Page 41 of Tempt Me
“Then, back to your post.” He sits down, slipping the gun into a desk drawer before Fran slips out ahead of me. As I reach the foot of the stairs, she grasps my elbow.
“Don’t defy him on this,caro.”
When I meet her gaze, it’s haunted and frightening. I don’t understand it, but I know she means it with every cell in her body.
Not seeing the point in saying anything, as we’ve just been over this, I pull my arm out of her loose grip and walk up the stairs slowly, knowing I was a fool to fall for Rue to begin with.
She will rule Arachon as its Queen.
You are just a foot-soldier. A pawn.
Whatever bond is forming between us must be severed instantly, or I will find myself buried in a deep grave next to Antonio.
No one hurts her, but no one can love her either.
Pushing open the door to my room, I huff out a breath of frustration when I see Rue in my bed. “What are you doing?”
Closing the door quietly, I lean against it, waiting for an answer.
“If you think I’m sleeping in there tonight, you are out of your mind.”
Understanding dawning, I straighten up. “Okay, we’ll swap.”
“Erm, nooooo,” she drawls, propping herself on her elbow. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“We’ll leave the door open.”
“Isaac,” she snaps. “Read between the lines.” She flicks the covers off her to reveal her naked body.
“The lines have been drawn, Princess,” I say formally, needing to distance myself from her as much as I can in whatever way I can.
“You don’t say that like you mean it,” she replies huskily.
“It’s meant with every last breath in my body, so cover up and get some rest. We have a long drive tomorrow.”
She frowns. “Huh?”
“Grove City.”
“Oh, that,” she snickers. “That was a ploy to get me out of the party early. I needed you to believe it so it was…” She shrugs. “…believable.”
Rubbing a hand over my tired face, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. She is cunning and always has an exit plan.
“What time is it?” she asks suddenly.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, silently ticking, I reply, “Just after midnight. Why?”
Her smile grows wider. “It’s been five days.”
“Five days since what?” I know. Oh, fuck I know.
“Since I had sex.Youmay be able to go five years, but I told you, I can’t go five days. Now, since we already started and were cockblocked by that shitshow, I want to pick up where we left off.”
Well, never let it be said that she wasn’t forthright.
“No.”
“No?” The question is harsh, demanding an answer.
