Guarding the Rose: The CEO's Secret Duty

Lorcan had knocked over the cup of honeyed tea and grabbed me forcefully by my wrist.

I barely registered what was happening as he flipped me around and pinned me under him. He leaned over me, biting my lip with newfound ferocity.

As the sparks went off in my head, I felt his weight crushing me, holding me down so completely that I couldn't budge. I turned my head to the side and snapped, "You're out of your mind, Lorcan!"

"Yes, I am." Lorcan clutched my jaw and turned my face to his. He stared at me intently, his voice rough. "I'm out of my mind because I miss you too much and I'm jealous of all those men leering at you."

I froze, but Lorcan continued to kiss me. A few seconds later, tears sprang to my eyes, and I tried my best to shove him away. "Lorcan, what are you doing? What about Sabrina? Aren't you worried she'd catch you doing this?"

"What does any of this have to do with Sabrina?" Lorcan paused, though he pinned me in place as he frowned at me.

"But you and Sabrina are together…" I turned away from him to hide the tears glistening in my eyes. I avoided his gaze.

But Lorcan wouldn't allow it, for he turned my head to face him again. There was no room for negotiation in his tone. "Look at me, Tessa."

I sounded resentful. "Why? You're a bastard for trying to hook up with another woman when you're already seeing someone!"

Lorcan sputtered, the sound angry and bitter. "Which idiot told you Sabrina and I were dating?"

I made no reply. He pinched my jaw and kissed me hard once. "Can't you tell who I'm in love with?"

Panic, bitterness, and resentment wove through me as I pushed him away and bolted. He grabbed my wrist and sat upright, pulling me into his arms. "Where do you think you're going?"

I found this to be a total farce.

Lorcan had protected Sabrina and shielded her from the world. Besides, he told me to stay away from him. Even if he and Sabrina weren't dating, I'd been stung once, and that was enough to leave a scar.

I regarded Lorcan pensively as clarity entered my red-rimmed eyes. "But I'm not in love with you anymore, Lorcan."

Lorcan clutched my wrist tightly. I tried to pull away, only to realize it didn't take much to shake off his grip.

After a long while, he finally said in a gravelly voice, "It's late. You'll stay in the guest room tonight. I'll drop you off at the hotel tomorrow."

The torrential downpour happened again the next day.

Lorcan gave me a ride to the hotel and remained silent for most of the drive. I was about to open the car door to get out when I realized I couldn't.

I gaped at him incredulously. His expression was veiled in shadows, and his eyes were as dark as treacherous whirlpools, threatening to suck me in and spit me out the other end in pieces.

"Tessa." His voice was imposing and hoarse. "Will you leave again?"

My heart skipped a beat. It felt like time had stopped, and for a moment, all I did was listen to the whooshing sound of the torrential downpour. I replied softly, "I will."

"Half a month," Lorcan suddenly said.

I lifted my gaze to his. "I'll take you to see Sabrina after half a month. Just stay away from that no-good Xander Townsend."

So, he was keeping Sabrina in a gilded cage somewhere and hiding her away from the world. Disgust overcame me, and I roughly wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

Xander Townsend. He was the candidate I'd been reading up on. Sensing my incredulity, Lorcan pressed a button and unlocked the car door, explaining, "He's bad news."

I suppressed the discomfort working to lodge itself in my chest, then nodded as I opened the door.

"Tessa," Lorcan called out to me after I left, frowning. "Did you hear me? Stay away from him!"

I held up the umbrella and stepped out into the rain, answering nonchalantly, "Yes, I heard you."

Lorcan was a grown, grounded man. If he said Xander was trouble, I believed him.

Headquarters tasked Jonathan with procuring another female celebrity who happened to be shooting out of town. After he left on that assignment, I was left in the hotel alone.

Since then, someone new had occupied Jonathan's room. Lorcan moved in right across the hall from me, and after learning that, I'd stopped going out. The last thing I wanted was to run into him.

On this rainy day, however, I suddenly craved a pastrami sandwich. Although I had no family here, I still missed Credea and everything about it.

It was 5:00 pm. Lorcan must still be in the office. With an umbrella in hand, I gingerly snuck out of the room.