“Not a chance, Nikki. There is no way I’m going back to that bar.”

Nikki spun around and started walking backward so she could face me as we strolled along the sidewalk. “And why on earth not?”

The newer buildings on Macaber Street towered on either side of us, and deep gray clouds grew with the threat of a storm where they glowed against the twilight.

That was exactly what I felt.

A storm coming.

Unsettled.

Unsure.

My brow lifted beneath my bangs. “Um…you do realize I basically told that bastard last night, if he wanted me, he would have to come hunt me down? If I show up there, he will actually think he has the chance of catching me. Ugh,” I groaned. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was him. I mean…how many gorgeous strangers suddenly show up in Gingham Lakes? I must have sucker written all over my face.”

She frowned at me. “He looked harmless, Lily Pad. Don’t beat yourself up. There was no way you would have known. He was wearing jeans for crying out loud.”

If it were possible, my brow lifted even higher.

She giggled. “Okay, he so didn’t look harmless. He basically looked like he was ready to tear you to pieces in the best of ways. I think you’re due for a little shredding.”

I swatted at her, my voice lowered so the elderly couple walking by wouldn’t be subjected to our conversation. “Shredding? What is wrong with you? You’re so disgusting. How are we even friends?” I muttered.

“Because you love me.” She sang the words as she reached out and grabbed my forearm. “Come on, Lil-Lil. When’s the last time you got laid?” It was almost a whine. Apparently my lack of sex life caused her physical pain.

“You know the answer to that.”

So long ago I could barely remember. Or maybe it was because the sex was hardly memorable. Either way, it was completely pathetic.

She groaned as she spun back around, came to my side, and hooked her arm around mine. “See. That right there is a shame. Look at you. You’re gorgeous and successful and probably the nicest, most genuine person I know, and you let UFF fuck up your mind and your heart. That is so not cool.”

My eyes narrowed in confusion. “UFF?”

“Um…Unfortunate Fucker Frederick?” By her expression, I was sure she thought I’d lost my mind that I didn’t know exactly what she was talking about.

“Unfortunate Fucker Frederick?”

She released an insufferable sigh. “Come on, Lily Pad. That dude didn’t know up from down, if you know what I mean. Now, that shit is unfortunate.”

“Oh my God, why did I ever tell you that story?”

My skin crawled just thinking about my last boyfriend—Frederick. Gross. I’d broken up with his lying, cheating, stealing ass more than a year ago. I knew better than to trust the guy, or any guy, for that matter. I’d just gotten so….lonely. But lonely was a hundred times better than vulnerable and weak.

Nikki was right. The whole experience was unfortunate.

Luckily, I’d learned my lesson.

Nikki feigned a horrified gasp. “Because that’s what best friends are for, which means you owe me all the stories. Plus, I warned you the second I saw that guy he was no good and up to no good, didn’t I?”

“Yet, you’re trying to drag me back to that bar?”

“Uh…yeah. You did see the man in question? Sometimes we luck out, and reality is even better than the rumors. And Broderick Wolfe is definitely all the rumors and more. Much, much more. And besides, that’s our bar.”

“He’s the enemy.”

“Who wants to do dirty, dirty things to you.”

My stomach fluttered, and my heart beat faster. “You don’t know that.”

“Psh.” She waved her free hand and steered us left so we cut across the street, rambling the whole way, “You know I have this sixth sense, and there are things I just know. And just like I knew Frederick would be all limpy and gimpy, I know Broderick or Brody or whatever you want to call him will blow your mind.”

My belly lurched, thoughts of his promise from earlier today spinning through my mind, planting seeds of temptation I could never give in to.

“Even if he was the best lover on the face of the planet, you know there’s no chance I’m letting that man touch me. He’s trying to take Addelaine’s building, for God’s sake.”

Even wanting him felt like a betrayal.

“What if he’s not as bad as you think he is?”

“Oh, believe me, Nikki. Broderick Wolfe is the villain in this story.”

She took another sharp right until we were standing in front of the very bar where I’d unwittingly met Mr. Wolfe last night.

She slanted me a wide, victorious grin. “Then maybe you need to show him exactly who the heroine is in this story.”

Nervous energy skittered through my veins when I glanced at the signage above the bar. “He probably won’t even be here.”

God. Why did I feel disappointed at the thought?

Nikki pulled open the door. “There’s only one way to find out.”

* * *

He was there.

Of course, he was there.

Oh my God, he was there.

This was such a bad idea.

But there was no backing down when he swiveled in the stool and locked eyes with me.

A slow, predatory smile spread across his gorgeous face.

All teeth.

Tonight, he was wearing the same dark gray suit he’d worn to my office, but he’d lost the jacket and tie. The cuffs of his pink button-up were rolled to his elbows and the top two buttons were undone.

One ankle was hitched casually across his opposite knee, a tumbler full of amber liquid swishing in the crystal as he rocked back so casually in the stool.

But there was something so dominating in his blasé posture.

My knees weakened and my insides shook.

“Come on, let’s get a drink,” Nikki urged as she started toward the opposite end of the bar.

And there was absolutely nothing I could do but lift my chin as I started after her, my stride strong and purposed as I slowly untied the belt of my favorite red jacket.

He didn’t even pretend as if he weren’t watching me.

Didn’t try to conceal the fact that he watched my every move.

Savored them.

Memorized them.

Hunting without moving an inch, his presence so big it was enough.

Because I already felt captured.

Entangled in his gaze.

“Ollie!” Nikki squealed.

God, the girl had it bad.

Ollie smiled his unreadable smile as he tossed two napkins down on the bar. The man was an enigma. Gorgeous in a tough, unattainable way. Quiet. Mysterious. And somehow, so utterly soft beneath the brute and tattoos and beard. “Your regulars? Or are you here to do it up big the way you did last night?”

A groan slipped free. “Don’t ever let me drink that much again, Ollie, or I’m never coming back. My regular is perfect.”

He chuckled. “Well, we can’t have that now, can we?”

“Um, no, we definitely can’t have that,” Nikki added a bit too enthusiastically.

Ollie turned away and began making our drinks. I chanced peeking over at Mr. Wolfe, who’d swiveled a fraction so he was entirely facing my direction.

No shame.

He made a gesture, saying something silently to Ollie. Ollie returned whatever interaction they shared with a nod of his head.

Two minutes later, Ollie was passing Nikki her bright pink cosmo and me a glass of chardonnay. “Compliments of the gentleman at the end of the bar.”

Oh no he didn’t.

I scowled in Mr. Wolfe’s direction, angling my head and pursing my lips as I pushed the stemmed glass away as if it were tainted. “No, thank you, Ollie. I’d prefer to pay for my own drink. If you’d return this to him.”

Confusion passed through Ollie’s expression before he shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

He headed that way, passing the glass to Mr. Wolfe, who had never turned away and had witnessed the whole exchange. I shouldn’t have been surprised when the arrogant man was already pushing to his feet the second he had the rejected wine glass in his hand.

Turning away, I tried to pretend I was in deep conversation with Nikki, searching for any subject to launch into. “Um…so it’s supposed to rain, yeah?”

But it was no use.

There was no running.

A shiver flashed across my skin. Hot and cold as it raced and sped, tingling in all the places I couldn’t afford to recognize this man. I tried to hold my breath, tried not to breathe in the faint scent of a spicy mandarin and sweet nutmeg.

His cologne dizzying.

Or maybe it was just him.

I felt the ominous presence eclipse me from behind. Because suddenly he was right there, his breath on my cheek and neck and ear. “I believe this belongs to you, Ms. Redd.”

He reached around and set the glass down in front of me.

I struggled to rein in the mix of emotions that stampeded within me, this confusing dichotomy of hate and the crushing demand of my body.

Remember.

Remember why you’re doing this.

Finding solid ground, I forced myself to look over my shoulder and meet his eye. “I can’t be bought, Mr. Wolfe. I have no interest in you or your drink unless it will send you running out of town. So, why don’t you go back to your seat, or more preferably, back to New York.” The words grated from my tongue. God, this man brought out the worst in me. Made me crazy and angry and confused.

That penetrating gaze glinted and danced to a dark, dark beat, the hint of a smile twitching at his mouth.

He was laughing at me.

Of course he was.

“It’s a drink, Ms. Redd. A peace offering. Not a goddamned bomb and certainly not a bribe. I was simply being nice.”

Guilt tried to mix with the confusion he incited. I forced a dubious laugh. “Nice?”

He angled to the side and leaned his elbow on the bar so he could meet my eyes. He was so close he stole my breath. My sanity. “I could be…if that’s what you wanted me to be. If you want, I’ll promise not to bite.” He angled closer, the words a low, guttural whisper. “But I’m pretty sure you want me to.”

I jerked back, my breaths too shallow and my heart a wild thrum. I blinked through the daze. “You have a lot of nerve, Mr. Wolfe, waltzing in here thinking you can just take anything you want.”

A smirk climbed to his ridiculously gorgeous face. “Since when is it a bad thing to go after what you want?”

God, I had to get out of there before he mixed me up any more. I grabbed the glass he offered and tossed it back, draining the entire thing in one gulp before I slammed it back down.

If anything, the bastard looked satisfied.

My attention turned to Nikki, who was sitting there biting her lip as if she were watching some kind of ridiculous teen drama.

“I’m going to use the restroom and then head home,” I told her.

Concern washed her features. “Are you sure?”

“I’m fine. I promise.”

She hesitated, wary, before she nodded and waved her drink in the air. “I’m just going to finish this.” There was no missing the longing in her voice, the undercurrent of why she was really there.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

I spun on my heels, took a single step, and then stalled, backing up to meet Mr. Wolfe’s face, putting every ounce of strength I had into the warning. “The petition for historic landmark will be filed tomorrow. I will win this fight.”

Then I strode away with as much poise as I could muster before I rounded into the hall and then nearly broke into a sprint when I knew I was out of eyeshot. I pushed open the restroom door, panting as I tried to regain my composure.

This was so not like me.

Needy and wanting things I could never have.

My willpower weak.

Why had I always gravitated to the people who would hurt me?

Addelaine had been the exception, which was why I couldn’t let her down.

Finding my purpose, I moved to the sink, washed my hands, and dabbed a towel beneath my eyes as I studied myself in the mirror. My pupils dilated. My cheeks flushed.

God.

This was so stupid.

But that foolishness seemed to matter none when I swung open the door and stepped out into the darkened hall. Halfway down, my feet stopped short when I ran straight into the big body towering over me.

“Whoa, there, Lil’ Redd.” His words were as soft as silk.

A gasp rocked free, and my chest constricted, my thrumming heart going whoosh, whoosh, whoosh as I took a fumbled step back. He followed, angling around and backing me into the wall.

“Ms. Redd,” he whispered, his glorious, ravaging face in shadows, those unmistakable eyes burning with fire and something deep. Something I couldn’t quite recognize. He reached out and wound a lock of my hair around his big hand. “Lil’ Redd. Who the fuck do you think you are?”

He inched closer, fingers fluttering along the edging of my coat, as if he were mesmerized by the color. It ignited the air in a furor of severity, his breaths mingling with mine, something alive. “Who do you think you are, driving me out of my damned mind? For months, I’ve been fantasizing about you, wondering why every time I opened one of your messages, my cock grew hard. Desperate for a taste of the unseen.”

His mouth was at the shell of my ear, eliciting chills. “And now I know.”

Oh God. What was he doing to me? And why did I like it so much?

“I can’t do this,” I mumbled, attempting to push him away. He captured my hands in his, brought them to his mouth, and kissed across the knuckles.

Shivers slipped down my spine, and oh my God, I was going to lose all control.

He leaned in closer, his mouth a whisper at my jaw. “You want me to chase you, Lil’ Redd? Run.”

He suddenly stepped back, the expression on his face so severe I had the instinctual feeling that he needed me to run before he snapped.

I sucked in a shocked breath, turned on my heels, and propelled myself forward and away.

Fled.

I ran out the door and into the night.

Rain poured from the raging heavens, streetlamps shone down through the haze. It created a kaleidoscope of light that glimmered all around me. I leaned over, sucking in breath after breath, knowing I needed to escape.

Run.

But I didn’t get far.

Because he was suddenly there, his presence unmistakable where he appeared behind me.

Slowly, I turned around.

He stood there, looking like sin.

Drenched by the rain.

It only emphasized his beauty.

His strength.

I stood frozen while that attraction blazed between us. Zapping and demanding. Pulling and pulling and pulling.

I resisted all I could, the tension growing tight. It took all of five seconds before it was me who snapped.

I rushed his direction.

Hating the pull and loving it all the same.

I moaned when he twisted his hands in my soaked hair and spun me, pulling us into the alley before he had me against the wall and his mouth on mine.

Overpowering.

Overwhelming.

So fucking wrong.

So damned right.

His tongue licked out, tangling with mine.

His body hard.

Every. Inch.

“Oh God…you’re so…big.”

He rocked against me. “So much better to fuck you with.”

I gripped his shirt. “There will be no fucking.”

“No?” he challenged as he snaked a hand beneath my jacket and pushed my skirt up high enough that he was able to hitch my leg around his waist.

He angled me perfectly.

His hard cock against my lace-covered clit.

Pleasure pulsed. I gasped for a breath.

“Do you like that, Ms. Redd? Do you like the way you know I’m gonna feel?”

“Yes.” It was a whimper when he rocked again.

His mouth moved along my throat, nipping at my chin, my lips. Nibbling and biting. I swore the man was eating me alive. The hand on my thigh roamed higher, scraping my skin.

His fingers slipped beneath the lace of my panties as the storm raged on around us. He edged back just as lightning flashed, his chiseled face vicious in the impact, dark, dark hair dripping across his forehead and his eyes…his eyes black with lust.

“I told you that when you closed your eyes I’d be the only thing you’d see.” He drove three fingers inside of me.

A moan burst from my throat, and I rocked back against the hard brick wall. “Oh.”

He fucked them in and out, his cock pressed into my thigh as a reminder of who he was, his fingers steadily driving me to a place I couldn’t go.

His voice was grit as he uttered the words ferociously at my ear. “Your pussy is perfection. I can feel it, Lillith. How perfect it is. How tight and sweet. I can’t wait until I make you mine. Mark my words. I will make you mine.”

I wanted to fight and struggle and push him away.

Instead, my knees buckled when he rubbed his thumb in a demanding circle around my clit.

I clung to his shoulders, no longer able to stand.

His fingers drove deeper, his thumb magic as he circled and rubbed and coaxed.

Pleasure built.

Steadily.

Magnificently.

Destructively.

It split.

I swore I could feel the earth tremble around me as bliss rocketed through my being.

So good.

So good.

So good.

I couldn’t see.

Couldn’t think.

Couldn’t stand.

I soared while I remained prisoner to the rain. Prisoner to the man.

Slowly, he eased his fingers out of me and took a step back while I stood there shaking. Shaking and shaking as I came down.

Way, way down where realization and ramifications set in.

Horror took hold of my spirit.

What did I do?

Oh my God, what did I do?

“You.” It was a quiet, trembled accusation.

He sucked his fingers into his mouth. “I warned you to run. And you ran directly to me.”

Before I could stop it, my hand cocked back, and I slapped him across the face. Then I turned and stormed through the driving rain.

I just couldn’t tell if I was angrier with him or myself.