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 withme? 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’tfind 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.
