Free Corrupting Cinderella by Autumn Jones Lake Page A

down from the closed-down shell of the old bar we used to hang out at before we moved the MC out into the wilderness. Still no sign of Hope.
    Checking my phone, I see she hasn’t responded. A boulder of worry settles in my gut as I stride over to 749 and push open the door.
    And run smack into a very frustrated Hope.
    Thank fuck.
    “Rock! What on earth are you doing here?”

    I’m beyond pissed that I apparently drove down here for nothing. Mrs. Kohn didn’t answer her door. The neighborhood is a lot sketchier than I thought it would be, so my nerves are jangling.
    Then, bam! There’s Rock, looking almost as pissed as I feel. On closer inspection, his pulse is pounding in his neck, body tense, eyes narrowed. Definitely furious and not in a mood to joke around.
    He takes me by the elbow and leads me to my car.
    “What are you doing down here by yourself?”
    A chill settles over me, and a sliver of resentment works into my chest. I’m thirty-fucking-three years old. A professional. I don’t need to ask his permission before doing my damn job.
    “Listen, I’ve been doing things on my own for a long damn time, Rock. I’ve done more client interviews than—”
    “You’re not alone anymore. You need to interview someone, you tell me and I go with you.”
    Is he nuts? “That’s ridiculous! You have your own things to worry about—”
    “I worry about you .”
    “I don’t need to be protected like some little kid.”
    “I’m well aware you’re not a kid, Hope. Doesn’t mean I want you wandering around the ghetto by yourself.”
    For a long stretch, we stare at each other in some sort of standoff. Rock is wound tight. Chest heaving, eyes flashing. Why am I questioning him? Oh, right—independence.
    “Rock, I’m an independent person. I’m not sure how to handle—”
    His expression softens, even as he interrupts me. “Ask me for help, Hope. That’s all. Don’t put yourself in danger.”
    “How am I in danger?”
    He cocks his head, and I get the feeling he’s thinking something rather unkind.
    “Did you meet your client?”
    “No. No one was home.”
    “Did it ever occur to you that it could have been a setup? To rob you? Or worse?”
    Well, no, that never occurred to me. Stubbornly, I refuse to answer his question.
    He nods in his maddeningly knowing way that makes me want to kick him.
    Instead, I smooth my hands over the bulging biceps of the big, bad, glowering biker in front of me.
    “Okay. But can you accept that I’m a grown woman who can handle things on her own?”
    He struggles. I can tell he wants to say no. I’m touched that he manages to rein it in. He nods and traces a finger over my cheek.
    “I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you, baby.”
    That melts me, and suddenly I’m acutely aware of how close our bodies are. How much closer I’d like our bodies to be. The heat of his skin radiates through his clothes into me. Adrenaline and emotion swirl between us, lighting a spark of desire. His hand drops to my waist, and he tugs me closer. I lean up to kiss his cheek, inhaling his crisp, raw scent. As I pull back, he turns and catches my lips in a rough kiss. Pressing me against my car door, his hands shackle my wrists against my sides as he takes the kiss even deeper. He swallows every soft moan that leaves my lips.
    The blast of a car horn stops us from doing the dirty on the hood of my car. Rock growls against my lips before pulling away. He scowls at the driver, then turns back to me.
    “We done here?”
    My voice comes out as shaky as the rest of me feels. “Yes.”
    “Good. Follow me to your office. I want to take you out to lunch.”
    “Okay.”
    When we pull into the office parking lot, my stomach clenches. For once, I’m not sure what I want to say. Part of me is still pissed off about his bossy caveman act. The other is floored and not sure how to handle the depth of Rock’s emotion for me. I’m proud of my independence, but I can’t deny how it feels