Chapter 15
He tilted his head closer until our faces nearly brushed.
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For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. My breath caught in my throat, and I froze, unsure of what the hell he was doing.
My heart hammered against my ribs, confused and full of warning signs.
“Rick, what are you doing?” I asked, trying to push him off me.
But before I could move, he grabbed both my wrists in one hand and pinned them above my head. My back pressed into the mattress beneath me, the tension in the room burning hot.
‘Stop struggling,” he whispered low, brushing his nose against my cheek and leaning closer to my ear. There’s a paparazzi watching from the next building.”
What?” My voice was tight. I blinked up at him, caught between panic and disbelief.
Why would there be paparazzi?” This felt like a fever dream unraveling in real time no matter how much
thought about it.
You really have no idea what these people are like,” he said, voice still low. “They’ve been following us all lay, some are trying to sell exclusive shots. If they catch even a hint of an argument, it’ll spin out of control. So, just… play along.”
didn’t know whether to scream or roll my eyes. My entire body was tense.
My skin burned beneath his touch, but I forced myself to move slowly, wrapping my arms around his neck like we were a real couple, like this wasn’t complete madness.
His hands moved down, grazing my waist, my hips.
My breath hitched as he ran them down the sides of my thighs, slow and careful, but the heat that shot hrough me was real.
His eyes never left the window. I stayed quiet beneath him, heart pounding, limbs stiff. I hated how my body remembered things I didn’t want it to.
Finally, he shifted off me. The second his weight left the bed, I sat up, eyes narrowed. “Next time, try giving me a warning.”
He didn’t even look at me, “go take a shower.”
My eyes widened, “unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath. “Rick Sterling is officially the rudest man alive.” How did he conceal this the whole time we were together in the past?
I got up from the bed, grabbed my bag, and stormed into the bathroom.
I tried to shake the moment off as I stepped under the hot spray, letting it wash down my back but as the steam clouded around me, I realized something, I didn’t bring in a towel.
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GD
8:42 pm ED
Chapter 15
Great.
I peeked out and called, “Rick?”
Nothing.
“Rick! Can you hand me a towel, please?”
He groaned from outside the door. “Whatever game you’re playing, it’s not working.”
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I threw the door open a crack, shouting louder. “You are so full of yourself, I just need a towel, I’m not trying to seduce you, I’m not interested in you or anything you hold.”
After a beat, I heard his footsteps. I quickly wrapped my arm across my bare chest as door came open wider just as he appeared
He looked at me for half a second before stepping closer. I backed into the wall with a gasp, “what the fuck are you doing now?” I gasped in shock, wondering how on earth he was being so casial about me being naked.
“What do you mean you’re not interested?” he asked, voice low, eyes narrowing as he boxed me in. His hands braced on either side of my head.
I blinked up at him, pulse quickening. “What is wrong with you? You act like you don’t want me, then get upset when I treat you like I’m not interested.”
If only he had an idea what him being this close to me was doing to me.
“Please,” I muttered, pushing against his chest, “I just want to sleep.”
I pushed past him, clutching the towel I could grab and storming toward the room. “I’ll take the couch.”
“You’re not sleeping on the couch,” he said, his voice cold again. “It’s unnecessary.”
“Well, it’s my choice.” I turned and faced him. “You don’t get to decide every single thing.”
His jaw tightened. For a moment, it looked like he’d argue again, but instead, he crossed his arms and inched forward. “Fine. I’ll take the couch.”
The tension didn’t ease even as he grabbed a pillow and tossed it down on the long velvet couch. I slipped on a sleeping robe, climbed into the bed, pulled the covers to my chin, and turned my back to him.
My brain wouldn’t stop spinning. I couldn’t figure him out. One minute, he was cold. The next, he was everywhere. I just wanted to get out of whatever this was that I’d put myself in.
I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until the sound of groaning pulled me awake.
I opened my eyes slowly. The room was dark except for the light slipping through the thick curtains. Then I heard it again. sharper this time. A voice, his voice.
“No,” he muttered. “No, no, don’t go…
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8:43 pm
Chapter 15
I sat up fast.
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Rick was on the couch, drenched in sweat, shifting violently like he was fighting off something in his sleep. His chest heave, his head snapped from side to side. His hands gripped the blanket tight.
I scrambled out of bed, running over.
“Rick!” I called, dropping to my knees beside him. “Hey! Rick!”
He kept muttering, caught deep in whatever nightmare was wrecking his head.
I grabbed his arm and shook him harder. “Rick, wake up!”
He jolted awake with a sharp gasp, sitting up fast, chest rising and falling rapidly, his reddened eyes widening as they stayed fixed on me.
“It’s okay,” I said softly, reaching up, “you’re okay, it was just a dream.”
His eyes locked on mine, wild for a second. Then, without warning, he grabbed me and pulled me against him, his arms tightening around my waist, his breath hot against my neck.
“Don’t go,” he whispered.
I blinked, frozen for a second. His voice was so small, so raw.
“I’m here,” I whispered back, my hand gently pressing to his back. “I’m here. You’re okay now.”
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AD
