Page 106 of She will Always be Mine

His expression doesn’t shift as he replies, “I never tell you about my business meetings. With the festival close, I had to check the progress myself.”

“I could’ve used a heads-up.”

“Why?” he asks in a flat tone that maddens me further.

“Because now that everyone knows you’re my cousin, rumors would spread like wildfire. What if someone saw us kissing at the parking lot, huh?”

“Good. They’ll finally know you’re mine.”

“Riaan,” I groan.

“You’re worried they’ll find out, yet you followed me in here and instead of running away while your friends are in the other room, you’re arguing with me,” he says.

“You yanked me in here,” I say dumbly.

“Semantics,” he retorts and after looking at his wristwatch, he meets my gaze and raises his eyebrow. “Unless you have questions pertaining to volunteering, you’re wasting my precious time, Nyra.”

His businesslike tone grates on my nerves. He did warn me he’s a strict boss and now I’m seeing it firsthand. Despite hating it, I’m actually aroused, which is my constant state around him.

God! How I wish to ruffle his feathers...

Suddenly, an enticing idea forms in my mind and I wear the most serious and professional expression I can manage. His eyes narrow but he remains quiet and observing.

“No. I don’t,” I answer smoothly. “I’ll let you get back to work. I also have a busy day ahead.”

Giving him one last look, I turn my back to him and leave him standing alone.

Come hell or high water, he won’t be so calm before the day is over.

Chapter Thirty-Six

RIAAN

Today was supposed to be an uneventful day. I was going to oversee the preparations my team has been working on for the past month, update the dean, and finally go home with Nyra.

Yet it has been anything but.

Instead, I’ve been distracted by my walking, talking temptation, Nyra.

The bratty little girl has made it her mission to ignore me, pretend I don’t even exist as she walks around in her summer dress that lifts with every sway of her hips.

Since we are working outside, the wind blows the skirt of her dress, giving an enticing view of her upper thighs to me and every red-blooded male in the vicinity.

Now, I’m regretting letting her step out of the apartment in that thing in the first place.

I both love and hate that dress.

I know what game she’s playing, one where she ends up getting her way, but I won’t make it so easy.

I’ve been distant with her lately but it’s not for the reasons she believes. She thinks I’m giving her space because of her meltdown or that she’s a little broken when it’s only because of the pictures I found on her phone.

They haven’t stopped haunting me, imagining how she must have felt when she was pushed into taking them.

Her call that night was a cry for help and I did nothing.

I just couldn’t see past my own pain to help her sooner. If I had an inkling, I would’ve warned her parents and went to see her, protected her.

The only reason I haven’t lost it completely and gone on a rampage yet is because they couldn’t break her. She has invisible scars but she survived. When most would have given up, she stayed strong.

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