Something wasn’t right. Rosa rolled over, her arm shielding her eyes. It was bright, too bright. Her room had blackout drapes, and was dark in the morning. At least until Sophie opened the curtains. But then, Sophie usually brought her tea and a scone, or a muffin. We’re not in Manhattan anymore, Rosa.

There was a dull pounding in her head. She rubbed her temples, thinking back over the previous night out with her friends.

And her eyes flew open. It all came back; she’d gone home with someone, with Aedan.

There’d been the guys in the street, guys taunting them, intent on having their way. And then Aedan had shown up...there’d been a fight, he had scared the guys off. She cringed. He’d done it with such ease and grace, but at the time she hadn’t thought much about how aggressive...how violent...he’d been.

The sound of breathing nudged her out of her thoughts. She turned; Aedan was sleeping beside her, his short dark hair messy with sleep, one arm wrapped loosely around a pillow. She watched him for a moment, struck by how handsome he was. Even in sleep his lips were curved in a seductive smile.

It had been hard to keep her eyes off him at the bar. There was an unpredictable quality to Aedan, a look held deep in his blue eyes, the curve of his lips. She’d wanted to reach out, to touch that fire, and see what it would be like. She’d never met anyone like Aedan; the guys she knew were all predictable and safe, boring. Aedan seemed anything but boring.

But now, his face relaxed in sleep, he looked less dangerous, but no less handsome. Maybe dangerous in a different sort of way.

He’d taken them to some bar, a real dive. She remembered Sophia saying something about celebrating or thanking Aedan for rescuing them. They’d talked at the bar, some of it was hazy...and then she’d gone back to his apartment. And had sex with him. She smiled. That part I remember...

She shook her head. This was so totally unlike her. There had been boyfriends, all boys her parents approved of, clean cut, wearing suits. All safe, with promising career paths. All with money. All able to buy her whatever she wanted, just like her father bought her everything she wanted. Except his love.

There didn’t appear to be anything safe about Aedan. That sent a thrill through her, awakened a deep, dark longing inside, which excited her...and scared her. He was so different than any boy she’d dated. She guessed he was her age, somewhere in his mid-twenties, but he seemed older. The difference between her boyfriends and Aedan was startling. The boys she’d dated all seemed just that...boys. Aedan was a man. A man she found incredibly attractive.

Rosa took a deep breath, looking around the bedroom for the first time. Last night she hadn’t paid much—or really any—attention to where they were going or to his apartment once they got there. All her attention had been focused on Aedan, on the overwhelming attraction she’d felt. And then on all the things he’d done to her.

But in the gray light of dawn, she saw how dingy and sparsely furnished the room was. The sheets on the bed were clean but they were faded from age and wear. The walls were painted a nondescript shade of blue, or gray. It was hard to tell in the light that filtered through the grimy window.

Aedan stirred, turning toward her, sliding one arm around her waist. She let him pull her against his body, her hands instinctively running over the hard muscles of his arms, down his chest, over the flat plane of his stomach. She wasn’t surprised to find him hard, and she ran her fingers over him, enjoying the response she got, his hips flexing forward, pressing himself against her hand. The dingy room faded away once she was in his arms.

“Hmmm...that’s a nice way to wake up.” His eyes were still closed as he nuzzled her neck, his lips brushing her ear, moving along the tender skin beneath her jaw, one hand gently fondling her breast.

Aedan rolled on top of her, holding himself above her, eyes open now, looking down into her face. She was held captive by that blue gaze, his eyes so dark they looked almost black. There was an edge to him that simultaneously excited her and scared her. And he was basically a stranger to her.

“Good morning, Rosa.” His full lips curved into a sensuous smile, a smile that sent a wave of arousal through her body. His voice was low, a voice that made her squirm beneath him, her hips shifting on the bed, her legs moving apart on their own. He settled himself between her legs, claiming that space as confidently as he claimed her lips.

But he was gentle this morning, different than the passionate kisses from the night before. There was a slowness to his movements, an unhurried pace, as if she were the only thing on which he needed—or wanted—to focus his attention.

Aedan held her to the bed, his hips pressing against hers. She ran her hands up over his back, fingers eagerly tracing the contours of his muscles, marveling at his physique. There wasn’t any part of him that wasn’t hard muscle. She thought again about his training at a gym, that he said he was a fighter, but her questions quickly dissolved. Aedan’s body in her arms took all her attention. Maybe some other time...

There was a brief moment where she wondered, again, what she was doing. But the now-insistent pressure of his erection against her stomach took that thought away as well. She realized there was nothing more she wanted at that moment than to have Aedan inside her, to feel that same dizzying pleasure she had experienced the night before.

Aedan took her slowly, gently this time, every inch of her body aware of his. They moved together, no hesitation, each one focused on the pleasure they were feeling. Rosa’s body responded to Aedan, to every nuance, every subtle shift he made. Every move gave her pleasure and he knew it. She could see it in his face as he watched her, the look of confidence. Not arrogance as she’d thought the night before, but the confidence of a man who wanted to please her and knew he had the ability to do so.

As she cried out, arching against Aedan as her orgasm began to take hold of her body, he was still watching her, his eyes moving over her face, as if seeing something there that was visible only to him. But she closed her eyes as the pleasure swept through her body, turning her head against the pillow, her legs wrapped around his waist, her hands clutching his solid, muscular shoulders.

She finally drew a deep breath, opening her eyes. He was still watching her and she reached up, holding his face in her hands. His lips curved into a brief smile before he closed his eyes as his body sought release, taking his pleasure in her now that she was satisfied.

This was so very different than the previous night. He held himself above her, moving deliberately, until she felt his body stiffen before he buried his face against her neck. She felt his hips pushing forward once, twice...holding himself inside her then, the only sounds a series of soft exhalations that she felt more than heard.

As he finished he rolled to his side, pulling her hard against him, his arms and legs wrapped around her body, before he gradually relaxed, the tension slowly leaving his frame.

He held her so long she thought he’d gone back to sleep. But when she moved, he opened one eye, a lazy smile playing on his lips.

“You want something to eat?”

“Do you cook?” Rosa smiled back.

Aedan made a face, shaking his head. “Not exactly. But I do know of a great little Greek diner just around the corner. Serves up an awesome breakfast.”

“I should call home first, let them know I’m alive.”

“Checking in with the parents? That’s....”

Rosa caught his look and he apparently caught hers. She frowned. “I live at home. They worry. It’s just being considerate.”

Aedan shrugged. “I’m going to take a shower. You’re welcome to join me after you make your call.”

She watched as he walked across the bedroom, marveling at how she’d ended up here, in bed with this strange man. But then something caught her eye, something she hadn’t noticed before in the dim light of last night.

Scars ran across Aedan’s back, white lines marring his perfect skin. They looked different from the scar on his chest, not raised. These were long and thin and there were many of them. She leaned forward, aware she was staring but powerless to look away.

Aedan turned, catching her eye. “You change your mind about calling home?”

“Um...no. I just...” She flushed, feeling like she’d been caught looking at something she wasn’t supposed to have seen.

There was a silence, Aedan watching her for a moment. His face had taken on a closed look. He nodded slightly, his jaw clenched as if he were remembering something painful. Then he turned away. “I’ll be in the shower.”

As Aedan walked into the bathroom, she pulled the sheet from the bed, wrapping it around her body. Within minutes she could hear the water running.

It took her several moments to find her purse. She checked her phone for messages; there were none from home, but several from Sophia and Laura. I’ll deal with those later.

As the call went through, she looked around the living room. It was as sparsely furnished as the bedroom, containing just a sagging couch and battered coffee table. The kitchen, if it could be called that—it was more like an extension of the living room—held a Formica table with two unmatched chairs, a refrigerator and a stove that looked unused. It was messy; it looked like a typical guy’s apartment. But underneath the surface clutter it seemed clean. There were no dirty dishes in the sink, no piles of dirty laundry in the corners of the bedroom.

Someone finally picked up at her house.

“Good morning. Thomas residence.”

“Sophie? It’s Rosa. I’m looking for my mother or father. Can I speak to either one?”

“Oh, Miss Rosa. No, neither one is home right now. Mr. Thomas has left for work. Mrs. Thomas is...I think at one of her charities this morning. May I take a message for you, dear?”

Rosa sighed. “No, thank you, Sophie. I just wanted to let them know where I was and that I’m okay. I didn’t come home last night. I just didn’t want anyone to worry.” As she slipped the phone back into her purse, she wondered if they even knew she hadn’t come home last night.

“Everything okay?”

She looked up. Aedan was leaning against the bedroom doorway, watching her. She clutched the sheet around her body, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. “Fine. Just...you know what it’s like with parents sometimes.” She forced a smile onto her face.

“Actually, no. I don’t.” Aedan held her gaze for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he smiled, a smile that transformed his face, lit up his eyes. He held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s take that shower and get some breakfast. I’m starving.”

The shower lasted longer than she expected. Aedan’s idea of a shower involved generous time spent caressing her body, running his soapy hands over every inch of her smooth skin again and again until she was arching against him, moaning softly. Daringly, he slid his hands lower, between her legs, his eyes locked on hers as he slowly, deliberately stroked her. She was gasping beneath the stream of hot water, her body coming alive. Something wild broke loose in her, something that had surfaced last night. It was a feeling she wasn’t used to but wanted to experience again.

Reaching for Aedan, she pulled him to her, her lips and mouth claiming his this time. He responded, his tongue in her mouth, probing deeply. Her hands were on his slick cock, stroking him, relishing the feeling of him under her fingers, the response she elicited, the soft moan against her mouth as he thrust himself against her.

But more than that, she wanted him again. And that surprised her. There had never been anyone who had excited her this much, so quickly. The attraction she felt was something powerful, irresistible.

The intensity in Aedan’s blue eyes was almost enough to make her look away, but she held his gaze as she slid one leg up his muscular thigh. He ran his hand beneath her leg, holding her firmly. He guided himself into her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly as he pushed her against the shower wall.

“Aedan...” There was a moment where she felt suspended, on the edge of something unknown. Not only the physical, poised on the edge of release, but of something else, something deeper. Aedan was still holding her gaze, watching her face as he held himself inside of her.

“Aedan...” Her voice was breathless, barely recognizable. “I want...”

“What?” His voice was low. “What do you want, Rosa?”

“This...you...I want you...”

Aedan pulled back, holding himself still for a beat. Then he thrust upward.

“You want this?” He thrust again, harder.

“Yes,” Rosa gasped.

And again, he thrust into her, his fingers digging into the back of her leg, the other hand braced against the wall beside her head.

“Yes!”

Aedan buried his head against her neck as she cried out in time with his thrusts. She could feel his lips on her skin, first planting kisses beneath her ear, then his open mouth against her neck, his breathing harsh.

Rosa clung to him, her body lost to the sensations he created in her. When she came, it was with a dizzying rush, her head hitting the wall behind her. If Aedan hadn’t been holding her so tightly, she would have slide down the shower wall.

Aedan’s body was pressing her against the cool tile. She could feel every part of him sliding against her, slick with water and soap, his fingers clutching her leg as he drove himself into her. His cries were muffled against her neck, his hand sliding down the wall to cradle her face. She turned her head toward his and found his lips with hers, his kiss almost desperate in its intensity.

Rosa cradled his head, fingers wrapped in his wet hair, as he spent himself in her body. When he finished he released her leg, and she let it slide slowly to the floor. He still held her pressed to the wall with his body, his forehead against hers, his fingers on her cheek. After a long time he opened his eyes, kissing her briefly.

“Yeah...okay. Breakfast.” He smiled, pulling her back under the stream of hot water. “And you need to put some clothes on. You’re far too tempting to leave undressed.”

* * *

THE DINER WAS SMALL, just one long counter with no tables. Aedan held her hand as they walked to the back, finding two stools side by side. A few of the customers nodded to him as he passed. Rosa could feel several of the men looking her over, but no one said anything. She felt vaguely out of place.

The counterman appeared to take their order while Rosa was still reading the greasy menu. Aedan ordered and the man turned to Rosa.

“Um...a bagel, lightly toasted, with cream cheese. And tea. Earl Grey, please.” There was a non-committal noise and she looked up at the man.

“No tea. Coffee, water, juice.”

“Oh. Coffee then.” She slid the menu back into the metal holder at the edge of the counter.

Two heavy white ceramic coffee cups appeared and the man filled them with steaming black coffee, turning back to the kitchen.

“Excuse me?”

The man turned back.

“May I have cream, please?”

A battered cream pitcher appeared in front of her. Rosa poured a dollop into the coffee, fished two sugar packets from the container in front of her. She held up the spoon, eyeing it briefly before stirring her coffee. She suddenly realized Aedan was watching her, a bemused smile on his face.

“What?” She returned his look.

He shook his head. “Nothing. You seem a little out of your element. Sort of like last night on the street. And maybe in my apartment.” Aedan took a drink of coffee.

“Oh...well. Yes, we were...I was.”

There was an awkward silence. I really don’t know this guy at all, other than what he looks like naked...and what he can do to me in bed.

She felt herself blushing at the sudden images of Aedan that flashed through her mind. Flustered, she took a sip of coffee, coughing briefly before adding two more packets of sugar.

“So, someone said last night you were dragged out to have some fun? Do you not like going out, having a good time?”

Aedan was looking at her over the edge of his coffee cup, a sly gleam in his eyes.

“Oh...well. I...just broke up with someone, and they—Sophia and Laura—thought I needed to get out. Try and meet someone new.”

Aedan was grinning at her, obviously amused. “Not what they had in mind then, meeting me?”

Rosa shook her head. “Not at all. Laura was pretty sure you were going to kidnap me or...worse...” She felt herself blushing, again.

Aedan leaned over, his arm against hers. “And was it worse?”

She looked down, toying with her spoon, her hair swinging across her face. “No, it wasn’t worse. It was...pretty amazing.”

“Yeah. It was.” Aedan reached over, tucking her hair behind her ear.

She looked at him, into those blue eyes that held so much. There was a moment where the noise and bustle of the diner faded. She thought Aedan was going to say something, or kiss her, or...she didn’t know.

The bang of their breakfast plates on the counter broke the moment. Rosa jumped; Aedan held her gaze a moment longer before turning to the mound of food heaped on his plate.

“You sure you don’t want something more than just that?” He pointed to her bagel with his fork.

“No, I’m fine. I’m not much for breakfast.” She didn’t want to admit she was too nervous to eat.

They ate in silence, Rosa watching in amazement as Aedan made his way through eggs, hash browns, toast and several cups of coffee. He finally put down his fork with a contented sigh.

“I love this place.” His gaze took in the dingy walls, the faded Formica counter, the harried counterman, and finally settled on Rosa. “I guess this isn’t what you’re used to. I get the impression that the Bronx isn’t your territory.”

She shook her head. “It’s fine. I mean, I’ve been out of Manhattan before.”

“I’m sure. Listen, you finished? I should be at the gym. Frank gets aggravated when I’m late.”

“Frank?”

“My trainer. He cuts me no slack. Even if it’s for a pretty girl.” He smiled at her again, just to watch her blush.

He pulled out his wallet. Rosa peaked in as he opened it. It looked like he had just enough left to cover breakfast but not leave a tip. He set the bills on top of the check, before stuffing his empty wallet back into his pocket. He guided her out onto the bustling sidewalk.

“Thank you for breakfast, Aedan. And for...well, last night...and everything else.” She hesitated in the bright sunshine, blushing. How do you thank someone for the best sex you’d ever had?

People jostled them on the sidewalk, but Aedan ignored them. There was a not-unwelcomed sense of possession as his arms went around her, his hands sliding down her back, almost but not quite cupping her ass.

“I want to see you again.” His voice was low, his eyes searching hers.

Rosa’s breath caught in her throat. It had occurred to her breakfast might be more of a polite way of getting rid of her than being with her. She’d never thought he’d want to see her again. They were so different, seemed to have nothing in common.

Except for the overwhelming attraction she felt for him. And that he apparently felt for her.

“I want to see you again...soon.” His mouth found hers, brushing softly against her lips.

He pulled back slightly, looking down at her, his fingers tracing the contours of her cheek. There was something so gentle in his touch, such a contrast to the tough guy exterior, to the edge in his eyes. And briefly she saw a longing, a need that touched her.

“Okay. Yes. I mean...I’d like that.” She watched his face, saw a fleeting glimpse of relief pass over his features. Then he smiled, that charming grin that lit up his face. It amazed her how a simple answer from her could produce such an effect.

“Give me your number.” He reached in his pocket, extracting his cell phone. She recited it and he quickly punched it in. “I’ll call you. We’ll have a real date, go someplace nicer than that dive we ended up at last night. Have a chance maybe to have a conversation.” He pushed a wind-blown strand of hair off her forehead before stepping to the curb, expertly hailing a cab.

As one drew up beside them, he pulled her against him again, his lips finding hers. They seemed to be unable to let go of each other. There was a brief honk of a horn. Aedan broke their kiss, a smile lingering at the corners of his lips.

“Your driver’s getting impatient.” He leaned forward, kissing her once more, lips lingering for a moment on hers. “Do you need cab fare?”

Rosa blinked at him. She knew he didn’t have any money; he’d obviously spent the last in his wallet on breakfast...on her breakfast. But he was trying to be nice. “No, I’m fine. I have cash. But thank you.” She looked closely at him, catching a fleeting embarrassed look crossing his face. That was the last thing she wanted him to feel. But she didn’t know what to say to make it better.

Aedan opened the cab door for her and she slipped inside. “I’ll call.” He closed the door, giving her a wave.

As the cab pulled away, she turned, catching sight of him moving off through the crowd. He had an easy, confident way of walking, but there seemed to be an equally aggressive quality to his stride, almost a dare to anyone to confront him. After the gentleness she’d seen from him that morning, and the night before, she wondered how much of it was a show, put on to make sure no one realized what existed beneath the hard exterior. Maybe, she thought as he disappeared into the morning rush and she turned once more to face the front, she would have the chance to find out.