Page 28 of Release Me

Her cheeks flush. “I don’t likeyou.”

Damn it, I can’t help myself. I lean over the island. “Then why can’t you stop watching me?”

“I can …. I mean, I don’t …” She stumbles over her words, completely disarmed.

I grin. The exact reaction I was going for. “You don’t have to like me to enjoy what I can do for you. In fact, it’s better if you don’t.” That way she won’t fall for me because I can’t give her anything more than a quick fix. “’Night.”

Her gaze bores into my back all the way down the hall.

It’s still darkwhen I wake. Checking the clock—2:00 a.m.—I roll onto my back with a groan, my eyes adjusting to the dim light of the room. It’s too bright for my liking, thanks to the shitty curtains that don’t block the street lights beyond.

A figure stands beside my bed.

“Jesus.” I jolt. It takes me a moment to calm my racing heart. “Ryan?”

She doesn’t answer, simply stands over me, her arms at her sides, her long hair down, framing a tortured face. Her oversized white T-shirt hides her curves, reaching down to mid thigh. Without her glasses, I can easily make out the almond shape of her eyes.

“You’re here to kill me, aren’t you,” I say, half joking, although a part of me wonders. I shouldn’t have taunted her. “What’s wrong?”

She swallows. “Did you mean what you said?”

“About?”

Her gaze drifts over my bare chest and downward, to where my sheet covers my naked lower half.

Holy shit.

Am I dreaming?

I covertly pinch myself. Nope, awake.Wideawake.

The way she’s standing there, staring at my body … my blood starts pumping. I’m going to be hard in about twenty seconds. “Okay, the shower was one thing. But this is hitting below the belt.”

“It’s not a prank.” Her gaze lifts to meet my face, letting me see a lustful heat in her eyes for the first time. She isn’t kidding.

Seriously, is this happening? Is this a test? Because I’ll fail miserably. “You can’t come in here like this and expect me to be a decent guy.” If I weren’t groggy, I’d already have her on her back.

She reaches down to tug at my cover. It slides to my thighs, leaving me exposed. Her lips part with the softest sigh as my dick hardens in front of her. “You promise you won’t tell anyone?”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“Not even Connor?”

Fuck me… Connor has quickly landed a spot at the top of my friend list, and Ryan ishis sister. What will he do if he finds out?

I can’t do this. I just …

Ryan seizes the hem of her T-shirt and lifts it up, over her head, letting it fall to the floor.

14.Ryan

You don’t have to like me to enjoy what I can do for you. In fact, it’s better that you don’t.

After lying in bed for two hours, replaying those words while a countdown clock to next Saturday’s flight ticked inside my head, I must have snapped becausethis isinsane.

I’m trying not to shake and probably failing miserably. I don’t want Ronan to know how nervous I am. Heck, I’m always nervous around him. He’s one of those intimidating guys—tall, dark, and ominous, with his piercing eyes and his wicked smile and that swagger.

But right now, standing naked in front of him, his burning gaze searing my body, his face full of shock, I feel like my legs are ready to give out. I work hard to keep my figure lean and hard and healthy but I will never win when pitted against the long legs and trim torsos and slender hips of women like Eliza’s.

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