The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 36

She lowered her head, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes.

She reached into her pocket and found her stash of mints.

They were her substitute for quitting smoking during class.

She poured out a white mint, tossed it into her mouth, and crushed it viciously with her teeth.

The cool flavor exploded in her mouth, somewhat diluting the sourness in her heart.

"If you won't say yes, then don't."

Clara mumbled incoherently, "I won't pester you anymore, okay? I'll go find someone else."

She was truly disheartened.

This man had a heart of stone—you couldn't warm it up, and holding it only hurt your hand.

She unbuckled her seatbelt in a huff. Just as she was about to push the door open, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

"What are you eating?"

Clara parted her lips blankly, a cool minty breath escaping.

"...A mint."

"I want one too."

"What?" Clara didn't get it.

He rejected her, but he wanted to steal candy from a kid?

"All gone. That was the last one." Clara lied, hiding the tin behind her back and gripping it tight.

Rhys stared at her opening and closing red lips, then unbuckled his own seatbelt.

With a soft click, he leaned in close.

His overwhelming masculine scent enveloped her, trapping her like a net.

Clara instinctively shrank back into her seat, her heart pounding like thunder.

"What... what are you doing..."

Rhys propped one hand on the car door, his usually cold eyes locking her in place.

"Didn't you say there was one left?"

Clara's mind went blank. She hadn't reacted to where he meant "one left" was.

His lips pressed down hers.

Clara still remembered that it wasn't a gentle kiss.

Rhys tasted the crushed mint on the tip of her tongue as he wished, and Clara tasted the unique flavor that was Rhys.

Seeing her zone out, Rhys was dissatisfied.

"I'm asking you, what exactly did that Daniel say to you? Did he try to get you to buy some financial product?"

She had vomited her guts out in the bathroom. If Daniel hadn't appeared, she would have been humiliated for much longer.

But in Rhys's eyes, aside from himself and Margot, everyone else was a villain.

Clara said, "He recommended a product to me. High returns, and it helps people get out of trouble. I think it's great. I'm preparing to buy in."

Rhys dried his hair, unconcerned. "People like that squat in those places just to scam women like you who have their guard down."

He reached out to check her forehead, wanting to see if she had a fever from the vomiting.

"Stay away from people like that in the future. Don't believe everything you hear. I'm a cop; I have more experience than you in this area. You aren't allowed to see him again."

Clara curled her lip. "You even want to control what friends your wife makes? Are you going to run a background check on Miss Johnson's boyfriends too?"

"Don't drag Margot into everything."

Rhys withdrew his hand.

"There's nothing going on between me and her. But you? Getting all handsy with a strange man in a restroom."

Clara froze.