Chapter 26 Any other rules?

Chapter 26 Any other rules?
Elena Thorne 

“What could be worse than his offer?” I whispered to my reflection. “Considering it.”

I had escaped into the hallway, following signs to the women’s restroom. It was empty, thank goddess. I leaned against the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

My face was flushed. My hands were shaking. Three days of successfully avoiding Kieran, and an hour sitting next to him had me completely unraveled.

You can’t keep running, my wolf said.

“Watch me.”

He wants you. You want him. Why are you making this so difficult?

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know what this is about.”

When will you stop punishing yourself for feeling things?

I didn’t have an answer for that.

I ran cold water over my wrists, trying to calm down. Trying to center myself enough to get through the rest of this conference without falling apart or doing something monumentally stupid.

The bathroom door opened behind me.

I looked up at the mirror, expecting to see another conference attendee.

To my surprise, Kieran stood in the doorway.

“This is the women’s restroom,” I said immediately.

“I know.” He stepped inside, then turned and locked the door behind him with a decisive click.

“What are you doing?” Panic crept into my voice, though not the kind I should be feeling. “You can’t, someone could need—”

“The conference is in full session. No one’s leaving for at least another hour.” He turned to face me fully, and the look in his eyes made my breath catch. “We need to finish our conversation.”

“We finished it.” I gripped the edge of the sink behind me. “You made your offer. I’m thinking about it. That’s all there is to say.”

“Is it?” He took a step closer, and I felt the air between us charge. “The way you’re looking at me right now says something different.”

“I’m not looking at you any particular way.”

“You are.” He took another step. “You’re looking at me like you want to say yes but you’re scared to.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Liar.” He was close enough now that I could smell him and it made my wolf whine. “You’ve been scared since the storage room. You are scared of admitting to what you want.”

“You don’t know what I want.”

“Don’t I?” His hand came up, fingers trailing along my jaw lightly. “Your pulse is racing. Your scent’s changing. Your pupils are dilated.”

I turned my face away from his touch, but that just exposed my neck, and I felt his sharp intake of breath.

“Tell me to leave,” he said, his voice dropping lower. “Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll walk out that door right now.”

I said nothing.

“That’s what I thought.” His thumb brushed across my bottom lip. “You’ve been thinking about my offer, haven’t you? About saying yes.”

“Thinking about something doesn’t mean I’ll do it.”

“No?” His other hand settled on my hip, fingers pressing just firmly enough to make me aware of their presence. “Then why are you still here? Why didn’t you push me away the second I touched you?”

“Because—” My breath hitched as his thumb traced the line of my jaw. “Because I’m trying to figure out if you’re right.”

“About what?”

“About whether suffering through this tension is better than giving in.”

Some emotion I could not express flickered in his eyes. “And what conclusion are you reaching?”

I met his gaze directly, seeing the want there that probably mirrored my own. “I think you’re an arrogant bastard who’s using chemistry to manipulate me into something that will only hurt me in the long run.”

“Probably true.” He didn’t deny it, and somehow that honesty was worse than a lie would have been. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”

“I think—” I swallowed hard. “I think if I say yes, I’ll hate myself for it.”

“Will you?” His face was inches from mine now. “Or will you hate yourself more for walking away from something that could feel this good?”

“You’re so sure it would be good.”

“I’m sure of what happened three days ago.” His hand slid from my hip to the small of my back, pulling me slightly forward. “I’m sure of how you sounded when you came. I’m sure of how your nails felt digging into my shoulders. I’m sure that you want it again as badly as I do.”

The fluorescent bathroom lighting was harsh and unforgiving, showing every detail of his face. From the intensity in his eyes to the tension in his jaw and to the way his lips parted slightly as he waited for me to make a choice.

“If I say yes—” I started, and his grip on my back tightened. “If I agree to this. We need rules.”

“Name them.”

“No one can know. Not Damien, not Sierra, not your friends or anyone.”

“Agreed.”

“And we’re clear about what this is. Sex. Nothing more. No emotional complications.”

“That’s the entire point.”

“And either of us can end it at any time. No questions asked.”

“Fine.” His hand moved up my spine, his fingers finding the nape of my neck. “Any other rules?