Lee woke with a thumping hangover and the full, stretched feeling of having had a great night. For a moment she looked around in terror, worried what the hell she’d done this time. Then she saw where she was and the night’s activities came flooding back. The biker.

She got up and went to the bathroom, only to have everything flash back as she saw the scrap of black lace that had once been her underwear thrown on the faded pink velvet chaise. Holy shit, but he had been hot. She bit her lip. And to be able to sleep it off in a hotel room that someone else paid for for the night? Perfect.

A surge of heat rushed between her thighs and she smiled. Last night was a good example of why sex was her biggest vice. With a stranger? Well, it certainly took everything up a notch. The perfect, tall, dark stranger. She smirked at the cliché. There was something electric about not knowing who she was riding. The dangerous thrill made her feel alive rather than afraid, a place she’d been all too often after her mother had let the asshat into their lives.

Putting a finger to her lips she realized she hadn’t even kissed the biker. The smile curled the edges of her mouth higher. Perfect. Meant she could go for a second helping and not break any of her rules. Like no second courses once she’d kissed a guy.

Stepping into the shower she touched herself, remembering just how good last night had been. She thought about reenacting part of it with the shower nozzle, but something stopped her. Trying to work herself up like the biker had done seemed impossible. His size for starters, the way he filled her. Shaking her head, she washed quickly and her stomach rumbled as she headed downstairs to find some food. Now that she’d made it to L.A., she needed to work out what the hell she was going to do next. Starting with finding a bed to stay in for a week or so.

But downstairs in the bar of Wilde’s Hotel, her confidence fluttered for a second. Rather than the empty bar she’d expected, it was full of broad, male shoulders. All encased in black leather and with the flaming red patch of the Raising Hellfire Gang emblazoned on the back.

Best way to disappear is to make yourself at home, remember? Maybe she could do a little dancing on the bar here to earn her keep.

Starting burlesque dancing back in Boston was something that had changed her life for the better. Initially she’d done it to prove to herself she could. And to prove that she wasn’t going to live by her stepfather’s rules. Ever. But she’d soon discovered she loved it. Loved the attention it brought her, the tips, what it did for her body. Loved every bit of it. And the burlesque costumes made her feel magnificent. Made her feel like a princess, or rather a queen, after the conservative rags her stepfather had insisted she and her mother wear when he moved in. At Conner’s club she was royalty and her lonely soul lapped up the adulation like a cat with milk.

Then she and Conner had gotten together. He’d been the antithesis of the asshat. Always ready to party. Always ready to help her party. When she discovered his club was a front for his drug business, she’d pretended not to care. But then a girl went missing and she started caring plenty. She should have just left, but she stupidly told someone she was leaving. He hadn’t liked that. At. All. Put word out that she’d stolen drugs from him. And that was it. Her life in Boston was toast. Now she needed a new party. Lee bit the inside of her cheek.

And then there he was. Last night’s sex party on a leather-clad stick. Lee watched him for a moment. His cheekbones were high, giving him an exotic, catlike quality that went with his lean physique and dark, sleek features. Checking him out in daylight, she realized that for a gang guy, he was sleek. His longish black hair was smoothed back, not dirty, and his hard, angled chin was freshly shaved.

She thought about walking over and introducing herself properly when a hand clamped onto her wrist and then tucked into her elbow.

“She rises. You were so cute sleeping this morning, I didn’t wanna wake you. You’re coming to play some more though, aren’t you?” It was—Lee racked her brain for the woman’s name—Georgia, that was it. Lee was impressed with herself for remembering the woman’s name after only meeting her last night.

“You’re the one who slept through everything. Missed out, big time,” Lee said, her eyes swinging back toward Mr. Shag-o-licious.

The woman’s eyes followed hers before pulling Lee to a corner. “Him? You had Hade Corban last night?”

“You would have, too, if you hadn’t passed out. Unlucky for you, lucky for me. His full attention is something I’m not going to forget in a hurry.”

The other woman hissed through her teeth. “Shit, girl. You’ve got balls, that’s for sure.”

Lee frowned. “What? He’s a gang guy. So what? So was Whatshisname. But he couldn’t handle the pace.”

Georgia grimaced. “Yeah, but Whatshisname is not a Hell’s Boy. Soft. Not like Hade. Shit, I should get outta here.”

Hade, good name. Suited him. Lee’s skin tingled as the hairs on her arms stood to attention, looking for an escape route. “Thought I might try for a second round.”

The other woman scoffed. “Good luck with that. He doesn’t let women stick around for long. Rocco wants him to lead the gang and they have some stupid thing about staying single when they’re in charge. Tradition, yada yada. God, I don’t even know why we came here, that was a stupid idea.” She stood from her bar stool.

The shrug was more confident than Lee felt, but then she changed the weight of her stance and felt the soft ache between her thighs. Last night had been magnificent and that’s what she decided to focus on now. Lust above all? Worrying was for people with a plan.

“Treat ’em mean, keep ’em keen, girl,” she said to Georgia. The woman looked at her blankly. “Another dancer taught me the saying. A New Zealand girl. Good, huh? Works on men even better than on chicks. Nice to meet you and all, but I’m sticking around here. If you could pass that on to your Menace guy or whatever he was. Stupid territory shit between boys I do not need.” She straightened and eyed Hade again. He really was all that. All that she wanted right now to keep reality at bay. So she strolled over to the black-eyed leader.

“Didn’t think I’d see you again,” she said as she ran her finger down the front zipper of his jacket, acutely aware that every eye in the place was on her.

“And yet here I am,” he said. His voice was lower than she remembered, darker. Like he’d gargled with the gravel off his bike tires for breakfast. She looked up into his big dark eyes and had to hold back a shiver. His gaze stripped her bare as effectively as his hands had last night. But more than that, he looked at her like she belonged to him. Brutal, possessive need shone in his eyes. She liked it.

Just then, the doors of the bar opened and three bikers stalked in, full of noise and the cold air of outside. “Hell’s Boys, one. Pussy Boys, zero. That’ll teach ’em to bet on me losing a road race,” the man said, holding up a canvas bag full of cash. She saw Hade’s eyes follow her as she watched the new bikers. Was he jealous? Could she make him be? Treat ’em mean, girl.

“Best I go congratulate your man,” she said to Hade and let her finger trail from the zipper of his jacket down his front to the waistband of his pants. “On your behalf, of course.” She walked over to where a group of bikers were slapping the winner on the back, hoping her stiff shoulders didn’t reveal her nervousness. This was what she did, put on a show until everyone, including herself, believed it. And she wanted Hade aching for her, wanted to make him a little bit hers as much as his eyes had made her his in front of this room full of men.

“Well done,” she said, weaving her way right up to the guy holding the bag of cash. “Everyone loves a winner.” And she pushed her hand through the hair at the back of his head and pulled him down for a deep, hot kiss. His shock lasted only a split second before he grabbed her ass and deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue in for good measure.

Coming up for air, he grinned down at her. “Well, hello, kitty cat. Seems someone forgot to give you your saucer of milk, didn’t they? I should look after you so you don’t go thirsty.”

One of the others cleared his throat and he looked up. Lee noticed the subtle nod in Hade’s direction and the winner released her immediately. “Well. Thanks for the congrats,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m new in town,” she said, loud enough for plenty of ears to hear. “Don’t know many people. Trying to make some friends.”

“Sure. Nonetheless, things to do, people to see, you know how it is,” he said and backed away quickly, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Lee stood in the middle of the room, feeling all eyes on her, but when she looked up, no one would catch her gaze. No one except Hade. And the look in his eyes had gone from smolder to flamethrower. Well, that worked.

“Seeing as you’re the man with the cash, you buying the drinks then?” she said and stalked over to the bar. “Shot of tequila, on him,” she said to the woman behind the bar and jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

Lee kept her back to the room and watched the eyes of the bar owner as she looked for approval before turning, filling up a shot glass of tequila, and putting it down in front of Lee. The bar rumbled back into action as the steady hum of voices picked up now that the potential spectacle was over. Downing the alcohol, Lee waited.

“If you’re looking for a party, you’ll definitely find one,” said the young woman, tequila bottle still in hand. “But if you’re looking for anything else, check out now. And if you’re going to share yourself around, make sure you square it with Hade.” The bar owner leaned over the bar and eyeballed her.

“What’s it to you?”

The other woman shrugged. “Nothing. But this is my bar and I don’t want anything getting broken today. Especially not your nose. It’s pretty.”

Lee balked. “They’d break a girl’s nose?”

“Once the wild rumpus starts, there’s no rolling your eyes to get it to stop around here. And I only just fixed that door. So make up your mind about what you’re here for, then go get it or get out. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.”

“Of course.” Lee eyed the bar owner up. There was no artifice in the other woman’s eyes.

“What if I want Hade?”

“Of course you want Hade. All the girls want him. Doesn’t mean you’re going to get him.”

“What if I already had him?”

The pause was filled with unspoken questions as the women eyed each other up. “Name’s Briony Wilde. And you are?”

“Lee. Delevigne,” she added as an afterthought.

“So you’re planning on sticking around?”

It was Lee’s turn to shrug. “Looks like a fun time.”

“You just look after your pretty little nose then.” And Briony walked away.

Lee put her finger in the empty shot glass and wiped out the last drop of tequila. Putting her finger in her mouth, she turned on her stool to scan the bar. Hade was talking to two other men but as if he felt her eyes on him, he turned. Bingo. He wanted another round just as much as she did. And she’d already decided. Forbidden fruit and all that. Yep. All this talk about him being an impossible catch just made her want him again all the more.