“You’re late, Angel,” I tell her as she walks toward the bench I’m sitting on.

Our bench.

I’ve been meeting Torrent here for the last couple of weeks, and we’ve not even kissed. I’ve not touched her since that day I held her in my lap, except for holding her hand a couple of times. Still, I’ve enjoyed my time with her more than with any other woman I can remember. She’s got a wry sense of humor that keeps me on my toes. She’s sarcastic and witty and when she laughs I swear I feel it hit me deep inside. She feels like pure sunlight when it shines on you after a week of rainstorms.

I’ve been a lover of women my whole life, but I’m not stupid. Eventually, I knew I’d find the one that I wanted to keep. I didn’t want a club girl. There’s nothing wrong with them; I never wanted to claim an old lady who had been hardened by the life we live. I never wanted a woman in my bed who also warmed my brother’s bed. That makes me a bastard, I freely admit it. It doesn’t alter the truth. I wanted something special when I decided to settle down and Torrent is definitely something special.

There’s only one major problem with her and that’s the vows she’s made for her life. She refuses to talk about it, and so far I haven’t pressed her. But the other day we almost kissed and I saw the want in her eyes. She wanted my lips on hers. It’s time I start pushing her, because I don’t have a choice. I want her and I’m getting damned tired of holding back.

“I started not to show at all,” she says and right away I can tell she’s different today. Colder. There’s no welcome in her eyes, no smile on those cherry lips, and not one hint that she’s happy to see me. The abrupt change from this to the way she treated me yesterday is jarring.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, knowing something is.

“What could be wrong?”

“Because you’re coming off like an ice queen ready to freeze my damn balls,” I tell her bluntly. Torrent might be wearing the garb that says she’s innocent, but she hasn’t been acting that way with me and I’ve never pulled punches when talking to her. I’m not built that way. I am who I am. She seemed to have accepted me like that, but today I can see her visibly blanch at my words, as if they shock her…or she finds them distasteful… finds me distasteful.

What in the fuck has changed?

“Do you have to talk like that?” she whispers, looking around as if she’s embarrassed by me. I don’t know why Torrent is acting like this now, but I know I don’t like it.

“You didn’t have a problem with the way I talked yesterday,” I remind her. “Or the day before, or the day before that—”

“I did, but that’s part of the problem, Logan.”

I resist the urge to close my eyes when she says my name. Hardly anyone calls me Logan, and I’d be lying if I said that I don’t enjoy it when Torrent does. I like my name on her lips—probably too much.

“I didn’t realize there was a problem,” I mutter, because apparently there is. She’s not even sitting down this time. She’s standing in front of me wearing that damn nun garb—this time in black—and wringing her hands.

“What are you doing here?” she asks and her face looks almost panicked. I don’t like it at all. Torrent should only be smiling.

“Having lunch with my girl,” I tell her, hoping to joke enough so that she relaxes. Immediately I know that strategy isn’t going to work.

“That’s just it, Logan. I’m not your girl. I’ll never be your girl. My life is planned out and there’s no room for you in it.”

“You can always change your life, Torrent. Just because you made plans in one direction, it doesn’t have to stay on that path.”

“What path would it take? You expect me to give up all of my plans so I can warm your bed?”

“Would that be so bad?”

“Do you really expect me to give everything up to crawl under your sheets a couple of times?”

“I was thinking more than a couple,” I joke, and again it’s clear now is not the time to joke.

“And then what? What happens to me once you got to corrupt the innocent little girl and move on?”

“Maybe we need to take a step back and breathe here, Torrent. We can start by you telling me what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours.”

“I’m not taking a step back. What’s wrong, Logan? A woman starts talking about the future and you get nervous?”

“I didn’t say that,” I growl, getting tired of trying to be patient and logical here. If she wants a fight, then I can fucking give her one.

“That’s what I heard,” she yells back. “I’m out of here.”

I grab her wrist when she goes to turn away from me. She will not dismiss me. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m damn well going to get to the bottom of it.

“We’re going to have this out.”

“We’re done talking…” she argues back. “Forever.”

“No, we’re not. First you’re going to tell me how yesterday you were sweet as pie and today you’re acting like a raging bitch.”

I barely get the words out and she slaps me across the face. I let her, her anger feeding mine, but then I pull her to me and slam my lips onto hers. I kiss her hard and fast. I kiss her like the punishment it’s meant to be. My tongue pushes to get in her mouth and when she doesn’t immediately open for me, I wrap my hands in her hair and yank hard. When she gasps out in pain, I press my advantage, plundering her mouth, conquering it and not letting her say no to me.

Her fingernails bite into my arms, scoring the skin. She tries to pull away, but I tighten my hold. She doesn’t give in to the kiss, but I get the strangest feeling that she’s allowing it—that she’s not fighting it as hard as she could. That’s the last thought I have before hunger takes over and I get drunk on the taste of her. My hand moves up to her breast, squeezing it and playing with her hardened nipple. I break away from her mouth and she moans as I pull up that damn garb she has on, hating it—but happy it gives me such easy access. My hand finally touches the flesh of her thighs and I focus between her legs. She’s wearing silk panties. I didn’t expect that. The heat and wetness of her pussy is against the pads of my fingers, and I press in, immediately feeling the pulsing of her clit.

To hell with this shit. I’ll finger-fuck her into submission and I won’t stop until she’s begging me for more.

“Oh my God!”

Torrent and I break apart at exactly the same time. When I look around I see that damn woman that was with Torrent at K-Mart the day I first met her. Now she’s standing there watching us and my fingers are clearly pressed between Torrent’s legs and I’m sure that’s not lost on her. Hell, even if it is, she can’t miss the way my other hand is possessively owning Torrent’s tit.

I pull away from Torrent, not wanting to cause her problems, but it’s best this shit happened. It’s time Torrent comes to terms with the fact that she wants me—as much as I want her. She’s on fire for me. She can’t deny herself, she can’t deny us—not anymore.

Torrent takes a couple of steps away from me. Her dress falls down, covering her, and when she looks at me, there’s a war going on in her head. I can see it clearly. Her eyes aren’t hiding anything from me.

“I never want to see you again. I don’t have any room for you in my life, Logan. Don’t come back.”

“Tor—”

“I mean it. Stay away from me. If you don’t you will live to regret it,” she says and then she takes off running.

Away from me.

Her friend gives me a strange look and then goes after Torrent.

I’m left standing here wondering what in the fuck just happened.