Thorne Princess(67)

“What do you want to happen?”

His throat bobbed with a swallow. “I don’t know?”

The elevator dinged open. He forgot to survey the hall before we stumbled out, his focus solely on me.

We stood in front of my door. Exhilaration made my fingers shake. No excuse sufficed for what I was about to do to Max. Use him in the worst possible way. Maybe land him in trouble. But I couldn’t help myself. I was so, selfishly hungry for the man on the other side of that door that I’d left my scruples like a husk of shed snakeskin back in the parking lot.

“Should we?” he wondered aloud. “I mean, I’m not supposed to—”

“We definitely should.”

As soon as I rose on my toes, Max’s mouth descended toward mine. His lips missed the mark, landing on the tip of my nose, before grazing over my cheek. My heart twisted in my chest when I realized this was his version of dipping his toes into the water, checking the temperature.

I’m so sorry, Max. I’ll make it right. I promise.

I laced my arms around his shoulders and pulled him the rest of the way, my lips pressing hard against his, closemouthed. Purposefully—cunningly—I bumped my arm against the surface of the suite’s door, producing a soft and audible thud.

Max’s mouth opened for me, searching, asking for more. Feeling like I was out of my body, out of this moment, I complied, the tip of my tongue swirling around his teasingly. Max’s forehead dropped to mine and a growl came from somewhere deep in his chest, signaling his complete surrender.

As if on cue, the door flew open, and in my periphery, stood the powerhouse to all my fantasies.

The weird thing was, the kiss lasted for a few more seconds before Ransom cleared his throat. I was the first to pull away. Max was higher on desire, his descent back to reality more gradual.

Feigning surprise, I looked between my two bodyguards.

Time to save Max.

“Now, before you get your panties in a twist, it was all my idea,” I squeaked, placing a protective hand over Max’s arm. “I launched myself at him.”

“He’s a big boy. He could’ve fought you off.” Ransom’s smile, white and glorious as it was, was full of derision.

I knew I shouldn’t expect hysterical tears and a tantrum, but his calmness reminded me he was the big, bad wolf and I was the na?ve, red-hooded girl who would get eaten if she wasn’t careful.

“Shit.” Max winced, looking around us for a distraction. “Ransom, I can explain—”

“Doubt it.” His boss shrugged, making himself comfortable on the threshold, not letting either of us inside.

“It’s not what it looks like—”

“That’s not an explanation.”

“Hallie and I have been getting to know each other—” Max rubbed at the back of his neck, his ears pink.

“That’s what happens when you shadow a person all day. You wanna tell me you pork all your clients?” Ransom crossed his arms flippantly.

Max looked desperate. Guilt ate at my insides like acid. I stepped between them, tilting my chin up. “As I said, I kissed Max. It was my idea. He had nothing to do with it.”

“As I said, I don’t give two shits. You’re not a part of this conversation.” Ransom stared past me, at Max.

He couldn’t even look at me. Was that good or bad? I didn’t know.

There’s no way of telling if he was jealous, or just pissed off because he had to deal with this complication.

“Max, go back to your room. I need to get the paperwork sorted before I sack your ass. Brat, inside.” Ransom jerked his chin toward the suite. That’s when I realized he hadn’t called me Brat in quite a while.

Until now.

I walked inside, but not before squeezing Max’s hand reassuringly. “I’m going to fix this,” I whispered to him.

“No, you won’t.” Ransom slammed the door behind us, striding toward the floor-to-ceiling window, knotting his fingers behind his back as he looked onto the restaurant garden downstairs.

“Did you enjoy your time off?” I kicked off my wedges. I couldn’t keep the venom out of my voice.

Did you have sex with someone else again?

“Not as much as you did.” He walked over to a Parisian bar cart and fixed himself some whiskey, heavy on the rocks. He didn’t offer me any. Our unspoken connection, that fragile bond that was created when he realized how deeply I’d been wronged by my family, had snapped like a wishbone.

“I find that hard to believe.” I started unbuttoning the front buttons of my dress. He’d played this trick so many times with me, it was only fair I’d reciprocate and get undressed in front of him. But his back was to me, so he couldn’t see. “Last time you took time off, a woman got compromised against the suite’s window.”

Ransom turned on his heel, nursing his drink, his eyes narrowed in disdain. “And you kissed Max because it kills you that you’re not that woman.”

“Nice story.” I tried my hand at a calm smile.

“It’s the truth, and the fact it was your doing, your fuck-up, is the only reason why I didn’t fire his ass on the spot.”

Ransom saw right through my charade. He knew I wanted him. Knew I was damaged just like him.

“I kissed Max because he’s cute and because I wanted to have some fun.”