Page 46 of Brutal Obsession

I need to proceed with caution. Just because one of this character’s lines applies to me, therealHarper, doesn’t make this any less of a performance or mean that anything that happens between this enforcer and me should be construed as real.

Believing otherwise would be a mistake of cosmic proportions.

I don’t want to embody this character so well that I forget who I truly am.

That’s never happened before. And I won’t change my streak today.

Right on cue, Cian draws back from me, holding his head above mine so he can look me in the eye. I expend more effort than I’d like to keep my face neutral, rather than succumbing to what my bodyachesto do, which is cower from the intensity of his green-eyed gaze.

It’s visceral, the way his eyes read mine. He scrutinizes my face, and I try not to squirm over the fact that I have no idea what he’s searching for.

He lowers his lids with intention. “Suspicious.”

Shock breaks me out of character. “What?”

“Last night, you wanted to get away from me…” He drags his teeth along the skin of my neck. “And now you like it when I bite you.”

Crap. Crappity crap crap.

Trying to pull myself together, I rearrange my expression. “Is that a conflict of interest?”

He chuckles into my throat. “You tell me.”

Surely Sir Sleeps-Around-A-Lot isn’t suspicious of the many admirers who bow before him like they’re praying to the god of cocks. Why would he be suspicious of me, especially if he’s hankering for some kind of triple-X reunion?

This isn’t how this is supposed to go.

“I’m being honest.” I’m not even buying my so-called persuasiveness.

“And I’m supposed to take your word for it?” Cian nudges my nose with his. “The one time you agreed to go home with me, you left me holding my dick in an alleyway.”

The memory slaps me across the face.

Shit.I forgot all about that promise.

While working for my dad, I never sharedhistoryof any kind with my past targets, so I’m in uncharted territory. If I want Cian to trust me long enough to manipulate him, I need to do damage control.

Ignoring the anxiety causing me to tremble, I drape my arms around Cian’s neck and lower my gaze to his mouth in a way I pray seems natural and not like the nervous tic of a D-list actor.

“It’s my one regret, you know.” I tilt my head at his. Not in preparation to kiss him.

I want him to kiss me.

When he lowers his forehead to mine, I know I’ve got him.

“What’s that?”

“That we didn’t get to finish what we started that night.”

Cian bristles at my words. A literal tremor glides through his body, radiating into mine through every place where our bodies touch.

“And whose fault is that?” His low voice shoots straight to the south of my border.

The amount of bitterness lacing his voice surprises me. I never expected he’d care this much that I stood him up.

You’ve got this, Harper.

“Can’t a girl make amends?” I release the question as slowly as I can, so Cian won’t pick up on the shakiness in my voice.

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