Page 9 of Devilish

I paused in the doorway, my fingers wrapped around the handle, knowing that when I let it go, that was it, decision made. I’d be on my own again. But the uncertainty of the man inside was the final push I needed.

I didn’t know anything about Lucien Vale. But the streets? No matter how lonely or unwelcoming they might be, I knew them.

I let go of the handle and bolted toward the elevator, jamming my finger against the button over and over until the door finally slid open, then hurried inside and hit the button for the lobby. Seconds later the door reopened, and freedom was within my grasp.

I stepped out onto the polished marble of the entrance to the building, and was more than aware of how out of place I appeared in such an upscale establishment. My low-cut leather pants and skimpy top screamedsex, and as I walked across the empty space I was acutely conscious of the eyes following me from behind the front desk.

I wrapped my arms around my bare waist and hurried toward the door, where I didn’t bother waiting for anyone to come open it like they had for Lucien when we arrived. Hell, they were probably hoping I’d see myself out, so I did just that.

The chill of the night air was the first thing that greeted me, wrapping me in its cold, dark embrace as the door swooshed shut behind me. A shiver racked my body as I hugged myself tighter in an effort to ward off the frigid bite. But as I started down the sidewalk, the wind seemed to pick up and make it close to impossible to keep my bones from rattling.

I kept close to the buildings and hurried along, using them to block the gusts as best I could, but it seemed like nothing would help.

Damn, maybe I should’ve thought this through a little more. I wasn’t exactly dressed for a late night stroll, especially with the weather system that had rolled in.

I stopped at a crosswalk and rubbed at my arms, waiting for the lights to change, and as the cars drew to a stop and I stepped off the curb, a fat raindrop hit the back of my neck.

You’ve got to be kidding me. This cannot be happening, not right now.

As I picked up my pace, the rain fell a little harder until it was pouring down over me, making the cold night turn icy.

This was great. Justgreat. Tonight was going from bad to worse with every second that passed, and as the water soaked my hair, plastering it to my face, I knew there was no way I was going to get out of this without catching pneumonia.

I had no money, no phone—I had nothing except the ridiculous clothes now sticking to my body like a second skin as the rain streamed down. I stopped under an awning and weighed my options, realizing none of them were good.

If I went back to Rupert, I’d be heavily reprimanded, even though tonight’s outcome had been his doing, not mine.

If I stayed on the street, I’d likely end up sick with no way to get help. And while I’d been there before, the idea of resorting to using my body to get some kind of shelter tonight made my stomach sink.

Which left Lucien, the stranger who presented himself as a hero but was still unknown to me in any way that really counted. Would he take me back in?

Shit. Why had I left in the first place? I could’ve figured out a plan from a comfy bed instead of the pouring rain. But I’d done what I always did, panicked first and thought logically after the fact.

What was wrong with me that my first thought when a stranger showed kindness was to think the worst? A lifetime of fucked-up experiences, that was what.

I dropped my head back against the wall and rubbed my arms. I’d just made my situation infinitely worse, and I had nobody to blame but myself.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Rupert had kicked things off by taking us somewhere we had no business going. That was what happened when rich men had too much money and grew bored of the usual toys. They moved on to the next thing,even if they didn’t have a clue what that entailed. And Rupert didn’t know the first thing about sex clubs or tying someone up. Definitely didn’t know what a safe word was.

But Lucien…

There was a man with money who didn’t put up with guys like Rupert. I still didn’t know if he’d had an ulterior motive in bringing me back to his place, but…he had kind eyes. He didn’t touch me without my permission. And he hadn’t locked my door.

My stomach twisted at the thought of going back and having to beg, but as a gust of wind blew the torrential downpour sideways and the overhead awning became utterly useless, I made a snap decision.

I turned around and headed back to Lucien’s building. My mind raced, trying to come up with reasons I could give the doorman for why I’d rushed out and why I’d come back. If I could just talk to Lucien and explain I’d momentarily lost my mind…

Rain pelted me in the face, and I lifted my hand in a sad attempt at blocking it. I was soaked to the bone, shivering so hard my teeth chattered, but I ran anyway, forcing my legs to keep going.

The slick handle of the door slipped out of my hand the first time I reached for it, but before I could try again, it opened.

“Not the best night for a walk, Mr. Kai,” the doorman said, an amused smile on his face as he held the door open and waited for me to step inside.

The warmth of the entry had my shoulders dropping, a deep sigh leaving my body.

Wait, had he called me by my name?

“Uh…” I pushed back my soaked hair from my forehead to keep the water from dripping into my eyes. “I’m sorry, what?”

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