Page 36 of The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck

“I don’t know,” he growls back at me.

9

“I won’t do any interviews, Alistair,” I say. “You’re safe. Go home.”

A shadow crosses his face when I say his full name. Not sure what that’s about. But then, he seems wound up and upset at everything right now. “I heard you.”

“What? Do you think I’m lying?”

“Yes,” he says, looming over me in the confines of the elevator. Then he grimaces and says, “No.”

Surprised laughter bursts out of me. “Holy shit. I knew you didn’t trust me, but wow. Which is it, yes or no?”

“I don’t know you well enough to trust you. But no, you’re not lying. I can see that. Fuck,” he says, the brogue as thick as can be. He takes a step closer, gets all up in my face, and asks in an accusing tone of voice, “Were you in that hotel bar hoping to find your great sex?”

I wrinkle my nose in confusion. “Was Iwhat?”

“You heard me.”

“Because nothing says looking for a hookup like bowling shoes. Why do you even care?”

“I don’t,” he says bluntly. “But it’s not safe picking up some stranger in a bar.”

“Like no one’s ever done that in the history of time and space.”

“Lilah...”

The elevator chimes and the doors slide open to my floor. I head down the hallway to my room and swipe the door card. The prince is hot on my heels.Oh, man.I kind of want to hit something. His handsome face would do. But I don’t, because unlike some people, I am an adult who can handle her feelings. Most of the time.

“Being concerned about my safety sort of qualifies as caring,” I point out. “But moving right along. We’ve reached the part of the conversation where you explain how my sex life is any of your business.”

His mouth opens, but no words come out.

“That’s what I thought.”

“So you won’t do the interview?”

“For the third time...no. No interviews. No comments. Nothing.”

“Thank you,” he says in a slightly more subdued voice.

“You’re welcome. Was that all?”

He nods slowly but still shows no sign of leaving. So much brooding, with his rigid shoulders and set jaw. Like he’s feeling a lot and is not the least bit happy about it. Which is when he notices the small bandage on my wrist and scowls some more. “What happened there?”

We’ll be spending the night in the hallway, at this rate. Just us and the ghosts. I don’t answer him, but I do hold the door to my room open. It feels like kicking myself, letting him back into my life. If that’s what’s happening. I am such a sucker for this man. My idiocy knows no bounds. He follows me into the room and stands at the end of the bed. He truly broods like no other. It’s such a talent. And in the low light, the shadows beneath his eyes are like bruises.

“When was the last time you slept?” I ask.

“Had an early start this morning.”

With my sneakers off, I climb onto the bed. It really is comfortable. I pick up the remote off the bedside table and turn onThe Vampire Diaries. Oh so carefully, I pick at the tape securing the bandage on my left wrist. It doesn’t take long for the black ink lines and irritated pink skin beneath to be revealed.

He takes a step toward me for a closer look. “You got a tattoo?”

“After my skateboarding lesson. Don’t worry. I went to a studio with a stellar reputation.” I hold up my hand to show him the simple outline of a book and its ruffled pages on my wrist. It’s about an inch and a half square all around. Not too big.

“You had a skateboarding lesson? Lilah, you’re still recovering from a car accident. Was that really a good idea?”

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