Brynne
S ean’s hand was a constant, unwelcomed weight on my lower back. I wanted to run home and bury myself under the covers like the boogeyman was chasing me. Even hiding in my car would be better than enduring another moment with him.
“I haven’t heard from you in a while,” he said, his tone almost accusatory.
My lips twisted, tightening into a smile I knew looked more like a grimace than anything pleasant.
His scent was too thick, invading my lungs, making it impossible to breathe. It was his hand on my body when all I wanted was Theo’s. His voice in my ear, his blatant need in his eyes.
I glanced over my shoulder as we walked from the hallway, half expecting, half hoping to find Theo behind us, a thunderclap of anger on his face. In my fantasy, he was my knight in shining armor coming to save me.
But he wasn’t there, and he wasn’t a knight.
And no one was going to save me.
“I’ve been busy.”
He grunted in response, dismissive and annoyed. “Let’s catch up,” he said, and before I could protest, he led me toward a set of double doors.
He shoved them open like it was his house, like he was allowed to do it. It was the same possessive, almost entitled way he touched me , like he had any right to do so. And right now, he was acting like I owed him something—my time, my body, my attention—just because he was a man and wanted it.
Wanted me.
Months ago, when we went on that stupid date, I’d thought he was attractive, but then we met in person, and I realized he had that creepy type of arrogance wrapped in a designer suit. Because his wealth, his name, meant something, he could get away with anything.
He was the type of man Theo could’ve so easily become if he didn’t have a moral compass or a mother who would knock the shit out of him for it.
My heels clacked against the hardwood floor as I entered an office.
It was Theo’s—it had to be. The bookshelves were bare, and the desk was neat and tidy, an unburned candle in the center.
The dark wooden blinds were open, showing the sun setting over the ocean.
Chairs sat in front of the desk, seemingly unused and new.
I shook myself.
Why was I in here?
Why had I allowed Sean to drag me in here?
But with the forceful push on my lower back, I was fully inside the room, and helplessly watched as he shut the door. The click was loud—deafening.
I licked my too-dry lips and walked backward until I hit the wall. But he wasn’t paying attention to me anymore. Instead, he rounded Theo’s desk and sank into the oversized leather chair.
“Fucking asshole,” he said under his breath. Reaching for a leatherbound notebook, he opened it and scanned the contents.
“I don’t think you can do that,” I muttered, my voice raspy and breathless.
“I can do whatever the fuck I want.”
I clamped my lips shut, pressing my back harder against the wall. He flipped through one notebook before moving onto the next, almost frantic with his searching. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he reached for the leather bag sitting on the wooden counter behind the desk.
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I just watched .
Watched as he invaded Theo’s privacy.
I couldn’t let him do that, though. This was Theo’s office. I needed to figure out how to get him to leave, how to distract him.
“Sean,” I rasped. “Come on. We shouldn’t be in here.”
He snapped his gaze toward me, eyes blazing and hair mussed. I inhaled sharply, my eyes darting toward the closed doors.
“Thinking of escaping?” he said condescendingly, huffing out a laugh through his nose.
I lifted my chin, and straightened my shoulders, forcing my hands to stay still and not shake. I forced the fear, the anxiety, everything away, and settled an icy mask over my face.
His brow arched, and I could’ve sworn he looked impressed.
“What are you looking for?” I asked, keeping my voice level and cold.
“Theo’s a fucking thief,” he spat, hatred dripping off every word. “He’s lying and stealing clients from me. I’m just trying to find what’s rightfully mine and take it back.”
I didn’t know Theo’s professional life well enough to know if he was telling the truth. But something about all of it screamed wrong . It screamed liar.
“But I can look after…we talk.” He shoved out of the chair, the leather creaking. I shifted closer to the door, and a predator-like smile curved his lips. “Keep up the tough bitch act. I like it.”
I clenched my jaw, watching as he rounded the desk. If I pressed myself hard enough against the wall, could it swallow me?
Protect me?
Sean prowled forward, his head lowered and eyes on me. Tracking me.
I glanced at the door again.
“Go ahead,” he said, gesturing toward it with an open hand. “Try to leave.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice.
I braced myself, waiting until his guard was down. But it seemed like it never lowered, like he somehow grew more alert.
My heart hammered against my ribcage, my palms slick. A fine sheen of sweat gathered along the back of my neck, and no matter how hard I tried to stop it, my hands began trembling.
This fucking asshole was not going to scare me. I wouldn’t let a rat man like him do it.
I licked my lips again. His eyes dropped to the movement as he stopped before me, nearly cornering me against the unforgiving wall.
I kept my eyes on his. I knew he could smell my fear, see my pulse beating wildly at the base of my throat. I knew red crept up my throat and into my face—I could feel the heat spreading.
All in one motion, I shoved Sean backward and darted past him. My heels tangled on the Turkish rug, and I tripped, slamming into the door. Sean laughed—it dripped with something that told me I had to get out of this room before I found out what kind of darkness lived inside him.
His hands grazed my sides, his fingers pressing into my flesh. I reared my elbow back, and it connected with his stomach. He grunted out a breath, and before I could reach for the doorknob, the door swung open.
Theo’s face was unlike anything I’d ever seen.
That thunderclap of anger I’d been expecting earlier was nothing compared to the real thing. He didn’t look at me—his attention was solely on Sean, on where he was touching me.
“Get out,” he said, his voice dark. Terrifying. “Stop touching her and get the fuck out of my house.”
I didn’t move.
I didn’t breathe.
I didn't do anything but stare at him.
Sean laughed. He was so close I could feel his breath brush against the back of my head.
The muscles in Theo’s jaw trembled, and his hands flexed at his sides.
“Get. The. Fuck. Out .”
Sean pulled his hands away, still chuckling as he dragged the front of his body against me, making sure to press his hips forward, letting me feel him.
A gag worked its way up my throat, but I forced it down. Theo glared at him as he stepped out of the room. The two men from the theater room flanked Sean, and the blond man nodded at Theo before escorting Sean out of the house.
When they disappeared from view, my shoulders fell, and I finally allowed myself to feel everything I’d been shoving away. The fear nearly took me to my knees.
“Oh, my god,” I whispered.
I stepped away, staring down at my trembling hands. Theo shut the door and smoothed his hand over his jaw. He was growing a beard—he almost didn’t look like himself.
“Oh, my god.”
“Did he hurt you?” he asked tightly. I shook my head, and he began pacing. “Did he—did he touch you anywhere else?”
“No,” I said softly. “You came in before—before he could do anything.” I stared at him as he walked up and down the length of his office. “He wouldn’t have done anything, though, right? Not here. Not now.”
He let out a humorless, dark laugh. “Do you realize how much danger you were just in?” he said. “He’s not a good man, Brynne. He could’ve—fuck. I shouldn’t have let you leave with him.”
“Nothing happened,” I said again, and he sliced his hand through the air.
“He was touching you, and that’s enough.” He stopped in front of me, and without warning, gripped my hands. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m fine.”
His eyes darted between mine, and everything that just happened, every emotion I felt melted away.
I felt safe.
Theo was making me feel safe.
“Thank you,” I whispered. His throat bobbed. “For—kicking him out.”
Protecting me.
“He’s lucky I didn’t fucking kill him.” His hands tightened around mine only slightly, and I twisted them until I could grip onto his wrists. He stared at me. I stared at him. “I hate that he scared you.”
“I’m okay,” I said again, shaking his words off.
“I hate that I wasn’t here to protect you.”
I pulled my hand from his grasp and rested it on his chest. “You did.”
His heart thundered beneath my palm, his breathing harsh and shallow.
“Don’t disappear again,” he said so softly I almost didn’t hear him. “Not with him.” He stepped closer, almost closing the distance between us. “Not with anyone.”
His eyes dropped to my mouth, and I felt heat spread through my body. “I won’t.” My feet dragged along the rug until the tips of my shoes rested against his. “I’m with you.”
Reaching up, he gently brushed my hair behind my ear. I leaned into his touch, into his safety, his warmth. “I’m with you , Red.”
My eyes dipped to his wide mouth—what did he taste like? What did his lips feel like?
Thoughts of last night flooded my mind, and all I could think about was the photo of his thick cock. I gasped at the memory, at the words he’d said to me.
Promised me.
I felt my face flush, felt my body respond to a question he hadn’t even asked yet.
My body swayed forward, pressing into his. His throat bobbed.
“Are you thinking about it too?” he rasped, and I nodded. “We can’t?—”
“We can’t,” I agreed. “It would be a mistake.”
“A huge mistake.” But he rested his large palm against my cheek, cupping it, guiding my face to his. “Tell me to stop, Brynne.”
I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out.
Instead, I pressed onto my tiptoes, bringing us closer. We shared breath—his was warm, and slightly minty, but there was that undercurrent of whiskey that made my knees weak.
“Tell me to stop,” he said again, pleading. “Tell me.”
His nose brushed against mine, and my eyes fluttered shut. “Don’t?—”
The door swung open, and a booming voice echoed off every wall in the room.
I leapt backwards, my heart racing so quickly I felt like I was about to pass out. Wide eyes stared back at me, Theo’s face flushed and coated in a thin layer of sweat.
“That asshole’s gone,” the blond man said. The dark-haired man stood beside him, looking calm and stoic, but there was a twitch under his right eye that gave him away.
“Good,” Theo rasped, nodding. He roughly cleared his throat, never taking his eyes off me. “Good.”
“Good,” I repeated. “Thanks.” I pointed at the open door. “I need to—excuse me.”
The men parted for me. Every step was a struggle on my wobbly knees, and as soon as I got into the hallway, I pressed my back against the wall, nearly sliding to the floor.
My breath came in short, rapid gasps. Holy fuck.
What the fuck was I thinking?
The door was a taunting escape, and I took it. I had to get out—get away.That was all I cared about—not the glitter bomb prank Trinity had planned, or the party she’d put together for weeks, or being there for Theo, or being there for Scout.
I had to get away .
I got in my car and didn’t look back.
Not even when everything inside me told me to.