Page 88 of The Rules
Hot. Thick. Explosive.
And that was the match. She leaned in—both hands on his desk, her breath hot between them.
"That's not what this is about, and we both fucking know it."
Ben's pulse spiked.
Because she wasn't wrong. And she wasn't backing down.
He pushed away from his desk, moving around it in one slow, deliberate motion.
"Not here," he said, voice low and final.
She straightened, still fuming. Ready to throw another line. Another accusation.
But Ben was already walking. Not waiting. Not asking.
He expected her to follow.
Kath hesitated. One breath. One heartbeat. Then—
She followed.
Because whatever he was about to say?
She needed to hear it.
He led her through the corridors of Sinclair & Associates, past the questioning glances of junior associates and the curiouseyes of the paralegals. He didn't look back. Didn't need to.
He could feel her following—the controlled fury in each step, the heat of her glare burning into his back.
The storage room was at the end of the east wing.
Rarely used. Private. Perfect.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, waiting for her to follow before closing it behind them. The soft click of the latch echoed in the confined space.
Benjamin turned the lock. The sound of metal sliding into place felt final.
When he turned, Katherine was already positioned for battle—arms crossed tightly over her chest, chin tilted up in defiance, eyes burning with challenge. The dim lighting cast shadows across her face, highlighting the sharp angles of her features.
"What, you didn't want to embarrass me in public?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with contempt.
Benjamin took his time responding. His eyes moved over her in a slow, deliberate assessment—taking in every detail from her perfectly pressed blazer to the rigid set of her shoulders.
Not appreciative. Clinical. Cutting.
"I didn't want to embarrassmyselfin public," he replied, voice dry and sharp as a blade.
Katherine's eyes flashed dangerously. The barb had landed exactly as intended.
"Wouldn't want Mr. Sinclair looking unprofessional," she mocked, leaning back against a filing cabinet, feigning casualness that her tense posture betrayed.
Benjamin exhaled through his nose. Almost a laugh.
The ghost of amusement touched his lips for half a second before dying away.
Because now? Now he was done pretending this was about anything else.
