Page 134 of Unwritten Rules

I had to rip the band aid off. “I don’t want a romantic relationship with you.”

“That’s too bad.”

“What about Sloane?” She was still deep in the back of my mind, her threats making me wonder how far she would go because of Brent. She threatened me twice in one night. If she knew earlier, that means her skank comment at the game was directed at me specifically.

From what I gathered, her family had the same power as any other of the leaders in the elite world. They organized people together—meaning they could organize them apart.

“Don’t worry about her. In fact, don’t say her name ever again. I want to forget she exists for just two seconds.”

The more I wondered, the more I worried. If connections meant everything to her, securing a relationship with him secured a lot for her. The money, the power, the weird bragging rights she wanted to have so badly. I didn’t want to be mixed up in something else when threats from every other angle loomed over my head. She had the power to try to kill me—or try to push me somewhere.

Like with Alexander. If she pushed me that way, what was in it for her?

“She claims to be your girlfriend and threatened me. How could I not be concerned? My company is slipping away from me when I barely know how to read a damned budget report. Not to mention the weird threats and ominous messages I get.”

His eyes shot fully open. “Why did you not think to tell me?”

“I told Kelly. She said she was going to sleuth about. It doesn’t concern you.”

“It does after today. Blondie, whatever you think you want to do, you’re not going to get rid of me. Our fates are tied together, and they have been since we were born. Your mother tied her company to my grandfather’s ship. That means that you and I willalwaysbe tied together.”

I regretted speaking. “I don’t want to be tied to you!”

“I want to be tied up with you forever. If I sink to the bottom of the ocean, it better be because you dragged me there yourself. Drown me, Blondie, because I don’t want it any other way.”

My heart rate sped up and he knew it. He knew when my body reacted to him because he reveled in it. My body betrayed me every time—I just preferred to blame him for it.

“You barely even know me.”

“Then give me more of you.”

“I...can’t.”

He played with my hair again, kissing the side of my face and pulling his body closer. The pull between us was purely lust. No way I would like someone like him. A killer. A ruthless man trained by someone who clung to the top via illegal means.

“Then let me find it.” His hands moved to my body, spreading across my stomach and gripping my sides.

“You won’t,” I breathed. His scent overwhelmed me and sent me somewhere else. The back of his bike. On the porch smoking. In the diner eating food. In my bed where he—

Our lips met and I knew it was another mistake. For him, it was just sex. For me, it would have to just be a distraction. Because after tonight I would need to cut any and all romantic ties.

We were assigned to work together. Just business. Nothing beyond that could happen.

“We can’t, Brent. Our comp—”

He covered my mouth with his hand and shushed me. “None of these words need to come out of your mouth. The only thing I want to hear is you moaning my name and forgetting everything else, let me be a terrible distraction. Your terrible decision.”

Just a terrible decision between business partners.

Before I knew it, our clothes were off, and he was on top of me again. His hands trailed down my body with the confidence of the secret knowledge he had about my body. Those hands have been here before.

And before that, his small touches were memorizing my skin.

“There’s people here,” I whispered.

“I don’t care. Everyone will know that you’re mine eventually.”

His mouth trailed down my chest and toward my navel, placing kisses on every inch like he hadn’t seen my body in decades.

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