Page 137 of By His Rule

I need to call Jamie to bring the car around, but I also have no intention of stopping. From the comments Lorelei has made about tonight, something tells me that she won’t object to making an early departure.

The doors appear before us and I pick up speed, but I’m not fast enough.

“Leaving so soon, Mr. Callahan?”

Fuck.

Lorelei stops dead. I’ve no idea if she recognized Sasha’s voice or if she can hear the venom in her tone just as easily as I can.

Before I can push her forward and pretend I didn’t hear anything, Lorelei spins around.

“Sasha, how lovely to see you. Kian didn’t tell me that you’d be here tonight.”

With a sigh, I also turn around. Just in time to see Sasha sneer at Lorelei.

“Could say the same about you.”

“Me?” Lorelei says, pointing at herself, a sickly-sweet smile playing on her lips. “I’m only here because?—”

“She’s my girlfriend,” I finish before Lorelei gets a chance to finish her sentence.

Lorelei’s body freezes in my hold, but she doesn’t immediately refute my comment.

Sasha rears back as if I just slapped her, although somehow, she manages to keep the fake smile on her equally fake lips.

“I see. Well, congratulations,” she forces out before turning her attention to me. “I didn’t think you were one to fuck your subordinates, Kian.”

Lorelei trembles and I squeeze her waist, silently begging her to keep a lid on it.

“We can’t always predict these things,” I explain tersely.

“Apparently not, seeing as I was meant to be here with you tonight.”

“I’m sure you found a wonderful man to put up with you for the event. He’s probably looking for you as we speak. Might want to run along.”

Sasha’s face turns beet red, and I just about manage to catch my laugh before it erupts.

“We should go, we have plans. Come on, babe. The car is waiting.”

Ready to make her escape, Lorelei bids Sasha a forced goodbye before spinning around and marching toward the doors.

“Lorelei,” I warn darkly as she pushes through them. Thankfully, the crowd and paparazzi from earlier have disappeared, leaving only the valet drivers behind.

“What?” she hisses, spinning on the balls of her feet and glaring me dead in the eyes. “Don’t you want her to witness the fallout from that? Am I meant to be the perfect, doting girlfriend now? What. The. Fuck, Kian?”

Tipping my head to the sky, I stare up at the dark, star-filled sky and pray for some strength.

Did I plan to say that? No, I really fucking didn’t.

Am I regretting it? Also no.

If it gets Sasha and the numerous others like her off my back for a bit, then, no, I don’t fucking regret it.

But then, I look down again and find Lorelei’s murderous expression that promises me a whole world of pain, and I begin to second-guess myself.

“It’s a smart idea. I’m surprised I didn’t think of it sooner,” I explain as I dig my hand into my pocket for my cell to message Jamie.

“A smart idea? Fuck, Kian. How was telling your…your fuck buddy that I’m your girlfriend a good idea?”

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