I feel so dirty right now, and it’s not because of what Thorne and I did in the parking lot.

God, no.

What he did to my body was out of this world.

I don’t even feel too bad about crying out his name when he made me come, or that life is so fucked up that the man someone sent to track my movements is the person who drives me to my first real orgasm.

The reason I feel this way is here I am, in the passenger seat of my boss Jeff’s car, listening to him talk business projections as he drives me home, and all I can think about is how long it’ll take for Thorne to catch up to me.

Because deep down, now that he’s touched me, I want him to catch me.

I want him to finish the job.

“Are you all right?” Jeff asks, putting his work chatter on hold to get my attention.

“Sorry, what? Yes, I’m fine. A bit tired,” I lie.

My words are a lie because I’m the opposite of tired. I’m energized. My body is, anyway. My phone buzzes in my purse with an incoming text alert, but I ignore it. It’s after three in the morning. Whoever it is that wants to contact me can wait.

“I don’t mind if you answer that,” Jeff tells me.

“It’s okay. I don’t usually talk to anyone at this time of night… I mean morning.”

It buzzes again and he looks over at me for a second. “Maybe you should see who’s trying to reach you.”

“They can wait.”

“Do you realize that you’ve never screened my calls? I’ve always been able to connect with you on the first call. Sometimes on the first ring.”

I giggle. “That’s because you’re my boss. Plus, you’ve never called me at an ungodly hour, like whoever’s blowing up my phone right now.”

“Good to know.”

It buzzes again.

“Want me to get that for you? Maybe they’ll quit if they think you have a boyfriend. Unless it’s your boyfriend who’s blowing up your phone. In which case, I’d suggest you cut him loose. You don’t strike me as the type who can handle a clingy overbearing person in your life.”

I give him a weak smile. “You’re right on both counts. I don’t have a boyfriend, and I wouldn’t put up with crap like this. Maybe that’s why I don’t have one.”

“Not ready for a man in your life?”

“Not really. Come on, Jeff. You know me. I prefer to keep to myself.”

He nods with understanding. “There was a time that I thought... I suspected you were...”

I slant my eyes at him. “A lesbian?”

He lets out a contagious laugh that vibrates in my chest. If I weren’t so wound up, I’d be cracking up too. “No,” he says. “I was going to say I thought you were interested in me.”

The timing of this talk is all wrong. I thought we’d leave the past in the past. Not that I would’ve given him a try, seeing as I love working for him. Jeff had over three years to ask me out, and he never did.

“I won’t lie to you. I have a lot of respect for you. You’re a great guy. The best boss I could ever dream of working for.”

“But you’re not into me that way,” he says, anticipating what he thinks I’m about to say.

“No, what I mean is even if I had a crush on you, our working relationship, our friendship, they mean a lot more to me than wrecking things by taking a chance on something I’ve never been good at.”

“I see. The curse of the consummate professional,” he answers.

“Exactly.”

“You know, I could fire you,” he jokes. “That’d take all of the pressure off of dating your boss.”

“You’re too good a person to do that,” I remind him, and narrow my eyes at him.

He straightens up in his seat and clears his throat. “I’d better pull my head out of my ass and drop this fantasy. The truth is, I don’t want to lose you… our working relationship, I mean. You’re my best server.”

“Thanks, boss,” I say to him, relieved that he let things be. Then my phone goes off again.

“You really should check that.”

“I will, in a bit.”

I bite down on one side of my bottom lip as my mind goes over how it felt to have Thorne’s hands all over me. Jesus. I have to cross my legs to ease the throbbing deep in my pussy. I’m damp between my legs now. It’s still aching from the way he worked me over with just his fingers. I can’t stop hearing his voice like an echo in my brain, telling me he’ll fuck me until I stop fighting him. In a way, I want to stop running so he can do just that. Fuck me, claim me, and drain my resistance down to nothingness.

“What was that?” Jeff asks out of the blue.

“Sorry?”

He briefly glances over at me then faces forward, focusing on the road. “You whispered something.”

Pressing my lips together tightly, I shake my head and hope he honestly didn’t hear me. “I was probably thinking out loud.”

I look out my passenger window to avoid making eye contact with Jeff. It’s so wrong sitting beside him and thinking these thoughts. Holy hell, what has Thorne done to me? I wonder if he could tell when he pushed his way inside me. No one knows this except for my best friend, Trish.

I’m a virgin of the worst kind.

Before Thorne, I’d never been touched. Not by anyone. I never let anyone close enough, not to hold my hand, not to make out with me, not even to kiss me. His hands, his mouth, his tongue, they’re the only ones to ever breach my personal space.

Sure, the odd new guy at the club might try to cop a feel, but the regulars know that the bouncers won’t allow it. Their unsolicited physical contact doesn’t count. It doesn’t count because I don’t want those men touching me.

With Thorne however, it’s different.

I can’t stop craving him. I want him to do exactly as he’s threatened me.

And that truth terrifies me.

For all I know, I’ll let my guard down only to find out that he isn’t just my stalker, but also an assassin sent to finish me off when I least expect it. Like right in the middle of fucking my brains out. That’s why I’m so damn torn. I should’ve skipped town by now, but I don’t want to go.

Not yet.

I’m dying to be fucked by the man who might be my killer.

I smile at the thought. Maybe sleeping with the enemy is a thing.

“Care to share the joke?” Jeff asks as he makes it to my house.

“Gosh, I’m so sorry, Jeff,” I say. “It’s been a long few days. I’m stuck in my own head lately.”

He nods and puts the car in park. “I hope you know, if you ever need to talk, or need any help with anything at all, I’m here.”

“Thanks for saying that,” I answer, giving his upper arm a gentle squeeze. “It means a lot to me. You’ve been such a great boss to work for.”

He turns his head and looks first at my hand on his arm, then at me. “If you hadn’t been working for me for all these years, I’d think that was a goodbye. Is it?”

My head shakes from side to side before he’s finished asking the question. I don’t mean to sound that way. It’s not goodbye. I have every intention of showing up at my next shift, focused and ready to work.

“It isn’t. You can’t get rid of me so easily, Jeff,” I say and grin to lighten the mood.

“I hope so.” He looks out the window at my house. “Do you always leave the place this dark? It’s pitch black.”

“Maybe the power’s out. I’ll check when I’m inside.”

“All right. I’ll walk you to the front door,” he offers. “To be safe.”

“That’s sweet, but don’t worry about me,” I tell him, letting him down gently. He has no idea how well I can take care of myself.

“Okay, but I’m waiting here until you’re at the door,” he persists.

“You’re always the gentleman, aren’t you?” I muse, grabbing my keys from the bottom of my bag.

“When it comes to taking care of the people who are important to me, yes. Always.”

I do my best to act like that comment flew right over my head, and smile, stepping out of the car. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Jeff.”

Jeff stays true to his word. I look back at his car when my front door is unlocked. He’s still there. It’s only when I give him a thumbs-up that he puts his car in reverse and leaves.

There’s just one problem.

Another few pairs of headlights cross paths with his, driving slowly onto my driveway. There are no neighbors around where I live, and I’m not expecting anyone. It can’t be Thorne, either. He rides a motorcycle.

Leaving all the lights off, I stand on the inside of my door and turn the deadbolt, my eyes on the approaching lights. I turn quickly, placing one hand on the knife I keep taped to the back of the shoe rack, and the other one on the Smith & Wesson M&P 40C besides it.

If Thorne is playing more games with me, he’d better be ready.

Sometimes, games end in bloodshed.