Page 9 of Forbidden Impulses

She'd probably be a little pissed at me for repeating past behaviors, but that way I wouldn't be hiding a huge secret from my friend.Andit would come with the added benefit of backup whenever I need to be around the two ridiculously drool-worthy men.

"I wish I knew what was running through that head of yours right now." Lorcan’s growly tone is much more subdued now, and the change captures my attention.

"Nothing of note," I respond. Keeping my hands firmly in my lap, I survey the surrounding mess. "I'm really sorry for vomiting in your car. I will clean it up. I promise."

He shakes his head at me, not even glancing down at the sick. "I don't care about my car. I couldn't give two flying fucks over the vomit or the smell or the fact that it might never be the same again." This last is said with a slight hitch to his lips. "What I do care about is what you were saying, Annie. Those are not happy thoughts. And those unhappy thoughts were directly responsible for some very erratic andirresponsiblebehavior tonight."

I know he's trying to be nice by looking after his daughter's friend, but I can't deal with the pity I know will be shining from his face, nor with the fake sympathy. His words are kind, sweet and exactly what I want to hear, but after having Jackson trample over my heart I can't afford to fall for them and give in to the apparent helping hand being offered to me by the handsome man.

"Mr. Murdoch, I've apologized for the mess, and I will apologize to you, Ethan, and Suzie for the upset tonight, but my behavior, erratic or otherwise, is none of your business. You're not my father and not the boss of me," I say, pushing the words out past the huge lump in my throat. I can see him sitting up straighter, but I have to push through or I'll cave like a badly stacked house of cards. "Now, are you taking me home or will we be parting ways here?"

Lorcan mumbles something under his breath, but I refuse to pay attention and stare straight ahead instead.

"Fine," he grumbles in response. "But we're not done talking about this. We will discuss your behavior and thepossible repercussions when you're sober and in a better frame of mind."

Knowing full well that if I say anything in response, or even look at him, I might cave, I opt for silence instead and lay my head back against the rest. And before I know it, my eyes fall shut and I pass right the hell out.

Chapter Seven

Annie

What is the best punishment for being a brat and breaking all your self-imposed rules in one night of epic fuck-ups?

Answer? The hangover from hell.

There's a slow tap, tap, tap on my bedroom door, dragging me from my sleep, but the closer I get to wakefulness, the worse the pounding in my head becomes.

My mouth tastes like something crawled into it and died, and my throat is so parched I'm sure I've been living in the desert for the last two years. I push back the mess of hair from my face as I try to crawl out from the mountain of blankets and pillows surrounding me.

It takes me a minute to realize where I am and even longer to figure out how I got here. The last thing I remember is my moment with Lorcan before passing out.

Which must mean he is responsible for getting me into my bed. Quickly scrambling to look under the covers, I let out a huge sigh of relief when I see I'm still in lastnight's outfit, only with a huge white t-shirt over the shirt. He must have put it on over everything else to avoid the bed getting covered in any of my mess last night.

First things first, I need to get cleaned up. Then I need to find my phone, call my best friend, apologize for being a twat, and tell her I need to get working in the studio sooner rather than later.

I brush my teeth about five times, trying to rid myself of the terrible taste after last night's events. The shower does wonders to wash away the worst of the cobwebs but doesn't help with any of the dark and icky self-loathing that has settled over my being. It also doesn't magically get rid of theboom-boom-boomgoing on inside my head or the cotton balls that have taken up residence in my mouth. When I finally feel brave enough to pick up my phone and call Suzie, I climb out of the shower and grab a towel, wrapping it around myself.

I'm too busy rehearsing my apology to pay any attention to my surroundings. That's the only excuse I have for not noticing that the door to my room is open, and a very bemused-looking Lorcan is standing there.

Nope, I don't notice him at all until I turn and drop my towel so I can grab the long-sleeved shirt I'm planning on wearing today. His bemused expression very quickly turns into one of shock.

"Oh, shit!" I scream and quickly bend down to grab the white terry cloth to wrap around myself again. "What the hell are you doing in here? Haven't you heard of knocking?"

I can't look up and face him, even if, this once, he's the one at fault.

"I did. You didn't answer, so I wanted to make sure you were okay after last night." Lorcan stops to clear histhroat. "I certainly wasn't expecting to walk in on you, uh, in that state."

Scuttling to grab all my clothes from the bed, I clutch them in front of me, using them as an additional shield before finally pulling together all my reserved bravery so I can look directly at him.

"I'm fine. Alive and breathing." My face is on fire, and a queasy feeling settles in my stomach. I’m not ready to face him yet. Especially not until well after I've spoken with Suzie and feel at least a smidge more human.

"Yeah, I can see that. Are you ready for breakfast?" His gruff, growly tone is back and my hackles—and lust levels—instantly rise.

My gaze drops to the clothes in my hands, my obvious state of undress and then move back up to him. I lift a solitary eyebrow in response to his question and stand there, hip cocked, waiting for him to get the picture.

The silence stretches between the two of us and the longer it goes, the more my skin crawls and everything itches. Idon'tenjoy acting this way. Idon'tenjoy being the person who snarks and bites back, especially to someone who has been so outright helpful and kind to me. Even if he goes about it in a ham-handed way.

I'm about to give in and respond to his question when something inside him snaps. My eyes grow large in shocked apprehension when Lorcan pushes away from my bedroom door and slowly stalks my way.

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