Page 38 of Dangerous Love

Riley lifted the device and brought it closer to him, then began typing frantically. When he finished, he put it in the pocket of his jacket hanging over his chair and turned back towards me, his face flustered. The lines on his forehead grew thicker. “Sorry. What were you saying?”

“I wasn’t saying anything.” I waited for his brain to catch up. “What’s going on?”

A weird smile curled his lips, one that resembled the Joker more than anything else. “Nothing. Nothing at all, Si.”

My neck tensed. “I know you’re lying to me. What I don’t know is why.”

He reached for my hand, his skin clammy against my flesh. “You’re being paranoid. Can we just order food?” A slight tinge of irritability coursed through his tone, his Adam’s apple tight as he snapped the words.

“We were ordering food,” I hissed. “Before you answered Trey’s message. It seems whatever he had to say made you forget.”

He swallowed hard, his eyes crinkling as he made a lame grimace. “Sorry about that, baby girl. Phone’s away. No more distractions.”

I exhaled, my frustration replaced with anxiety. I laced my fingers with his. “I’m not angry, Riley. But I am worried.” My thumb rubbed the top of his hand as I continued. “Tell me what’s going on.”

He leaned forward and pressed his lips on my knuckles. “Nothing’s going on. He was just telling me I’d forgotten something at his place the other day.”

Why would he lie to me?“Yeah? What was it?”

His head tilted sideways like I’d asked the stupidest of questions. “What was what?”

“What did you leave at his house?”

He paled, his eyes losing their battle with hiding whatever was drilling through his mind. “Sienna, can we please just order food?”

“I want to hear it.” My tone wasn’t warm. There was no universe where he wasn’t hiding something.

“And you’re not going to. Because there’s nothing to say. So, we either order food, or we have no business being here. What’s it gonna be?”

Shock filled my belly when the coldest stream of ice I could ever imagine spewed from Riley’s mouth. He’d put me in my place, just as Trey would have.This isn’t him.

My throat tightened, tears threatening to spill as I took deep breaths. Maybe he was regretting our fling last night. Or worse, Trey had got in his head and Riley was back in Cooper’s crew. Emotions bubbled to the surface as I remembered this wasn’t the first time he’d tossed me away.

I should never have come back.I cleared my throat, my hand strangling the glass of water between my fingers. “Riley, are you having second thoughts about being with me?” My voice trembled with each syllable.

Across from me, Riley’s eyes darkened. The wall I battled against grew ten feet tall until the man in front of me wasn’t the same person who’d made love to me yesterday, or the one who’d held me as he cried for his lost brother only days ago.

“Sienna, I love you.” He stifled a cough. “But I think we might be rushing things. There’s a lot going on. The wedding, work…”

“Your brother,” I snapped. “Is that it? He’s in your head? Does he want you to get back into the family business?”

His jaw clenched, the tendons on his neck cording, as he bit, “No. This isn’t about Trey. This is about you not minding your own business, Sienna. Why is everything so complicated with you?”

Years of therapy flashed through my head. In that moment, it was like I’d just been sent to Parma. Alone. Unwanted. Like the black sheep of the family. Again. A sob shook me, my nails digging into my palms as I shuffled to the edge of my seat.

“I think I got your message loud and clear, Riley.” I grabbed my phone and my keys in one hand as I braced to leave. “I’m sorry I got you involved in something you never wanted. I’ll stay out of your way from now on.”

Pain sliced through my heart. This was the love of my life, and evenhedidn’t want me.

Right before I jumped to my feet, Riley’s hand gripped my wrist tight, fear and agony in his gaze. “Please don’t go. I’m sorry. Wait.”

I nodded, a stray tear falling on my cheek.

Riley’s shoulders slumped as he leaned across the table and kissed my forehead. “I’m really sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean any of that.”

“I love you, Riley. I love you so much,” I cried. “But right now, you’re scaring me.” I extended my hand until I could touch him again. “What’s going on?”

He sighed, then fell back until his head rested on the seat behind him. Dark circles lay beneath his eyes, his expression broken. Seeing him like this was torture. Every fibre of my being wanted nothing but to hold him, and yet, there was something that kept me at bay.

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