Heather. My auburn-haired goddess. And her tits were out. Luscious and swollen, as if they were waiting for me. Her jeans were unzipped, and the smell of lush female musk hung in the air.

I couldn’t help inhaling.

A gentleman would have looked away.

No one would mistake me for a gentleman.

I regarded her, smiling, as she hurriedly put herself to rights. A shame to cover up such beauty.

“God, Heather,” Susie said. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you doing home?” Heather asked between clenched teeth.

“Well…uh…Jett here… He wanted to meet you.”

Heather’s warm brown eyes took on a decidedly icy glare amidst her red cheeks. Were they red from embarrassment? Or from the climax she’d clearly just given herself? Had she been thinking of me?

“Oh?” Her voice cracked.

I wasn’t sure what to say. I’d heard Heather tell the Uber driver her name, and she’d said her roommate was upstairs at the party, so I’d gone back up and bothered every girl there until I found the one with an auburn-haired roommate named Heather. It hadn’t taken long to convince Susie to take a limo ride to her small apartment so I could meet her elusive friend.

“I’m so sorry, Heather.” Susie looked toward the ceiling.

“It’s my fault,” I said. “I forced her to bring me here.”

“Forced?” Heather’s tone was acidic.

“No, of course not,” Susie said. “He wanted to meet you, and I agreed to bring you here.”

“You brought a stranger to our apartment at”—I glanced at the cable box—“one forty-five a.m.?”

“Jett’s not a stranger,” Susie said.

“Oh. He’s a friend of yours?” Her tone was still caustic.

Many years had passed since I’d felt like I didn’t belong somewhere. Most people in LA welcomed me with open arms, happy to get an autograph or a selfie with me. But not Heather.

And that only made me want her more.

Her skin was flushed rose, and she’d misbuttoned her shirt. I couldn’t help smiling. She was fucking adorable.

I cleared my throat. “I didn’t mean to intrude.” Yeah, that was a lie. I totally meant to intrude. “You want to go get a drink or something?”

“It’s almost two a.m.”

“Yeah. In LA. So what?”

“I have to work tomorrow.”

“Not until the dinner shift,” Susie offered.

Heather darted her gaze to Susie, a slight frown marring her beauty. “I’m not dressed to go out.”

“You look great to me.” God, she did. I’d underestimated how hot her body might be. That rack of hers was extraordinary.

“This is insane,” she said. “You had your pick of hot women at the party. Why are you here, really? Because I told you I’m not a groupie.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Heather,” Susie said, “you’re being kind of rude. And what’s wrong with being a groupie?”

“No offense,” Heather said. “But that’s not the life for me.”

“I’m not asking you to suck my dick, sweetheart,” I said jovially. “I’m asking you to have a drink with me.”

Heather winced. Only slightly, but I noticed. I’d probably been a little too brash.

“Hey, I’m sorry. But seriously, what’s the harm in a drink?”

Susie strode toward her and grabbed her arm. “Are you crazy? I know you’re a fan.”

She was a fan? Good news. “So you’re a fan, huh?”

She nodded slightly.

“You want an autograph? A selfie?”

She scoffed. “Or the privilege of sucking your dick, maybe?”

Not the right approach. She might be a fan, but she clearly wasn’t a fanatic. I looked around the modest room. What Heather and Susie didn’t know was that I’d once lived in this complex. Five years ago, when I first came to LA with Zane. We’d teamed up with Tony and Bernie shortly after, and Emerald Phoenix had been born…with a little help from a benefactor.

I closed my eyes and inhaled. So didn’t want to go there right now. I didn’t need to think about what I’d given up to become Jett Draconis.

“How long have you lived here?” I asked.

“I’ve been here a while,” Susie said. “Heather moved in a couple years ago.”

I nodded. Now what? I sure as hell wasn’t leaving without what I’d come for.

And she was still glaring at me.

Time to soften up a little. I approached Heather and stroked my index finger along her silk-clad upper arm. Even through the fabric, I felt sparks. “Look. I just want to talk to you. Maybe get to know you. Would that be so horrible?”

“In the middle of the night?” She looked down.

I tipped her chin upward with my index finger. Her skin was so soft. “I’m awake. You’re awake. You don’t have to work until tomorrow evening, and neither do I. Sounds perfect.”

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth for a few delicious seconds. “Just because you walked in on me…you know…doesn’t mean I’m easy.”

“Sweetheart, no one would ever mistake you for easy.” Though I planned to hit a home run later. She just didn’t know it yet.

“Okay. Let’s have a drink.”

My body relaxed. Man, I hadn’t realized how tense I was, waiting for her to decide to come with me. I never got tense about women.

Weird.

“Why don’t we have a drink here?” She pointed to a half-empty glass of wine on a nearby table. “I’ve already poured one for myself.”

Susie’s eyes brightened. She was attractive, but a threesome wasn’t what I had in mind. I was pretty sure that wouldn’t be Heather’s jam either.

“We’ll compromise,” I said. “Come out to my limo. I have a fully stocked bar, and there’s plenty of room. We won’t go anywhere. We’ll just have a drink.” And there was plenty of room for other activities as well.

Susie frowned and then feigned a yawn. “I guess I’ll hit the sack.”

“Susie…” Heather pleaded.

“Look, either have a drink with him or don’t, but I’m exhausted. Good night.” She walked into one of the bedrooms.

Alone at last. “So?” I said.

She twisted her lips. “Why do you want to have a drink with me? You’re not going to get anywhere.”

“All I want is a drink, sweetheart.”

“I have a name.”

“All I want is a drink, Heather.”

A smile curved her lips. Yes! She was starting to de-ice. “We don’t move. We stay right here in front of my building.”

“You got it, sweet— I mean Heather.”