Chapter 26 #2
The random she’d chosen had the audacity to trail his arms all over her curves, over her hips and down to the hem of her tight chiffon dress. The deep violet fabric barely covered her ass, so when his slimy hands hovered over it, that was all I needed to get me to her in two seconds flat.
My hand wrapped around his wrist, yanking him away from her. My eyes fell on his. “Touch her again, I dare you.”
“Jesus, what the fuck.” The guy gasped, stumbling back as his eyes widened. “She kissed me.”
“Didn’t stop you from grabbing her ass, did it?” I gripped the neck of his shirt tighter. “Now, fuck off.”
I pushed him back, sending him tumbling into a group of guys.
“What the fuck is your problem?” her voice shouted.
I didn’t even look at Cora as I grabbed her hand. “We’re going.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m staying here.” She yanked her hand back, and I gave in and set my eyes on her.
All that hurt had turned to anger, and I knew here wasn’t the place to simmer it.
I shook my head. “Outside.”
Her hands shoved my chest. “Fuck. You.”
Defiant. Little. Creature
As she went to turn around, anger overcame me and I slipped my hand around her waist, hoisting her over my shoulder.
Her gasp barely sounded above the music, but her hands were frantic, slapping my back and pulling at my shirt.
But I had her, and nothing, not even the scratches she was leaving, would stop me from getting her out of here and somewhere we could talk.
I passed the same bouncer who’d tried to stop me before and simply shrugged when he sent me a confused look. “She didn’t have a wristband.”
Once we were out in the air, her yells had softened, but they didn’t stop, so I got us out of the barriers and found a quiet street just behind the club, placing her down on the ground right by a telephone box.
Her heels clicked as they found the sidewalk, and when she had her balance, her hands shoved me again. “What the fuck is the matter with you?”
I shook my head, my hands running over my face, catching the light rain that had started to fall. “What’s the matter with me? I’ve been running all over fucking London trying to find you.”
Her arms were out by her side. “Well, that was a waste of your time considering that you don’t actually care about me.”
Here we go.
“Imagine, declaring to the world that I’m worth being taken to save your company, only to spend the rest of the day chasing me around like some lost puppy.”
I stepped closer. “I said all that to protect you, okay? I said it to make sure whoever the fuck is trying to take me down didn’t touch you.”
Her face screwed up. “By telling them to come after me?”
“By throwing them off from how much I care about you.”
My breaths were heavy as they mingled in the cooling air, but all I could focus on was her. I had her near, and that was all that mattered. She could choose to believe or not, but as long as I had her here, and safe, my job was done.
She folded her arms over her waist, her bottom lip quivering like she didn’t know what to say. “Well… you sounded pretty fucking convincing.” She stood as tall as she could. “Especially the part where you said broken wasn’t your type.”
Frustration powered my arms as they flew in front of me. “I was lying to him, Cora. Every fucking thing I said was a lie.”
“How am I supposed to believe that after all the shit we’ve been through? How can I trust you anymore?”
“I don’t know!” I exclaimed, moving closer to her.
“I don’t know. Okay?” My arms flailed. “I don't know how you'll trust me. I don’t know why I feel like I’m sinking every time I can’t find you.
I don’t know why I look forward to seeing your smile every morning.
And I don’t know why I can’t stop feeling like all I want to do is kiss you every time you look at me. ”
She didn’t say anything, simply stood there, letting my words brand her skin. But whatever I’d said clearly wasn’t enough. “I don’t believe you.”
“And I don’t care.”
Fury lit up her eyes as we stood in a stand-off, wondering who would be the first to break.
Her eyes scanned my face once more before I watched her take a step. “I’m going back inside to find Cameron.”
“Oh, he has a name? Did you find that out before or after he tried to eat your face?”
If looks could kill, I’d be a goner right now.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I was into it.”
She walked away, but before she could disappear, I lurched and slipped her hand into mine, pulling her back. My eyes locked onto the phone box, and without thinking, I pulled open the door and tugged us both inside.
I spun around and Cora settled right under me, her chest beating against mine.
“Believe me, I know how you like to be kissed, and that sure didn’t look like the right way to go about turning you on.”
Her foxy eyes told me I was right. She didn’t need to say a goddamn thing.
The rain had picked up, hammering on the glass and blurring the world around us. But in here, it was just her. Just Cora. And she was looking at me like I’d ripped the floor out from beneath her.
“I didn’t mean any of it,” I sighed, the words punching out of me. “What you heard me say on the phone, that was bullshit. Every fucking word of it.”
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
“I only said it to protect you. Sure, this guy might only be good at making files disappear and not people, but I didn’t want to take that chance. Not with you.”
She kept her icy stare on me. "Is that because you actually want to keep me safe, or because you have to?"
“Because I need to."
Even though the rain was pounding down on us, I still heard her breath hitch.
"Because I can't stop thinking about you. I think about you all the time, Cora, and it’s driving me insane.”
She leaned back, crossing her arms like a shield, but I saw the way her fingers trembled slightly against her skin. “You don’t get to play the hero now.”
“I know.” I leaned a half-inch closer, and her eyes flickered. “But I’m being honest. I’m bearing my fucking heart to you and you don’t have to believe me, but… I like you. Okay?”
“You don’t mean that,” she snapped, even though her voice wavered.
“I mean every word.”
Her head shook, inching closer. “No one means it when they say they like me. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. People use me for their own gain and leave me broken and I don’t think I can take another hit. Not if all I am is a crown that needs protecting.”
“You were, at first,” I rushed, honestly. “But everything happened and now the thought of having you close makes me want to never let you go.”
A beat of silence fell between us. Her gaze dragged over my face, marking my mouth, my jaw, my eyes, and lingered. Like she was memorising the way I looked when she undid. And I was. Completely.
“You’re serious?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded once, slowly. “Yeah.”
Her breath hitched once more, but this time I caught it, and my pulse jumped in response.
We we’re standing too close, too tense, too full of unsaid things. And her lips were right there. Right fucking there. And she kept looking at mine like she was serious too.
She shifted her weight. I glanced down at her mouth again. She didn’t back away.
God, she was killing me.
My hands twitched at my sides. I wanted to touch her. Pull her in. Feel her again.
But her mouth beat me to it.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted the last time you kissed me.” she rushed, breathless, as my hand rose to her cheek, my thumb skimming my stubble absent-mindedly. “The last time we were this close.”
I dipped my head, looking right into those eyes I wanted to drown in. “And now?”
My thumb brushed over her pink lips as her eyes dragged over my face, her pupils growing before she found mine.
“Now I don’t want to waste another second denying myself something else that feels so right just because it's the right thing to do.” Our noses brushed, her lips so fucking close. “I want you.”
“Really?” I rushed, wondering if I’d heard her correctly.
She nodded against me. “Really." Hey eyes caught mine. "But only if you want to—”
It was my turn to kiss her quick, my tongue brushing over hers, telling hers just how much I wanted this.
I don’t know why I pulled back, but I did. Purely to see her. See whatever was running through that incredible mind of hers. And like always, it was in her eyes. She wanted this.
Those dark orbs dipped to my mouth, before peering up at me through those thick lashes. “Interrupt me again, Marcus, and I’ll go back and find Cameron.”
It was like hearing my name on her lips was all I needed to let go.
I grabbed her face with both hands, stealing a breath before whispering, “I think we both know it's not his name you'll be moaning tonight.”
And then I was hers.