Page 33 of Off-Limits Bad Boy
“But it's over. That letter was me closing that chapter.” He gestures at the letter in my hands, and I wonder what I’m missing.
“Then why keep it secret?” I ask, my voice soft in the loud silence of the room. Why would he hide this if there was nothing to hide? Have all his advances, all his flirting, all the heart-racing moments between us... have they meant nothing? Have I been reading him - and whatever this is between us - all wrong from the start?
“Because I didn't want to lose you over something that means nothing to me anymore.”
His words leave me unable to speak or breathe.
“All she is to me is an old flame that can never be reignited.” His gaze locks on me, leaving no room to doubt what he’s saying. I’m still curious why he hid the truth, but maybe he’s being honest. Or maybe I’m overlooking a glaring red flag and inviting pain and trouble into my heart.
His gaze drops to the floor before finding mine again, regret filling his handsome features. “I'm sorry,” he says, “I should've been straight with you from the start. She only got into town last night.”
Something about the thought of them meeting up last night and him penning this letter today has my gut twisting. Did they sleep together? Why do I care? It’s none of my business.
He extends a hand, asking for the letter without words. Instinctively, I jerk back, cradling the paper against my chest. I have something to say, too. “I shouldn't have read this,” I say, my voice heavy with guilt. Snooping isn't in my nature, but my curiosity demanded answers.
“Emma,” he says, but I cut him off with a raised hand.
“We both made mistakes.” My throat tightens around the admission. “Mine worse than yours, of course...” I trail off, not sure where I’m going with this.
He seems to consider for a moment, then asks me a question that leaves me wondering the answer, too. “Why does this matter to you?” Something in the narrowed look in his eyes leaves me internally gasping for air.
There’s no answer I can give, so I bow out instead. “Here,” I say, extending the letter toward him like an olive branch in the midst of a war.
“I messed up.” My confession comes quick and I retreat, turning on my heel and desperate to escape the confines of his office. I just want to put distance between us.
But I don't get far before he moves right up to me and his fingers wind around my arm. I gasp as he halts me mid-stride, then, in one fluid motion, spins me around to face him. He moves me back with his body until the wall presses to my back and he presses to my front. I can hardly breathe.
“I'm not just going to let you walk away, Emma,” he says, and I steel myself to the fate of having to answer his questions, even though I don’t want to.
He leans in closer, the heat of his body searing through the fabric of my clothes to burn my flesh. His hands plant on the wall beside me, framing my shoulders. Every nerve ending sparks to life as he studies me like a dying man eyes his last meal.
His lips hover near mine and when his gaze drops to my mouth, I know it’s all over.
But before he can kiss me, someone clears their throat.
Chapter Fourteen
Kade
“I'm not interrupting anything, am I?” Alex's voice is like an ice pick through my heart. I know that I should pull away from Emma, but I know that if I jerk away, it's going to look as bad as it is. Instead, I hold her gaze, and she stares up into my eyes with an expression of heat and fear.
“Absolutely not,” I reply without looking at him, my tone cool.
Emma's gaze flicks to her brother, then back to me with a look of fabricated panic. “I'll never go through your desk again,” she whispers, so low I feel the words more than hear them, but I know he can hear her, too. Her eyes plead for understanding, for secrecy, and I know she doesn't want her brother to know the truth any more than I do. And that’s going to pose a big problem in the future.
“Good,” I say in a low, threatening tone that sends a shiver through her. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was enjoying this back and forth.
She nods, slipping out from under my arm and not even looking at her brother as she darts past, leaving a trail of soft perfume in her wake that leaves my mouth watering.
Alex watches her flee, then turns his stunned expression on me. “She was going through your desk?” He's trying to piece together the scene, but confusion clouds his features, along with fear. Good. I can use that. Fear is easy to manage.
“Nothing important.” I shake my head, dismissing his concern. “She didn't find anything important.”
He chuckles, a sound that doesn't quite mask his discomfort. He rubs the back of his neck, a sure sign he's unsettled. “For a second there, I thought...” He trails off, eyes squinting as if trying to read me.
“You thought what?” I ask, daring him to put me on the spot. I’d be lying if I tried to say I wasn't enjoying this game of back and forth.
“I thought you were about to kiss her.” His sheepish grin is at odds with the anxiety in his eyes.