” I breathe when his obvious erection presses against my ass.

“You lied to me earlier,” he whispers, his lips brushing my ear as he speaks.

I shake my head, although the movement is so slight, I doubt he’ll see it.

“N-no,” I breathe. “I didn’t.”

He laughs, puffing air over me, making me shudder.

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