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“Of course. In fact, I think we could come to?—”
Suddenly, there was a loud noise as the front door slammed open. “Tucker!” boomed a low voice that made my chest blossom with heat. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Tucker jerked to his feet, an abrupt change coming over him. “Rook,” he growled, “what are you doing here?”
“Don’t you even fuc—” Rook heaved, staring between the two of us.
“You need to leave,” Tucker grit out. “You’ll have your time with her.”
“I don’t—she’s not…”
“He’s trying to tell you that he didn’t put in an application for me.” I’d specifically checked, and was unable to stop the disappointment I’d felt. I stood next to Tucker, facing him down.
“You didn’t put in a…” Tucker gave Rook an incredulous look. Then a slow smile spread across his face. “Then would you mind explaining why you’ve shown up here? Bursting in here like a caveman.”
“Summer,” Rook snarled at me, “You need to leave. Now.”
“She doesn’t.” Tucker said.
“Exactly,” I folded my hands across my chest. “You’re not the boss of me.”
Rook’s dark gaze burned into me, making a lump form in my throat. The look he was giving me. Why did I… why did I feel like I was, somehow, cheating on him? His stare was wild and possessive and took a hold of me, hooking into me like an anchor.
My insides burned with that look.
Throughout my entire life, I’d yearned to be my true self.
But the world rebuffed messiness, insisting on neatness and order, demanding self-possession and composure.
Chaos wasn't tolerated; only order offered safety.
But the strangely familiar presence Rook radiated, the way he was looking at me, his chest heaving, the possession in his gaze, the way his fingers twitched at his side, as if wanting to reach out to me but was withholding—it called to me.
Like a savage roar in the jungle, it beckoned to the wild, chaotic part of me trapped inside, longing for release, like a vicious wolf protecting the vulnerable bunny; I was safe with him.
With a sudden jolt, I knew in that moment that I belonged, not to Tucker or any of the other men that I’d met, but To. Him.
And yet, who was he?
I didn’t even know or understand, how or why he was familiar. Why this strange bond I felt for him, even though he’d been nothing but rude and demanding and controlling and…kind and protective and giving.
“I can’t.” The words lumped in my throat and I took a step backwards. Fear had seized my chest, crawling up my belly and tearing through my insides. I shook my head. “No.”
I couldn’t.
The world wasn’t safe.
I had to be the protector.
I couldn’t let down my guard.
I had to maintain my walls, push down the feelings bursting, couldn’t manage a crack in my armor.
“You need to leave, Rook.”
“Like hell I am,” in two sudden steps, he was at me. I was backed into the table, couldn’t move right or left. “I’m not leaving without you.”
With a sudden jerk, he’d grabbed me by my hips and threw me over his shoulder.
