Rille (Tribes, Book 2)

Chapter 18

Preston hadn't said anything about that make-out session they had shared, and Brielle wasn't willing to be the first to bring it up. It had totally been a mistake, she had known that in the moment. But he had freaking licked blood off her neck. Did he expect her to not make out with him after he pulled a stunt like that?

Gosh, she had issues. But, boy, did she not give any cares.

Although, in hindsight, maybe remaining silent until they were in a train with other people had also been a mistake. Brielle hadn't known what to say. But Preston? For sure he had been waiting for the most inconvenient time to bring it up.

It started off innocent enough.

"Your stitches aren't ripped," Preston told her as the train pulled out of the station. "But I'll call someone to make sure they'll hold."

"Thanks."

What else was she supposed to say? She couldn't pretend like nothing happened—although that did sound like a good idea, it wouldn't work. Especially since it had been her first kiss with Preston and yet it had been a million times more satisfying than any kiss she had ever shared with Lou.

It felt like betraying those years with Lou. But it also felt like finding the perfect place to belong.

No wonder she couldn't come up with anything sassy or bratty to say. She was falling in love. And Brielle didn't think she could handle that. Not right now. Not so soon after her messy breakup. Lou already suspected her of cheating.

Why does that matter?

"Areyou really alright?" Preston asked, bending his head so that his gaze could rove over her from head to foot.

"I'm fine." Brielle shoved at Preston's temple, moving him aside so she could freaking breathe. "This time he didn't even manage to touch me, so... improvements."

"This time?" A rumble in Preston's chest sounded suspiciously like a growl. "Are you expecting there to be a next time?"

"No." Absolutely not. Brielle refused to go through that situation a third time. "I'm just saying, last time... we ended up like this. And this time you succeeded earlier. Congrats."

"Stop congratulating me. You shouldn't even be here." Preston paused, as if he had made a realization. "Why are you here? I left you at the penthouse."

"Oh. Uh..."

How did she explain it without sounding like a lunatic? There were reasons that she had escaped Shaw and followed Preston to the train station. Good ones. But Preston would probably laugh at her.

"I—"

"Don't lie to me," Preston intoned.

Okay, so lying had been a problem for her in the past. That didn't mean she was going to lie about everything. Except she had totally been constructing a story in her head and somehow Preston had seen through her. Darn his intuition.

Brielle turned her head to look out the train window, hoping that it would muffle her words so Preston didn't hear them quite so clearly.

"I thought you were hiding something from me, like Lou did. So I followed you."

Preston's fingers wrapped around the back of Brielle's neck, then used their leverage to turn her head back his direction. When Brielle looked up, he was an inch away from her, his eyes sparking green and his expression set grimly.

"I will never keep another woman behind your back," Preston declared. And, surprisingly, Brielle believed every syllable.

Feeling particularly flirty after all that had happened between them, Brielle craned her neck to press a peck to Preston's lips.

Preston's fingers flexed against her skin. "Oh, darling, now is not the time to start something like that."

"I'm not starting anything." Brielle reached up, intending to push his hold away. She underestimated how strong Preston was.

"You're going to learn soon that doing anything intimate is starting something. And if you don't watch it, I won't be able to keep my self-control." Preston grinned at her. "Then we'll be having all kinds of fun. Often."

For a breathless moment, the connotations of what he was offering sank into Brielle's mind. Then his fingers left her skin. Brielle slumped back against the seat. And a gulp of air filled her lungs.

She had not signed up for this, but she couldn't get out of it now. Her status quo had flown out the window a long time ago. If she were lucky, and with a little more research, Brielle might get it back. First she had to make it home in one piece.

Brielle's phone trilled in her pocket. She pulled it out, mostly because of the welcome distraction.

Only... the distraction turned out to be not so welcome after all.

Lou's name stared back at her from the top of a text thread that she had yet to delete. And at the bottom, a message from the man in question read: I overreacted today. I'm sorry. Let's get together and discuss it. I don't want to lose us.

Normally,Brielle would have considered it. She had gone back to him a handful of times after arguments or disagreements. This time it was different. This time she knew Lou's true colors and she didn't like them.

This time, she had signed papers that gave her life to some reclusive wolf pack. And then she had legally married the shifter who had taken her in. So, technically, going back to Lou would be cheating. Which was ironic.

Brielle sighed. She should meet with him to end things properly. She shot back a single word. Tomorrow.

It was late, and she didn't want to deal with Lou after all that she had just been through. For the second time. So he could wait until the following day to deal with whatever he had to say.

"What's got you so frustrated?" Preston asked, his voice low.

Brielle shot him a sideways glare. "How do you know I'm frustrated?"

"Partially your facial expression. Partially our bond." Preston's fingers rose to tap against the skin next to the almost-healed mating mark. "You've read the book. You should know that you can't hide things from me."

"It's nothing. Just an annoying ex-friend."

That was mostly the truth. At least he couldn't call her out on lying this time. Anything else dealing with Lou, Brielle wanted to handle it herself. Just to prove that she could. That she wasn't weak and that she didn't need to depend on anyone else.

But Preston's incredulous hum told her that it would be difficult to pull anything over on him. Except...

He had reminded her. The mating bond existed. And if it existed for him to use, she could use it in reverse, right?

A wicked scheme began to culminate in Brielle's head, but if she had known what it would ultimately create, she might not have thought to start it at all. Too bad that she was always too impulsive.  

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