Fury heats my chest and clogs my throat as I draw her out of Damage Control and onto the street. A cripple? Who’s this asshole who thinks he can tell her such a thing? As if it should matter to anyone that she limps. Besides, she’ll heal.

I’ll take care of her.

And whoa, where did that thought come from? I think I’m losing my mind with this girl, and I don’t even know her name yet for sure. Can’t even be certain it’s the one I dream about.

Well, at least that’s easy to fix.

I want to go faster, get off the street, find some place quiet and ask her. But she’s slow, hampered by her walking stick, and she seems lost in thought. I take the time to study her heart-shaped face, the long sweep of her lashes over her bright eyes, the elegant arc of her neck and her pouting upper lip...

Oh fuck. She’s so sexy. I try to look away, but my gaze is drawn to the swell of her breasts under the stretchy cloth of her hoodie, and my body tightens. What would her lips feel like, pressed on mine, and how would she taste? How would her naked body fit against mine?

I shiver and force my mind on other things, like the honking of the cars, the pigeons fluttering on a roof, the shape of her small hand in mine...

Fuck, why can’t I control myself? My jeans feel a size too small right now, my aching dick trapped sideways against the seam. I grit my teeth.

Thankfully, the cafe I have in mind is just around the corner. Then we can talk. Then I will know who she is, and then she will know who I am, as well.

Even if it’s her, she probably doesn’t remember me. We never spoke to each other. Except for that fateful night, I only watched her from afar, much as I did the past week, doing her rounds, checking on the homeless.

And when I came out of hospital and slowly got on with life, she wasn’t anywhere to be found.

A drop hits my face, and I glance up at the heavy clouds. Before I can even blink, another falls on my mouth, and I lick it off my lips. I lift my hand and more splash on my palm. They patter on the street and sidewalk, the parked cars and the benches.

“Is it far?” she asks, and I squeeze her hand. “Maybe we should head back.”

“Not far,” I say. “Trust me.”

The rain falls harder now, soaking through my hair, frigid rivulets running down my neck. She looks up at me, her gaze distant, and nods, letting me pull her along faster.

Not fast enough. From one moment to the next, the skies open, and water falls in buckets. In seconds we’re soaking wet. We hurry down the street, the sound of our footfalls muffled by the downpour.

I see a shop awning and turn my head to tell her we could find shelter there until the storm passes, when the stick falls from her hand, and she stumbles. A small cry escapes her lips, and I snag an arm around her slim waist, steadying her, pushing her under the shop tent, against the wall.

My intention is to prevent her from falling, to protect her from the rain. But as I press her back, feeling her body molding to mine, I’m lost. She tilts her face up, and a strange play of light makes it glow. The day is dark, the sky sleet gray, and she’s made of old, rich gold.

Precious. Too precious for the likes of me—but when I bow my head, I feel her warm breath on my mouth. Our lips brush.

A jolt of fire goes through me and cascades down my nerves. I shake. Planting my hands on either side of her lovely face, I push my tongue into her mouth and can’t help the groan rising in my throat. Her taste is fucking incredible, like a candy bar stuffed with toffee and peanut butter.

As she arches into me, her tongue hesitantly touching mine, her breasts push into my chest, and I almost lose it then and there. My hard-on returns with a vengeance, and my breath catches in my throat as the pressure mounts behind my balls. My whole body strains to meld with her, bury itself into her through the layers of clothes.

Fuck, I’m going to come in my pants just from kissing her. Dammit. I slip my hand under her hoodie and t-shirt and find her smooth, silky skin. I stroke the curve of her waist, up her ribcage, reaching her bra. I cup her breast, and she lets out a breathless gasp. I squeeze lightly, feeling her nipple harden through the silky cloth, and we moan together.

This is so hot I can’t stand it. My cock twitches, and I thrust my tongue into her mouth faster, harder. Holy shit, I have to stop touching her.

I pull back for air, and her reddened lips draw me right back in a heartbeat. Another moan escapes me as I hunt for her mouth again. My dick swells more.

Now it’s her turn to pull back. Through the haze in my mind, I realize she’s pushing her hands against my chest.

“Sorry,” I croak, trying to gather my wits. I shove off the wall. “Fuck. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Her eyes are half-lidded, the gold of her irises veiled by copper lashes. She doesn’t look upset. She gives me a tiny smile that turns my heart over in my chest.

And then she says in her low, musical voice, “By the way, I’m Evangeline. Friends call me Ev.”

We’re sitting in the cafe, small puddles forming around our feet. At least we’re not the only wet customers. Two girls sitting at the next table wipe rainwater from their faces and dry their hands on paper napkins.

I rub my fingers through my short, drenched hair and glance at Ev, who’s settling her fancy purple-and-white walking stick against her chair.

It’s her. I’d guessed right. I still can’t believe I’m sitting across from her. That I held her and kissed her.

She catches my gaze and smiles at me. Her lips are red and puffy from our kiss and damn, all I want is to take her in my arms and taste her again.

We order coffee and apple cake with cream cheese frosting, then sit back and look at each other. She brings her long ponytail over her shoulder and fiddles with her shiny hair. She bites her lip.

She has no clue what she’s doing to me. I swear, every look, every gesture goes straight to my cock. I shift on my seat, biting back a groan. Any minute now the buttons of my fly will pop from the pressure.

“Ev...” I say and then catch myself. I’m not her friend, not yet. “Evangeline.”

“Just Ev is fine.” Her smile returns, bright.

I smile back, relieved. She’s been Ev in my head for a long time now. “Ev it is.” Where to start? How to tell her how she saved me? “You like walking in town.”

The words just spill out of my mouth, and she frowns, delicate, honey-colored brows drawing together. God, everything about her is so pretty. “How do you know that?”

Oh shit. “I used to...” ... what, watch you? From afar? Before? Oh yeah. Now she’ll be sure I’m a stalker. “I used to think...”

“Think what?” She pulls back as our coffees and cake arrive, then draws her coffee cup closer and cradles it in her hands, looking at me expectantly.

I pour a package of sugar into mine and stir slowly, to buy myself time. “That people with leg injuries must be the ones who walk the most.” I lift the cup to my lips to hide a wince.

Yeah, real smooth. Christ.

But she laughs softly. “Well, you’re spot on. I used to walk a lot. But then I had this accident, and my parents and brother took it as an excuse to convince me walking in town is a bad idea. That talking to the people on the street is a bad idea. And then...” She stares into her coffee, the light in her eyes dimming. “Never mind.”

My mouth is dry. I lick my lips and try to swallow. “Then what, Ev?”

“Maybe they’re right,” Ev whispers. She shrugs her shoulders a tiny bit. “Maybe it’s dangerous.”

Her last words chill my blood. My hands clench at my sides. “Why? Has anyone hurt you?”

“No. It’s not that.”

I relax a little. “If you ever need anything... anything at all,” I find myself saying, “come to me. Don’t hesitate.”

Her eyes go round, and she blinks rapidly. “You barely know me.”

I know you, I want to say. I know who you really are inside.

But I hesitate. Because she isn’t sure she wants to talk to people from the street anymore, not sure she did the right thing.

“It doesn’t matter,” I whisper. Because right now she’s looking at me with fondness. Then her gaze falls on my mouth, and her lashes lower over her darkening eyes. Could she want me as I want her? I can’t forget the way she melted into my kiss, the way she kissed me back.

How will she look at me when she knows? How will she react? Will she run away?

Fuck. I have to tell her. Not telling her would be like lying. I take a fortifying breath and open my mouth to spill it all out.

“Micah? Hey, man,” a male voice calls, and I clench my jaw.

“Fuck,” I mutter as he approaches.

Ev gives me a questioning look.

“Hey, Seth.” What the hell is he doing here? Not his usual spot. Then I notice a girl trailing behind him, tall and willowy with a cloud of white-blond curls.

Ev is staring at Seth like she’s seen a ghost. Seth stares back just as hard, his eyes narrowed. His dark hair is loose and falling into his face.

“Have we met before?” he asks.

She frowns. “I don’t know. You look familiar.”

He squints and lift his hand to push back his hair, flashing the dark tattoos on the back of his hand. “I know you.”

The girl behind Seth grips his arm and tugs, her mouth a flat line. “Come on, Seth. Let’s go.”

“Seth.” Ev licks her lips. “Seth and Shane.”

“That’s my cousin.” Seth shakes the other girl off and leans over the table, focused on Ev. “Yeah, I know you. You brought us food sometimes. Gave us a blanket once when it was so cold I’d stopped feeling my feet. You’re that girl.”

I know Seth and Shane lived on the street when Zane found them and took them in, but never thought they’d met. I didn’t know they’d met Ev. I turn back to her.

Shock flashes through her eyes, and she draws back in her seat. “No,” she whispers and glances around at the cafe. Her hands shake.

Fucking hell. She’s really scared. Why would she be? She said nobody from the people she tried to help hurt her.

Meanwhile, the girl trailing Seth takes a step back, her face twisting. “You lived on the streets?” she asks loud enough for everyone in the cafe to hear. “You never told me this.”

Who is this bitch?

Seth doesn’t seem to even hear her or care. He puffs out a breath, and his gaze flicks at me, unreadable, eyes flat like dark water.

Silence falls over us, a fishermen’s net, holding us still. It’s like a painting or a photo—Ev, leaning back in her chair, golden eyes wary; Seth towering over our table, shoulders tense and mouth tight; his girl with her back turned, drawing her coat closed.

Then time starts again. The girl walks away. Seth snorts and glances after her but makes no move to follow her.

“I should be going,” Ev says, her voice hushed. She glances around as if expecting someone to jump out of a hiding place and grab her. “I’m late.”

“You should hurry along then,” Seth drawls. “Don’t wanna turn into a pumpkin now, do you?”

She swallows and grabs her bag. “Be careful out there, Seth.”

“Don’t worry, princess. I’m off the streets now.” Seth gives me a hard look and for a moment I think he’ll say something more, but he turns away with a huff and leaves the cafe.

“Ev...” I reach for her, but she stands up and slings her bag over her shoulder. “Ev, wait. What happened? What are you so afraid of?”

“Nothing.” Her face is a mask, but her lips are colorless. “I just have to go. Thank you for the coffee.”

I want to smash my fist through the table and send the chairs crashing into the wall. My hands are curled tight at my sides, nails biting into my palms.

“Okay.” I nod. “Fine. But if anyone’s hurting you, if anyone ever hurts you, you come to me. Say you will, Ev.”

She stops in her tracks. I can see her profile so clearly against the dimness of the cafe—her long lashes, her pert nose, her parted lips.

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” she says, so low I barely hear it. Her whole body seems to be vibrating with tension. “Tell your friend to keep away from me.”

And with that enigmatic line, she’s off, limping quickly out of the cafe.

Why? What does she mean? I stare at her empty seat, trying to figure this new puzzle out, when I see her walking stick. She forgot to take it with her.

I grab it and hurry out of the cafe, but there is no sign of her. Maybe that’s a sign. Not that I believe in fate or any such shit—but she may come to me for it. And then I may get a chance to tell her who I am and find out what the hell has my girl so terrified.

The light flickers. She’s lying naked on my bed, arms flung over her head, gripping the headboard. Her breasts are taut, her nipples hard, copper jewels on her golden skin. Pale tattoos roll over her body like quicksilver snakes.

She sighs, and I can see the air leave her lips in a wavering cloud. Her hair lifts on a current, copper locks rising and falling like waves. Her legs part, and the darkness there draws me. I touch her thigh, trail my hand down, parting her seam. So soft. So warm and wet. My fingers dip into her, and she moans, throwing her head back. Her neck arches.

“Micah,” she whispers. “Make me come. Micah...”

I bow my head as I push deeper into her. It’s not enough, not for her, or for me. I need... I need her like I’ve never needed before.

I need to be inside her. I need to feel her hand around my cock, measuring it. It’s rock hard, pointing up at me, the head wet and dark. My heart beats at the base. It beats everywhere. I shudder as my balls tighten. I have to enter her, push into her—but how can I when she doesn’t know who I am?

“Ev...” I moan her name, still fucking her with my fingers, and her whole body lifts off the bed as she comes with a sob. “Ev...”

“Micah. Wake up,” a deep voice says. “Come on, man, wake up!” A hand shakes me, and I groan as I blink my eyes open.

What in the fucking hell? Where’s Ev?

The face looking down at me looks masculine. Shaggy dark hair, dark eyes, stubble. Yeah, that’s definitely not Ev. Fuck.

“Seth?” I mumble, throwing an arm over my eyes. “What the hell?”

“You were having another nightmare.” He pauses, and I lift my arm to look at him. He’s frowning. He also looks like crap, eyes red and skin gray. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I don’t have the heart to tell him it wasn’t a nightmare I was having. I twist sideways under my covers. My dick is still granite-hard. My balls ache. “I’m fine.”

Seth gives me one last long look. Then he grunts, rubs the back of his neck and shuffles out of my room. The door closes behind him.

My eyes close as I grip my cock and tug. Fuck, it’s so hard it hurts. Dream snatches still tease me—her moans, her face, her body, the softness inside of her—and my breathing grows ragged. I clench my fingers, thrusting into the tight tunnel, and it feels so damn good I can’t keep quiet. I muffle a moan into my pillow as I rock into my hand faster and faster.

It’s her I see. She draws me deep inside, calling out my name, her golden eyes half-shut, sweat making her skin gleam.

Oh shit, my balls lift higher and my whole body tenses. “Ev...”

I bite the inside of my cheek as my dick lurches in my hand. A groan escapes me nevertheless. Fuck, fuck. My whole body jerks on the mattress as my spunk spills over my fingers and shoots across my chest in hot streaks.

I’ve never come so fast in my life. I lie there, still holding my softening cock, gasping into the pillow. Holy shit. I can’t make myself move. I feel boneless and wrung out.

And this just after one kiss.

Hell.

Seth pours me a cup of black coffee as I enter the kitchen and slide into a chair at the table. He places it in front of me.

Damn, it’s one of those days. My joints and muscles ache, and generally, I just feel like shit. In fact, I’m still so bleary that it takes me a minute to realize that this—making me coffee, lingering in the kitchen—isn’t normal behavior for Seth. I grab the sugar and pour a generous amount into my steaming coffee, then remember I have to get up to get a spoon to stir it and sigh.

Fuck it. Who cares? I just need to wake up. I down half of it in one gulp, scalding my tongue, and blink at Seth.

“Spill,” I say, putting the mug down. “What’s wrong?”

He pushes a hand through his shaggy hair. “That girl. That’s what’s wrong.”

That girl. “Ev?”

“The girl you had with you at the cafe yesterday.”

I tense. “What about her?”

He sits across from me, folding his big hands on the scratched table top. “Is she the one you’ve been watching across the street?”

“That’s none of your damn business,” I hiss.

“She’s pretty.”

“I said, it’s none of your business.” I stand, shoving the table into him. Ev is my girl. He’d better keep his hands off her.

“Hey, relax.” Seth smirks and leans back, folding his arms across his chest. “Fuck, you have it bad, don’t you?”

I kick at a table leg and place my fists on the top. “You’re not going near her.”

“Why would I? Doesn’t look like she’d want me to. But when she finds out you were on the streets, too? What then, genius?”

Cold trickles down my spine. “I’ll tell her.”

“Micah.” Seth unfolds his arms and scratches his cheek. “This is weird, man.”

“I said I’ll tell her. If she doesn’t like it, then that’s okay.”

Only it isn’t. But what choice is there?

“That’s not what I mean. Sit down, okay?”

I sink back into my chair. “Then what do you mean?”

“Something’s off. She looks spooked.”

I nod. She does. “So what’s your point?”

“My point, man...” His dark brows knit. I don’t remember ever seeing Seth so serious. “This girl shouldn’t be spooked. She shouldn’t be sad.”

I stare at him. The hell?

We don’t talk much with Seth. He’s not brooding and aggressive like his cousin Shane, but he’s not loud and easily excited like Ocean or Jesse, either. He’s a quiet guy. And now he can’t stop talking.

“... so if you know there’s anything she’s afraid of,” Seth is saying, “anything Shane and I can help with... If she needs someone to protect her. We’re here for her. I’ve talked to Shane, and he feels the same way.”

I rub my face. Bleary or not, I’m obviously missing something here. “Why are you so eager to help her?”

“Why not?”

“Dammit, Seth. You think I’m an idiot?” I bang my fist on the table, making the mug jump and coffee slosh. Is he doing it on purpose, trying to make me hit him? “You said she helped you out once,” I bite out the words, “but going out on a fucking limb, I’d say there’s more to it than that, right?”

Seth looks away but not before I see a flash of pain in his expression. I’m good at reading faces. I’m good at connecting images with emotions. I’m a visual artist, after all.

And that flash of pain reins in my anger. I sit, patiently waiting for him to decide if he can trust me with his story or not. Because I’m sure there’s a story there. I can feel it in the shape of this meeting, in his reactions and words.

He finally turns to me but drops his gaze. I swear, if he did anything to hurt Ev in the past, I’m not gonna forgive him, no matter how bad it makes him feel now. I’m gonna punch his face into pulp.

The fact I’ve never been so angry on someone’s behalf before doesn’t escape me, but I can ignore it if I want, dammit. It’s my own fucked-up mind.

“You didn’t know us back then,” Seth says quietly. His body is slightly hunched over, and he spreads his hands on the table. “It was before Zane took us in.”

They’ve only known Zane for a few months, whereas I’ve known him for years. I was his apprentice back when I lived with my last foster family. Those were the good times, before I was sent back to the residential facility and ended up running away as often as I could.

Christ, I don’t want to remember that place.

Seth is silent for a while. Looks like he doesn’t want to remember, either.

“Being on the streets sucks,” he eventually says. “Having no home sucks. Having no options fucking sucks.”

Understatement of the year, if I ever heard one. I nod nevertheless, to encourage him to continue.

“We’d been on the street, on and off, for two years. It’s vicious, man. You can’t get out of that loop easily. Shane wasn’t well.” He taps his temple. “I mean here. He was in a bad place. It’s his character, but he’s also lost more than me, so...” Seth wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “You know how people pass you by and don’t even see you? As if you’re part of the ground you’re sitting on. Trash to be swept out in the morning. Or they get pissed at you for ruining their day by reminding them their stupid little problems aren’t important.”

I wait, trying not to tense up again. I do my best to unclench my hands. All I want is to forget, and his story brings back all sorts of nightmares. Damn, not sure I wanna sleep tonight.

“So, there I was, trying to keep Shane from going off the edge,” Seth muttered. “Wasn’t holding up so well myself, either. It was raining, and the cars would splash us passing by. Shane hadn’t eaten in days. He even refused water. I think he’d given up. And then she appears.” Seth looks up at me, a half-smile on his face. “She really saw us, man. Looked right at us and came to squat in the puddles to ask how we were doing. You should have seen Shane’s face. It was like he woke up for the first time in days. She went and bought us warm food and a blanket, and then she passed at least every other day to check on us until Zane took us in.”

Their story matches my own in many ways. Okay, so that’s why this is important to Seth. We sit in silence for a while.

Then he says, “I’ll just keep an eye out for her. See if anyone has been bothering her.”

“She saved my life,” I blurt, not even really knowing why I’m telling him this. “But she doesn’t remember me.”

His brows shoot up. “For real?”

“What do you think?” I shake my head. “But it’s more than that.”

“You want her.”

“Damn right I do.”

“She’s hot,” he agrees, and my hands curl into fists again.

“Hands off her, Seth, do you hear me? Shane, too.”

“I heard you the first time.” He rolls his eyes at me and gets up. “She’s yours. I get it.”

“She’s not mine,” I whisper. Not yet, anyway.

And seeing how the truth may turn her off, maybe not ever.