Page 83 of By His Rule

“Absolutely not. I’m not leaving you on a street corner on a Friday night.”

“You’re also not walking me to my door. You can forget it.”

“We’ll see,” I tease.

“Yeah, we will.”

20

LORELEI

“What are you doing?” I snap when Kian kills the engine and reaches to open his door as if he’s going to walk me inside. Exactly what I just told him not to do.

“Lorelei,” he warns, sending tingles shooting around my body.

“I don’t need you to pretend you care, Kian. I have let myself into my building alone at night more times than I can count. I didn’t need a babysitter then, and I still don’t need one now.”

“What if I told you that I’d sleep better tonight if I knew you were safely tucked inside your apartment.”

“Then I’d tell you that I don’t care how you sleep and stand my ground.”

“You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that, Miss Tempest?”

“Takes one to know one,” I shoot back as my cell buzzes with yet another message from Matt.

Any thoughts about the message he sent last night being a one-off because he was feeling bad about what happened between us vanish. It was a stupid hope. I already know he doesn’t care about my feelings or anyone else’s.

All I want to do is get inside, talk to Wilder, have a shower, and crawl into bed. Is that too much to ask?

“Touché. So shall we?” he asks, pushing his door open.

“Watch me into the building. I’ll message you once I’m safe inside my apartment. How’s that?”

He shakes his head. I get it. The feeling of irritation is most definitely mutual.

“I’ll see you on Monday,” I say before we end up arguing about this any longer and push the door open, pressing my foot to the sidewalk.

“Thank you for tonight.”

“Sure,” I mutter before slamming the door closed and taking off toward the entrance to my building.

Despite my need to turn around and make sure he leaves once I’m inside, I don’t. I keep my sights set on the elevator and keep moving.

He’s my boss, not my father. I don’t need anyone to take care of me.

No one else has, so why should someone start now?

I take care of me, that’s how it’s been for as long as I can remember, and it’s the way it’ll stay.

Sure, I might always have one eye out for Mr. Right, but that doesn’t mean I want to end up as a little wife who relies on her husband. I will never be the kind of girlfriend or wife who asks her man's permission for anything. I want someone who will give me space to breathe and make my own decisions and mistakes, while always being there waiting for me to return with his arms and heart open.

Am I asking too much of the male half of the population? Yes, I very much could be. But I refuse to compromise for the sake of being in a relationship.

The elevator delivers me to my floor, and in only seconds I have my front door open, ready to lock myself inside and put the day behind me.

My cell buzzes again, and I groan.

“I swear to God if you’re messaging me already—” My words are cut off when it continues vibrating, and I jump into action.

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