Page 39 of Fallen Prince
I felt raw, my nerves ragged and painfully exposed. Tonight, I’d barely been able to withstand Gavin’s snide remarks at our networking event. It’d taken all my willpower to drag myself to the meeting of the Legal Networking Group, and my bully had made it every bit as miserable as I’d feared. Every time I’d turned around, he’d seemed to be lurking close by, waiting to get in a snide insult or passive aggressive remark. By then end of the night, he’d been visibly inebriated, and he’d become even more persistent in his efforts to rattle me, that nasty smile tainting his otherwise handsome features.
I was rattled enough without Gavin’s torment. I had much bigger issues than my childhood bully to cope with.
Some of the tension eased from my muscles when the cab turned onto my street. Almost home. Icould hardly wait to cuddle up beneath my fuzzy pink blanket with a book and a glass of pinot.
The memory of the wine Max had brought me flashed through my mind, drawing a shiver to the surface of my skin. He’d known what kind I liked because he’d broken into my home and rifled through my belongings. That violation still shook me to my core, even if I’d come to understand him better since then.
When I’d stepped outside this morning, the bottle hadn’t been where I’d abandoned it on the front step. I wasn’t sure if Max had taken it with him or if someone else had cleaned it up. Last night, I’d been too desperate to scramble away from his dark mood to even think about the wine.
He’d seemed furious with me, but he’d been the one to initiate the kiss. And yet, he’d glowered at me as though it’d been my fault.
A spark of anger flickered in my chest, and I stoked it. Anger was a much less messy emotion to cope with than the sickening swirl of hurt and confusion that’d haunted me all day. I had a terrible suspicion that the persistent sting at the corners of my eyes and the tightness in my stomach were symptoms of rejection, and that was the most insane thing of all. I should’ve been relieved that Max had put astop to our momentary mutual madness. Instead, I felt slightly queasy.
I shook my head to clear away the conflicting emotions as the cab pulled up in front of my door. No Max waiting on my front porch.
I resolutely ignored the sinking sensation in my chest, paid the fare, and stepped out onto the sidewalk. I hadn’t made it two steps when a second car door slammed a few yards behind me.
“Freckles!”
My stomach dropped to the pavement.No.Gavin couldn’t be here. He didn’t love tormenting me enough to follow me home. That was too far, even for him.
Refusing to glance over my shoulder, I quickly marched to my front door.
“Hey, Freckles! Don’t walk away from me.”
Oh my god.That was definitely Gavin’s alcohol-slurred voice.
My disbelief that he’d pursued me all the way to my house was washed away by a wave of nausea. I had to get inside and lock the door between us.
I’d managed to reach my front stoop when his hand snagged my wrist. “I’m talking to you,” he said hotly, demanding my attention.
I rounded on him, releasing all my roilingemotions in a burst of rage. “What the hell are you doing here, Gavin?”
He stepped toward me. I took a step back and bumped against my door. He crowded me, his tall frame dwarfing mine. Fear skittered down my spine, and I tried to yank my hand free from his grip. His fingers tightened, clenching hard enough to leave a bruise. Just like he’d done when we were teenagers. I couldn’t smother a wince, and his white teeth flashed in a savage grin.
“You drive me crazy, you know that? I think you do.” He leaned in, and the stale scent of beer washed over my face, making my stomach turn. “You like driving me crazy, little tease. I think you wear these tight skirts just for me.” His free hand sank into my hip, squeezing harder than his fingers on my wrist.
A humiliating whimper slipped through my pursed lips before I could stifle it. He grinned.
“Fuck, you’re so hot.”
“Let me go,” I seethed, trying to twist away. His hands clamped down harder. Pain shot through my hip and wrist, and I swallowed another shameful sound of distress. I lifted my chin, drawing on my years of practice in dealing with this bully. I barely succeeded in keeping my posture straight. He’d never touched me like this before. He’d never pinnedme and looked at me with lust clouding his navy eyes.
Backing down and cowering wasn’t an option, no matter how much this new aspect of his cruelty unnerved me. My hand fisted around my keys in my purse. If I had to, I’d use them as a weapon.
But my dad was the mayor. This could cause a scandal. Even if the altercation wasn’t my fault, it would end up in the news if I seriously hurt Gavin.
And judging by the harshness of his hold, I’d have to use significant force to get him to release me. He was drunk and probably had eighty pounds on me. I had no idea what he was capable of. I never would’ve imagined this awful scenario, and his unpredictability was scary as hell.
“I’ve let you get away with harassing me at the office because I didn’t want to cause any professional tension.” Only years of practice allowed me to keep my voice calm and even. “But if you don’t let me go right now, I’ll file criminal charges.”
I tried to jerk away again, but his fingers dug in deeper as his handsome features twisted into a scowl. “You think you’re too good for me, but I bet you’re a dirty little slut now that you’re all grown up. The ugly ones always turn into desperate sluts. You’re lucky I even want to fuck you.”
My hand firmed around my keys, and I slid the sharpest one between my fingers, ready to gouge him. I’d never hurt anyone before, and my stomach turned at the prospect of drawing blood.
He released my hip, and I sucked in a shuddering breath. He was going to back off. I wouldn’t have to strike him.
Then, his hand roved lower, dipping behind me to grope my butt.
