Page 65 of Rogue's Path

This is stupid.

Rogue’s awfully nice to look at. Which is an even worse reason to chase after him.

Why is he walking so fast?

Surely, he can hear me panting to catch up to him. It’s not like I can hide the fact that cardio isn’t my exercise of choice. Do I even have an exercise of choice?

Fork lifting counts as a sport, right?

What if I were running away from my stalker? He’d catch me and then lock me in a basement full of roaches and spiders. No, thank you. Cardio needs to start being a regular part of my life.

I press my hand into my side. “Will you just stop already?” That comes out as more of a pant than actual words.

Rogue stops under one of the lights towards the back of the park. There are a half dozen paths around us leading to secret little alcoves. Places, where if things had been different,we might have been kissing while everyone else watched the movie.

Rogue stops and slowly turns around. “Why do you want me to stop? Do you need more introductions to my brothers? It seems you took that dare to heart. Should I arrange for them to line up so you can kiss them all?”

A line of men for me to kiss. Like one of those reality television shows? The reality of that picture isn’t just insulting but completely absurd. “You’re a jerk, you know that, right? You ghost me for days. Then suddenly you act like we’ve been married, and I cheated on you with your best friend. We kissed. That’s it. I don’t even know why I’m following you except to tell you that you’re a jerk. It’s certainly not because I sat for days waiting for you to show up. And it certainly isn’t because those kisses were the best of my life. You don’t deserve any of that, the way you just acted.” I start to make a magnificent grand exit when his hand touches my arm.

“Say that again.”

“No, I’m not saying anything for a man who doesn’t think I’m worth it.”

His hand slides down my arm until he has my hand clenched in his.

Why don’t I pull away?

Rogue leads me down one of the paths, and I follow like a little puppy.

Is this what addiction looks like?

Just kick him in the shin like you would any other man.

No kicking happens. I just stand there staring at him like a doe caught in mesmerizing headlights that lead them onto a path to destruction.

Such a sexy path, though.

“But Bear?”

Men. “Do you know how many truly sweet guys there are around? Not many. When a woman meets one, she doesn’t kick him to the curb just because she isn’t interes—”

Steel bands, pretending to be arms, wrap around me. My mind stops as my body spins until I’m pinned against a tree trunk. The rough bark would be nipping into my back painfully if I weren’t wearing as many layers.

The man pinning me, turning sinful eyes and a dangerous smile into weapons.

You are not going to kiss this man.

Kissing him gets you nothing but pain and heartbreak.

Walk away.

Run away.

Rogue leans down slowly, giving me time to say no, to turn my head.

I should say no. I should turn away.

What do they say about weak women…