Page 52 of My Ruthless Husband

“Nothing!”

“You okay?” he asks, his voice low.

I nod because words elude me.

Then he asks me if I’m hungry and I nod distractedly again. He speaks to Hal over my head but their voices fade in the background as I focus on the heat of his body still pressed against mine. He hasn’t pulled away yet, still holding me close. That can’t be nothing, right? That’s got to mean something.

Unable to stop myself, I nuzzle into his chest, only to frown when the scent of coffee hits me.

Great. I just rubbed my face against his damp coffee stain. I’m seriously losing it.

“Come.” He takes my hand and starts pulling me along behind him.

“Where are we going?” I ask, breathless.

“To have lunch.”

“What?”

He stops then. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

“I guess.”

“Then let’s go.” When he starts walking again, I clutch his bulging bicep to stop him. “But what about your shirt?”

He motions at Hal who’s carrying a shopping bag. “I have an hour for my meeting. I’ll change after lunch.”

“But I’m not alone.”

His grip tightens on me, his eyes darkening. “You’re not alone?”

God, he looks breathtaking when he’s angry. But why is he angry?

“Uh, no,” I say, still clueless about what set him off. “Skylar and her friends wanted to shop, so I just went along with them.”

His expression shifts, the tension in his jaw melting as his grip on me loosens. My heart sinks when he releases my hand.

“Give me five minutes! I’ll just tell them something came up.”

“You don’t have to. We can do this another time.”

“No!” I shout, surprising him including everyone in the store.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

I quickly make my way to find the girls, my heart racing. I need to come up with something convincing to get out of here, to make sure I can spend the rest of the day with him.

This day, which started out so ordinary, has turned into something extraordinary.

I’m about to spend time with the one person I can’t stop thinking about. Oh, and his bodyguard, of course. But the thought of being near him, even with Hal tagging along, is enough to make everything else fade into the background.

Chapter Fifteen

Present

His revelation hangs in the air like dark smoke, blinding me, suffocating me, betraying every belief I had up until now.

Because your dad ruined my life!

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