Page 79 of Ruled By Rivalry

My hands came up to my cheeks all on their own. They did feel hot.

“I did just run, like, ten blocks here.”

Like he’d caught me in a lie, his lip twitched. “Thought you didn’t run.”

“Walked,” I corrected.

“Very fast.”

Rolling my eyes, I meant to brush past him, quickly track down Camila, and explain that all I’d needed this morning was some peace and quiet to brainstorm for the Ashwood Annual. I didn’t like lying to her, but in this case, it felt necessary.

I couldn’t tell her I’d been out and about with the guy she wanted me to hate, and ended my night way too late, falling asleep in the aftermath of an amazing orgasm to entirely his credit.

But instead of letting me pass, Elliot threw his arm out and intercepted me before Camila could see through the glass. His hand curled around my waist, holding me in place, a low chuckle dangerously close to my ear.

“I wouldn’t have had to walk very fast if you had just woken me up this morning.” Playfully, I tried to escape his grasp, and didn’t succeed.

“After keeping you up for so long last night? It seemed cruel.” He played with a loose strand of my hair. “Like bludgeoning a baby deer to death. Flinging a small bunny into oncoming traffic. I couldn’t do it.”

“I’m serious.” I tried to be, at least. “You should’ve woken me up.”

He pouted. “You looked so cute.”

“Cute enough to let me wake up to my worst nightmare?” At this point, I was arguing just for the sake of it. The urge to forgive him was almost as strong as my need to hold on to that flicker of fear telling me that there was more to his decision. Sure, I’d met his family, told him about Mom. Yes, he’d seen me naked, and very nearly taken my virginity. But first and foremost, we were two interns competing for the same job. No matter how hard it was to remember that, I had to.

“Your worst nightmare is . . . oversleeping?”

I put my hands on my hips. “And what about it?”

All Elliot did was laugh. His head shook in disbelief before he muttered, “See? Baby deer. Small bunny. I could’ve never woken you up this morning. You’re too cute. It would’ve hurt my heart.”

I finally gave up, melted into the way he pulled me against the wall beside the door to Camila’s studio. Disappearing in his arms, I sighed. “What are you trying to do here?”

“Not sure.” Mumbling into my hair, he added, “Keep you from telling Camila you’re here. I didn’t learn how to share growing up, Maeve.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that the second she senses your presence, I’ll have to give you up. I don’t really want to.”

The way he kissed my neck shouldn’t feel this good. Not out in the open, where anyone could walk by, and I could hear my bosses’ coughing through the wall. My head shouldn’t fall back against that same wall. I shouldn’t sigh against his skin, either.

But alas. “Your name’s in my calendar later today.” For that last brainstorming session.

“Not enough,” he grunted. “I wish you would’ve just stayed home.”

“Why?” I needed an answer to the question that had burned itself into my mind since his text. Why didn’t you want me here?

But the door right beside us opened, and bringing some distance between us was the only sensible thing we could do. Camila didn’t need to see us all over each other, and she definitely didn’t want to, either.

“Maeve?” She blinked at me, inspecting how I stood in the middle of the hallway, just about finding my footing in time to avoid stumbling.

“Surprise!”

Her eyes shot in Elliot’s direction, like she knew he was behind all of this, somehow. Gaze sliding back to me, she asked, “Are you okay?”

The genuine concern in her voice kind of broke me. Made me feel guilty beyond belief and sent a wave of regret from the tip of my toes to the top of my head.

I shouldn’t have gone this far with Elliot. Shouldn’t have kissed him, shouldn’t have let him touch me. Shouldn’t have given him enough power to make me late for anything. Never mind something as important as this internship.