Page 61 of When Night Falls

"When are you going to stop asking me what I want and just let me be here? Why do I need towantanything, Rivian? Is it too much to ask for me to be involved? Is it hard to believe that I want to be here, and that I just want to…" I don't finish that statement because words flood me, and I don't have time to think them over. I don't want to say too much. So I calm the pace I'm speaking in and hope he sees how fucking hard I'm tryinghere. "I'm here to help you secure the crown, am I not? I'm here because you claim you need me to give you that security."

"I could have married anyone." The sting of his words bites like a shark. Like he's not even trying to understand what I'm saying and what I want. And the audacity of the asshole to down his next drink, setting the cup down and turning his back to me leaves me fuming.

If that's true, then why the fuck am I here trying to pick between the devil and the angel that sit on my shoulders, both of them feeding me different narratives on how I should handle every waking second that I'm around this man? This man that consumes my entire being even though he's confusing and arrogant andwrong. But the way he feels when I'm in his arms is so right.

"That's not what you said to me the other day. We're tethered, remember?" I take a few more steps forward, wanting him to turn around and look at me.

Why won't he fucking look at me?

"I don't have to go through with that." His voice is monotone and rage swims inside me, creeping along the valleys of the cracks he's creating in my reserve with his lack of attention. They're getting deeper and deeper into territory that won't be good for either of us, threatening to boil over and explode.

"Then why string me along?" I try my best to suppress the tone in my voice that would display just how enraged he's actually making me.

"Because." He tests me.

"Why?" I test him back.

My whole body shakes when he turns around swifty and in the same breath, slams his fist down on the top of his desk, the crystal glass he just drank from bounces up and shatters against the wood.

"Because, Lucynda! I have too much fucking riding on you." His anger overtakes my own, rage painting his face in a shadow of darkness that I am too scared to challenge.

Maybe if he didn't want me to rile his ass up so much, he should have just answered me straight the first time.

"What the hell does that mean?" I cross my arms. He thinks I’ll back down because he’s some big scary vampire. But I won’t let him force my hand that easily.

"It means, I will do with you what I very well please. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to prepare for." He doesn't move though. He waits to see if I'll exit the room first but I won't. He'll have to learn to deal with my stubbornness just like I have to put up with him being an asshole.

"No," I tell him.

"Excuse me?" He twists his head slightly, rearing it over his shoulder but not quite looking at me.

"Cancel your meeting," I demand of him, wondering if he would do that for me. But I know that his answer will be no. I know he's not the type of guy to give up what he's doing in order to appease his girl. Then again, I'm not reallyhis girl, am I?

"I can't do that, Cyn."

"Rivian, I'm trying. Really trying here. Please just give me a little bit of your time." This time, I resort to pleading for him to give me what I want.

He finally turns his body, allowing his face to slowly rise so that I can see the darkest parts of his eyes as he glances over me. Something primal sets loose in his stare, his mouth twitches slightly as he brings his thumb to swipe his bottom lip.

"I gave that to you yesterday, remember?" He says in a dark tone. "I had you practically begging me for it up against that wall."

Heat spikes against my skin, like tiny fires setting ablaze over the surface of me as I recall exactly what he did to me. How goodit felt. How warm I felt in his hold. How his tongue felt gliding against my blood-soaked skin.

"We both wanted that," I confirm, trying to avoid the memory.

Rivian takes a step away from his desk, closing in on the space between us.

"Then you pulled away," he reminds me. I did what I had to do to stop the pulse of pleasure from growing. To stop the ache that begged him for relief.

"I didn't want that to be my first time." I'm not lying, but I also knew I was attempting to beat him at his own game. Make him want me the way I know, deep down, that I want him.

"Don't play with fire, Lucynda. It'll only get you burned." Another step.

His midnight navy Brioni Vanquish suit looks sinful against the burgundies and dark browns in his office, mixed with the heated gaze of his green eyes.

"I've already been burned, Rivian," I say as I look down at my feet, needing to escape the eyes I craved to look at me moments ago, now eating me up as he walks closer. "You don't get to play this god complex card of yours as if you're the only thing that can hurt me." I look back up at him. "Pain doesn't come that easily to me."

"I think you doubt just how breakable you are, little one." There's a roughness that plays in his tone. Something minacious and tempting.