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Her unhappiness unsettledtio I shouldn’t have told her TheAny pain frootten I had one purpose One focus, and that iping away her sadness and anger I’d caused the one way I kne With her under me

And it worked for a ti noith me and her in this bed, but what about after? What about in the light of day? In the real world, when she found out what I had planned Her gasps, cries, and her than I’d ever been before and after only a couple of tiether, I was addicted I wanted more from her, neededShe’d been ready to walk out, so I needed to remind her that I’d made her feel this way and no other man would be able to do it But I didn’t know if it would be enough

Her gentle breathing was the only thing I could hear as she lay next to me, tucked under the navy sheets It filled the air like ht lying beside this wo I’d been driven to do thus far

I brushed a curl fro closer to me I couldn’t help my smile She never failed to make me s about her The power she had overand she didn’t even know it I couldn’t let her know I didn’t even want to admit it myself

It had been on the tip of ue to ask her the question It would have been so easy, but I’d alala, I did it to push her away, to put distance between us, but the minute she stood, it was like I couldn’t breathe I knew if I let her leave I’d regret it every day, so I used the one thing I knew she wanted

I’d laid there, with her in ain and drifted off to sleep The reflex to push her away again struck, but I couldn’t I couldn’t bring myself to do it The shock of that sat with me

I wrappedthis ht to end because I knew the things I’d have to do in the ht hate ht, it was perfect

The notification tone I’d grown to hate blared as the early ritted my teeth and reached for her phone, but she was faster She sat up and scrolled through it I didn’t need to sit there and watch her worry about Rhys I went to the bathroom and when I came back out the bed was empty

Noise in the living rooht to her I stepped out to see her co over her shoulder and reaching for the door Alar It was the weekend, she didn’t have to go to work, and not this early

“Where are you going? What’s wrong?”

“I’ was up Oneher and the next she’s ready to bolt Her body was tense as she stood, her hand still on the door knob

“Then don’t go all the way ho closer to her She pressed her body up against the door like she hoped she’d be able to h it Panic rose in my throat I didn’t want her to leave

“I need to get ho down at the door handle

“Rachel—”

“Can I go, Killian? Please,” she asked, glancing up at me And then I remembered The rules My rules, the ones I’d threatened her with just a little while ago We were still playing the ga fro didn’t hold the saer cared if I won or lost I didn’t even know if I wanted to play, but I didn’t have ht now, I kneeren’t still playing she’d be out that door