Page 31 of Beautiful Lies

I’ve hung around Mia and her crazy-ass friends long enough to know what that sound is.

He’s picking the lock!

My stomach flips as the soft scrape continues.

No. No, no, no. This is absolutely not happening. But it is. He’s actually breaking in.

The deadbolt gives a sharp metallic click, and I jerk away from the wall, my pulse racing so fast it blurs my thoughts.

The latch turns, and the door eases open an inch, then two, spilling a slice of hallway light across the floor.

Knox steps inside like he owns the place. In those clothes, he looks like he could set the world on fire. The scathing glare he gives me would set me on fire, too, if it could.

“Are you out of your damn mind?” I shout, my voice shaking more from adrenaline than fear. “You can’t just?—”

“So, you’re alive, then?” he snaps, baring his teeth like a feral animal.

Every nerve in my body screams at me to back up, but I hold my ground. “What? Of course, I’m alive.”

“For all I know, you could have been lying dead in here. Or hurt.” For a moment, he actually looks like he believes that, but the expression is gone before it even had a chance to settle.

“Clearly, I’m fine.”

“My assistant called you three times tonight,” he bites out. “Three. And that’s justtonight.She’s been trying to reach you since yesterday. You ignored every single call.”

“I was busy.” My voice is thin with indignation.

“Busy?” He laughs, but there’s no humor in it, just sarcasm and disbelief. “Doing what, Isla? Pretending this contract doesn’t exist?”

“Iwasn’tpretending.”

“Then answer the goddamn phone when my people call you!” His words hit like a whip, echoing off the walls.

For a second, I forget how to breathe. He’s never raised his voice before. Not like this. But what do I know about him in real life? This is my third encounter with him. Everything else I know is from what I read online. He could be a raging lunatic. Still, I can’t allow him to shout at me like I’m a child.

“Don’t talk to me like that,” I shoot back, trying to sound steadier than I feel. “Your people had from Wednesday to contact me, and they didn’t. I’m entitled to?—”

“Nothing.” He steps closer. Too close. So close the scent of leather and clean soap tangles in the air between us. “You’re not entitled to a goddam thing.”

He’s right. It just hurts to hear him say it.

I cross my arms, lifting my chin to hide the tremor in my hands. “You broke into my apartment, Knox. That’sliterallyillegal.”

His eyes meet mine with infuriating confidence. “You think I give a damn about legal right now?”

No. Why would he? Men like him are above the law. “What are you doing here?”

“Finally, she asks the right question.” He sneers. “If you’d bothered to answer any of those calls, you’d know I wanted you moved in by yesterday.”

My eyes bulge. “What?Moved in?Yesterday?”

“Yes. I’m in L.A. on business tomorrow for a few days, so I need you moved into my home.”

Moved into his home. As in I’d have to say goodbye to my place.

I thought it would happen soon, but not as soon as yesterday. “That’s rather sudden, don’t you think? I only signed the contract on Wednesday.”

“I work fast. So, let’s go.” He cocks his head toward the door.