I felt a surge of adrenaline. My breaths were sharp and cold air bit into my lungs, but I tried keeping my breathing steady as I pushed harder and went faster. I darted past buildings, past people and trees, my ponytail rising behind me as I ran. The only thing I could see was what was in front of me. The only thing I could hear was the calming music in my ears.

A thin layer of sweat covered the nape of my neck and forehead as I kept pushing my legs and speeding with each push. Running wasn't something that I did. It wasn't something that I would pick to choose, but it was something that I thought I needed to clear my head. It was obvious nothing else was going to help me.

My thoughts were frantic with the need to escape, to find solace in something, and so far, running was helping. I couldn't think of anything except my lungs straining as I pounded my feet across the ground. In the corner of my eyes, everything became a blur. I felt a bead of sweat rolled down my forehead and splattered to my chin.

When I was literally gasping for air, I had to slow down until I came to a stop, collapsing on a nearby bench. My legs were killing me. I was trying to catch my breath and the sounds around me began to get louder. Chatters, car honks, bicycle bells, and dogs barking. Everything else came back to me and I had to rest my hands on my thighs. I looked up at the sky, shading the sun with my arm.

"Oh my god, that was insane!" Hanna exclaimed as she collapsed beside me. I could hear her panting, trying to add more to her words but she kept gasping with each second.

I lowered my arm in time to see Fallon collapsing at my other side, out of breath. They were both sweating, but I knew I was sweating more than they were. I could feel myself drenched in it.

"When you invited us to run, I didn't know you were going to run us to death," Hanna said as she pushed her wet strands out of her face that was glued to her forehead. "And what kind of legs do you have?" She was breathing so excessively.

I laughed at both of them, wiping the sweats from my forehead. "You guys were so slow," I said. "I'm not even a frequent runner but I managed to outrun you both."

"I could have sworn you've been doing this for a long time," Fallon managed to say, leaning her head back. "Count me out next time. You're a fucking beast."

"Oh, come on." I nudged her. "If you don't run with me, how are you going to stay fit?"

"I'm doing good as I am, thank you. There's no need to make me fit," she whispered the last part with half-closed eyes. "I think Hanna will sit it out as well." She laughed.

"Damn well I will! I'm sweaty and I ache all over. All I want right now is a warm bath and something with ice to drink." She pulled her tank that was glued to her chest from the sweat with a disgusted look. "Can we agree that sweat is the most disgusting thing on the planet? It's not a woman's best friend."

Rising to my feet, I looked toward them with arched brows. "So, does that mean you're not going to run back with me?" I darted my eyes between them.

Fallon pulled a face. "Hell no. I'm going to walk or call a cab. No way am I going to run with you again."

A car honked loudly behind me. I turned around to see a sleek black car packing beside us. Moments later, the driver's door opened and Rogue stepped out of the car in a tailored suit. He had his hands in his pockets, and he looked so attractive that anyone would pause to look at him twice.

My heart pulsated. I didn't know when I sat back down. Rogue removed one hand from his pocket, letting it rest beside him as he began to stride towards me, and when he did, my heart kept pummeling, and I couldn't take my eyes off the delicious man coming to me. I could hear both Hanna and Fallon's intakes of breath as they were attacked by everything Rogue Slade was, and something inside me wanted to jump on them and scratched their eyes out because no one was supposed to look at him like that.

He was too pretty. He was larger than life, and everywhere he stepped foot, he took over completely. Two ladies walking on the side road were whispering to each other, gawking at him. It took everything in me not to bolt up and branded him as mine.

My heart stuttered as he reached me, and instead of asking one of my friends to give him space to sit, he opted to lower himself in front of me. Our gazes leveled. Rogue gave me a breathtaking smile. He reached up and patted the side of my head in an affectionate gesture that zapped at my heart.

"You did good, darling," he murmured, already pulling me in with his eyes. Hanna gasped. She already knew he was my boyfriend, but I guess this was going to continue shocking her.

The only thing I could say to him was, "How did you know I was here?" I didn't call or text him. We had a brief text last night. We both had said good night to each other and that was it. I didn't expect to see him so soon. Things were still awkward, and I knew every time something happened, one of us would take several steps away. This time, it didn't happen.

He grinned. "I was driving by when I saw you. I didn't expect you to see me." Chuckling, he rested his arm on my thigh. "I didn't want to bother you so I had to let you finish running." Then he looked at my friends. "Hello, Hanna, Fallon." He did his best to send them a friendly smile, which I appreciated, but then I had to remember Rogue had always been friendly and nice to people.

"Um, hey, we are just going to leave you two lovebirds alone," Hanna mused, rising from the bench. Fallon bolted as well. Hanna glanced at me. "Beth, we will see you back home. Take your time. Nice to see you, Rogue!" She waved, pulling Fallon along, who waved us goodbye.

Rogue took the spot Hanna had occupied moments ago, crossing his legs. He was so close to me that I could feel every inch of him. I suddenly felt dizzy, and I wondered if it was because of the sun. That made me remember how messy I looked right now and the sweat. I pulled a face.

"Can you move a little? I'm sweaty and I don't want to ruin your suit."

"No." It was a simple and firm word.

"Then feel free to get all the sweat on you.

He looked at my body, at my drenched tank that made my nipples stand erect. I hadn't even noticed, but he surely did. All of the oxygen around us was suddenly being sucked. I kept my gaze on him. Rogue stood and began to take off his suit jacket, which had me expanding my eyes.

"What are you—" He shut me up when he threw the jacket around me, covering my body. Sitting back down, he looked at it, then his gaze went back on me. My breath caught. "T...thank you."

"I didn't want to have to punch anyone for staring when you look like that. It should be me who gives you that attention." To make more points, he grazed his thumb over my nipples and I sucked in a breath.

"We're in public," I muttered in alarm, hugging his jacket around me. My nipples were tight and painful, scraping against my tank.

He chuckled. "Then don't come out looking like that again and I won't have to touch you inappropriately in public." His thumb brushed over my bottom lip. "Your lips are chapped," he remarked, and before I knew it, he was catching my lips into a hot, searing kiss. His body pressed deeper into mine and for a moment, I just let him be close and kiss me.

When I started to moan against his lips, I quickly pulled away, shocked that I had almost been swayed. We both had forgotten where we were and he seemed to have realized that because he chuckled again.

Rogue grabbed my hand, interlocking our fingers together. He pulled me up on my feet and began to walk me to his car. Opening the door for me, I got in first before he closed the door and crossed over to the other side.

We were quiet as he drove through the city. I stared out of the window, my thoughts lost in the blurry buildings that we drove past. My fingers tapped on the window, slowly and with ease, counting how many taps I had done in my head. There were too many things on my mind that I didn't want to talk about, and I guess Rogue could tell that I wasn't in the mood to speak right now.

I wondered if he had spoken to Pete. I wondered what they talked about and what Pete's decision was. I wondered why he wasn't asking me about his friend. He was aware that I had met Pete last night, but he wasn't questioning me about it. Could he still be worried about that? Did he still think I was going to be moved by what Pete did? In his mind, all he had done was hurt me and all Pete had done was be there for me. Those had been Pete's marks of affection. He could be wondering about his. He could be thinking about what he had done for me all these times?

He sat next to me, still and quiet, not questioning me. Leaving me alone. Like it didn't matter that I wasn't talking to him. Like it didn't matter that I had a sensitive conversation with his best friend. I was jealous of his ability to remain calm and unbothered. But I knew him now. I knew the storm inside him.

My fingers continued to tap on the window.

When he pulled over to the front of my building, I didn't wait for him to get out and open the door for me. Rushing out of the car, I assumed he was going to follow me inside so I didn't wait up. I wasn't sweaty anymore, but I still felt dirty. I wanted to hit the showers. Halfway to the front door of the building, I came to a halt, realizing he hadn't followed me. Realized he was still in the car.

What the hell was I doing? Spinning around, I found his car where I left it. His door was open and he was half out of the car.

"You okay?" he asked, his expression etched with concern.

I scratched my head. "Yeah, I'm fine." Dropping my hand, I kept my gaze pinned on him. "I don't want you to go. Honestly, I don't know why we're acting like this, but I don't want it to continue. I want to talk to you about how I feel and I want you to ask me the questions you're hesitating to ask. I don't want us to walk on eggshells around each other."

He was out of the door and in two strides, he was at my side. Rogue crashed his lips to mine for the second time today. My hands were already all over him, and when he moved to touch me as well, I remembered that I had not showered and I broke the kiss.

"Sorry," I said with a grin playing on my lips. "I need to shower first. I stink."

"Let me come with you."

There wasn't anything else that I wanted more than that, but not right now. "No, you stay here. I'm gonna go upstairs and wash up quickly. Wait for me in the car. We're going on a date."

He grinned. "A date? In public?"

I almost melted into the ground from his smile. "Yes, we're going on a date. If I let you go in with me now, we're not coming out anytime soon." I chuckled and his response was a nod of agreement. "So, sit tight. I won't be long."

His forehead wrinkled as he considered. "You truly do want to go out on a date with me? Where everyone can see? Hold hands and kiss each other?"

"All of that," I told him. Warmth spread within me. It was a nice thing to feel wanted. "I want to do everything couples do with you. I told you, I'm not going to hide you anymore." I was shaky all of a sudden, excited.

Rogue heard my words and absorbed them. I saw them sinking into his skin. "That's a fantastic offer, Ms. Wallace. I accept it." Even with his devilish grin, his statement managed to sound sweet.

I hurried inside to shower and change, then grabbed my phone. I headed out, and Rogue was still standing where I left him, waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he smiled, and I rushed to him as he opened his arms for me to walk into.

I got out of his arms and walked to his car. Rogue opened the door for me and when he made sure I was settled, he closed the door and got inside the car.

"So.." He instantly grabbed my hand, swallowing it in his own. "I'd have to call my assistant and clear my schedule today." He looked me in the eye.

I leaned back to look at him, smiling. "I'm not going to tell you to go back to work because I don't care. I want you here. Work can wait. You're the boss, after all. No one is going to tell you off."

"I like the idea of taking a day off when you have a day off." He glanced at me before his attention returned to the road. "Where are we going exactly? You haven't told me."

I liked that too. I wondered what he had done with his days off in the past. I wondered if he had ever taken the time to enjoy his day off or any other day.

"How do you feel about watching a movie?" I asked.

"Right now?"

I nodded. "I just realized we haven't been anywhere besides the usual places, and there's this movie I've been meaning to watch but couldn't because Fallon and Hanna are busy."

His brow wrinkled as if he were thinking. "I'm the second option?" He smirked, and I could tell it didn't upset him. If there was anyone who treasured friends, it was him. And I wasn't even going to ask him if I was a third option as well. I would rather not know. Some things were better left not knowing when it came to him.

I registered our vehicle coming to a standstill at a red light. He continued to say, "I thought you were going to take me to meet your parents." I started to choke and he laughed. "Too soon?"

"Way too soon. For all you know, I might never get to meet your parents."

He stepped on the break so fast and hard that I went forward. The impact wasn't hard but I still felt it. "Wow, you really can't take a joke, huh?" I teased, sweeping a glance towards him.

Rogue had his hands on the wheel and was glaring at me. The cars behind us began to honk. I turned around to find several cars behind us, honking at us. Rogue had blocked them, so they couldn't pass through.

"Drive," I commanded as they began to continue honking. When I found my voice again over the noises outside, I said again, "Rogue, are you serious? Please, drive. We're causing traffic."

But he didn't budge, nor did he start moving. He was staring at me, hard and deep like he was scheming. Like he wanted to play. I ran my hand flat along my head when a driver stuck his head out from his car and began to shout. Honking and shouting. I panicked as the seconds passed by, and then I saw a driver getting out of his car from the rearview mirror.

"Rogue..." I shook his arm, my attention on the rearview mirror. "Please, drive. I'm sorry for joking about that. Drive now!" I shook him as the driver got closer to our car.

He smirked as the driver reached our car and I stiffened. He was large and his face was red with anger as he knocked on the window, shouting over it. I winced and looked at Rogue, who was more interested in staring at me.

"Okay, you made your point! Drive now!"

The driver kept knocking, and the next thing I knew, his hands were on the knob, trying to open the door but the door was locked. Angrily, he slammed his palm against the window and turned to talk to someone. More drivers were coming out of their cars, shouting over themselves. I scanned Rogue's face once more, giving him a pleading look.

With a nod, he turned on the engine, almost driving through the driver. My breath shuddered as I drew it in.

At some point, while he was driving, he got a text. I was a bit shocked when he asked me to read it for him out loud, which meant I had no idea his level of trust was high. I felt it in my bones, in the center of my chest. When he saw the look on my face, he chuckled as if amused.

I read the name Amber on the top, and my stomach knitted when I read it. God, it was so stupid. There was no reason to feel anything over a woman texting him. I didn't want to be that kind of woman who got jealous every time her boyfriend interacted with a woman. It was a ridiculous feeling, one that I quickly pushed away.

He swung his attention to me when I read the text. This Amber woman had asked to see him as soon as possible. Without saying anything more, I gave the phone back to him. While I remained quiet, he looked my way again.

"You're not going to ask me who she is?"

I looked back at him. "No, because it's none of my business. I don't care who you talk to." The words snagged in my throat despite trying so hard to sound normal.

Rogue shifted in his seat, casting me a sidelong glance. "Not at all?" He looked at the road, then back at me. "Should I be worried that you're not trying to be jealous when I was burning with jealousy when you were with West?"

"That's different. I was dating West. Are you dating Amber?" I gnawed on my lip, sure I had drawn blood.

"You know if I was, I wouldn't have asked you to read the text," he countered immediately. I raised a brow. Rogue paused a second, a smirk twitching his mouth. "Let me rephrase that: I would never cheat on you. I'd never do anything that would cause me to lose you and I won't let anyone break us up."

I hauled in a breath, my lungs begging for air as I tried to wrap my head around everything he dumped in my lap. It was not the first time I've heard those words, but every time he repeated it, the emotions and intensity were top-notch. His statement had ignited the confidence inside me that Rogue wouldn't stand to lose me, not for anyone or anything.

"Amber is just someone that has what belongs to me," he continued, his hands on the wheel.

Again, my brows rose high but I didn't say anything, letting him continue.

"Would you mind if I drop by her office for a bit?" He swung his attention to me again, and when I nodded, he grinned. "I borrowed Amber a few of my sculptures to put in her gallery. If I hadn't needed her help with something, I wouldn't have done that. You already know how important my sculptures are, but it was a sacrifice I had to make."

The car came to a stop in front of a white building with wide windows that showcased sculptures. As soon as I walked out, I closed the door behind me and followed Rogue past the front door to the back of the building. We stopped at a door and he turned the handle. It opened with ease. Rogue let me get in first before he followed after.

We were in a long and narrow corridor. I let him take charge, walking beside him. We reached another door that was close to the end of the corridor. He knocked, and not a second later, he opened the door and walked in.

The office had soft lighting with soft chairs and a desk covered with mini sculptures, stacks of files, and a computer. There were several artworks, all hanging pretty on the white walls and windows with curtains drawn. The woman who sat behind the desk had me raising my brows because I had thought she would be young. She wasn't. She looked old enough to be my mother. I caught Rogue's gaze and he smirked at me.

"Rogue, this is a surprise. Normally, you have to make me call you twice before you come to see me." The woman chirped as we sat down on the chairs in front of her. Her hair was pinned with a pencil that stuck out both ways, and her deep red blazer had spots of white in them. A white-rimmed glass sat on her nose.

He rolled his eyes but still reserved his smile. "That's because I was already on the road and you caught me in a good time, Amber, otherwise, I would have pushed this meeting to next week or any other time I felt like entertaining you."