Chapter 318

He cursed and ran a hand through his hair, frustration riding his body hard. "That was a mistake, Annie. One I won't be repeating. Ruminskey is a potential Praetorian and nothing more. The whole point of meeting with her was to knock any amorous notions out of her head."

Rhianna's lips quirked. "I see you managed to do that successfully."

"Fuck! Annie, will you just let it drop?" It was a testament to how rattled he was that he didn't moderate how he spoke to her. Usually he was unfailingly polite, respectful with a touch of old school gallantry.

"If she's affecting you this badly then maybe you shouldn't fight it so hard," she mused. "Sometimes forbidden fruit takes on a more tempting taste because you deny yourself."

His eyes swung to meet hers and he blinked slowly. "You're encouraging me? I would have thought you'd be warning me away from the girl." The raw disbelief in his voice was almost comical.

"You need to make a decision one way or the other and stick to it, Mac. You can't