Page 44 of Vicious Desire (Fallen Royals 4)

Who the fuck is he?

He reaches out and takes her hand, and I lean forward. If I have to watch her kiss him, I’ll riot.

I’ll burn her whole house to the ground.

But it’s worse: he says something, and she smiles. Grins, really. The sort of expression I used to be able to elicit from her, along with a giggle that never failed to get my dick hard.

He bends and kisses the back of her hand.

A growl comes out through my clenched teeth.

She takes a step back, and I can’t determine her emotions from here. Shock? Joy? Fear?

She keeps backing up until she bumps into the door.

Her mystery man turns and jogs across the lawn to his car, starting it up and driving away like nothing even fucking happened. While I’m here, paralyzed in my truck.

I can’t move.

Neither can Riley, apparently.

She leans against the door, and even from here I can see her whole body relax.

That puts me into motion.

I get out of the truck, leaving the door open in my hurry to get over to her. She doesn’t see me until I’m bounding up the steps of the porch, and I skid to a stop in front of her.

That relaxation leaves her as soon as her eyes snap open.

“You can’t be here,” she says.

I raise my eyebrow. I can’t even voice how angry I am at her right now, but I think she might be able to sense it. She feels around on the door, probably looking for the doorknob. She’ll go in and lock me out faster than I can blink.

She’s fucking with me.

Right?

She was mine long before she was anyone else’s. Just because we hate each other now doesn’t mean she’s stopped being mine.

Ah.

That’s the puzzle piece I was missing.

“Who was that?” I ask, stepping forward.

She freezes and narrows her eyes. “Who?”

“You’re going to play dumb?” Anger runs along my veins, heating me from the inside out. “Seriously?”

“I don’t answer to you.” She puts one hand on my chest.

Just that one touch sends electric charges through me.

We’re too close. She knows it, I know it.

As much as I want it, I can’t stand it.

I grip her wrist and pull it off me. “You get under my skin so fucking easily.”

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