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  Her smile faded away, but her eyes had a new look. They softened like warm butter. She took me in with an expression she hadn’t given me before. “I could use the money…but not the headache.”

  “You could strip for me…privately.” I smiled so she knew I was kidding…even though I wasn’t kidding.

  That pretty smile was back, and her shoulders relaxed now that she was growing more comfortable around me. She ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it from her face. I noticed the way her fingertips glided through the curls so easily.

  I wanted to do the same thing.

  “Truth is, I don’t have a lot of work experience. I got married too young and didn’t work for years. I’m basically starting over.”

  “You’re still young and have plenty of time to do anything you want. Question is, what do you want to do?”

  She considered the question in silence, swirling her drink as she tried to find an answer. “I really don’t know. Right now, I’m just looking for a stable job that pays the bills.”

  “I always have positions at the bank…if you’d be interested in that.”

  Thankfully, she wasn’t offended by the offer. “That’s sweet, but no thank you.”

  “You could be my secretary…or sex-retary.”

  “You already have a secretary.”

  “But you’re way sexier.” I winked at her.

  Even when she laughed, she was beautiful. Her lips parted, and all her beautiful teeth were visible. Her eyes crinkled in the cutest way. “I don’t think that’s a very good qualification.”

  “Depends on what you’re trying to get done. Having a beautiful woman in my lap is far more important to me than expense reports, meetings, all that boring bullshit.” I could visualize it now, her dress riding up and exposing her slender thighs as she straddled my hips.

  “Sounds like you wouldn’t be in business long.”

  I shrugged. “I do have my other job, so…”

  She grabbed her glass and took another drink, this time finishing it off. She didn’t ask me about my other occupation, and this time, it seemed purposeful.

  “You want another?”

  She pushed the empty glass away. “No. I’ve already had two. That’s my limit. Any more than that and I lose my mind and think I’m a wizard.”

  I chuckled. “I’d like to see that. I have a wand for you to use.”

  She smiled slightly at my joke. “Thank you for not asking a million questions about my divorce.” Maybe the alcohol had suddenly hit her hard and made her vulnerable. When I’d shown up at her restaurant, she had been a spitfire of anger and sass, but now she was calm and interesting…the way she was at the bank. “Every time I go out with a guy, they fixate on that. They ask me a million questions, and it feels like an interrogation.”

  “You can tell me as little or as much as you want.” I had to admit I was curious, but I was glad I hadn’t asked. It seemed to make her more comfortable around me. I hadn’t looked into her husband’s account to figure out what he did or what he was like. I thought it might make me jealous, so I refrained. “I would like to know how long you’ve been divorced, but you don’t have to tell me that.” It seemed like it was fresh because she was still on his account and she’d just bought her own place, but she talked about other men, so some time must have passed.

  “It’s been six months.”

  I could barely control my reaction. That was a long time, and I was surprised she wasn’t able to get herself off his account until recently. Why hadn’t she gotten her own place before now? A million questions came into my mind, but I didn’t ask any of them.

  “What about you?”

  It’d been a long time since Hades said he wanted nothing to do with me, at least eight months. I’d expected him to come around at some point, but he was just as cold as ever. Every time I saw him, it seemed to get worse. His hatred only grew, and my resentment matched. “About eight months.”

  She nodded slowly. “It’s rough.”

  Hades wasn’t a lover or a spouse, but he was my closest friend. He was family. When he couldn’t forgive me, part of me died and never came back. My regret turned to rage, and I became so cold that I felt like I had ice in my veins. I understood how she felt when she said she didn’t want to talk about her divorce, because I didn’t want to talk about him.

  She studied my face. “I can see it in your eyes.”

  I stopped trying to control my expression and realized how black my heart had just turned. I focused on her face and felt my fingers grip my glass. “See what?”

  “Everything.”

  4

  Annabella

  He paid the tab, and we left the bar.

  I tried to pay for my drinks, but he threw down a wad of cash and wouldn’t let me go near my clutch.

  I didn’t fight the money dance for long because I knew Damien would win, and I really didn’t have that much money to spare—not that I would tell him that. I had way too much pride to act broke. He probably would never have known if he hadn’t seen my bank account. I guess it was a bit flattering that he knew I had nothing, but he still wanted to be with me. He wasn’t afraid I would only be interested in him for his money.

  We stepped outside onto the deserted sidewalk. It was late, far later than I usually stayed out, but the drinks and good conversation made me lose track of time.

  “I just live a few blocks from here. I can walk.”

  He stood in front of me with his hands in the pockets of his pants. He was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, but the outfit was far sexier than the suit. In the short sleeves, his strong arms were visible, the muscles and the veins under the skin. He also had a beautiful tan, as if he ran outside in the mornings. His strong chest was also noticeable under the fabric because it stretched the shirt in perfect ways. His pants were low on his hips but tight on his muscled thighs. It was obvious he had a perfect body with an eight-pack and an enormous chest without even taking off his shirt. “We both know how this is gonna end.”

  I raised an eyebrow at his assumption. “Meaning?”

  “I’m gonna walk you home or drive you home. Or, and this is my preference, I take you to my place. I can interview you to be my new secretary. What do you say?” He tilted his chin down slightly to look at me because of our height difference. His facial features were just as hard as the rest of his body, with sharp cheekbones, a jawline with a shadow of hair, and kissable lips. He was handsome enough to pull off lines like that.

  I’d be lying to myself if I said he wasn’t hot.

  He was super hot.

  He was the perfect amount of serious and playful. And while he invaded my space sometimes, he also respected my privacy and my boundaries. He could make me laugh too…which was really sexy. I was curious to see what would happen if I did go to his place, if the sex would be as good as I hoped it would be. I missed satisfying nights, when I would go to bed and know it would end well. I suspected he was good in bed, which was exactly what I was looking for right now.

  But it also felt too soon.

  I’d had one-night stands before, slept with a guy I’d just met, but since I actually liked Damien, I didn’t want to mess it up. “You can walk me home.” I looked at his face to see if he was disappointed.

  He wasn’t. “I have one condition.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not going to be your secretary.”

  A boyish smile came over his face. “I get to kiss you.”

  A gentle thrill moved up my spine.

  “I’m talking about when a man kisses a woman…a real fucking kiss.” He maintained his confidence as he stared at me, building up the kiss without fear of it being a letdown. “You’re gonna ask me to come inside, but I’m gonna say no. Like, that good of a kiss.”

  “You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

  “Because I know what I’m doing.”

  “Then why don’t you want to come inside?”

  “Because that wouldn’t be
fair. I know I can change your mind, but I don’t want to change it that way. It’s like spiking your drink, you have no chance.”

  The more I got to know Damien, the more I liked him. His confidence was a turn-on because it wasn’t arrogance. He danced on that fine line and never swayed. “Alright. I accept your condition.”

  “Good. Let’s go.”

  He left his car behind, and we walked the few blocks to my apartment. He kept his hands in his pockets and didn’t wrap his arm around my waist or try to hold my hand. He didn’t make small talk either, letting the silence linger between us.

  The closer we got to my apartment, the more my heart began to race. I imagined how this kiss would be, if it’d make my toes curl and my skin bubble with bumps. I wondered if it would be a slow, deep kiss, or would it be a kiss of urgency, where he would take me from zero to sixty in one second. Where would his hands be? In my hair? On my waist? Would he push me into the door and pin me there? Would he really get me to beg him to come inside?

  I would know soon.

  My apartment was on the second floor, so we took the stairs then approached the front door. My clutch was tucked under my arm, and I didn’t reach for my keys because I knew I wouldn’t need them for a while.

  I got there first then turned around to look at him.

  He was just as self-assured as before, no hesitation in his gaze. He slowly moved into me as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. His gaze dropped and looked at my lips, the target of his desire. Without moving his gaze, he grabbed my clutch and slipped it into the back of his jeans so I wouldn’t have to hold it.

  My heart began to race inside my chest, and my fingertips immediately went numb. I could feel my nipples harden against the fabric of my dress because I wasn’t wearing a bra. My breathing became uneven, shaky and unpredictable.

  He moved closer into me, bringing his face nearer to mine without actually kissing me, without actually touching me. He held his position and stared at my lips, the world silent around us.

  He actually made me nervous.

  His hand moved to my cheek, and his thumb rested against my jaw. He gently tilted my face up so my lips were accessible to his. There was a long pause before he did anything, a buildup before the fall.

  He finally inched closer and rested his lips against mine. It was a gentle landing, a combination of our soft mouths aligning. It was a handshake of our lips, a sensual meeting of our bodies.

  He held our lips together as his fingers gently stroked my cheek. He breathed into my mouth as he felt the same spark of electricity burst between us. He opened his eyes and looked at me before he kissed me again, this time his embrace more purposeful than the last. He really felt my lips this time, felt the shape of my upper lip, felt the softness and the fullness.

  Then he moaned quietly.

  It was the sexiest sound.

  The kiss had barely begun, and I was already weak.

  His kiss continued, slow and deliberate, moving up and down, exchanging lips and breaths. He eventually gave me his tongue, and that was an erotic surprise. He was just as good with that as he was with his lips, never giving me too much or too little.

  His fingers slid into my hair, and he fisted it like he wanted to control me, to get a grip so I could never get away. He slowly backed me up into my door, so I was cushioned between his hard body and the wooden surface.

  I could taste the scotch on his tongue, feel the desire of his hungry lips. I stopped thinking about my life, how little I knew him, and just gave in to the feelings he incited within me.

  My hands went to his chest first because that was the part of his body I desired the most. I liked a strong man, a man who had a brick wall for a chest. My fingertips could feel just how solid he was. He was bulletproof.

  I kissed him harder as I got swept away by desire. My hands became excited and slid underneath his shirt so I could feel his solid abs. At first, I didn’t know what I was feeling because he was so hard. It was warm skin with mounds and rivers of muscle.

  Now, it was my turn to moan.

  My hand glided up his back, feeling the powerful muscles that made his body so strong. I moved to his shoulder then dug my nails into his skin, slicing and cutting because I was so excited.

  He pressed me harder into the door and kissed me with more ferocity. His tongue was more aggressive, as if he’d lost control of the most sensual part of his body. He wanted to reach the inferno burning in my soul, to let the sparks catch him on fire and consume him until he was ash.

  Damn, this was one hell of a man.

  His fingers latched on to my hair like a cowboy gripping the reins of an obedient horse, and he overtook me with more power. He angled my chin exactly where he wanted, gave himself full access to everything he desired. He cherished my bottom lip, moved to my top, and then gave me his eager tongue.

  If he fucked as good as he kissed…I was a lucky lady.

  He pulled his delicious lips away from mine and looked at me in the shadow of the hallway as if somehow we weren’t in public where a neighbor could pass by. Our surroundings changed like a mirage, and we were in my bedroom, the glow from the bedside lamp the only light to highlight that strong jawline, those dark eyes.

  Time stopped, and all I did was stare, lips slightly parted with anticipation. My nails loosened against his back, apologetic for their previous aggression. I could stare at this man all night, fascinated by the perfect features of his face. I was in the presence of flooding testosterone. The scent filled my nose, the presence permeated the hallway, the taste was sugar on my lips.

  I held my breath.

  Without taking his eyes off mine, he grabbed the back of my knee and raised my thigh. He positioned me harder against the door so it would support me as he wrapped it over his hip. His confidence never wavered, and the silence before the boom didn’t make him uneasy. I was one of a hundred, maybe a thousand, but he somehow made me feel like the only one who counted.

  He cocked his head slightly as his eyes dragged over my face, appreciating my looks like he found me as beautiful as I found him. His fingers dug into the skin of my thigh before he leaned in again.

  And took my breath away.

  His kiss was slow and seductive once more, as if he wanted to slow the speed of this racing train. He wanted to appreciate every caress, every sound of breath that escaped our lips.

  My fingers slid into his short hair, and my body turned into loose rubber bands. All the tension left my body, and I stopped thinking entirely. I just felt every touch, every heated breath, every single thing this man gave me.

  He pressed his body farther into me, and I felt it…

  His fat dick.

  It was thick, long, fucking perfect.

  “Oh wow…” I spoke into his lips as I felt his proud package, felt how hard he was for me, imagined all the things he could do with that special gift.

  He smiled slightly against my lips as he continued to kiss me, his hand tugging on my hair in a seductive caress. His hips started to move, and he ground against me, pressing the thick shaft of his dick against the area that ached to feel it the most.

  Yes.

  He fucked me in the hallway through our clothes. He made love to my lips with his. He brought me to my knees without letting me fall. He made good on his promises, unleashed his solid threats.

  Now, I wanted to take him to bed. Not let him leave until sunrise.

  My dress rose to my waist, and I ground back against him, huffing and puffing like a horny teenager. My fingers tugged on his hair, and I rolled my hips to feel his dick at the perfect pressure.

  Our heated moment lasted fifteen minutes. It felt like a lifetime but also a nanosecond at the same time.

  He was the first one to pull away.

  Good. Because I probably never would have.

  His gaze was intense like burning coals. He watched me with hesitation, like he didn’t want to leave but forced himself to step back. Now, he was even sexier, thoughts of the two of us c
learly written on that hard expression. He fixed his jeans discreetly.

  I glanced down so I could get a glimpse of that monster cock.

  There was a noticeable stain on the front…from yours truly.

  When he raised his gaze, there wasn’t a smile on his lips, but there was definitely a pleased look in his gaze. This evening had played out exactly how he’d imagined, from the first kiss to the dry hump against the apartment door.

  When I’d walked into the bank that afternoon, I had been too stressed to really notice his appearance. I knew he was attractive, but he was also just another suit. When he showed up at the restaurant, he annoyed me even more, because he behaved just like another entitled suit. But after tonight, I saw him in a different light, appreciated every inch of his height, every soft curve of his lips, every drop of confidence. “I guess you keep your promises…”

  He stilled in front of me, those pretty green eyes shifting back and forth between mine. His countenance was stern and he was motionless like a mountain, but he could convey so much with the subtle shifts of his face, from the way his jaw tightened to the way his eyes dropped to look at my lips. “Always.” He pulled the clutch out of his back pocket and handed it to me. “Goodnight, Annabella.”

  My weak fingers took the purse without watching what I was doing. My eyes were obsessed with his masculine features, with every perfection he possessed. Silence stretched between us, and I suddenly imagined that t-shirt on my body tomorrow morning.

  He continued to linger.

  I didn’t know what he wanted, so I continued to wait.

  The corner of his mouth rose in a slight smile, and he reached for my clutch. He fished for my keys inside before he grabbed my wrist and placed them inside my open palm.

  My fingers slowly closed around them when I realized what he was waiting for.

  He nodded to the door.

  Disappointed that he hadn’t changed his mind, I stuffed the clutch under my arm and shoved the key into the door. After working the lock, I got the door open and stepped inside. I tossed the clutch on the table in the entryway before I turned around.