Page 32 of Stolen Temptation

I yelp, my other knee jerking up reflexively and nailing Scarface in the chin. He releases his grip on my ankle and reels back a few steps. I follow up with a heel strike directly to his scary face.

Two big hands grab onto my bare midriff. The surprise skin-on-skin contact startles me enough that my hands slip.

I fall, balance gone.

Flailing.

Crack.My head smacks into Rory’s as I collapse onto him.

Darkness, stars, and splotches mar my vision.

A groan vibrates against my chest, but it’s not mine.

Ugh, my head…

We’re in a heap on the floor, I think. I don’t know because I still have my eyes squeezed shut.Ouch.

“Fuck,woman.” Another groan. “You hiding a steel plate in your head?”

My eyes peel open. Rory’s wincing face lays directly below mine.

The gravity of my situation hits me like a tsunami crashing over the shoreline.

I’m so ashamed that this man tricked me. He stole my first kiss. I evenlikedit…before I found out he’s the villain of the story.

If he wanted to abduct me, why didn’t he just drug me right from the beginning? Why did he pretend to like me first, like a freakingpsychopath?

Anger heats my blood, temporarily overpowering my fear.

When Rory opens his eyes, they’re softened by pain and surprise. I hate the way his almost visceral gaze touches me on the inside.

My heart flails in my chest, tucked tight against his.

“For fuck’s sake,” someone—pretty sure it’s Scarface—grumbles.

Rory lifts us both when he sits up. Withhisface only inches away, mine prickles.

For a second, his velvety hazel eyes drop from mine, dipping down to my mouth.

And so quickly I nearly miss it, he smirks.

Smirks.

Mocking me.

I could melt the flesh off his bones, the rage inside me burns so hot.

“Rory!” Scarface’s sudden snap makes me flinch against Rory’s muscle-bound body. “Outside!”

Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, a wave of fear crashes over me. When he stomps in our direction, I can’t stop my reflexive flinch, or how I scuttle backward until my spine hits the wall.

All three heads swivel to stare. Rory breaks the silence that follows.

“Careful not to hurt yourself, sweetheart.” Striding over, he scoops me up before I can evade him and deposits me back on the bed. “Don’t want to break that pretty face of yours.”

My temper flares. “Touch me again, and I’ll breakyours,” I hiss.

That stupid smirk grows evenwider. Before he can reply, Scarface turns the full force of his glower on me.