Page 63 of My Ruthless Opponent

I raise my brow. And he covers my hand with his. “Challenge accepted.” He takes my hand off his chest only to thread his fingers with mine.

A strange kind of excitement fills me at how intimately he is holding my hand.

I like the feel of his large palm enveloping my smaller one. I like it so much that it bothers me.

I try to snatch my hand away but he tightens it and that’s when the elevator opens to the lobby.

He steps out and starts walking toward the exit of the building with my hand still clasped in his and the bouquet in the other.

He nods and smiles at the shocked co-workers as we pass them.

When a female co-worker teasingly asks him about the bouquet he is parading with, he hands it to her without breaking the stride.

My jaw drops. Then it hardens. He gave my flowers to someone else! How dare he? Ugh! I hate him so much.

When we are out of the building, he leads me to the parking lot. And I have had enough. I dig my heels in.

He stops and watches me over his shoulder, annoyance clear in his blue eyes.

“Tell me right this second what’s going on. Why did you drag me here?” I grit out.

To hell with the pledge of being patient with him.

“You wanted us to sit and talk, right?”

I lift my chin. “Yes. Tell me the time and place and I’ll be there.”

“My place. Right now.”

He pulls me again and I realize he is still holding my hand. I snatch it away.

“I have a car. Give me your address.”

He glares at me for a second before pulling out his phone. He texts me the address. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”

I open my mouth to reject the offer when he cuts me off.

“Any man would do this for his woman. Don’t you want them to believe the lie we just planted in their minds?” He nods in the direction where we came from.

I turn my head and see people coming out of the building, sneaking glances our way.

I return my eyes to him. “Follow me.” I sniff before stalking off in the direction of my car.

“What the fuck?” I bend down. My tire is flat. No. Two of my tires are flat. Shit.

This day keeps getting better and better.

“Seems like you’re coming with me.” Raleigh murmurs from beside me. I am so fed up with this day that I don’t protest when he takes my hand again.

Silently, I walk with him to his car with my head bent down.

I am drained. I want this day to be over already.

He stops when we near a Jeep and releases my hand. I keep standing beside him, waiting for him to unlock it.

“Here.” Raleigh hands me something. I snap my eyebrows together. A black helmet.

“What’s this for?” I look up at him.

---