Page 424 of Hate Mates

Liar.

All the fire usually burning inside her has been extinguished by someone or something. I will find out who or what and fix whatever the problem is.

I have to be subtle because she’s determined to hide her secret. But that won’t stop me.

Chapter Four

COLBY

For the first time ever, Lucian respects my wishes, doing what I ask rather than what he wants.

He helps me into his SUV, ensures my seatbelt is fastened, and closes my door before striding around to the driver’s side with his long, thick legs.

When I saw the blood on my skin, the fortress I’ve constructed around my heart cracked a little. I need time to rebuild so he can never pry his way inside again.

The weekend I snuck off to Mardi Gras with my friends and drank too many hurricanes, I never expected to see him, let alone have him take me back to his room. It took me forever to recover from the pain of abandonment and embarrassment that he saw the real me and bolted as soon as he could. Obviously, that version of me, isn’t who he wants.

He’s just fulfilling a promise to our fathers and has enjoyed humiliating me ever since.

“You okay?”

No.

“I’m fine.”

“So fine that the car stopped, and you didn’t even notice.”

He’s right – I didn’t notice that he took me to his mansion rather than my apartment. I’m too tired to argue and drop my head back to the seat. “Please take me home. I’m not up for this tonight.”

Lucian returns to his old self, ignoring my request. Instead of hitting the ignition button, he climbs out, comes around to my side, and opens my door.

I keep my eyes clenched shut. “I don’t care about paint colors or furniture. Just stop–”

“Everything between us doesn’t always have to be a battle. I just want to show you something and then I’ll take you home.”

Arguing is futile and just drags this night out even longer, so I unfasten my seatbelt and let him lead me inside his massive home.

We don’t stop in the foyer that showcases a formal living room on one side and an office on the other with a wide staircase in the middle. The interior fits him – masculine and dark, with hard edges and uncomfortable looking furniture.

He guides me to the left of the steps into a gourmet kitchen that opens into a more lived-in looking den with a leather wrap around sofa facing an enormous stone fireplace with an even larger TV that spans the entire width of the wall.

The hand that’s not cemented to my back curls into a fist and knocks on the wall opposite of French doors leading out to a patio and pool.

“This is coming down. I’ll rework the space so you can have a good size office too.”

Not sure I heard him right, I shake my head to clear away the brooding thoughts from him imprisoning me here. “I’m getting an office?”

He looks as surprised as I feel with his eyebrows shooting up to his black hair before his expression morphs into a grin.

God, he’s beautiful, especially when he smiles. I know the adjective is normally reserved for women but there is no other word to describe him. With his giant, muscular body, dark hair contrasting with iridescent blue eyes, and a chiseled jaw made even sexier with his faint beard, he’s a walking sex god.

Unfortunately, he knows it too.

“Yeah, honey bun. I’m not just marrying you because you’re gorgeous. I’m putting those brains and that education to good use.”

Well, this brain and that education fail me as I stare at him, too stunned to respond. That’s okay, he keeps talking.

“We’re a lethal combination, baby. With my street smarts and intuition and your genius mind and book knowledge, we’re going to create an empire no one can ever fuck with.”

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