Page 74 of In Love and Revenge

‘And?’ I shudder. ‘Doesn’t mean he can’t be a leery prick.’

‘Are you okay?’ He turns so we’re facing one another head on.

‘Like you care,’ I retort, too unnerved by Dominic to be civil. I shrug out of his grip. ‘You told me that, remember? In your office.’

‘I recall what happened in my office.’

He holds my eyes, and I hate him for having such beautiful, mesmerising ones.

‘Exactly,’ I huff. ‘So don’t claim to be bothered now, just because your pervy friend was—’

‘Did he touch you?’ he growls.

‘What?’

He moves closer, and instead of moving towards the bush, I find myself leaning into his space, staring up at him towering over me.

‘Did Dom touch you?’ he repeats, his voice a rough husk.

‘No, he ... Well, yes, technically, on my arms and my face. And it was weird ... I didn’t like it.’

Rafael sucks a sharp breath in through his nose and a muscle in his cheek clenches. ‘Stay by my side.’

He holds his hand out to me and arches a brow when I don’t move.

‘What? No way!’

‘Aurora,’ he growls, his darkened gaze boring into me. ‘I’m not asking. Take my hand, or have it wrapped around you. Either way you’re not leaving my side until I take you home.’

His sudden protectiveness is like whiplash. Dove told me he’s like this, always wanting to know everything about every man she ever dated. Before everything that happened with the one we don’t talk about, that is. Apparently, with him, Rafael’s brotherly protectiveness soared to even greater heights.

But I’m not his sister. There’ll be another reason he’s being so bossy when he’s usually such a dick.

I study him, noting the bunched-up tension in his shoulders and the deep line etched between his brows as he stares back at me with startlingly focused precision.

‘You’re not to leave my side, understand?’ he says, like he’s explaining something to a child.

I snort. ‘Why do you care if I get hit on? Are you worried I’ll embarrass Fairfax Guardian by insulting a pervy client if I tell them to fuck off?’

He steps closer, his eyes blazing. ‘You think I’m worried about you embarrassing me?’

‘Why else are you acting all weird? Like you actually give a toss. You know what? I’ve had enough of trying to figure you out.’

I move to walk past him, but he blocks my path with his giant body.

‘What I “give a toss about”,’ he hisses, ‘is that I might jeopardise a multimillion-pound business relationship and end up in prison like your father when I rip the hand off any man who touches you. So, please, Aurora, don’t fight me. Not on this.’

I gape at him, hating how he has to have another dig at my father, like he can’t help himself. ‘You’re an arsehole, you know that?’

He lowers his voice to a rough warning. ‘No one touches you, understand?’

I look down at his hand that he’s wrapped around my hip like he thinks he’s actually going to win this.

‘You’retouching me right now.’

‘No one except me.’

‘What makes you so special?’