Page 6 of Rulebreaker

But is it worth the effort and the risk of making things awkward between us?

That’s something I have to think about. I don’t want to stop hanging out with Jade and her amazing new boyfriend, RoyalEwing. And Atlas is part of Royal’s extended family. If I make a move…will it be awkward going forward? Because I’m certainly in no position to get into a relationship, no matter how lonely my life can be sometimes.

“Champagne, Mr. Delarosa?” The flight attendant appears out of nowhere.

“Thank you.” He accepts a glass, and she turns to me.

I hesitate.

Oh, what the hell. In for a penny, in for a pound.

We’ll only be on the flight for about three hours.

How much trouble can I possibly get into?

“Thank you.” I take the glass without giving that last question too much thought.

The flight attendant disappears again—does she have her own room or something?—and Atlas settles what I can only call a curious gaze on me.

“What?” I ask. “You look like you want to interrogate me.”

“Do I?” He seems surprised by that.

“You always have that look.”

“What look?”

“The one where you’re probing, thinking…looking for answers to questions that haven’t even been asked.”

“I suppose I do. It’s how I run my business.”

“Your empire.” I smile. “You’re not the only one who does their research on people they spend time with.” I catch the flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Then he frowns.

“I’m not Atlas Delarosa successful, but I do quite well for myself, so you don’t have to worry that I’m after Jade’s money or that I’m a danger to Frankie. The only one in any danger might be you–because I think you’re sexy.”

Holy shit–is his face red?

How does one of the world’s most feared negotiators blushwhen a woman tells him he’s hot? Is that even a thing in today’s world? I might have just fallen a teensy-weensy bit in love with him.

“Th-thank you.” He seems flustered that I just gave him a compliment, and the mischievous side of me is getting a kick out of this.

Not to mention the champagne I’ve added to the mix.

I down the rest of the glass and look around. “Is it impolite to ask for more?”

He touches a button and Maya appears out of thin air–I seriously have to figure out where she hides–two fresh glasses of champagne in her hands.

“Do you blush often?” I tease.

The inscrutable mask he often wears slips back into place. “I don’t blush.”

“You just did.”

He lifts his chin. “I tend to be cautious in front of a lady.”

He just called me a lady–and my mostly dormant teenage heart nearly swoons.