Page 174 of My Ruthless Neighbor

“Never.”

I grit my teeth. My resolve is hanging by a thread. I can’t melt for him. I just can’t. Not looking at him, I say, “Look, I’m tired right now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

He releases me and my stomach sinks. See? Letting go is only hard for me. Not him.

I startle when he clasps my hand and steps inside the elevator, dragging me with him.

He presses the button to our floor and doesn’t spare me a single glance while my hand is still secured in his.

And although it feels absolutely heaven holding his hand, I don’t want to complicate our situation by giving him the wrong idea.

He must’ve misconceived my leaving with him. I still plan to end our arrangement. And letting him grab my hand with such possessiveness is screaming otherwise.

When I try to pull my hand free, he only tightens his hold. But other than that, he ignores me. He is wearing a black shirt which is a bit wrinkled and black pants. The crooked tie dangling from his neck tells me that he left the office and drove straight to Freddie’s.

But how did he know I was there? I want to ask him but the elevator door slides open and he exits, tugging me with him.

When he drags me in the direction of his apartment, I dig my heels on the floor. “No. No way! I’mnotgoing to your place.”

Archer spins around and claims my lips in a ruthless kiss. He swallows my gasp, his tongue diving in. His kiss is quick but thorough which makes me dizzy with need.

He pulls back, a wild look in his eyes. “The next time you’ll open that smart mouth of yours, it will be for telling me why you’ve been ignoring me.”

Anger bubbles in my veins. “You can’t tell me what to do!”

“Try again.” He steps closer. My tongue doesn’t work when he lowers his head to stare into my eyes. Satisfied, he unlocks his door, And with a hand on my lower back, ushers me inside.

It’s not the first time I’ve been here but I’m hit with that same gloomy vibe I get whenever I am over.

His apartment although similar to mine architectural vise, it lacks life. Sparse with expensive furniture. Dull gray walls. And somber-looking paintings all over the place.

This place doesn’t feel like home. It doesn’t—

I yelp when I’m swept off my feet. Clutching his neck. I stare at Archer wide-eyed. “What are you doing?”

He carries me in his arms and puts me on his living room couch. Kneeling before me, he removes my heels one by one. Then inspects the angry red skin of my feet.

His thumb strokes the blisters and my heart skips several beats. He shouldn’t be touching me right now. I open my mouth to say that exact thought. “Um, you… it’s… t-that—”

He gets up suddenly and then disappears from the living room.

“You shouldn’t touch me like that,” I mumble out loud when I am left alone. Glad to see that my tongue works perfectly fine. It’s him that turns it useless.

He is back within seconds with a glass, hand towel, and an ointment in his hand. He is back on his knees again and reaches inside the glass for an ice cube.

Cradling my foot in his hand, he brushes the ice on the blister lightly. The sensation makes me gasp. His head lifts and our eyes lock.

“Okay?”

I nod. And he does it again, making me squirm on the leather couch when he rubs it against my skin in slow circles.

One of the most powerful men in the world is kneeling in front of me and tending to my blisters. This is the same man who used to hate me with everything in him to the point where he hurt me time and again. And now, this same man can’tseeme hurt.

Once he’s done rubbing the ice cubes over my feet, he wipes it with the towel and then applies the ointment to the affected areas.

“Thank you.” My voice comes out a bit hoarse. The last time someone cared for me like this was my mom. I never let anyone—not even Raleigh or Damian—tend to the wounds I used to get from my foster parents and their son.

But tonight, I let Archer take care of me. He makes me want to want his care. Something I never craved before. I don’t hate being vulnerable before him now. I don’t hate showing him my wounds. And I don’t know why exactly.

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