Taming the Wicked Rogue

Crossing the line

I was cocooned in warmth, which was odd. My blanket was thin, and the apartment’s heating was non-existent. I tried to flip over my back but found myself restricted. Annoyed and sleepy, I grasped at the hard and warm thing around my waist and pulled it off. I tried. But it wouldn’t budge. In fact, it became tighter.

I was eager to get back to sleep. I wiggled my body, wanting a bit of space from the heat source. It was too hot.

“Don’t move.” A raspy voice whispered in my ear, jolting me awake. The sleepiness evaporated into thin air. My eyes opened wide, taking in the bare room and the floor-to-ceiling windows. This was not my apartment!

My eyes slid down to a muscular arm clasping my waist. All my senses seemed on high alert. My whole back was warm, and something big and awfully hard and hot was poking my back. I closed my eyes tightly, afraid to even move.

“No crossing the line, is it?” A husky drawl sounded behind. Hot breath fanned my neck. A delicious shiver ran down my spine, igniting with it a fire in my belly. I bit my lip hard to keep myself from thinking that he was naked and that thing poking behind was probably that.

“I’ll take a shower. There’s another bathroom on the first floor.” In an instant, he was off the bed. The warmth slowly dissipated. I heard the door close, and my heartbeat gradually calmed down. I sat up and realized in utter shame that it was I who indeed crossed the line. The pillow I had placed in the middle was now on the ground. The left side of the bed was empty and cold while the right side was still warm with residual heat, the sheets crumpled and in disarray.

I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs, only to come to a screeching halt at the sight of Olah by the kitchen. Her gaze traveled from my disheveled hair to the t-shirt swallowing my form and back to my face. She grinned and chirpily greeted, “Good morning! Did you get a good night’s sleep?”

I groaned in embarrassment. Olah chuckled.

“I brought clothes for you. It’s in the paper bag, and the bathroom is on that side.”

I snatched the bag and made a beeline to the bathroom. This bathroom was small and probably only meant for guests. I didn’t mind. I quickly took a refreshing bath. The clothes Olah brought were a pair of faded denim pants, denim shorts, and several plain colored t-shirts. There was a set of cotton underwear and a matching bra. I breathed in relief I didn’t have to wear Rhy’s clothes anymore.

Rhys was already by the table, drinking a cup of coffee and speaking with Olah. I couldn’t meet his eyes, so I focused instead on the breakfast laid out on the table. There were eggs, strips of bacon, and porridge. I also ignored how they stopped talking when I was close to hearing it.

“So, where do I go today?” I asked, pressing down the uneasiness that unfurled on my stomach.

“Olah would stay with you for a couple of days.” He answered nonchalantly, but I caught on to the underlying meaning of his words in an instant. I noticed then that he was dressed not so casually.

“Where are you going?”

Rhys stared at me as if contemplating whether to tell me or not. The uneasiness grew, and I had unconsciously gripped the fork tightly. It might be the pregnancy hormones like Matt, the doctor had said. Just the thought of him away made me fidgety. And I didn’t like that feeling. I had never been dependent on someone else. Not even to my ex-fiancee. Being orphaned at a young age does that to you. You have to grow up and rely on yourself earlier than everybody else.

“I will go to town for a few days. I need to find someone for your condition.” He explained, and the uneasiness subsided only marginally.

I cheered myself up internally. Just a few days will be fine. I nodded stiffly and focused back on breakfast.

“While I’m away, you’ll also be guarded by my men.”

My head snapped up, and I stared at him in surprise. “What men?”

“Hammer and Jiro will follow you everywhere you go while I’m away.”

Two men almost the same height as Rhys but not as muscular stepped in. Their expressions showed they were as thrilled as I was with the arrangement.

“Olah is with me. I don’t need guards.”

“Olah will have to be at the diner most of the time. You can’t be up and about all the time. You also need rest.” He glowered. I glowered back. “I can just sit in the diner.”

“Then they stay with you,” Rhys said with such finality. Great! I will be stuck with two men who clearly did not like me.

“Fantastic. Thanks for being so thoughtful.” I murmured sarcastically, to which he merely gave me a hard look and uttered a cold, “No problem.”

Rhys drove me to the diner. Before leaving for his trip, he gave me a hard and long look that made my heart beat speed up, only to shatter with his next words,

“Cuff yourself every night. Then give Olah the key. I would know if you’re being unreasonable.”

I glared at him even until the Maserati had disappeared. I snorted and went back to the diner. Olah had reserved a booth for the two grumpy bodyguards and me, but I didn’t want to sit with them and suffocate on testosterone. So instead, I lounged by the counter, chatting with Olah while she worked.

Sometimes I would also help out, but Olah wouldn’t let me help for long and urged me to rest every hour. She was too protective. I felt okay and was more eager to work. I spied the empty baking station that was built beside the counter.

“You bake?”

“Sometimes I do. But I prefer being at the counter. I had a baker before, but she’s in what you call a honeymoon period. I doubt it if she will be back since her mate is a member of a wolf pack from the South.”

An idea sparked in me, “How about I bake for you?”

Olah was quick to decline. “Not a chance. You need to rest. That’s what Matt said.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not so fragile. Actually, before coming here, I’ve been working in a small bakery. Let me help. I don’t need to work all day.” I glanced at the bodyguards who were eyeing me warily.

“In fact, I don’t need to do much, and it’s a guarantee that I won’t get tired.” A perfect plan formed in my head.