Out of Control (Untamed #2) by Jinsey Reese, Victoria Green Page B

much simpler. They called to me, my old friends.
    However, Dare was so much more important. I couldn’t fuck this up. Without a doubt, I knew I’d never see him again if I walked over there high. My phoenix would just have to do. I folded the paper back up and put it in my pocket. Having it with me would help.
    Hopefully.
    “You’re late .” Dare didn’t bother to look at me, he just growled in my direction when I entered the studio and hurried over to the futon.
    “I’m s—”
    “Save it,” he said. “If you’re not going to be reliable, then I can’t use you. I’ll have to find someone else or…say fuck it to this show.” I stared at him, unspeaking. “Or I’ll just have to paint anyone because who gives a shit? A nude is a nude, right? No one fucking cares as long as they get to buy a painting of a naked woman.”
    “You care.” My voice shook just a little and my eyes were stinging. “And I do, too.”
    “The hell you do. We’ve lost a lot of light because you’re late. We can’t work on one of the paintings because of that. If you actually cared you’d be here on time.”
    The shaking started again, no matter how hard I tried to hold it in, it wouldn’t stop. I put my hand in my pocket and held on to the phoenix.
    I turned away from him, not sure what to do. Did he not want me here? I didn’t want to go back to my apartment by myself, not after today. I couldn’t stand to be alone. I wasn’t sure I would be able to resist the pills if left on my own.
    Because I didn’t want to feel this way—I didn’t want to feel anything .
    Dare was quiet for a moment, then I heard the scrape of his stool and footsteps across the floor. I blinked my eyes furiously, willing them to stay dry. I did not want to fall apart, but I couldn’t seem to stop it from happening.
    “I’m sorry,” he said in a quiet voice from behind me. He didn’t reach out to touch me, and for once I was glad—there was no way I’d be able to hold it together if he did. “I’m just…stressed. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
    I nodded, unable to find my voice as I tried to untie my robe. My shaking hands failed to cooperate as I yanked and pulled at the tie around my waist, suddenly feeling like I couldn’t breathe. It was too tight—why had I tied it so fucking tight?—and it needed to come off NOW. My breathing quickened as I fought with both my belt and the tears of frustration that threatened to erupt.
    I choked out a sob, and Dare stilled my hands. He reached out from behind me to gently untie the belt and set me free. Air rushed into my lungs and I could breathe again. Dare spun me around, took hold of my hands. He stared at them quaking in his larger ones for a few beats, then looked up at my face.
    Seeing my expression, his eyes widened. “Shit. What’s wrong? Did I do this?”
    I shook my head and swallowed. Taking a deep breath, I found my center. “Not everything is about you, Princess,” I said, and he almost smiled.
    “What happened?”
    I wrapped my arms around my body and shrugged. “Just a really bad day at work.”
    As I told him about Lucien, Dare’s shoulders stiffened and his eyes got dangerously dark—I could feel the anger vibrating through him, rolling off him in intensely vicious waves.
    “I’m picking you up from work tomorrow,” he said, his jaw tight. “I’ll have a talk with the asshole.”
    “You don’t have to do that.” I shook my head. “It’s fine.”
    “It’s NOT fine. That guy needs to be put in his place.”
    “I don’t want to cause problems,” I told him. I had no idea what Dare’s intentions with Lucien were, and I couldn’t be responsible for Dare getting blacklisted from the Parisian art scene.
    “You’re not the one causing the problems. He is.” He studied my face. “Do you want to take today off? If you’re not up for this right now, it’s fine.”
    “Honestly, I’d rather work. And you need to work. I’m okay.” I slipped the robe off