CATCH (The Billionaire's Rules, Book 14) Read Free Page A

worth letting go of her dignity.
    She started walking towards the door again.
    “Lanie, think about what you’re doing right now,” he called after her.
    She looked back briefly and gave him a quick smile. “I have thought about it.” And then she turned and strode to the door, opened it and walked out. Lanie continued down the strange hall, past the myriad doors that led to other rooms, and heard muffled sounds of sex and pain and pleasure that apparently passed for courting in these parts.
    One door was open—and in this room, as she went by, she glimpsed a fully naked woman, spread eagled, her buttocks red, and a muscular man holding a long paddle, readying to swing it again.
    Lanie was tempted to watch, but no. She needed to keep moving, and she did, hearing the echoes of the slapping sounds, and the moans and grunts of the woman being paddled fading into the distance.
    When Lanie finally emerged onto the street, she realized she had no idea where she was. She’d been blindfolded for the entire ride and had no clue how to get home.
    “Shit,” she muttered, turning on her cell phone and trying to get the GPS working.
    As she stood on the corner, fumbling, a car pulled alongside her and stopped. She glanced up and saw Brayden staring out of the open window on the driver’s side.
    “Get in,” he told her.
    “I don’t think so,” she said.
    “Come on,” Brayden continued. “I’ll give you a ride home, at least.”
    She licked her lips. “But nothing’s going to happen. You said it’s over between us.”
    He gave a shrug. “I heard you, Lanie. It’s just a ride home.”
    She sighed and walked around the car, got into the passenger seat. Once she’d gotten into his car, and they were driving again, Lanie got a burst of sadness.
    Brayden had turned on the radio and there was some melancholy alternative rock song playing low, but it gave her chills, as she kept the window down and let the air breeze in through her window.
    She felt relaxed and strangely at home in the car with him.
    Why does it have to be so hard?
    This feels right, like I belong here with him .
    But obviously, she thought, that couldn’t be true. She wanted to belong with Brayden Forman, but he was out of her league in too many ways to count.
    And he appeared to know it.
    But you’re the one who turned him down, Lanie. He wanted you. He wanted you and you chickened out.
    Brayden glanced over at her. “You seem quiet.”
    She sighed. “I like being with you. I like this. This, right now.” She couldn’t seem to quite describe it, and her hands twisted against each other, fingers intertwining nervously as she looked down, not willing to meet his gaze anymore.
    “I like this too,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle.
    She smiled. “But somehow…it’s all gone screwy.”
    “You can say that again.”
    She laughed. “Maybe we could be…I don’t know…friends?”
    “No,” he said, instantly.
    There was a long, telling silence. She nodded. “Yeah, of course. Friends. How cheesy of me.”
    “It’s not cheesy, it’s just not who I am.”
    She looked at him, finally. It felt safer, and besides, he’d begun looking straight ahead at the road. “So who are you, Brayden?”
    “I’m just never going to be that kind of person. I’m never going to be that friend you can count on, Lanie. It’s useless to even think about it.”
    “I won’t think about it, then.” She sighed and looked out the window as the melancholy guitar continued to sound out, making her heart ache even more.
    After a time, Brayden pulled the car up to the sidewalk and parked it again.
    She looked up and saw that they were parked in front of some fancy hotel, the Park Savoy. It was a gorgeous building—one of those old, fancy, large New York hotels where people were all polished, and their cars and clothes and shoes and jewelry all gleamed as thought they’d been bought at the same old money store.
    “Ready?” he asked, as he turned off the