Page 22 of Forbidden Pawn

“Trust me, I understand the severity of the situation. You don’t have to tell me,” I say. I lean closer, lowering my voice even further. “We’ll deal with this. But we need to be smart. No one else can know. Understand?”

Dominic nods, his eyes wide with understanding. “I’ll start working on it tonight. But we’re running out of time, Ryker.”

“Then we’d better not waste any of it,” I say, gritting my teeth. “Let’s talk tomorrow.”

I urge him to leave, and he follows my gesture toward the door. We need to address the audit, but I can’t do that with Grace hovering in the background.

Dominic nods and slips out, leaving me alone with Grace. I stand there for a moment, trying to collect myself. I can feel her gaze burning into my back, and when I finally turn around, I can barely contain my anger. “Why can’t you just do what you’re told?”

She pulls her shoulders up to her ears and stares at me with wide eyes, as I approach her in wide and angry steps.

Chapter 15

June

I retreat into the living room, my eyes locked on Ryker as he marches toward me, his anger radiating off him in waves. My heart is pounding, from the kiss, from being so harshly interrupted, from being seen — but I force myself to stay calm. I can’t let him see that he’s gotten under my skin.

“I told you to stay back,” he snaps, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

“You just told me not to make a noise,” I argue, lifting my chin in defiance. “I was quiet as a mouse, wasn’t I?”

His glare sharpens, and for a moment, I wonder if I’ve pushed him too far. But I can’t help it—my curiosity got the better of me. Whatever that guy was talking about sounded important, like Ryker might be in trouble. And if he’s in trouble, that could be exactly what I need.

“What’s with the goddamn hair splitting!” he growls, his voice low and dangerous. “You really don’t want to get in trouble with me. Trust me, Grace.”

Hearing him call me by that name still feels like a stab to the chest. But I don’t flinch. I can’t afford to.

“I’m sorry,” I force myself to say, though the words feel heavy on my tongue. “I didn’t mean to.”

His frown deepens, and he takes another step closer, eyes locked on mine. I can feel the weight of his scrutiny, like he’s trying to peel back my layers and see what’s really underneath. But I hold steady, refusing to flinch. I need him to believe me, even if I don’t fully believe myself.

“And I’m sorry for what happened earlier,” he says suddenly, his voice still firm but quieter now. “It was a stupid mistake. I shouldn’t have done that.”

His words hit me harder than I expect. Stupid? He thinks what happened between us was a mistake? My chest tightens, and I struggle to keep my face neutral. I know I’m supposed to hate him—I do hate him—but hearing him call our kiss a mistake stings in a way I didn’t expect.

I wanted that kiss. I wanted it even though it went against everything I’ve sworn to do. And I hate to admit that.

“Yeah,” I whisper, trying to mask the hurt. It’s ridiculous, really, to feel anything about this. But I do, and that realization terrifies me more than Ryker ever could.

He steps back, his confidence radiating from him like heat. There’s no hesitation in his movements, no sign of the struggle I thought I saw before. He’s completely in control, while I’m the one left feeling unsettled.

“It won’t happen again,” he says, adding another layer to my anguish.

His words cut deeper than I want to admit, but anger quickly rises to mask the pain. How could I let myself get hurt by him? I’m here for a reason, and it sure as hell isn’t to get emotionally tangled with Ryker. I need to keep my distance, keep my focus. I can't let myself get hurt by him, not like this.

But even as I tell myself that, the sting of his words lingers.

“You’re right,” I say, my voice bitter, sharper than I intended. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

We exchange a look, tension crackling between us. For a moment, I think he might say something more, but he doesn’t. Instead, he sighs, the anger in his eyes dimming just a little.

“We should get some sleep,” he mutters, his voice back to its usual controlled tone.

Without another word, he leads me upstairs to my bedroom. When I step inside, he locks the door from the outside, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I feel sad. Lost, even. And a little afraid. Ryker’s anger tonight was palpable, a reminder of just how dangerous he is. But as much as I want to stay focused on my mission, I can’t help but wonder—what’s going on with him? Why is he in trouble? And could it be something I can use?

He says the kiss was a mistake, but we clearly both wanted it. And while I have to be careful not to get too attached to him, I have another reason for getting closer to him, don’t I?

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