Page 118 of Heartless Stepbrother
I was in even more trouble than I thought.
And not the kind I could outrun.
I pushed the thoughts away, every racing heartbeat, every embarrassing flash of memory, every flutter in my stomach that had absolutely no right to exist.
This was ridiculous.
I wasn’t some fragile little thing who melted every time Riley breathed near me. I wasn’t supposed to be flustered by a guy who walked around like he owned every inch of air he stepped into. I wasn’t supposed to be rattled just because he happened to be…
I cut the thought off before it formed.
No.
Enough.
If I kept reacting like this, he’d steamroll me. He wasn’t even trying. Not really. And I was already scrambling emotionally like some rookie facing a professional.
I needed to get it together.
I needed to get stronger.
I needed to be someone who didn’t blush at the drop of a towel… or the lack of one.
Someone who didn’t freeze when he leaned in close, or forget English when he smirked, or turn into a malfunctioning robot at the sound of his voice dipping low.
I needed to be untouchable.
At least on the outside.
Like him.
He never flinched. Never faltered. Never let anything slip through that confident armor he wore so naturally. He could walk into a room, strip down, take a shower in front of someone…
Stop. Don’t think about that.
And somehow he could be the one in control the whole time.
I wanted that.
Not him.
Not whatever was happening between us.
But that strength.
Because if I didn’t figure out how to hold my ground, he’d push me right off it, whether he meant to or not.
I straightened in the seat, forcing the heat from my cheeks, forcing my breath to steady, forcing myself to look out the window like nothing had happened. Like nothing could touch me.
He might have startled me today.
He might have gotten under my skin, tugged at my nerves, flipped my stomach upside down.
But that was the last time he’d catch me off guard.
The next time Riley tried something, flirty, teasing, cocky, or downright reckless, I’d be ready.
He might be dangerous in all the wrong ways.
