Page 78 of Wicked Games
Pain flashes through her eyes again and she turns away from me as she stands up. “Fine. I think I’m going to go to bed.”
“Hell no,” I growl, shooting to my feet and grabbing her arm as she tries to walk away from me. I spin her around to face me but she stares at the floor and shifts her weight from one foot to the other before going back again. My throat constricts, feeling painfully tight, as my thoughts spin.
Why is she doing this to me?
“Rowan,” I whisper, cupping her cheek and she grips my hand with both of hers as they tremble. I force her head up but her eyes are closed, blocking me from her thoughts. “What is going on, baby?”
“I can’t do this.” Freeing herself from my grip, she turns to go back inside and gasps, stopping in her tracks as she looks out at the street. I scowl, taking a tentative step toward her.
“What’s wrong?”
She points out to the street and I follow her hand. There, in the middle of the crowd, stands Warren in his white mask and dressed in all black. The other protestors mill around him like he doesn’t even exist and he has his head tipped back, staring straight at Rowan and me. Eliminating the distance between us, I wrap my arms around her and press a kiss to the side of her head.
“Time to go inside, Princess.”
She shakes her head and turns back to me. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” I argue, arching a brow as I dare her to defy me with a look. Unfortunately, she does. Crossing her arms over her chest, she mimics my expression and shifts her weight to one foot as she pops her hip out. God, I love this side of her but I’m not backing down. I don’t want her out here with Warren down there, even if there is a fence, a crowd of people, a building, and the entire club between them. The thought of him even looking at her makes me want to put my fist through a wall and all his taunts about making her his come rushing back to me.
I need to get her somewhere safe.
When she still won’t back down, I shrug and grab her, tossing her over my shoulder before turning and heading for the stairs.
“Put me down!” she yells, pounding her fists against my ass but I don’t give a shit. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and she can be mad at me all she wants. Ignoring her tantrum, I carry her down the stairs and turn toward my room before ducking inside, shutting the door and locking it. Once we’re safely inside, I let her go, sliding her body down mine and when she lands on her feet, her breath catches in her throat as our eyes meet.
There it is.
Our spark, our connection is back, and it swirls through the air around us as my heart pounds in my chest and everything that has been off for the past two days clicks into place. Our breaths tangle together in the space between us and we inch closer, neither one of us able to stop it or pull our gazes away and when she places her hand on my chest, the feeling radiates throughout my entire body.
“Rowan,” I whisper, brushing my thumb over her cheek as her eyes flutter closed like she’s savoring every second of it and I lean in, letting my lips brush over hers. She gasps, jerking back and shaking her head as she grips my shirt in her fist.
“I… can’t. I’m so sorry.”
“Why?” I ask, struggling to take a breath over the ache throbbing through me at her rejection. When she doesn’t answer me, I reach for her but she releases my shirt and pulls away, her eyes shut tight as she continues shaking her head. “What’s going on, Rowan? What is happening between us? I need to know because I fucking hate this and… I miss you, Princess.”
Her eyes snap open and the tears in her eyes steal the air from my lungs. “I can’t do this.”
“Rowan,” I repeat as she turns toward the door and unlocks it. My feet are glued to the floor and as much as I want to go after her as she pulls the door open and slips into the hallway, I can’t move, too stunned to do anything but gape at her retreating form as everything inside me crumbles.
