Page 132 of A Dangerous Kind of Love

“I’m sorry,” I say, even though I’m still smiling. I pull her into me before she can dodge it. “Victor’s been around my family forever. He says whatever he wants.”

“That’s not an explanation.”

“It wasn’t meant to be,” I tell her, brushing my thumb along her arm. “He’s weird, but he’s not wrong. People don’t mess with what’s mine, Doll.”

Her eyes narrow. “I didn’t realize I was property.”

“You’re not,” I say, quick, but she’s already moving.

Her fingers pinch my side hard enough to make me jerk.

“Ow—“

“You were saying?”

I catch her wrist, still grinning. “You’re my girl, right?”

She studies me for a second.

“For now.”

“Oh,” I say, tipping my head. “My itty bitty Katie thinks she has power.”

The reaction is instant. Her expression snaps, and she shoves me back a step. I lose it, bending over as the laugh hits.

“I hate you. I hate you so much.”

I straighten and step in behind her, close enough that my mouth brushes her ear.

“That’s not what you were saying last night.” I pause, and add, quieter, “Sounded a lot more like ‘Michael…don’t stop…right there—’”

Her hand clamps over her mouth.

“Michael,” she hisses, whipping around. “We do not talk about that after we do…stuff.”

Her face is completely flushed, and she won’t even look at me for a second. I smile. God, she’s adorable.

“Come on,” I say, extending my hand. “Let’s go in.”

“Really?” she asks, deadpan. “After all that?” Her voice shifts into something sugary and fake. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go to the event now.”

I smirk, stepping closer instead of giving her space. “Yes. Plus, people are going to start wondering if the tiny, curly-haired brunette beat me up.”

She glares up at me. “I’m going to say this again. I’m not tiny. Five-six is a normal height. You’re the one who’s what, six-five? Six-six? You’re the abnormal one.”

A couple of people nearby glance over again but quickly look away when I meet their eyes. I grin at her, and she marches past me. How she walks in those heels, I’ll never know.

I let her get a few steps ahead before I follow. It doesn’t take much to catch up. I take her hand, pulling her back to my side. She doesn’t pull away.

The closer we get to the ballroom, the closer she moves in to me. It starts subtle, but I feel every inch of it. By the time we make it to the entrance, I’m pretty sure she’d crawl into my skin if it was an option.

She’s nervous as hell. She hides it well, but not from me.

The moment we step inside, every head turns. Conversations cut off mid-sentence. The room shifts, attention locking in all at once, and Katie’s hand tightens around my arm.

“Well, that’s not weird,” she mutters under her breath.

I cover her hand with mine where it grips my arm. “Remember who I am.”