“What’s your problem?” Raylan demands. “I’m only here to help you.”

“I don’t need your help!”

“The fuck you don’t.”

He’s not letting go of my arm and that really pisses me off. I shove him hard in the chest, feeling how hot he is from running.

Raylan yanks me back again. When I try to shove him once more, he grabs me by the face and kisses me. It’s a rough kiss, his black stubble scratching my face. It’s hard and violent and I can taste the salt of his sweat.

I wrench away from him and slap him across the face.

“Don’t you fucking kiss me!” I shout.

Raylan’s blue eyes are blazing, and he looks completely different from his usual cheerful self. He’s all wolf now, teeth bared and jaw rigid. He grabs me by my ponytail and kisses me again, even harder.

Then he lets go of me and we pull apart, staring at each other and panting audibly. My heart is hammering against my ribs like I’m still on the treadmill. I can practically hear his doing the same. We both know we crossed a line. Actually we jumped over the line with both feet.

I can’t look him in the eye.

I grab my water bottle and towel and walk back toward the elevators.

Raylan is following after me, five feet behind.

No matter what insanity just passed between us, he’s not going to stop guarding me. Not for a second.

We get into the elevator together, silent and awkward.

I think of a dozen things I should say. But I can’t seem to make up my mind whether to apologize, or shout at him some more.

So I just stay quiet.

We ride back down to the twenty-eighth floor and go into my apartment. Then I head straight to my room, while Raylan stays in the living room to sleep alone on the couch.

* * *

10

Raylan

I don’t know what the fuck happened yesterday.

I’ve never acted like that in my life. I was raised to be a gentleman—not to grab a girl and kiss her like a wild bandit.

Maybe it was the adrenaline from racing Riona. Or the fact that we’ve been in constant proximity for the last eight days. Or the fact that she manages to get under my skin in a way I don’t quite understand.

I don’t know what it is about her. I’ve always had this compulsion to overcome challenges. And Riona is a constant challenge. She’s strong-willed and stubborn as fuck. Determined not to be impressed by me. Intent on always doing things her own way, damn the consequences.

Maybe I shouldn’t have raced her at all. I know how competitive she is. But for fuck’s sake, so am I! I thought it would be fun. Then I saw how seriously she was taking it. And I guess I realized I was taking it pretty damn seriously, too.