Aaron couldn’t help but smile. Some of the anxiety from the interview wore off, and he folded his arms on the bar and looked the stranger over before he replied. He was dressed like an outsider, which wasn’t exactly a bad thing — the last thing Aaron wanted to think about right now was Prescott. The leather jacket and the fitted jeans the stranger wore, fit his body and looked damned good on him. He pulled off cocky bad boy with a flair, and Aaron was enchanted. He didn’t usually go for blonds, but he’d make an exception tonight.

“You won’t be finding me here too often, either,” Aaron said. “You’ll be disappointed if you keep coming back only to come out empty-handed. It’s way easier just to take my phone number so you can get in touch directly.”

“Mm, not a bad idea.” The stranger looked him in the eyes, and Aaron’s heart fluttered. He had a good face — a strong chin, a jawbone that could cut, and a prominent nose that was narrow and sharp. “But I don’t give out my number without knowing if I’ll get along well with a person first. We’ll have to get to know each other better before you get any digits.”

“That doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.”

“It’s not… until you get to know me.”

A shiver ran down Aaron’s spine. The stranger had what should have been illegal amounts of charisma, and he was getting Aaron flustered without even trying. It’d been a long time since Aaron had met anyone half as charming — over a decade, in fact, way back when he was still in high school, fucking up his life left and right. But there was no way a man that handsome was a dickwad like Vance Chastain. He’d left Prescott while Aaron was living with his aunt and uncle out of state, waiting for the scandal to blow over. Aaron had come home three years after the start of the scandal to find Vance gone without so much as a goodbye.

It was about time someone came to town to take his place.

Aaron grinned. “I’m not adverse to a little bad.”

“There’s nothing little about me.” The stranger ran his fingers over his glass, then drank from it deeply. When he set it down again, it was half drained. “But you’ll know that soon enough, won’t you?”

“I’d better.” Aaron hadn’t even had a chance to order a drink yet, and already he was setting himself up to take somebody home. He’d come to the bar early, knowing that it wouldn’t pick up until later in the night, but eager to drown his inhibition at the bottom of a glass or five before he met someone he’d take home, have wild sex with, and then never see again. When he was stressed, it was always the same — A Stiff One had just helped the process move more smoothly.

But Mr. Bad?

If he was half as bad as he said he was, Aaron wouldn’t even need to get drunk. A man like that would make him forget. It was in the ravenous glint in his eyes and the wound muscles of his body, like he was a predator waiting to spring on his prey. Aaron wouldn’t put up a fight — he’d let his Mr. Bad feast all night.

“You said you were new in town, right? That you just moved here?” Aaron looked Mr. Bad up and down, sizing him up. Aaron wasn’t a shrimp, but he was a little more delicate than his new friend. He liked stronger men, and Mr. Bad fit the bill. He was toned and muscular without being too much. “Is your apartment all set up, or are you still getting settled?”

“The moving van is only arriving tomorrow,” Mr. Bad said. He cocked an eyebrow, and Aaron almost melted into a puddle on the floor. “I’m sleeping on the floor tonight. I’ve got a blow-up mattress and everything.”

“You could put your mouth to good use in my bedroom, if you wanted.”

Mr. Bad grinned. He leaned forward, closing some of the space between them, and Aaron’s heart started to race for a different reason. He was beginning to get hot as hell. How was it that Mr. Bad could do something as insignificant as lean closer and have it be so goddamn sexy? “I’d much rather do that. How far is your place from here.”

“Not far at all. You want to go check it out?”

“Yeah, I do.” Mr. Bad tilted his head and came closer yet, letting his lips brush against Aaron’s. Aaron’s heart felt like it might explode. He closed his eyes and let his lips part in anticipation of a kiss. “But you know what? I don’t think I’m done exploring the bar just yet. I could really use someone to show me around. I’ve really got to use the bathroom. Is it single stall?”

“It is,” Aaron whispered. He tried to keep the tremor running down his spine out of his voice.

“That’s too bad… I mean, for everyone else.”

“Why is that?” Aaron asked, hooked on Mr. Bad’s every word.

“If I told you, it’d ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?” Mr. Bad didn’t kiss him, but the way his lips moved over Aaron’s when he talked gave Aaron the illusion of it. He imagined the full pressure of Mr. Bad’s lips, the scratch of his stubble against his chin, the tug of his teeth on his bottom lip…

Fuck, I’m rock hard for him and I don’t even know his name…

“You want to get going?” Mr. Bad asked. “I want to get there before things start getting too crazy in here. I’d hate for there to be a line for the bathroom. I’m not good with waiting… especially when I’ve got a man like you by my side.”

“Good things come to those who wait,” Aaron said teasingly.

Mr. Bad smirked. It pierced Aaron’s defenses, and Aaron knew that, without a question, he’d found the man he was bringing home. He wanted Mr. Bad in every way.

“Good things come to those who wait, but I’m a man who knows what he wants, and isn’t afraid to get it.” Mr. Bad climbed down from the bar stool. “When you’re with me, you’re not living in the slow lane anymore. We’re going to take what we want tonight.”

“Is that so?”

Mr. Bad’s smirk grew. “It is. And what I want most tonight? It’s you.”