Rain

There were a crazy amount of butterflies in my stomach.

I hadn’t felt this nervous about something since I was trying to convince Darcy to forgive me all those years ago.

Standing on George Street, staring down at the entrance to Club 39, there was a huge part of me that wanted to turn around, go home, and snuggle up with a blanket and a cup of tea.

Angus was in there. For definite this time. I knew this because I’d actually lowered myself to stalking him on social media.

I shivered in the cool night air and turned to stare longingly down George Street. Black cabs moved up and down the street, picking up and dropping off passengers—girls dressed to the nines and guys eyeing up all the girls dressed to the nines.

Laughter echoed down the street, mingling with the sound of engines and heels clacking on concrete.

I could just disappear into the night. Another girl in a pretty dress and heels.

But I couldn’t.

Throwing back my shoulders and ignoring that sick uneasiness in my stomach, I made my way carefully down the stairs to the basement club.

“Evening.” The doorman smiled at me.

I nodded hello and ventured inside to face one man I hated and one man I liked too much.

Leaving Craig last Friday had been cowardly, but at the time I saw no other way. As much as he assured me there would be “no funny stuff” between us, I read something else entirely in his eyes. For whatever reason, he was interested in me. However, I’d seen him with all of his female customers. I’d never known a bigger flirt than Craig Lanaghan, and I wasn’t the kind of woman who could handle that.

Craig would only end up hurting me, intentionally or not.

But I shouldn’t have just left like that. I should have said something.

Now I had to venture into his bar, feeling guilty not only about disappearing on him but for my future intention to ignore him. There was no room for flirtation in my life. Not with Craig.

Pity . . . because I’d much rather flirt with him than with Angus. My whole being rejected the idea, but needs must. Angus would respond to flirting more than anything. He had this huge ego and unfortunately it was my job this evening to stroke the damn thing.

Taking a deep breath, I strode casually into Club 39, my eyes sweeping the bar and deliberately bouncing quickly off Craig. To my relief and distress I found Angus standing not too far from the right side of the bar, where Craig was busy serving a customer.

Determinedly, I kept my gaze fixed on Angus. He was standing with a group of friends, some of whom I recognized. One was a girl I’d once seen him flirting unashamedly with at a party hosted by Darcy and me. The other two were his friends, and I’m sure they were part of the group he shared the sex tape with.

Fury roared through my blood.

Keep calm and smile.

I fixed a small, amused smile on my lips as I approached Angus.

His gaze flickered over the shoulder of the girl he was talking to and it widened slightly at my appearance. I sashayed around the girl as though she didn’t exist and stepped deep into Angus’s personal space. Admittedly he was far too handsome for his own good. He had piercing gray eyes framed by jet-black lashes and a perfectly symmetrical face that bordered on pretty.

“Rain.” I heard the surprise in his voice. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“I was just leaving with some friends when I saw you,” I lied. “How are you?”

He mirrored my amused smile, and I wanted to punch the expression off his face. “I’m good. A little surprised you’re talking to me after the drama your sister caused.”

Fucking rat bastard dickhead traitorous villainous arsehole!

I waved his comment off and rolled my eyes. “Darcy being a drama queen. Again. You know she took off on me. We have a business to run,” I complained.

There was a hint of suspicion in his eyes but still he nodded sympathetically. “Left you in a lurch. What a surprise.”

Fucker fucker fucker fucker fucker FUCKER!!!

I sighed wearily. “It’s not the first time.”

“Still, she is your sister. And I never really got the impression you liked me.”

Hiding my tension I gave him a lazy smile. “You were my sister’s boyfriend. I wasn’t allowed to like you.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I had to keep my distance with you because . . . well . . . let’s just say I’ve been accused of trying to steal Darcy’s boyfriends in the past.” My insides twisted so badly at my lies I froze inwardly, wondering if it was possible to keep this pretense up. It was much, much harder than I thought it would be.

But Angus wasn’t going to make it easy on me. He raised an eyebrow at my lie, looking intrigued by it. “Any truth to it?”

His friends snickered at the question and I gave him a mock look of admonishment, wishing I could just turn my back on this whole damn thing. Somehow I gathered the strength to flirt back. “I don’t need to steal men from my sister, Angus.”

But my words escalated the flirtation as Angus raked his heated gaze over my body in a way that left no room for me to be wrong about what he was thinking. “I bet you don’t.” When he brought his gaze back to mine, I’m not sure I succeeded in keeping the revulsion out of my eyes, and that’s when I realized I wasn’t ready to do this yet.

“Well, I suppose I’d better catch up to my friends.” I took a tentative step away from him.

“Stay.” He grabbed my wrist to stop me and brushed his thumb across my skin. Try not to be sick, Rain. “Let me buy you a drink.”

If ever there was a man more arrogant than this one I was yet to find him. I’d hoped he’d buy my lines about Darcy, but at the same time I couldn’t believe any man could think so much of himself as to be blind to the truth standing right in front of him. He saw what he wanted to see because he couldn’t imagine a woman wouldn’t be attracted to him. This was my opportunity to take him down and I couldn’t believe I was wimping out.

“Come on.”

I smiled, hoping there wasn’t a tremor in the gesture. “Okay. You’ve twisted my arm.” Almost literally, you bastard.

“Red wine, right?”

He’d been paying attention to me. That should have made me happy since it meant his crush on me would make my revenge easier. But it didn’t. It made me uneasy because my plan had never been to seduce the bastard for my revenge. And yet that’s where this hellish endeavor was quickly taking me. Fuck. “Yes.”

He turned toward the bar and my eyes automatically moved there too.

My gaze clashed with Craig’s as he stood mixing a drink.

He looked angry.

I looked away quickly, finding refuge in Angus’s friends. “I’m Rain.”

“I remember,” the tallest bloke said, grinning at me. “I’m Jack. This is Mike and—”

“I’m Lola,” the pretty blonde sneered at me. “You’ve not got much in the way of sisterly loyalty, have you?”

I felt more than a flash of guilt for the lies I’d perpetrated tonight, but I smiled through her accusation. “Darcy’s never been that loyal to me. Plus . . . she did make the sex tape. It’s not like Angus filmed her behind her back. She’s a grown-up and she made a grown-up decision. Now she has to live with the consequences.” Please forgive me, Darcy, you beautiful girl you. Hopefully she’d never have to know the things I’d said and done tonight.

Lola narrowed her eyes on me. “How convenient for you that they broke up.”

“Lola, sheathe the fucking claws already,” Mike moaned.

I shot him a grateful smile. “Some cats don’t know how to.”

The guys laughed and Lola’s expression darkened. “Very nice.” She gulped back her drink, slammed the empty down on the nearest table, and scowled at me. “I’m suddenly not feeling so great. I think I’m going to go home.” Thirty seconds later she was gone.

If only she knew what a favor I was doing her. “Something I said?”

Jack laughed. “Lola doesn’t like women who are hotter than she is.”

Dick. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Oh, you should.”

An arm draped around my shoulder, a glass of red wine appearing before me. “Here you go,” Angus murmured in my ear.

That familiar queasiness roiled in my stomach and I stubbornly kept the feeling out of my expression. “Thanks.” I took the glass, and thankfully Angus removed his arm from around me.

“Where did Lola go?” he said.

“She was being a bitch to Rain. Turns out Rain can handle bitches.” Mike winked at me and I fought the urge to punch the licentious look off his face. It would seem that creeps hung out in packs.

Angus chuckled. “She thought I was going to shag her tonight. Plans change.”

I ignored his burning stare and the almost uncontrollable urge I had to throw my wine in his face. I’d never considered myself a violent person but if I’d had the strength I would have beaten the shit out of this guy and been done with it.

I felt the press of his hand on my lower back and had to force myself to relax into his touch. I glanced up to find him smiling down at me. “What?”

“It’s just nice to get to spend some time with you, that’s all. Your sister was always in the way before.”

Skeevy loathsome cockroach!

His hand pressed deeper into my back, forcing me closer to him. “Tell me everything about yourself.”

*   *   *

An hour later my nerves were strained to the max. I’d never realized how quickly the situation could snowball out of my control. I hadn’t lied when I told Craig I didn’t flirt. It wasn’t my thing. It felt discomforting in any normal situation, so to have to flirt with Angus was an effort in sheer will and nerves.

It didn’t help that I was completely aware of Craig in the background, watching the show I was putting on. I could feel his stare burning into me. I could feel him judging me.

Needing a break from the acting, I excused myself and made my way through the busy bar toward the restrooms. I’d just walked through the door to the hallway of the restrooms when it swung open behind me, and a hard grip clamped around my bicep.

I jerked in shock, looking over my shoulder to find my captor was Craig. “What—”

“Quiet,” he growled unhappily as he took a key out of his pocket and opened the locked door to the disabled toilet.

“Craig!” I yelped as he shoved me none-too-gently inside. He followed me and slammed the door shut behind us, snapping the lock in place. My heart was thudding in my chest. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What am I doing?” His eyes flashed in anger. “What the hell are you doing?”

Too tired to pretend I didn’t understand his question, I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance. “What I’m doing is none of your business!”

“I guess you made that quite clear when you disappeared last weekend.”

Guilt suffused me. “I admit I should have said good-bye.”

He snorted in derision. “Is that your apology?”

“It’s the only one you’re getting,” I snapped.

Stay out of this! I don’t need this from YOU!

Craig’s eyes narrowed speculatively. “When you told me you were going to get revenge on that arsehole out there I think I mistook just how determined you are. I mean, there aren’t many women who’ll spread their legs for revenge.”

His words cut me wide open—hurt piercing right through my chest—and in that moment I knew I’d been right in my decision to stay away from this man.

Something in my expression caused regret in his. “Rain,” he murmured, as he ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck, I didn’t mean that.”

“Let me out of here.”

“Rain—”

“Let me out of here!” I stormed toward him, all of the fury I felt toward Angus suddenly transferring to Craig.

He took hold of my arms and I struggled to release myself from his touch. “Rain—”

“Don’t touch me,” I spat, shrugging out of his hold. “Let me out of here. Now.”

“So you can go back out there to that smarmy git?” He grabbed me and hauled me against his chest, causing the breath to leap right out of me. “If you have no intention of sleeping with that arse then you are playing a dangerous game.”

“Of course you’d assume that I’d use sex to get what I wanted.” I curled my lip in disdain as I stared up into his handsome face. He was too close. Much too close. “Let me go.”

His grip tightened and I found myself spun around as he pressed my back to the door. “What else is any man supposed to think when you’re out there flirting your arse off with that guy? And here I thought you didn’t flirt.” His breath puffed against my lips.

“I only do it on special occasions,” I said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“You need to stop,” he said. “How far are you willing to take this?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“That’s funny . . .” He pressed his hard body into mine and I sucked in a breath at the thrill that rippled over me. “Because it certainly feels like my business.”

“Craig.” I tried to plead as lust and desire fogged my brain. “Please, just leave me alone.”

“But I can’t seem to help myself,” he murmured seconds before his lips brushed gently over mine.

My mouth tingled at the soft whisper of a kiss.

Our eyes locked and we could see nothing else but each other. As my chest heaved with excitement and anticipation it brushed against his, and I felt the movement of his increased breathing against my breasts.

He stroked my hip with one hand while his other reached up to cup my face. His thumb swept along my jawline in the lightest touch, and yet that light touch might as well have been a sensual caress for the reaction it elicited in my body.

My nipples tightened as he drew his fingers down my neck and followed the sweetheart neckline of my dress. My chest rose and fell in deeper movements, pushing my cleavage farther into his touch.

I watched his face while his eyes followed his fingers as he caressed the plump rise of my breasts. Goose bumps prickled up all over my skin, drawing his gaze back to mine. The blazing heat in his blue-green eyes made me whimper, and that sound seemed to snap something inside of him.

His mouth slammed down on mine hard and furious, and I moaned as his hand cupped my right breast and squeezed gently. I gripped his T-shirt in my hands as I pressed deeper into his body and his wet, drugging kiss.

I’d always wondered what his kiss would be like and now I knew.

It was ferocious and sexual and surprisingly just what I wanted.

He left my lips to kiss his way down my throat, nuzzling my neck where I’d sprayed my perfume. “Fuck,” he groaned, sliding his hand down from my hip to my thigh. He lifted my leg, my hemline rising so he could press his erection deeper between my thighs.

Lust squeezed me tight, low in my belly, making me wet.

I’d never wanted a man more in my life.

And that scared me right out of my desire-soaked fog.

“No.” I pushed at him, jerking my leg out of his grasp. “Craig, stop.”

He slumped against me, leaning his forehead on my collarbone as he tried to catch his breath. “Rain.”

I heard the pleading in his voice and stiffened. “Let me go,” I whispered softly.

Craig’s head snapped up and he glowered at me, all the unfulfilled passion in his eyes scorching me. “Why are you running from this?”

I pushed against his chest. “Because I’m not this person. I don’t do one-night stands.”

“Maybe I’m not asking for that.” He glared at me.

I eased away from him, pushing my dress back into place. “You want me because you can’t have me.”

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t fucking tell me what I’m feeling.”

“I need to go.”

He braced his hand against the door, barring my way. “Back out to him?”

I shook my head because I couldn’t go back out to Angus like this. Craig had lipstick on his mouth, which meant mine was now smudged. “Home. Thanks to you.” Angry now, I pushed his arm away, unlocked the door, and hurried out, practically throwing myself out into the main club so he couldn’t stop me. Without looking in Angus’s direction, I fled the bar and Craig Lanaghan, at once cursing the bartender to hell and back for ruining my first night of revenge and thanking him for giving me the excuse to get out of a situation with Angus I really didn’t want to be in.