Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire #1) - Tracie Delaney Page 0,43

my parents would approve of. I wanted to burn in the flames of passion, to have my patience tested, to fight fervently, to make up fiercely, as if it was the last time we’d ever touch each other.

I took his hand and led him onto the dance floor near where Ryker was talking with Garen. Peter’s gleaming eyes held a shine of triumph as he wrapped his arms around my waist, and I slipped mine over his shoulders.

“I’m so glad you agreed to come with me tonight, Athena. I’m the luckiest man here.”

An icy chill prickled my skin, and a sour taste crept up into my throat. This is all wrong. I wasn’t this person, the type to use others to further their own ends, regardless of hurting them in the process. Peter was a nice guy. He deserved better than this.

“Would you excuse me,” I murmured when the song came to an end and another one started up. “I need the restroom.”

“Of course,” Peter said, immediately releasing me.

I dashed across the dance floor, leaving the noise and excitement behind me. Spotting the ladies’ room, I entered. A few girls I recognized from the sales department had taken over the sink area. Giggly and drunk, they chattered as they reapplied their lipstick and sprayed clouds of perfume in the air.

I nodded and said hello, then disappeared into the very end stall. Closing the door, I rested my forehead against the cool wood. I’d take a few minutes to gather myself, then talk to Peter, tell him it wasn’t going to work out, and apologize if I, in any way, had led him on. It was the right and fair thing to do.

Tomorrow I’d research the possibility of joining a nunnery.

I blew my nose on some toilet tissue and threw it in the pan, flushing the chain. I went to unlock the door when a deep baritone voice, the voice of my dreams—and my nightmares—drifted over.

“Ladies, this bathroom is closed. There’s another on the other side of the lobby.”

What the heck?

Sounds of the girls gathering their makeup reached me, along with a few hushed tones and murmurs followed by the shuffling of feet, then silence.

I held my breath, waiting. Ryker clearly hadn’t switched his career from CEO to janitor, which meant he knew I was here, and had purposely followed me. I strained my ears but couldn’t hear a thing. Maybe he’d left already.

“I know you’re there, Ryker. What the hell are you playing at?”

Nothing but silence greeted me.

Shit, what if there was a problem, like a fire? No, there couldn’t be. For one, there’d be an alarm clanging and the fire department would be clearing the room, not Ryker. Plus, he’d have told the girls to get outside, not use another bathroom a few feet away.

“Stop playing games, Ryker.”

Still no response.

Quietly, I slid the lock back in its holding and peeked around the door. My heartbeat skyrocketed. Ryker was leaning against the row of sinks, fiddling with his cufflinks. I glanced back into the stall, hoping for a window I could sneak out of. That’d serve him right. Sadly, I wasn’t the lucky kind of gal.

Fronting it out, I opened the door and crossed over to the sinks. Neither of us spoke. I washed my hands, dried them on a towel, then tossed it into the laundry basket. Next, I unclipped my purse, removed a lipstick, and touched up my makeup.

Ryker watched me like a hawk the entire time but, like me, remained taciturn.

With a final check in the mirror, I smoothed a hand over my dress and started to walk away. As I drew level with Ryker, he captured my wrist, stopping me.

“Dump the sap, and I’ll allow him to keep his job.”

I wasn’t about to tell him I’d already decided to tell Peter it wouldn’t work out. Let him stew.

“You wouldn’t do that. It’s not your style.”

He smirked, the corners of his lips curving upward. “Oh, Athena.”

“Come on, Ryker. You don’t make snap decisions based on emotion. You’re all about cold, hard facts.”

He hitched a shoulder. “Times change.”

“Fine,” I snapped. “Go ahead. Fire him. I’ll rehire him as my personal financial advisor. After all, I need someone to help me manage the investments Elliot has made on my behalf.” I tapped my lips with my forefinger. “Of course, that means we’d have to spend a lot of time together, sometimes late into the night. Just imagine, our heads touching as we review the figures. Both on paper and…”