AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My eyes close. “You’re being very condescending, and I—”
“Don’t gaslight me.”
“Not everything is gaslighting.”
“That sounds like gaslighting.”
“Rowan,” I snap.
“I thought you wanted us to be the same kind of terrible. Why are you so against it now that it’s true?” He rests his forehead to mine, lets his long lashes flutter closed. “Does it scare you to play with monsters who understand the rules to your little games?”
My mouth goes dry.
“Go on,” he whispers. “Now I’m asking for your opinion.”
Swallowing hard, I swear.
“Honestly, I’d love to. But you’re a bit more skittish than you let on, and I’d rather not do anything you might regret.”
It is ever so hard to breathe. “Confident men are the worst kind of cocky.”
“I have to agree with you. I also might prefer fear.”
Even though I’m already lying down, my legs go weak. I shift, swallow again, fight to get a breath that doesn’t smell completely of him in my lungs. It’s impossible. Impossible. This is awful. This is the worst thing that could have possibly happened. I never accounted for it, not even remotely. Our characters were supposed to clash and spark, reluctantly meeting wherever it served us both.
I got everything completely wrong.
So, I swear again.
“Keep that up, and I’m going to assume you’re begging.”
Each beat of my heart hits my ribs, making me dizzy.
I’m blindsided entirely when a voice that sounds suspiciously like mine pleads, “Kiss me.”
“Perhaps I will.”
“Please.”
He toys with the idea of it, and I’m about to lose my mind for this man. Everything inside me hums. Every inch hypersensitive. When he leans toward my lips, my heart jerks, trying to reach his. His breath touches my mouth. “Briar?”
“Yes?” I’m breathless, floating, falling apart.
“I’m not wearing a tux.”
In spite of everything, I laugh, and he captures the sound.
Chapter 23
~~~~~~~~~~~~
And it all begins to come undone…
Rowan
“Concerning the Maxim Project and our lead…” Corbin begins, fifteen minutes into today’s first meeting. Ever since dismissing Granger, his men, and his influence, meetings have gone smoother. More productive. Almost pleasant. The usual issues of territory scuffles, government pressure, and maintaining our bottom lines are easy compared to the unrest I grew used to.
It’s truly remarkable just how much stress a human can grow to tolerate.
