Page 77 of My Grumpy Billionaire Protector

The same jolt of electricity I felt when I first laid eyes on him remains, coupled with a charge of energy that crackles and pulses in his presence. Even now, my heart pounds against my chest, threatening to jump out and race right outside before disappearing. As hard as I try to convince myself not to, I can no more help feeling drawn to Shane than I can escape this compound.

It isn’t even for lack of trying.

Having some time to myself over the past week has given me a chance to evaluate the situation and examine my priorities. Over and over again, I’ve told myself that, in spite of what I feel for Shane, nothing good can come of it. Soon, they are going to return me to my normal life in the city, and once I am given the all-clear, I will be allowed to return to work and pick up where I’ve left off.

As if I was never here in the first place.

Knowing that I am leaving Shane behind does not sit well with me. Nor does the thought that once I am gone and we are no longer in close physical proximity to one another, it will not take long for Shane to forget me. Faced with no other choice, he’d do his best to outrun me and our time together until he manages to convince himself of the insincerity of it all.

Fuck. You’re like a walking cliché, Evie. Falling in love with the man who won’t turn on his captor, really?

It doesn’t make a lick of sense, and I want to reach inside of my chest, yank my heart out, and give it a stern talking to. Then I want to shake it until all memories of Shane and this place disappear altogether. Instead, I am stuck standing a few feet away from him. The smell of his cologne, a heady mixture of sandalwood and lavender, wafts up my nostrils.

My stomach tightens in response.

Damn it, Evie. Keep it together. He’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to change, and at this point, you’re just chasing after a man who is obviously no good for you.

Don’t be that woman. Be better.

“I’m sorry that I don’t have time to stop and chat,” Shane replies in an even tone after a lengthy silence. “Some of us have things to do.”

“It’s not my fault I can’t do my job here.”

“I don’t know what you want from me, Evie. Whatdoyou want, huh? Do you want me to babysit you? Hold your hand?”

I cover the distance between us until our chests are pressed together. “I don’t want you to babysit me or hold my hand. What I want is for us to talk about things like mature adults. We need to be able to communicate if we’re going to make it out of here, or have you forgotten thatyouwantedmyhelp, huh?”

Or else we are just going to keep doing this particular song and dance until it is time for me to leave. I have no idea how much time I have left with Shane, but the last thing I want to do is spend it playing games with each other and dancing around the topic until nothing comes of it.

One way or another, I want answers.

“Is this about the sex?” Shane’s eyes move over my face and darken with hunger. “Is that it? Do you want me to fuck you?”

My hand stings when I slap him across the face. “You’re being an asshole, and you know it.”

Shane takes a step back and gingerly rubs his cheek. “I’m not the one who kidnapped you, but I’m not the nice guy here either, Evie. The sooner you accept that, the better.”

“Stop trying to make me think the worst of you,” I snap. I take a few steps back and rake my fingers through my hair. “I know that you’ve got skeletons in your closet, and I already told you that I don’t care.”

Please don’t shut me out, Shane. Please meet me halfway here.

“And what? You want some kind of medal for trying to save me? Some recognition or something?” Shane glared at me, his entire expression morphing into one of anger. “When you get out of here, I’m just going to be some cautionary tale you tell your girlfriends, and that’ll be that.”

My mouth falls open, but the words won’t come.

Silence stretches between us.

Finally, I lift my head up and look him directly in the eye. “Fine. At least tell me what’s happening with the escape plan. Have Pierce and Cory had any luck bribing the security team here?”

A muscle ticks in Shane’s jaw. “You’ve been asking me that every day for the past week.”

“Because you won’t tell me anything new.”

Shane rubs a hand over his face. “Because there’s nothing new to tell. When there is, I’ll let you know.”

“Kind of like how you’ve been letting me know so far?”

Shane presses his mouth into a thin white line. “I’m done playing catch up, so unless you have anything else you want to add, I’m leaving.”

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