I

kept staring at the phone, confused, wondering why the hell I was so bloody furious. Ever since the day I had laid eyes on her, nothing had been the same. She had been hounding my thoughts, making me struggle to fight this powerful pull that kept me from gaining back my sanity. The week away from her was a blessing. I had almost believed she didn’t affect me so. Well, that belief came into question when I got a call from her and proved how wrong my judgment was.

Brighton, on a Monday night. “Bloody Hell,” I muttered under my breath.

Before I even had the chance to ponder it, I thought it would be best to get her myself. That way, maybe she could get a good lecture or two about how she should take her life seriously.

As all these inexplicable thoughts ran through my mind, one thing stood out—why did I care so much if she partied? She wasn’t my responsibility, far from it. Apart from making sure she got everything she needed while living in my mother’s home, the rest wasn’t my problem.

Cursing for considering such idiotic thoughts, I took the flight of stairs two steps at a time, instantly going inside my room to change into some black jeans, black top, and a matching leather jacket. Then I marched down the flight in the same manner as before, striding towards the hall that led to the foyer. I seized the set of keys that were sitting on the Murano crystal table then let myself out the house, and I immediately slid into the Range and revved up the engine before maneuvering in a maniacal manner.

Reckless driving was not a constant occurrence, but haplessly applied when the situation called for such, such as when someone got themselves in trouble on a Monday night.

Before I had received the call from Serena, I had actually been contemplating if I should see Ivy or not, but the idea turned to dust the moment I heard the madness in the background. Ivy. God help me. She wouldn’t be pleased to know what I had been up to, but I was already on my way to pick up Serena.

“This is the last time,” I said under my breath, loathing the fact that I had somehow managed to entangle my life with Serena’s.

Although I didn’t despise her, I found myself cold and distant with her. Maybe it was because I envied her candor and vibrant persona, the polar opposite of me. She always seemed to don this smile that never failed to make me feel uncomfortable, yet I couldn’t ever look away. I admitted she was charmingly beautiful, but so was Ivy.

I had realized I had never looked at my fiancée in the way I looked at Serena. Serena rattled something within me, and it was unsettling. I had felt it the moment my eyes had found hers, and it had only gotten worse when she had kissed me in such a fervent manner that I had succumbed to my wayward senses. For years, I had never had a problem governing my wants and desire, yet that kiss almost made me lose control. From then on, I had known I had to keep her at arm’s length.

She was far too dangerous for my well-being, and quite frankly, I liked having order in my life. Happenstance wasn’t part of my vocabulary.

Still, here I was … about to dance around the orbit of the damn enticement itself.

I already regretted the decision of coming out to get her myself rather than having one of the in-house drivers pick her up, so I consoled myself that I needed the drive to clear my thoughts. I supposed I could use this opportunity to see her in an environment that would give me a hefty reality check.

When I had first met her, I had shocked myself by flirting with her. It wasn’t intentional. I was used to women throwing themselves at me, and she didn’t hide the fact that she liked me. Her eyes and the way she addressed me proved as much. My normal reaction would be to scoff at it and turn down the woman’s advances before it progressed further since I was committed to Ivy, but I couldn’t do it with Serena.

It seemed, the more I got to know her, the more I felt as though she drew me into her spell. I was drawn to her like none other. It was enjoyable at first, but after that heated kiss, I knew she was a disaster waiting to happen.

Indulging in such fiery dalliances was never on my agenda. She simply was a risk I could do without. With that in mind, I had it all planned out, and then my mother had to suggest she work for me. I had almost passionately rejected it out loud when the mere idea spouted from her lips. Once more, however, I didn’t have the capacity to decline my mother in fear that her health might deteriorate even further. It was best I dealt with the situation with caution. Tonight would be a good start.

Steering through the sparse traffic with the help of navigation, I arrived at the address Serena had texted me. Although I’d had an idea of what I would most likely deal with upon arriving, nothing had prepared me for such monstrosity. Not only was the house vibrating loud music throughout the street, but there were people littered around the damn walkways, drinking, dancing, and doing God knew what else. This was, without a doubt, the worst racket I had ever set my eyes upon.

Serena likes places like this? I marveled at the thought, pondering what had enticed her to such a scene. To each their own.

Parties such as these were not my cup of tea, and for good reason. Archer, on the other hand, lavished on such occasions because he had been brought up differently than I. At a very young age, I was already primed to carry on my father’s legacy, so I had instilled in my mind that partying would deviate me from my purpose. While he had the freedom to do as he pleased without familial obligation hanging over his head, I had carried on doing my commitment without a word of complaint. I had one it for the love I had for my parents and out of duty, and nothing could ever steer me away from my commitment, not even an enchanting American who stirred something deep within me.

After drawing out breath, I tried calling her phone a few times, but to no avail. It immediately diverted straight to her voicemail.

“Where the bloody hell is she?” I grumbled as I scanned the drunken folks through the glass of my window. After a minute or so without any sign of her, I decided it was best to park somewhere, get out of the car, and look for her. I wasn’t one to wait about until she was ready to end her partying for the night.

Once I was out of the vehicle, I was a little disappointed of what type of company Serena surrounded herself with from university. She seemed like a bright woman with splendid potential. It would be disheartening to see her deter from her promising future, wasting away precious time by meandering through parties and men instead of focusing on paving her way into a successful career. Was this the main reason she had come here in the first place, to party?

I balked at the thought as I broke into the throng of people, pushing my way into the house. The second I got through the door, I wasn’t surprised to see a full house.

Try as I might, I scoured the crowd for her familiar face and figure, but she was nowhere in sight. Deciding to follow the flow of the crowd, which led me towards the back end of the house that faced the beach, I found myself in a converted communal room turned into a dance floor. And that’s when I found her … atop a circular dining table, dancing in a form-fitting white dress that left little to a man’s imagination.

Each curve was on display as men surrounded her, glancing up in awe and with lust-filled eyes, admiring each curve was flaunted for their eyes’ pleasure.

I saw red. I saw white. I saw her.

All of her.

I had known she had a lovely figure. She was trim and had a well-toned body that garnered everyone’s attention. It also exposed how much time and effort she most likely invested in the gym or some sort of outdoor activities.

God help me, but this ought to be one hell of a long night.

My body went hot as my blood boiled with each second that passed watching her seductively swaying as she danced to the beat. She was hypnotizing to watch, but sense left me as I furiously streamed towards her, ready to bring hell on earth.

“Get your bloody arse down from that godforsaken table, or I’ll fucking do it myself,” I threatened, almost screeching at the top of my lungs, past caring what others thought.

“Cruz!” Serena paused, momentarily shocked to see me. The second it registered how angry I was, her smile gradually turned to a frown. “Okay, gosh. There’s no need to cause a scene.”

I wasn’t the least bit amused. All I knew was how royally ticked off I was. I didn’t care if it made sense to me, to her, or for the people amongst us. All I knew was that I didn’t want men looking at her as if she was a dessert ready to be devoured. I wanted to shield her, protect her, and at the same time, strangle her for being so reckless. My emotions were getting the best of me, and I was having a perilous time harnessing them back in their cage.

The second she got down from the table, Serena wearily eyed me then leaned closer with a cute pout on her succulent lips. “I was just dancing. There’s no harm in that, is there?”

Yes, there was. She was harming my sanity, my entire existence, and I wasn’t sure how to address it.

“You were flaunting your body while men ogled and fantasized about fucking you senseless.” That had not come out the way I had wanted it to, but bloody hell, the woman was driving me mental. Literally. Unequivocally.

“Exactly. What’s the harm in that? You act as if I committed a crime.” She was standing her ground, a trait I respected most especially since not a lot of people tried to argue with me. As much as I admired her vigor, however, I couldn’t shake off the potent jealousy that possessed me upon seeing her dancing for such a rabid, hungry audience.

“You were inviting trouble, Serena,” I replied. “What if one of those men had decided they had to have you to themselves, even though you protested? You could’ve been raped or something even more dreadful.”

All amusement vanished from her face. “Your imagination is colorful. No wonder you’re the way you are.”

I’d had high hopes she would see my point, but I was taken aback by her derogatory remark.

“And what is that exactly, Serena?”

It seemed she had already made up her mind about me, and I admitted it stung a little.

“You’re boring,” she said, obviously feeling justified. “You don’t know how to have fun. You’re always so serious about everything. You’re so wound up that you don’t ever let yourself loose.”

I gritted my teeth as I squashed down the urge to wrench her against my body and kiss her senselessly just to shut her up.

“Displaying utmost concern for your well-being deems me a boring person?” She and I would never see eye-to-eye; therefore, there was no point in indulging ourselves with more argument. Sending her a steady gaze, I took a moment to study her face. “Well, that bloody well sums it up, doesn’t it? I’ll wait outside. If you’re not there in five minutes, don’t bother coming out.”

She opened her mouth just as I spun around and left her there, flummoxed at my treatment of her. I had the utmost respect for women, but whenever Serena was concerned, she drove me to a place where my mental capacity was nil and the emotional drive too high to see much else.

Emerging from the insufferable house, I ignored the jovially drunk crowd as I purposely sought the confines of my car. I pulled my keys out of my pocket, and I had just disengaged my alarm when I felt someone push from behind, instantly making me face my pseudo attacker.

“God, you’re so infuriating, Cruz!” Serena screeched at the top of her lungs, her cheeks red and her vivid green jewels wildly glittering at me. “You drive me fucking crazy!”

I drove her crazy? Seriously? Huh.

“This is bloody mental,” I muttered, not meaning to engage in a full-blown fight with her. She seemed as though she was ready to have a bloody showdown, and I wasn’t going to bait her.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? I just don’t fucking get you! One minute, you were all over me, and then the next, you treat me like shit. And the most shocking thing of all is you’re fucking engaged! Is this what you do, toy around with women’s minds just for the hell of it? ’Cause let me tell you, it’s just plain cruel.”

Bloody. Fucking. Hell. And back.

“I might have this random case of selective amnesia because I don’t seem to recall ever toying with you.” No matter how much I tried to squelch the need to disengage from the escalating fight, she was making it too hard. She knew what buttons to push.

Gritting my teeth, I groaned loudly as I tried not to capture how enticingly beautiful she looked. God, what the fuck am I going to do with her?

“You know what? Forget you.”

She looked wild, intense, and utterly breathtaking when impassioned, but I simply couldn’t. I had given my promise to Ivy, and it was best I remember that solemn promise that signified the ring she had on.

Peeling my eyes away from her, I muttered, “Suit yourself,” before opening the car door, willing to leave this damning place.

“Asshole,” she spat back with fire and so much more.

“Don’t tempt me, Serena. It’s already late, you’re sloshed, and I don’t have an ounce of patience to deal with any of this.” I meant it. She was too dangerous to be around because I was a hairsbreadth away from wanting to break the promise I had given to Ivy and indulge in this intense feeling Serena evoked in me.

“Tempt you? Tempt you to do what?” She was little miss devil incarnate, yet she hadn’t a clue how much she affected me and pretty much all the men around her.

She petrified me, I admitted, but I wasn’t ready to give up. No. It wasn’t going to be easy to keep her at arm’s length, but it must be done.

“Nothing. You don’t tempt me at all, not specifically in that department.” I knew it was going to put a dent in her confidence, but she had to stop goading me into a fight … and everything else.

My response hit a raw nerve. I could see it in her face, though the fire in her eyes didn’t ebb. In fact, it had a reverse effect; it glowed more brightly.

Closing the gap between us, her body almost touched my chest before she took a deep breath and raised her chin to meet me in the eye, ready to test my limits. “So if I strip naked and throw myself at you, you’d decline me, Cruz?”

“Certainly,” I said effortlessly. The image she painted already had my cock aching, but I wasn’t going to let my dick rule me into submission.

“I’m not going to lie. That hurt very much …” She made a small nod, as if comforting herself. “But I’m consoling myself with the thought that you’d probably be a lazy bore-fest in the sack, anyway, so yay me.”

My nostrils flared, but I admired myself for not allowing her jabs to affect me. I could do this. She was simply a woman. Though I was attracted to her, at the end of the day, she was simply … a woman.

“All right, Serena. Now that we’ve settled the disputes, can we move along? I still have a company to run in the morning, in case that significant bit escaped your drunken mind.”

“Whatever,” she huffed out before she rounded to the other side of the car then opened the door and slid inside, slamming the door.

Turning the ignition, I didn’t immediately drive off as expected. I could feel immense tension radiating off her, which made me contemplate if I should apologize. Then I argued that, by doing so, she might mistake my gesture as encouragement. Therefore, I was left with few options. It was a delicate situation, and I wasn’t sure how to go about it anymore.

“Serena—”

“Don’t. Just don’t.” She said it in a way that told me that she was done with me, that it was better to leave it be, suspended just like we were, leaving me in a confused state of mind.

Explosive sexual chemistry, one that wasn’t explored, was a bloody bitch to a man’s sanity.