DEADLY DECEPTION

CHAPTER 35

(AVERY'S POV)

Ignoring Rick for the rest of the day was surprisingly easy. He was holed up in meetings with his men, discussing whatever the hell they always did. Plans. Gala. Enemies. Business. Whatever it was, it kept him away from me, and for once, I was grateful.

Night fell, but sleep never came.

I tossed. Turned. Buried my face into the pillow. Nothing helped. My body still hummed, my mind still replayed the way Rick kissed me—like he wanted to devour me and destroy me all at once.

The ghost of his lips still lingered on mine.

No matter how much I forced myself to forget, my mind betrayed me the moment I closed my eyes. With a frustrated sigh, I sat up in bed, the dim glow of the moon casting long shadows across my room. My fingers curled into the sheets as I fought the temptation clawing at my chest.

Don't do it, Avery.

But my body was already moving before my mind could catch up.

Silently, I slipped out of bed, my bare feet padding against the cold floor as I pushed my door open and stepped into the hallway. The air was heavy, thick with something I couldn't name. Maybe it was the night. Maybe it was him.

Maybe it was the fucking pull he had on me that I couldn't escape.

Rick's room was dark, but not empty.

It was filled with him—his scent, his presence, even when he wasn't there. I took a slow step forward, my pulse steady but my chest tightening with something I wasn't ready to admit.

The room was minimalistic. No unnecessary decorations, no warmth, just like the man himself. But as I walked closer to the nightstand, something caught my eye.

A photo.

I reached for it before I could stop myself.

It was old, slightly worn at the edges, but the image was clear. A boy, no older than eight, standing beside a woman with soft eyes and dark hair. His mother. His little sister, barely a toddler, clung to the woman's dress.

Rick's face in the picture was unreadable. Just like it was now.

"You lost?"

His voice sliced through the silence, sending a sharp jolt through me. I turned abruptly, the photo slipping from my fingers and landing back onto the nightstand with a soft thud.

Rick stood just a few feet away, fresh from the shower. His hair, still wet, dripped onto his bare shoulders, a white towel hanging loosely around his neck. But my eyes travelled lower, betraying me before I could stop them.

Sweatpants. Low on his hips. The sharp cut of his V-line leading down—

I swallowed hard.

Rick tilted his head slightly, catching exactly where my gaze had landed. His lips curled into something dangerous.

"Like what you see?"

Cocky. Amused.

Like he already knew the answer.

I snapped my eyes back up to his, heat creeping up my neck. "Fuck off."

He took a step forward.

I took a step back.

Another step. Another. Until my back hit the wall, and he was standing right in front of me, his body blocking out everything else.

His hands came up, resting against the wall just above my head.