Dylan was furious.

Sera didn't think she'd ever seen someone so mad. When she and Jason returned that afternoon, he'd been waiting in the lobby. He'd been in the shadows by the elevator and she hadn't known how long he'd been waiting there, looking every bit the furious, avenging angel. But despite the fury clear in his clenched jaw, furrowed brows, and throbbing vein in his forehead, she wasn't scared. Instead, a jolt of awareness had zinged though her body when their eyes met.

As she nodded at him, he rolled his shoulders. She thought he'd lay into her right there, but he said nothing merely stalking by her like they were perfect strangers. The only hint that she was the subject of his ire was the way he deliberately brushed against her as he strolled back to his office at the end of the first-floor hall.

All day, she'd been anxiously watching the clock. After Taj had mentioned he'd been looking for her, Sera anticipated a verbal ass-kicking wicked enough to scorch her ears. But the whole way to the ferry, on the ferry, and home, he'd been icy silent. She half wished he'd chew her out already and be done with it. Anticipating it had to be worse than anything he could say or do. Besides, the sooner he yelled at her, the sooner she could tell him what happened.

But when she followed him into the house, that switch flipped and she regretted that wish. "Have you lost your fucking mind?"

Yeah, probably. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"You're fucking sorry?" His voice was a low growl, barely above a whisper. "You think I want to be here? You think I don't have better shit to do than worry about you?"

"Dylan, I know you're mad, but—"

He leaned into her. "Mad? Lady, I'm incensed. I'm as unhappy about being here as you are at having me, and you insist on making my life difficult. Can you manage to think about anyone but yourself just once? Your mother warned me you were spoiled and impetuous, but I didn't believe her. I guess that's my bad. You're just like her. You only care about yourself and what you want."

His words hurt worse than if he'd slapped her. Sera glared at him. Since Malcolm's death, her mother had used those arguments for years. You're too irresponsible, Serafina. You're too impetuous, Serafina. For such a smart girl, you don't think, Serafina. You're being selfish…spoiled…difficult. Just like that, she forgot the fear of that afternoon. "You think you know me because you read my mother's file? Did she put in there how I was busy grieving for my brother and she couldn't be bothered to deal so she tucked me away at a facility where they pumped me full of so many anti-anxiety meds I couldn't think?"

His frown deepened like he was trying to make sense of what she said.

"Maybe she left that out. Did she also leave out that when I went home and needed my mother, she ignored me? I was inconvenient because she was too busy trying to hold on to her Senate seat. I never once did drugs, I never drank, I may have acted out to try to get her attention. I might have defied her in an effort to be my own person, but she sees that as betrayal. You don't know me. You're just another pawn to her. A toy soldier for her to move around the board. She's programmed you. And like a good android, you're following the program. Problem is, you're missing a huge chunk of the input."

Leaning in so close she could feel his warm breath over her skin, he whispered. "This isn't about me. It's about your disregard for what other people are trying to do."

Sera blinked away the impending tears and let the anger take over. She jabbed him with a finger. "I've been putting up with guys like you since I was ten. All ready and willing to follow orders. Never bothering to think for yourselves. You're not special. My mother will always need people to do what she wants. What did she promise you, career greatness?"

He scowled. "You say I don't know you. You don't know shit about me."

She was pushing and she knew it, but she didn't care. She'd had enough. "Don't I? The unfeeling fixer who's just following orders. Too rigid to think for himself, he blindly follows orders. Because he has to fulfill his hero complex and get to that next rung of greatness. Newsflash, when she's done with you, she'll shove you aside because you're inconvenient." She jabbed again.

"Serafina. That's enough."

But she was on a roll. "Whatever she promised you, it had better be fucking worth your integrity. You think she's going to let you go? Nope. Just one more job. Then another. And another, and before you know it, she owns you and she'll expect you to toe the line. And, I don't think that line includes fantasizing about the boss's daughter.'"

His eyes narrowed to slits. "That's enough, Sera."

The tension around them crackled. She could see the anger and the war of emotions in his pale eyes. He was fighting something but she didn't know what. All she knew was she was pissed and raw from today. Hell, from the last three days, and she wanted him to feel that pain. No reason she should suffer alone. So she pushed some more. "I'm just getting start—"

When he crushed his lips to hers, the tension around her exploded.

* * *

Dylan poured every ounce of work, relief, anger, and irritation into the kiss. He slid his fingers into her thick hair and angled her head for better access.

If he could think, his brain might ask what the fuck he was doing. If he could think, his brain might suggest he go sit outside and stay there until he calmed the fuck down. If he could think, he would worry about how easily his control snapped with this woman and the way he'd let her worm her way under his skin.

But he couldn't think. Not when his head was filled with the scent of honeysuckle and she tasted so goddamn good, like honey and bread to a starving man. It was too difficult to separate his emotions from his actions and somewhere in the back of his mind reason tried to shout a warning.

But he was too far gone for reason, or rationality, or control. And it was all Sera Justice's fault. His tongue slid over hers and some of the anger dissipated, letting the need slide into the driver's seat.

She clung to him. Her hands stroking down his chest, then tugging his shirt out of his pants. She fumbled with the buttons, but then gave up and just pulled the thing apart.

Buttons scattered everywhere, but he could give a shit. All he wanted was more Sera. More of this. More of this out-of-control feeling that every nerve ending was being rubbed with a euphoria stick.

His cock throbbed and pressed into Sera's belly. With a growl, he bent his knees and lifted her so she wrapped her legs around him. Bracing her against the front door, he tugged up her jersey top with both hands.

Sera arched her back into his touch and he moaned with satisfaction. This was what she wanted. This was what they'd been driving toward since Friday. It hadn't been a fluke. The combustible chemistry. He'd been fooling himself.

He slid his hands up over her torso, pausing just under her breasts. Sera groaned as her hands clenched tightly in his hair. Her tugging sent shivers up and down his spine. As he licked into her mouth, his thumbs slid over her bra-covered nipples and she rocked her hips into his.

White-hot fire wrapped around his spine. He wanted nothing more than to possess this girl.

Her nipples were pebbled peaks under his palms and all he wanted to know was how fast he could have her naked and in bed. And then how long he could stay buried inside her.

Sera whispered his name and he was ready to forget about the whole damn day. The only thing that mattered was getting inside her. But then a tiny voice reminded him what was at stake. Remember why you're doing this. Remember why you're here.

As abruptly as the kiss began, it ended. He dragged his lips from hers. "What are you doing to me?”

* * *

Sera couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. And it wasn't like she wanted to. What she wanted to do was stay in his arms. For several seconds, his arms wrapped around her and his heart pounding in tandem to hers, she could pretend. Pretend that this was a Friday night. That she'd brought him home. Or even better that he'd asked her out, and this was the perfect end to a perfect date.

But then her perfect fantasy was ruined as he slowly withdrew then lowered her so her feet touched the ground. What had happened wasn't between two people who liked each other and wanted to see where things could take them. Nope. This was the beginnings of a screw. A hate-screw at that. Against her front door…with both of them desperate. She'd never ever had sex against a door. Note to self to try that at the earliest convenience. Except not with Dylan.

For too long a moment, they both stared at each other. And then because she couldn't think of a single quip or witty remark, she adjusted her dress and then, as calmly as she could, brushed past him and walked to her room. She was careful not to rush. Not that she could, anyway; she was so spent. She'd just retrieve her ripped underwear…later.

What had she just done? Isn't this what you wanted? Yes, she'd wanted him out of his mind. But she hadn’t counted on her losing hers. She hadn’t counted on Dylan Donovan giving her the hottest kiss of her life.