“Good night,” I mutter quietly, turning away from him. But I hear him following me, so I stop and try to go towards him again.
“Are you okay, Selene?” he asks. His words are so genuine that they break my heart.
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” I snap, hating the way my voice sounds, but unable to be anything but fierce in order to protect my heart.
He steps closer to me, and I’m forced to take a step back, my back pressing against the wall in the soft light.
I gasp when his scent washes over me.
“I’m not asking to start a fight with you. I really do care if you are okay,” he says gently, reaching up to touch my face. I turn my cheek to the side and scowl at him.
“I said I was fine,” I snap, my heart racing so fast at his touch that my knees have gone weak and my skin has become hot.
“The whole night you’ve hardly said anything at all,” he murmurs, his voice almost husky.
I look up at him and instantly regret it as our eyes meet. Caramel pools of gold. Intense and piercing into mine. He’s too close. He’s far too close.
I bite hard against my lip as my chin automatically lifts and my mind imagines pressing my lips against his mouth.
Horror strikes through me when I realize what I’m doing.
“I’m tired,” I huff, pushing him away from me.
My body is humming so intensely I don’t know if I’m excited or terrified.
“Selene, come on, talk to me at least. What’s bothering you?” he says, stepping back to give me some space.
“What’s wrong with me?” I scoff, shaking my head, redirecting all the need and warmth and confusion I feel all into one thing—anger. “What’s wrong with me is that I’m a prisoner here. And what’s bothering me… well, quite frankly, it’s none of your business!” I blurt out, fists clenched at my sides, and my eyes narrowed.
He sighs and pushes his hand through his hair in frustration.
“Fine,” he says quietly, disappointed, agitated.
“Fine,” I snap angrily, still glaring at him, my eyes dropping to his lips.
Lips I remember kissing.
“Good night then,” he sighs.
I scoff, shaking my head. I don’t say goodnight because I don’t trust my voice to come out steady. Instead, I push past him and march towards my bedroom while every fiber of my being screams at me to go back and kiss him.
Chapter7 - Simon
It’s late afternoon, and I am sitting in my home office. I know I should go into the office and check in at the warehouse, but I have been reluctant to leave the penthouse—to leave her. It’s a mix of fear that I’ll come back, and she’ll be gone, and a strange need to just be near her. Even if she hardly speaks to me. And even if I am confused as all hell about how I feel about her.
I tap my fingers on the keyboard of my computer, sighing softly as I realize it’s been days since I spoke to my brothers. And of course, I have been actively avoiding Raya since the park. She keeps messaging me to ask what happened, and I keep brushing her off without any information. I feel bad, but what in the world do I tell her?By the way, I am a father now. Twins. Congratulations to me.
“Simon.” Raya’s voice pierces into my thoughts like I somehow willed her into existence in front of me.
“Fuck!” I jump in fight, then push my hand over my heart to stop it from hammering so hard against my ribs.
“You’re jumpy,” she says. Her brows are raised as she invites herself into my office.
“To be fair… the security guys usually give me a heads up when I have visitors coming in,” I groan.
“Well, not when those visitors have the code to the private elevator from the parking lot,” she smirks.
“Dammit. I forgot you had that code as well,” I sigh, pushing my hand through my hair.
