I can barely breathe.
“More than I want to admit.” Rory softens, that macho mask slipping right off his face. “Do you believe me?”
“I…” I just gape at him, heart hammering at my sternum. “I want to.”
How can I not when Rory’s blasting me with the full force of his charm?
I want to run and hide, but I don’t get the chance. Rory pushes into my personal space with sudden and immense speed, the scent of his skin crawling up my nose and blunting the armor I’ve been defending myself with.
I back away until I hit the hall, and his hands appear on my shoulders.
Rory’s got me cornered, and my heart is shaking in my chest.
“What do I have to do to convince you?” He could bulldoze me flat with the intense strength behind those irises. “What doI need to do to convince you that withholding information from Shane is a terrible idea?”
Like I don’t know that already. I’m not completely clueless. But I still can’t give him what he’s asking for. My trust.
Not unless…
“If you want me to believe you, tell me the truth?—”
“I am telling you the truth.”
“Aboutyourself,Rory.” I frown up at him. “You know everything about me, but aside from the few stories you’ve shared over cupcakes, I still hardly know anything about you. How can you expect me to bare my soul when you haven’t exactly been forthcoming about your own life?”
Rory leans away from me, an unreadable expression on his face.
A few beats of tense silence drift past, then Rory nods. “Ask me anything you want.”
“Anything?”
Rory migrates to my left, dropping down onto a nearby dark leather loveseat. He kicks his feet up on a matching ottoman, throws his head back, and closes his eyes like he needs a nap.
He’s not taking this ormeseriously, is he?
“Is this how you treat all your captives?” When I lob the question at him, his eyes snap open.
Instead of answering, he points at the seat beside him and then at me, beckoning for me to join him.
Once I’ve parked myself on the seat next to his, careful to leave as much distance between us as possible, he levels me with his gaze.
“You’re my first.”
His first?My heart stumbles against my ribs. “You’ve never captured someone before me?” That shouldn’t make me nearly as happy as it does.
Rory shakes his head. “Not really my style, you know?”
Am I really feeling flattered that I’m his first victim?
What is wrong with me?
Clearing my throat, I try to shake off my reaction and think up a question that might yield a response I’m actually comfortable with. But before I come up with anything, Rory blows out a breath.
“Okay, so I’m your first abductee, but what about other girlfriends? You must have had some of those before.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to vaporize into mist and vanish into the ether.Othergirlfriends? What was I thinking?
But he doesn’t scoff. Instead, his eyes shutter. “I’ve had one girlfriend, but it didn’t end well.”
