Neo hums. His thumb is stroking along my jawline in the most distracting fashion. It’s really unhelpful.
“See, I think that’s what you truly believe, what you’ve been made to believe by your father. But I know it’s not true.”
That’s because he doesn’t know how dark my mind can get. The sinister thoughts and imaginings the monster has. “It is.”
“Nope,” he says. “It’s not. If it were because you’re afraid of hurting others, you wouldn’t let your guard down around me. You’d never hurt me.”
“You shouldn’t trust me so blindly. You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
“Say it, then,” he demands, his fingers tightening on my jaw. “Say you can see yourself hurting me. Out loud. Looking me in the eye.”
My throat bobs, but I stay silent.
“Exactly.” Neo nods in satisfaction. “You keep yourself buttoned up, not out of fear of hurting others, but becauseyoumight get hurt.”
I blink and then murmur, “I don’t understand.”
There’s no pity in his gaze as he holds mine. “It’s a defense mechanism. If no one knows the real you, they can’t hurt the real you. You can’t be rejected if no one truly knows you.”
I frown. “That’s preposterous. I’m close to my brothers.”
“Yes, but do they know the real you? Do they know that there’s a side of you that you hide from them?”
I’m silent once again, but my brain is loud. It’s taking Neo’s every word and trying to find a way to reject it. To prove it false.
But it can’t.
Fuck.
“Then there’s Candace,” Neo continues, his eyes flashing. “You can’t honestly tell me you actually like her.”
“She’s my girlfriend,” I say stiffly. It’s the one lie I’ll continue to hold on to where Neo’s concerned.
The little brat just smirks. “If that’s true, why are you grinding your erection against mine?”
What?
My gaze moves slowly down our bodies to where they meet. Holy fuck, he’s right. I’m hard. Hard and grinding against Neo’s equally hard length. I hadn’t even noticed I was doing it, too caught up in our words to pay any attention.
But I’m paying attention now.
What the fuck is happening?
I jump off the bed like I’ve been doused in ice water. Rearranging myself in my pants, I refuse to look at the way he’s sprawled on the bed. “This doesn’t mean anything. I’m straight.”
Neo props himself up on his elbows, his gaze fixed amusedly on the bulge in my pants. “Sure you are.”
This should be where I tell him to leave, that I’ll arrange a secure safe house for him, surrounded by bodyguards. That I’ll provide for all his worldly wants and needs, but in a location far away from me.
Instead, what I say is, “I’ll expect you in my office at nine a.m. sharp tomorrow.”
Turning on my heel, I make it all the way to the door before Neo speaks. “Wylder.”
I freeze, my hand on the doorknob. “Yes?”
There’s a scuffling sound followed by light footsteps. I don’t need to turn to know that Neo is right behind me. I can feel the heat of him. “If you make me stay, I won’t back off. All the bullshit I’ve been pulling, it’ll continue.”
My jaw twitches. “Why?”
