Chapter 13
Roderick’s gaze dropped to Laurel’s lips, and he swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat. “You.”
Before he could finish his words, Laurel closed her eyes again, as if the moment they just shared was nothing but a fleeting dream
Roderick’s grip tightened on the seat, like he was trying to hold back whatever was stirring inside him. After a beat, he let out a quiet laugh, half in disbelief.
He had seen many women, yet just moments ago, he was on the verge of giving in completely.
He took a breath, carefully fastened the seatbelt around Laurel, and then hit the gas without a second thought. The sleek black Koenigsegg shot off into the night, leaving everything behind.
Not long after, they arrived at Kingswater Villa.
Once they were in the bedroom, Roderick casually dropped Laurel onto the bed. In that split second of floating, Laurel instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck,
Roderick wasn’t prepared for this and ended up falling on top of her, pinning her down.
His first thought was to pry her arms away from him, but sensing his move, Laurel just held on tighter. With half–squinted eyes, Roderick looked down at her and said. “Let go.”
- g. You’re trying to get rid of me, but I’m not
Laurel, a bit tipsy, opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile. “Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing.” letting go!”
Roderick shook his head. “I’m not trying to get rid of you, I just want to put you to bed.”
“No way!” Laurel shot back, shaking her head defiantly. “A man’s word can’t be trusted. I’m not letting go.”
Roderick wrinkled his nose. It was clear that trying to reason with her while she was drunk wasn’t going to work.
Just as he was about to pull her arms away, he heard her mumbling something under her breath. “When I’m drunk and no one cares about me, end up having to sleep on the street. What if the bad guys come after me?”
That made Roderick chuckle. She really did know how to look out for herself when she was drinking.
Norcing she was about to pass out again, he leaned in closer and whispered in her car, “I’m a bad guy, so let go.”
Laurel forced her eyes open once more, looked away for a moment, then shook her head, “You’re Roderick, not a bad guy.”
I
When she finished speaking, she shook her head a bit and muttered, “Still, Roderick’s kind of dangerous. They say he sleeps with every woman who hops into his cir”
Roderick took it all in with a good–natured chuckle. He knew he had a bit of a sketchy reputation, but he had no idea it was this extreme.
Over the years, to build his playboy image, he’d bring a woman with him whenever the occasion called for it.
a
After putting on a show, he’d slip them some hush money and never see them again–not to mention actually bring anyone back to his place.
He wasn’t sure if it was the allure of the night or just the hormones kicking in. Roderick glanced down at the woman curled up in his arms, as soft as a kitten, and felt a strange, exciting flutter in his chest.
When he spoke again, his tone was laced with flirtation that he didn’t quite catch himself. “Really? Do you even realize whose bed you’re in right
now?”
Laurel opened her eyes, locking onto him for a moment. His features were striking–his eyebrows were like a work of art, his nose was sharp and straight, and especially those cold eyes that seemed like a deep whirlpool, ready to pull someone in and drown them.
“Is this your bed?” she asked.
“You think?” he shot back.
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Chapter 13
Laurel paused for a moment and asked, “So, what’s the plan now that I’m here in your bed”
Her soft voice had that special charm that made Roderick’s heart skip a beat. A warm rush of heat flooded his body, taking control. The hand he had resting on her side slowly turned into a fist, crumpling the neatly arranged bedding beneath him.
He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her, captivated and almost hypnotized.
Her thick, curly lashes fluttered above her half–closed eyes. In the dim light of the room, her cheeks had a rosy glow, and her slightly parted, rosy lips looked utterly inviting
Just as he leaned in closer, Laurel suddenly pushed him away and stumbled into the bathroom. Almost immediately, he heard the sound of her vomiting
Roderick sat up in bed. shut his eyes, and deeply breathed. He couldn’t believe he was actually turned on by her.
Whatever he thought. He’d already brought her back.
“Wash up. This isn’t the Lambert family. Nobody’s here to serve you” Roderick’s voice was icy as he slammed the door to his room and walked out.
“What?” Laurel was in the bathroom, throwing up, and didn’t even catch what he said.
After she was finally done puking, she rushed to wash her face and stumbled back into bed, hoping to catch some sleep. By the time she woke up, it was the next morning
As Laurel sat up, her head was spinning, and her thoughts were chaotic. Shaking her head helped a bit, and she tried to get her bearings.
She squinted, taking in her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was,
The decor was simple but had this cool vibe–mostly grey and white, with some dark blue and red accents adding a touch of class. This place didn’t feel like a hotel at all.
Just then, a knock interrupted her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Laurel got up and opened the door. Standing there was a friendly–looking. middle–aged woman who smiled warmly at her.
“Ms. Lambert. I’m glad you’re awake! I’m Luna Cruiz, the maid here” As she spoke, Luna handed Laurel a neatly pressed outfit
Here are some clothes for you. Once you’re freshened up, come downstairs–Mr. Lynch is waiting for you with breakfast” With that, Luna wrapped up her explanation and headed downstairs.
Laurel was about to ask who “Mr. Lynch” was when a memory from last night suddenly hit her–Roderick picking her up at the clubhouse.
“So, I’m in Roderick’s room! He took me home?” she pondered.
Suddenly, more memories flooded back.
“Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing. You’re trying to get rid of me, but I’m not letting go!”
“Still Roderick’s kind of dangerous. They say he sleeps with every woman who hops into his car.”
“So, what’s the plan now that I’m here in your bed?”
Laurel rubbed her forehead, wishing she could travel back in time. She really wished she could hit the reset button and avoid the embarrassment she just went through
It was flat–out humiliating, and it was in front of Roderick! It felt like throwing the humiliation back in her face–making her want to disappear.
She had never been a big drinker before she was thrown back in time, so she had no clue that getting drunk could lead to such a disaster. She promised herself she’d never drink like that again.
With a sigh, she hugged her clothes and shut the door to her room, fighting back tears.
Having crashed in her outfit last night, it was such a mess that she couldn’t bear the thought of stepping outside.
Thankfully, Luna had prepared a cute and comfy shirt–style dress that really suited her vibe.
After a quick shower, she slipped into the dress just in time to catch her phone vibrating non–stop on the nightstand. It was George calling. She
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Chapter 13
quickly hung up.
Her call log showed a dozen missed calls, with Hill and Melinda also trying to reach her. Her WhatsApp was flooded with messages from all three, but she wasn’t about to read those.
It was pretty clear they were reaching out to urge her to make amends with Warwick.
Yesterday, they mentioned heading over to the Lynch house today. Since she hadn’t gone back last night, the three of them were probably freaking out, worried they’d get grilled by Warwick,
