Page 29 of Fated Love with You
“How exactly did I cost you your best friend if you were expecting her call?”
“Because you—” I shake my head. “As much as I’d love to explain, we don’t have ‘tell-all’ conversations as you said, so I’ll keep it to myself.”
He lets out a low laugh that sends a flush of warmth through my body. An image of him fucking me in the bar suddenly flashes in my mind, but I shake it away.
“How do I make it clearer that I don’t want to talk to you for a while?”
“You could come tell me in person.”
“I’m busy.”
“I can see that.” There’s a smile in his voice. “You deserve to drink much better brands than the ones you have in your cart. Meet me on aisle ten.”
End of Episode 9
Inevitable
EPISODE 10
Autumn
Ryder looks completely out of place in the cereal aisle, and if I wasn’t suffering from mental overload, I’d be sprinting for the exit.
“Hello, Autumn.” His eyes meet mine. “Are you planning to come closer to me?”
“I can address you just fine from here.”
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t.” He picks up a box of Cap’n Crunch, but I don’t move any closer.
“I don’t want to talk to you for a while.” I keep my voice firm. “I haven’t had a day to myself since I did the Miami job for you, and I feel like my hours are running on acid and speed. I don’t even know how many days have gone by because it all feels like one never-ending fucking saga.”
He arches a brow.
“I meant what I said about enjoying the orgasms so far, but I can’t be with another guy who insists on keeping secrets, a guy who is having me surveilled at every turn, a guy who literally refuses to tell me the simplest things so…” I pause. “Consider this my two weeks’ notice for working under you.”
His expression doesn’t shift.
“And as far as a relationship—i.e., dating you, I’ll need some time to think about that…”
“That’s all I have to say for now.” I stare at him, waiting for a rebuttal, but he’s standing so still and tight that he might as well be a statue.
Okay, then.
“Glad you’re being understanding about this.” I push my cart forward and past him, and he grips the handle before I can get away.
“If it was this easy for you to walk away from me, I would’ve let you do it a long time ago,” he says.
“I haven’t known you that long.”
“I’ve known you.” His voice is terse, and the way he’s said that line makes me slightly uneasy. “Nonetheless…”
He lets go of the cart and moves closer, caging me in against shelves of oatmeal.
Tilting my chin up with his fingertips, he looks deep into my eyes.
“We haven’t evenbegunto have sex, so you shouldn’t look at the few orgasms you’ve had as anything more than a taste…” His mouth brushes against mine as he speaks, as if he’s imprinting his sentences onto my mouth.
“You can have some time off,” he says, “but it’ll always depend on what needs to be done. And youwillbe surveilled—whether you like it or not—because that’s a non-negotiable part of being with me.”
