Page 9 of His Rules

Kacey

Men.

All brawn and no brains.

Yet my supposed hero made an instant impression the moment he’d stood. He was tall with broad shoulders and the suit was unable to hide that the man was made of all muscle.

What had caught my attention and kept it was the way his eyes flashed, as if lightning had spiraled its way down from intense and dark storm clouds. The way he eased them down the length of my frame made me suddenly forget my name. I was never awestruck by anyone, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

There was a distinct hunger inside of him that kept me on the edge. I wasn’t certain whether to be frightened of him or grateful.

The smart girl inside reminded me that playing with fire could only result in a burn that could tarnish everything I wasattempting to do. However, I’d listened to her for far too long. I was tired of being that girl, the one who never had any fun.

Unless you considered spending Friday and Saturday nights with popcorn, a frozen pizza, and a carton of ice cream in front of an action flick as adult excitement. Why was I suddenly out of breath?

It seemed all the good girl resolutions I’d enacted were ready to fly out the window. My nipples were tight peaks, easily seen through the thin material of the dress.

No way. I reenacted the events on the night in New York and was able to pull my gaze away from the man with the stunning physique.

“I could have handled that myself, but I guess I should say thank you.” It was a rare sight to see a man stepping in to interfere with anyone being assaulted. That was the way of New York, which was why I’d been surprised.

“But you won’t?” He seemed amused. Certainly not hurt. Holy hell in a handbasket. The mystery hero had the most powerful, deep, and seductive voice I’d ever heard. The baritone was husky yet natural, nothing like the faked accents and rebel twangs assholes had used in their attempt to gain my attention.

Breathe.

“No, I won’t. I have a feeling you’re the kind of man who would create a situation just to rush in as the caped hero.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I never wear capes.”

I allowed myself one last gaze. “Perhaps you should. That would certainly make your flirtations seem both more admirable and real.”

“Who says I’m not real?” He powered back another gulp.

“I can see through a man’s intentions fairly easily.”

He chuckled. “Did you ever think you could be wrong?”

“I’m never wrong.”

“Ah. Of course not.”

The mystery man interfering had initially irritated me, but I’d reminded myself maybe, just maybe he was only trying to do something nice. I took a sip of my drink. Being the bitchy girl was more difficult than I’d originally thought.

“I’m curious. Why interfere?” He was also the most handsome man I’d seen. It was obvious he was someone of importance given the make of his expensive suit and I sensed a natural air of arrogance. He had dark, curly whiskey-colored hair and the longest eyelashes I’d ever seen on a man, and I could easily get lost in his chocolate eyes. Wow. Men like him usually irritated the hell out of me, especially when they acted like I was a damsel in need of rescuing.

This time was different. This time I was flattered.

“Because I don’t like to see anyone, let alone a gorgeous woman, being assaulted or taken advantage of. I’m not that kind of man. You can do much better than a used car salesman who will paw you like a useless bear, never taking your needs into consideration. Men like him don’t deserve to breathe the same air as a woman of your caliber.”

If he was pushing for a flirty response, I wasn’t about to give him one. However, his words sizzled something deep inside, my core already heating. The butterflies were back, only this time because of a hint of excitement.

Our interaction felt dirty, forbidden.

My nipples were suddenly aching and I forced myself not to notice the slight stubble growing on his powerful jaw or the way his trousers stretched across his massive legs and the huge bulge between them. He was older yet distinguished. Oh, hell. The description wasn’t fair. He was the epitome of a linebacker mixed with the face of a god. My mind wandered only briefly to what he’d look like under his tailored clothes.

My God, the man was looking directly at my nipples, licking his lips like a wolf who’d cornered his prey. Oh, no. I wasn’t going down that road.

He seemed so sure of himself. The aura surrounding him continued to indicate power. He was no doubt the kind of guy everyone noticed when he walked into the room. If I had to guess, I’d say he commanded an audience. I found that strangely attractive. He was purposely keeping his head tilted and turned toward the overhead television.

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