Felicity snuggled into her couch, an Egyptian history book propped on her slightly bent legs. She held a highlighter between her index and middle finger, flicking it back and forth as she perused the chapter on the upper and lower kingdoms. Survey of Egyptian History was one of the most interesting classes she was taking this semester. Lust, power struggles, betrayals, rising and falling empires—it was a history major’s dream.

She uncapped her highlighter and marked a passage that explained how the Nile flowed from south to north. Flipping to the next page in her textbook, she found a picture of Elizabeth Taylor from the classic movie Cleopatra. She was lying on a thin purple couch, one hand raised in a seductive come hither gesture. The queen of Egypt certainly had confidence in spades. Felicity envied her for that.

Felicity shut her eyes. It wasn’t Elizabeth Taylor on the couch, but her. Eyes darkened by kohl, almost catlike in her steady gaze, she gestured for Marc Antony to come to her. Only it wasn’t Richard Burton playing Marc Antony, but Jared. His skin was golden from hours in the sun, and his hair was a little longer, enough to thread her fingers through and grasp the silky strands.

His eyes were hot like the desert sand when the sun was at its zenith in the sky, burning and inescapable. He strode to her in slow, sure steps, his body shielded in armor that molded to his chest and a burgundy-red tunic beneath the leather waist flaps that covered his hips. Leather wrist bands wider than her palms covered his arms, adding a lethal look to him. He put one knee on the couch by her hip and braced one hand next to her head at the base of the couch where she leaned back against a pillow. Felicity skimmed her palms up the shaped silver muscles of the armor. The metal was cool beneath her fingertips as she traced his pectorals before she lifted her gaze to his. She was caged against the couch by his body, and the thrill of her captivity made the blood burn in her veins.

“So beautiful.” His voice was soft and dark, like a heady sip of red wine.

He stroked her cheek with his knuckles, then moved them down over her neck and breasts. Her nipples pebbled beneath the thin silk of her dress. His dark lashes fanned down as he watched her flush and arch into his touch. As Jared cupped one of her breasts and then gently squeezed, a bolt of heat and desire drew a gasp from her. Ashamed of her own wanton reaction, she bit her lip and angled her face away from him.

“Never hide from me, never,” he growled at her, and turned her face back. He lowered his head, and she tipped hers back, her entire body aching, her soul crying out for his—

Wump! Her textbook hit the carpet with a thud, and she bolted upright. The book was facedown, pages bent at odd angles, and her highlighter had rolled several feet away.

Had she fallen asleep? Or had the daydream been too intense? She shifted and then flushed as she realized her body was hot and definitely bothered…and wet. God, how embarrassing. She rubbed her face with her hands. What did it say about her that she couldn’t even read about ancient Egypt without thinking about Jared, about kissing him, about his hands on her body?

Leaning over her couch, she hooked her fingers around her hidden sketchbook and slid it out. Whenever she needed to clear her head she always reached for her pad and pencil. She flipped through the other sketches until she got to a blank page. She smoothed her fingers over its surface, listening to the way the paper whispered beneath her caress. Then she picked up one of her medium graphite pencils and started to draw.

An hour later she stared at the finished sketch, pleasure and embarrassment mingling within her to the point that her face was hot and she was biting back a smile. A man leaned over a woman on a couch, distinctive Roman and Egyptian clothing identifying it as the image of her fantasy. Maybe she should start calling Jared “Gladiator.” A snort escaped. He’d love that. Yeah, right. Besides, she wasn’t going to be around him again, at least not by choice and not alone where she could call him a nickname. The thought was oddly depressing. She would have loved to see his face if she did call him that.

Her phone vibrated on the arm of the couch, and she picked it up to answer.

“Hey, it’s me.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. Only Layla would say that, as if there was no doubt in the world who “me” was.

“What’s up?” She tucked the phone in the crook of her neck and shoulder as she bent over to slide the sketchbook back under the couch.

“Word is Thad Worthington is going to ask you to go out to a club tonight.”

Her phone slid from her hand and hit the floor.

“Hello? Hell—oh?” Layla’s shout was still audible from the floor. Felicity scrambled to pick it up.

“How do you know Thad Worthington, and what do you mean he’s going to ask me out?”

Layla scoffed. “You’re kidding, right? I don’t reveal my secret sources. That’s why they’re called secret.”

Sometimes Felicity wanted to strangle her friend. “Okay, so if this is all secret or something, why did you even call me?”

“Uh, to make sure you say yes when Thad calls. I thought that was fairly obvious.” Irritation oozed out of Layla’s tone, the tone she used on her younger sisters when they pestered her. Rather than upset Felicity, it made her feel a little warm and fuzzy inside. Layla often treated her more like a sister than a friend.

Felicity closed her eyes and sighed. “No way. I’m not going out with Thad. If I went out with anyone, I’d—” She bit her tongue to keep from saying she’d go out with Jared.

“I know he’s not your kind of guy. Trust me. I know you, Felicity. But if you go out with him, it will make the one guy you do want go crazy.”

“What?” She shook her head as confusion filled her. Layla wasn’t making any sense.

“Look, don’t you want to make Jared jealous? He’s into you but won’t make a move unless he’s crazy jealous.”

Felicity’s eyes flew open, and she scowled. “Layla, I don’t want to make Jared jealous. He’s not into me, not really.” Even if he had said he liked her and wanted her, she didn’t believe him. She couldn’t believe him.

The answering giggle from her friend might as well have been a doomsday bell ringing out.

“What?” she demanded sharply.

It took a few seconds for Layla to get control of herself before she replied. “Jared called me and was all like, ‘She’s mine! Don’t let her go to the club with Thad, blah blah blah.’ Don’t you see? Crazy jealous. We’ve got to work that until he’s so desperate he makes a move.”

Little did Layla know about the moves he’d already made and how Felicity had come undone. Her cheeks flamed at the rush of memories.

“I really don’t want to do that, okay? I’m not ready for a relationship, and—”

“I know you’re busy and you have no time, but you can’t let it hold you back. You are missing out on life. As your best friend, I’m not going to let you do that. So get your best dress out and be ready for me and Tanner to pick you up, okay?”

There was no arguing with Layla, she knew that. “Fine.”

“Good.” Layla hung up.

A split second later her phone rang. Was she going to have a minute alone tonight without Layla hounding her? She answered without looking at the screen. “I said I’d go tonight—you don’t have to make me swear it or anything.”

“Oh?” Thad’s rich voice came through the phone speaker. “That’s excellent. You’ve read my mind.”

Even though she expected Thad to call, it was still a shock.

“Um, Mr. Worthington?”

“Please, call me Thad.” His chuckle was soft and full of amusement, as though that happened at all the time.

“Sorry. I thought you were someone else when I answered,” she explained as she climbed off the couch and headed into the kitchen for a glass of water.

“Ah, that makes sense. Well, I had a nice time at the gallery yesterday, and I wanted to know if you’d like to come out with me tonight. I have a VIP area at Club Amazon downtown.”

There it was, the question. How did she answer?

“Oh, well I was actually already going. My friend Layla invited me. I suppose I could meet you there?” She clenched her free hand on her thigh and hoped he’d accept that. It wouldn’t be a date, at least not in the normal sense. She wouldn’t be betraying Jared. Still, they weren’t together, so even a date wouldn’t technically be a betrayal. She just didn’t want to do that to him.

“All right…” Thad seemed puzzled. “I could pick you up,” he suggested.

“That’s not necessary. My friend said she was already on her way to get me.” Not the truth, but it would have to work. She didn’t want Thad anywhere near her apartment. She knew the sort of man he was, the kind she didn’t want to have anywhere near her bed. He was trouble. It wasn’t that she was afraid he’d force her to do anything; she just had a sense he was a man who would talk a woman right out of her clothes before she realized it. She’d much rather have a man she trusted in her apartment, someone like Jared. Not that Jared would ever be in her apartment again.

“Well, then I’ll see you at nine?” Thad asked in that smooth, liquid voice. Strangely it made her miss the way Jared sounded when he talked to her with a whiskey-rough rumble when he was close to kissing her.

“Yeah. See you then.” She waited for the line to disconnect, and then she poured herself a glass of water and took a long, slow drink. How was she going to get through tonight?

* * *

Jared read through the purchase and sale agreement for the fifth time that evening. There were still a few clauses he needed to tinker with a bit before he sent it off to the seller’s counsel. It was crucial that he covered the due diligence and inspection periods and other areas of the contract that would protect Thad’s company. Every good real estate lawyer knew that when you represented the buyer, you had to stay on top of the seller and their counsel, and hold their feet to the fire on the contract they signed in order to make sure everything was done.

More times than he could count, Jared had seen ill-drafted purchase agreements dissolve into litigation when sellers abandoned their duties after they’d been paid by the buyers and no longer considered themselves responsible for the property, even though the deal hadn’t been fully closed.

The entire afternoon, Jared had worked undisturbed on the agreement. He saved the document on his computer and then shut it down. He spun in his chair to glance over at the horizon and the Chicago skyline. The sun had set, leaving only a ruby-red halo just above the buildings. The evening lights of offices and buildings were starting to wink on in a slow, gradual wave as he watched the view darken. It was beautiful. Funny, he wouldn’t have noticed that before.

The last couple of years he had been so focused on his career, so bent on proving himself, that he rarely stopped, and he sure as hell didn’t notice sunsets. Before last Friday night, he wouldn’t have appreciated what he was seeing now. He wished Felicity was here. She could explain the different colors to him and how some of the famous artists might use their different styles to paint the same view.

God, she was so brilliant, and she didn’t even seem to know it. She absorbed information, especially on subjects she loved, and made great use of it to educate others. She also appreciated what she was learning and loved to share her passion when she talked about art. She would be one hell of a curator someday. Jared wished things between them hadn’t been so awkward. He’d never been awkward with women before. It was probably because he hadn’t cared before, hadn’t felt as unsure of himself as he did around her. She made him feel like he was fifteen years old asking a girl to dance at a school formal and he had two left feet to dance with. He hadn’t been that boy in a long time.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples as he recalled what he’d shouted at Layla: “She’s mine!” He wanted it to be true, yet he already knew enough about Felicity to know she wasn’t someone to be owned. How could he make a girl like her fall for him? It was like chasing rainbows. You see them from afar, see the beauty and the colors, but no matter how hard you work to catch them, they always dissolve when you get to where they are supposed to be. He didn’t want to be standing there soaked and cold with the passing rains as he waited for the colorful vision to return. It was no way for a man to live.

Even if I can’t have her, I still have to protect her. Thad was too serious, too experienced. He’d scare her if she went out with him. Felicity needed a gentle lover, one who would introduce her to the world of passion with the utmost tenderness and respect. She was too innocent, and Thad was attracted to that for all of the wrong reasons.

His phone rang, and Layla’s name flashed on the screen. “Yeah?”

“Hey, so Felicity needs a ride. I said I’d pick her up, but I’m running late. You know where she lives. Can you bring her to Club Amazon tonight?”

“No,” he answered instantly.

“Fine. I’ll hire a cab for her.” Layla called his bluff.

“Don’t. I’ll take her,” he snapped.

“Thanks! You better hurry. It’s eight thirty.”

Jared slid his suit coat sleeve back from his wrist and hissed a curse.

“Shit!” Time had gotten away from him faster than he’d realized. After hanging up on Layla, he shoved the documents back into the file for the hotel and then bolted for the office door.

The cab ride took too damn long. What the hell was he going to say when she opened the door?

Maybe I shouldn’t say anything. I can just grab her and kiss her. She can’t argue with me or send me away if I’m kissing her, right?

By the time he was striding down the half-lit hall to Felicity’s apartment, he was thinking up a hundred ways to talk her into moving out of this building. He was pretty sure he saw a drug deal go down in the lobby before he caught the elevator up to her floor.

God, he had to get her out of this place. It was falling apart and in the worst part of town with bad shit happening all around her. But he couldn’t force that, wasn’t even sure how to start that conversation. She was probably here because she couldn’t afford something better. Pride would prevent her from accepting any help, so he’d have to get creative. He rapped his knuckles on her door and waited.

“Just a sec!” Felicity’s call was a bit muffled, but still audible. A second later the door swung open and Felicity stood there, a black pump hanging on her index finger as she bent to slide it on her foot. A silver dress with tiny sequins clung to her curves, glinting softly as she shifted.

“You’re late, Layla,” she added, then looked up as she secured her shoe on her foot and set it down.

Jared bit back an amused grin as she gave a little gasp and promptly tripped as she tried to retreat from him. He dove forward and caught her.

“I still think you’re a bit of a klutz.” He couldn’t resist the tease, but he made sure she was steady on her feet before he let her go.

“I was expecting Layla.” Felicity’s cheeks warmed to a delicate pink. “And I’m only a klutz around you.” She muttered this with a furious blush to her cheeks.

“She was the one who called me. I’m taking you to Club Amazon.”

Her brows rose, and she chewed on her bottom lip. That same hunger he always felt for her spiked in his blood like expensive scotch. What he wouldn’t give in that moment to just kiss her and make her forget all about the club and Thad.

“So you’re going with me on my date with Thad?” A glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, like a ripple of quicksilver. Was that anger? Interest? Whatever it was vanished so quickly he couldn’t read it.

Jared crowded into the room, bristling as he replied, “It’s not a date. Thad doesn’t date. It’s just a night out, for everyone as a group.” He emphasized the last part, and she narrowed her cute little eyes at him. He didn’t want to even start on the fact that she seemed ready to date Thad but not him. That was an argument for another night, one when he had a bottle of bourbon at the ready.

“Okay.” She didn’t act at all convinced. “I am almost ready to go. Make yourself comfortable.” She waved in the direction of her couch. Then she headed for her bedroom.

He noticed the back of her dress was unzipped, giving him a glimpse of that beautiful back. Not a hint of a bra, either. He swallowed a groan as he sat down on the couch to wait. He wasn’t exactly dressed for clubbing, but the suit was better than nothing. Club Amazon was a top private venue, and Thad loved to take girls there and impress them with his private room, which cost a small fortune. Unlike Thad, he wasn’t really into the club scene. He preferred to put his money into his clothes and his investments.

The club had natural-looking waterfalls, exotic decor, wild colorful plants, and trees built into the space around the dance floors and the private rooms. Each room inside was designed per the patron’s specific requests and didn’t have to correspond with the jungle theme.

He shifted on the couch, and the heel of his black dress shoe hit something. Bending over, he slid the object out. It was a sketchbook, already open to a drawing. His heart flipped and his mouth went dry as he studied the work. A very provocative piece of a woman stretched out on a fainting couch covered the page. Jared settled the pad on his lap, then angled the sketch for closer inspection. The woman wore a white gown that hung over her curvaceous body. The short chin-length cropped hair was severe, yet exotic. The woman’s eyes were outlined with dark lines, making her look Egyptian.

A man was also in the picture, wearing chest armor and a thick sword hanging from his hip. It reminded him of Russell Crowe from Gladiator. Only… He peered at the faces of the man and woman. They resembled Felicity and…him.

She’d sketched him? Felicity wasn’t just interested in art. She was a real artist. With a rapid beat of his heart, he realized that he was holding a piece of Felicity’s fantasies in his hands. Like a glimpse of her soul.

And fuck, she’s fantasizing about me.

With a guilty glance over his shoulder, he slipped his cell phone out and positioned it above the drawing and snapped a shot of it.

There was something about this sketch—it fascinated him. Like peeking into her soul and catching sight of one of her fantasies. So this was what ran through her head when she daydreamed. He grinned and then tucked the sketchbook back under the couch and pocketed his cell phone. Role playing. It hadn’t interested him before, but if Felicity was fantasizing about Cleopatra, then he was all for it. He’d start looking for a costume tomorrow. The thought made him chuckle.

The click of heels on wood drew his attention as Felicity came into view in the bathroom. She twisted around, her dress only half-zipped as she attempted to pull her hair up. He was on his feet instantly and moving to stand behind her.

“Leave it down,” he murmured in her ear.

She looked at his reflection in the mirror. Her eyes wide, her lips parted as she sucked in a breath. He brushed the coils of her hair over her shoulder and out of the way as he zipped up the back of her dress. The thousands of tiny sequins on the dress reminded him of the luminescent scales of a mermaid’s fins. With her auburn hair in long beautiful waves, Felicity could have been the tragic heroine in Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. What was it about this woman that had him dwelling on fairy-tale fantasies?

“Thank you,” she whispered. A little shiver rippled through her, visible to his eyes. She blinked as she seemed to fight for control over herself. They were both battling themselves and their desire. It was the only consolation his taut body could have in that moment. They would both be suffering until she overcame whatever fear was holding her back.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Uh-huh.” She reached for the small red satin clutch purse. His mind flashed to the red panties he’d seen in her gym bag, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself in check. Still, he couldn’t resist the temptation of checking out her perfect ass as she walked toward the door. He wanted to get his hands on it—and a lot of other places on her body.

Forbidden. It was all forbidden until she banished her fears. Be brave. He silently prayed she’d conquer her demons and let him inside her walls.