Page 63 of Point of Contention

When the car rolled to a stop near the garage elevator, I looked back at Rylan. “We have to be quick.” The parking garage was gated, accessible only to the residents of the building and staff, but that didn’t stop hungry paparazzi any more than walls and fences kept them out of celebrities’ backyards.

Rylan nodded and I climbed out, then she hurried behind me. Not two seconds after the door closed, did the shouting start. I looked up the long driveway and cursed under my breath, then tugged Rylan close to me and raced to the door of the building. A security guard recognized me and had the door open before we even reached it, closing it quickly once we were both inside the safety of the lobby.

The lock clicked into place and I exhaled.Fucking vultures.

“They’ve been here for an hour, Mr. Reed.”

Shaking my head, I pulled out my wallet and slipped a couple bills into his hand. “I’m sorry. I’d hoped they would have moved on by now.”

His gaze flicked to Rylan, and I ignored the way my hackles rose. “Not a problem, sir.”

Keeping her tucked against me, I led her to the elevator, nodding hello to the staff on duty, then hurrying to board as soon as the doors opened.

Once the doors closed, Rylan pulled free of me, placing some distance between us. My arms instantly ached for her.

“How long will that last?” she asked as she focused on the numbers lighting up above the door while we made our ascent.

“I’m afraid they’ll need something new to focus on if we are to hope for any kind of privacy.”

The elevator opened up to the penthouse and I followed Rylan into the foyer, unbuttoning my jacket and slipping it off my shoulders as I walked. Placing it on the table in the center of the foyer, I unbuttoned and began to roll up my left shirt cuff, pausing when Rylan’s eyes zeroed in on my fingers at my wrist.

Her gaze flicked up to mine and the look in her eyes was pure seduction.

I moved to the other cuff. Unbuttoned it slowly. Rolled the sleeve up my forearm.

Rylan followed the movement of my hand, licking her lips.

I raised my eyebrows. “We should probably talk.”

“Or…” She took a step toward me, reaching up to release the first button of her black dress. “We could dootherthings with our mouths.”

“Christ,”I muttered as blood rushed to my cock. I loved this woman’s dirty mind.

And I’d missed it something fierce.

But we really did need to talk. Three weeks had passed since she broke things off. I had no idea where to go from here. What she needed, what she wanted from me. For all I knew, her presence in my penthouse today was due to a desperate need to feel alive again after being surround by death and grief, nothing more.

She’d use me to forget, then leave me in shambles once again.

She was young, had her whole life in front of her. Entertaining even the slightest hope that she’d choose to tie herself down to me at just twenty-four years of age was a foolish idea.

But would I survive losing her again?

Not likely.

Rylan took another step forward, moving her hands down to release each button of her dress slowly.

I looked past her into the kitchen, recalling what her mother had said. “You need to eat, RJ.”

Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips, annoyance sparking in her eyes. “Or…youcould eat.”

My lips twitched on a smile, but her words tightened my cock. “In the kitchen, Ms. Blake. Now.”

Her eyes widened and she hurried to obey, turning on her heels and damn near sprinting into the kitchen.

It pleased me how quickly she complied.

I unbuttoned the top few buttons of my shirt and followed Rylan into the kitchen, stopping dead in my tracks when her simple dress fell away to reveal a black lace bralette and matching panties. They were sheer black and full coverage, but missing some lace at the top in back, little caged windows that exposed pale, soft flesh.

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