Deceit (Gallows Hill, #1)

by Katelyn Taylor

Several cars pass me by, veering uncomfortably close before one slows down altogether. A rush of fear pangs through my body as I subtly look over my shoulder. The passenger window rolls down before a familiar voice calls out to me. “Skyla?” My head whips around to see Ronan watching me with a pinched look. In the next moment, he’s shutting off his car and jogging around the front of it to stand beside me. His eyes roam over me from head to toe, heat licking at my skin in their wake. When his blue eyes settle on me, they’re practically on fire. I watch as he closes them, squeezing hard, before seemingly shaking off whatever he’s thinking as he looks at me with concern. “What are you doing out here?” I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Asher took off.” “He just left you,” Ronan asks sharply, blinking slowly like he can’t be hearing me right. “To be fair, I told him to let me out when I saw the smeared lipstick on his neck,” I shrug, with a defeated sigh. Ronan doesn’t say anything again before I speak. “It’s an arranged marriage, obviously we don’t love or even like each other, but I have a problem with arriving at an event on the arm of my supposed fiancé, who is donning another woman’s lip shade. It’s disrespectful and embarrassing. It looks like I’m not enough to hold a man’s attention. I just—”