Page 306 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol 4

I couldn’t stand here and lie to him. Because I didn’t feel nothing when he kissed me, no matter how much I wished I had. I felt everything. Every. Single. Thing.

I closed the distance between us. My lips pressed against his, earning a groan from him that was quickly becoming my favorite sound. He pushed me backward, sandwiching me between him and the door, and deepened the kiss.

There was no way to say he stole the kiss this time. I’d initiated it. Maybe I did it because I was still scared. Maybe it was because I was drunk. There were a million ways I could describe my actions away. But I was pretty sure the truth was that I wantedthis. Him. I wasn’t dangling from a banister or being eaten by a vampire. I was alive. And I wanted to be alive with him.

His hands felt like fire as they trailed down the sides of my body, pulling me against him.

“You’re mine,” he said against my lips.

I breathed in his cinnamon exhales. I didn’t push him away this time. I didn’t tell him to stop. I didn’t call him a thief. But he was most certainly a thief. Because he was trying really hard to steal my heart. And in that silent room, just the two of us breathing hard, it felt real. It felt like falling in love.

“Is Matt in there?” A female’s voice drifted beneath the wooden door.

“Shit,” Matt said and released me from his embrace.

“Nope,” Rob said much louder than the girl was speaking. “Pretty sure he’s downstairs! Matt is definitely not in his bedroom!”

“Why are you shouting? And why are you holding the doorknob?” She knocked. “Matt, are you in there?”

Matt grabbed my hand, pulling me farther into the dark room. “You need to hide,” he hissed.

“What?” I pulled my hand out of his.

“Please. I’ll explain everything in a minute.” He opened a closet door.

“You’re not serious?”

“Matt, I know you’re in there!” There was pounding on the door. “Let me in!”

“I promise.” He grabbed my face in his hands. “Just…please, Brooklyn. I swear I’ll tell you everything as soon as she leaves. I need you to trust me.”

I could just make out his features in the darkness. I had never seen him look worried before. Something was wrong. Really wrong. I heard the click of the door opening.

“Matt?” the girl was definitely in the room now. Now that I could hear her better, her voice sounded so familiar.

“Told you he’s not in there,” Rob said, his voice clear now too.

“Where the hell is the light switch?” she asked.

I wanted to trust Matt. But the kiss we just shared was the only reason I stepped back into his closet. I was holding on to that moment instead of all the other ones. Like when he’d let Charlotte make fun of me in class. Or when he ignored me in the halls. Or when he scared me half to death in that auditorium and then again tonight. I didn’t trust him. But I wanted to.

Matt closed the door behind me. The light turned on a second later and I could see his bedroom clearly through a crack. A huge four-poster bed was in the center of the room. I thought there’d be decorations or posters or something that screamed him. But it just looked like the rest of the house. Dark red wallpaper. Cold. Creepy. My thoughts trailed off when Isabella came into view.

It felt like the blood in my veins turned to ice.

“Oh, my bad,” Rob said. “Guess he is. I’ll just leave you two alone then…I guess?”

“You can stay,” Matt said.

But at the same time Isabella said, “We actually need a moment alone.” Then she glared toward the door where I assumed Rob was still standing.

“Right. I will catch you two later then,” Rob said and left, the door closing behind him.

I closed my eyes. This wasn’t happening. I wanted to wake up. I pinched myself but it just hurt and I was still standing in a closet.

“What are you doing up here?” Isabella asked, stepping closer to Matt. “The party’s downstairs.”

He cleared his throat. “Changing. I spilled something on myself.” Some of the stains from my dress had transferred onto his shirt. “I’ll be right back down.”