“You can’t break any more rules,” she countered, her voice losing a touch of its confidence. She leaned forward, placing a hand against my chest.
I felt my throat tighten and my heart quicken. She made me nervous.Constantly.
“I’m almost certain that would fall under rule number four, don’t you think?”
I shook my head. “Rule number four is ‘no sex.’ So, no, not exactly.”
“Okay, but it could start something.”
“It could,” I said as I let out a slow breath, weighing up my options. The rules had been established for a reason, but here, in this moment, they felt like fragile barriers.
I wasveryaware of the line I was about to cross.
“And you might find taking isn’t always as satisfying as earning,” she continued.
“I don’t see an alternative here,” I replied, my voice desperate for some kind of control.
“You could take me with you.”
Her proposition hung in the air. “Take you with me?” I echoed. “And what would be the terms of this little arrangement?”
She tilted her head slightly. “Simple. You get your keys, and I get to see what you’re up to. Win-win, wouldn’t you say?”
Rosalie was always one step ahead, always playing a game I was only half-aware of. She thrived on the uncertainty and the constant push and pull between us. I was her favorite game to play, and I never wanted her to get bored.
“And what if I say no?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She didn’t waste a second. “Then you’ll have to miss that oh-so-important meeting.” Her smile widened. She knew she had me cornered.
I couldn’t miss that meeting. I had to deal with Mason before things got out of control.
The truth was, I didn’t have many options. Rosalie had orchestrated this perfectly, leaving me with a choice that reallywasn’t a choice at all. She had a way of doing that, backing me into a corner and making it seem as if there was a way out.
I took a deep breath, letting it all out slowly as I made up my mind. Her eyes bore into mine, waiting, expectant, confident I would succumb to her demands.
But I had my own rules, my own lines I wouldn’t cross, no matter how clever she was.
“Then I’ll miss the meeting,” I said, putting my hands in my pockets.
Her eyes widened in surprise, her confidence faltering. “What?”
I took a step closer, lowering my voice. “It’s not safe for you to be there,” I explained. “You have no idea what kind of men will be in that room. Men who would eat you alive given the chance.”
I wanted to look calm and in control, though inside, I was anything but. I didn’t have a clue what to do next.
“It’ll be fine. I have you,” she said, strutting toward the door. “Let’s go.”
I stood there in the doorway until I realized she was going to take the car, with or without me, and disappear off to God knows where.
How did she always get what she wanted, and why was it impossible for me to say no to the damn woman?
As we walked out the door together, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was making a mistake. Rosalie defied the most mundane rules and lied to me as if her life depended on it. Why was she so resistant? I had to trust she could handle herself; that she’d listen for once and stay out of trouble.
When I caught up, I shook my head and opened the passenger door for her. “Good play,” I said as I reached out to grasp her arm gently, the heat of her skin sending a jolt through me. “Behave, or I’ll have you taken out.”
She nodded with a smile. “Got it.”
Rosalie clung to my side, her arm wrapped around mine. Her eyes scanned the room quickly, taking notice of the people gathered in the corner.
