Cassius’ town car waited in the alleyway, and as they fell onto the backseat, Brooklyn barely managed to give the driver her address before Cassius pressed his lips to hers. Her mouth was sweeter than he had imagined, the aftermath of vodka tickling his senses as he fell upon her, pressing her long body against the leather of the seat, his hands falling against the softness of her bare thighs.

Before anything else happened, Cassius closed the partition between them and his driver. Brooklyn moved to kick off her stilettos, but he stopped her, his palm resting on top of her foot.

“No,” he said gruffly. “Leave them on.”

She stared at him with surprised teal eyes but nodded slightly, parting her lips to allow him to lick into her mouth. Obliging, Cassius began to explore the inside of her mouth with his tongue, heat rising through his body to match the wave of hot emanating from Brooklyn as she wrapped her shapely legs around his waist. They seemed to melt together, and Cassius could not deny the shocking pulse hammering between them.

He was consumed with researching the curves of her throat with his lips, his member growing harder. Brooklyn arched her body upward, full breasts pinned to his chest, her hands entangled in his hair as he dropped lower, his kisses increasing in intensity. She released a hand to help him push the elastic material of her red dress down her chest, which rose and fell in synch to her labored breathing.

Cassius was quick to take the tight, puckered skin of her nipples into his mouth, lips tracing the rigid lines. Brooklyn moaned quietly, her ankles locking around his hips, her waist bucking upward to feel his hardness. Only the thin barrier of her lace panties and his pants was between them, and Cassius was sure he was going to burst through the material as she began to writhe beneath him.

We have tonight, and I intend to experience it entirely before saying goodbye, he vowed, nuzzling her perfumed throat with his nose. His palms rolled the painted dress up Brooklyn’s perfectly sculpted stomach at the same time she reached out to unbutton his shirt, clearly wanting to feel his flesh against hers.

Cassius pulled himself up to his knees, and their eyes met in an almost familiar way. A slight tingle of recognition flooded him as he looked at her, licking his lips with intent.

“I’m going to taste you now,” he whispered hoarsely, and Brooklyn’s mouth parted, feeling the smooth tips of his fingers teasingly sliding over the cleft. She let out a sigh, and Cassius was sure he would never forget the look in her eyes, a combination of neediness and desire that he had never seen before. He tore his gaze away from her face, the beating of his heart suddenly concerning as a wash of emotions overcame him, ones he did not want to face in his moment of passion.

The bulge in his pants became unbearable, but he pushed his own needs out of his mind, instead lowering his face to bring the red stilettos over his shoulders. His fingers continued to work, but his tongue claimed the spot on her damp, throbbing clit, jutting out to tease her with even strokes. Brooklyn moaned, letting out a soft cry as Cassius pushed one finger inside her crevice, his thumb toying with the rim of her most tender area. Her breaths grew faster, matching his tongue and fingers.

Cassius was vaguely aware of her hands twisting in his hair, gripping as if to anchor herself from floating away. Brooklyn’s body tensed, surely ready to climax against his urgent movements. He willed her to release, and almost as if she had heard him, she cried out, her body twitching as she orgasmed.

His tongue twirled deliciously, wanting to inhale every drop of her, but Brooklyn’s fingers wrenched him upward by the hair, her eyes wild with desire. She was surprisingly strong.

“Take me!” she commanded, gasping. Cassius was not about to argue with her as she fumbled with his belt with trembling fingers. He yanked his trousers down, one hand caressing her full breast, his fingertips playing with the taut skin of her nipple. Brooklyn struggled to sit up, but Cassius held her in place, licking the last of her from his lips.

His shaft was a rod of steel, and he slid it smoothly over her wet center, his gaze still fixated on her flushed face.

“Please!” she begged, and Cassius knew he could not keep the game up for much longer. He wanted it as much as she did. Propping her legs up higher over her shoulders, he guided his body upward so that her feet touched the roof of car before plunging into her.

Brooklyn screamed out, her nails digging into his forearms. She struggled to catch her breath for only a second, and when Cassius found his pace, his eyes locked on hers. Her face was twisted into a combination of frenzied excitement and shock as he filled her.

“Oh, my God,” she choked, and Cassius could feel her tightening around his hardness. He thrust in and out of her, Brooklyn’s body tensing with each of his movements, and he willed her to release once more, to reach that blinding pleasure again. As if his words were gospel, Brooklyn cried out, her body tensing once again beneath him.

Cassius felt his own body spasming. His fingers became vice grips against her hips, and he jerked wildly, heated streams searing into her. Brooklyn yelped in what sounded like surprise, and Cassius glanced at her. Her face was a mask of shock as he quickly pulled out of her, sensing that something was wrong.

“What is it?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, her mouth agape, even though no sound came out of it. Cassius scrambled to sit up, gently placing her impossibly svelte legs to the floor of the still moving vehicle. Brooklyn gawked at him, apparently still unable to speak as she stared at him.

“What’s wrong?” he wondered, the look in her eyes indecipherable.

“You burned me,” she murmured.

“Burned you?” he echoed. “What?”

She shook her head to herself. “I can’t explain it,” she whispered. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

A faint smile touched Cassius’ lips. “I think I know what you mean. It’s all right. Nothing to be alarmed about.”

Brooklyn laughed, slowly righting herself, and Cassius could not help but stare at her sensational body as she began to collect herself.

“I’m not alarmed,” she said. “I want to do it again.”

Cass chuckled and reached out to stroke her face.

“That can be arranged,” he told her confidently. “I just need a few minutes.”

Brooklyn smoothed out the bunched dress from her washboard midriff, yanking the skirt toward her knees.

“The night is still young,” she agreed.

A cell phone began to ring from somewhere in the car and they exchanged a look.

“Ugh,” Brooklyn groaned. “I think it’s mine.”

“You should probably answer,” Cassius said. “You did disappear without a word to anyone.”

She sighed loudly, but she dug her phone from her clutch, which had fallen to the floor.

“Hey, Maddy,” she grunted into the phone. “No, I’m fine… no, I went home.” Cassius pretended not to listen as Brooklyn’s face twisted into a look of exasperation. “I called an Uber… no,” she continued. “No, I’m fine… no! No, you can’t come over tonight. I—I’m almost home, and I’m going to crash as soon as… no, Maddy, tell Stella I’m fine… don’t come over… I’ll call you tomorrow, I promise. We’ll do lunch or something. Yes, Maddy, I promise!”

Cassius could hear the lie in her words, but he smothered a smile as she placated her concerned friend. Suddenly, he realized they had been driving for a long while, and yet they hadn’t reached her address yet. He waited until Brooklyn ended her call.

“Where do you live?” he asked curiously, gazing out I-101 toward San Francisco Bay as they drove. He didn’t recognize the area, but he was charmed by what he saw.

“Burlingame,” Brooklyn answered. “We’re almost there.” She followed his stare out the window. “You know, you never did tell me where you’re from,” she reminded him. “I’m trying to place your accent, but I can’t.”

Cassius chuckled to himself. He couldn’t even begin to explain an answer to that question. He had been asked the exact same thing thousands of times in his life, but there was no short answer to it, and so he always refrained himself from responding. Studying Brooklyn’s face, he realized how refreshing it was to be with a woman who knew nothing about him. Maybe this didn’t have to last only one night. As soon as the thought crept into his mind, though, he was immediately annoyed with himself. There was no room for romance in his life, and certainly not a romance with a mortal.

Can you imagine what she would do if she knew the truth about you? he thought.

“That is a long story,” he told her, hoping that Brooklyn wouldn’t press the issue.

She did not. Instead, she snuggled closer to him as they exited the interstate into the quaint suburb, and Cassius felt another burst of warmth erupt inside him at her nearness. Brooklyn brought out something in him that he had not ever felt and he wanted to hold onto the feeling forever.

“Mr. Williams?” the driver loudly called back, and Cassius lowered the partition.

“Yes?” he replied.

“Our destination is coming up. Should I wait outside, or would you prefer…?” He trailed off, his sentence hanging heavily in the air.

“That depends on our hostess,” Cassius said, eyeing Brooklyn.

“I have no idea when you need to leave,” she reminded him, and he could read a slight look of disappointment in her eyes when she said the words, although she tried to hide it from her expression.

“I can stay tonight,” he answered softly.

Without hesitation, she turned her attention back toward the driver.

“You can take the rest of the night off,” she told him, and he nodded, watching them from the rearview as he steered the car toward the front of a charming two-story townhouse.

“I will text you when I am ready to leave,” Cassius informed him. “But go home and get some sleep. It won’t be for a while.” He cast Brooklyn a sly look, and she giggled quietly, a slow blush apparent in her cheeks even in the dark.

“This is it,” Brooklyn announced, reaching for the door of the car, but Cass stopped her, tilting her head back toward him.

“This can only be one night,” he said, though it made him wonder if he was repeating it for her benefit or his. There was something hanging between them, something… He could not adeptly identify what he was feeling, but he knew it was new and different.

And it could potentially be very dangerous for both of them.

“I know. You already said that,” Brooklyn answered. Cassius still saw the cloud over her eyes.

I shouldn’t go with her. I should walk away now, a voice inside his mind called out to him. However, as they stepped onto the sidewalk, he had a feeling it was already too late to back out and walk away. No matter how much he fought it, there was an almost ethereal bond between them, and nothing would keep them apart tonight.

Brooklyn reached for his hand and led him up the walkway toward the front door. As they approached, Cassius heard a low growl coming from inside Brooklyn’s home.

“You have a dog?” he asked, and she nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like dogs,” she said, her shoulders visibly tensing.

Cassius laughed and shook his head, his mind flittering back to the pack of hunting dogs who had roamed the castle in Misty Woods. Over the years, he had considered getting one on the island, but he knew how unfair it would be to the poor animal, what with his unfettered schedule.

“On the contrary,” he said. “I adore them.” Brooklyn’s face relaxed into a smile, and she exhaled as she unlocked her door.

“His name is Hunter,” she told him as the German Shepherd exploded through the doorway.

Suddenly, he froze in his tracks, his golden eyes locking on Cassius’. His jowls twisted into a sneer before relaxing again, as if he was trying to determine how to handle the new arrival. He exposed his canines and sniffed the air—then he whimpered softly.

“Don’t mind him,” Brooklyn said as Hunter growled softly, backing up. “He doesn’t take well to strangers, especially if they’re men.”

But as the canine continued to hold his gaze, Cassius knew the dog’s reaction had nothing to do with sharing Brooklyn’s affections. Hunter was already onto him.

Easy there, buddy, Cassius silently told the dog. I’m only here for a night. Don’t do anything stupid.

Hunter barked, perhaps sensing Cassius’ warning, but he did not approach him. Cassius hoped that Hunter would keep his cool. After all, it would be bad for everyone if he was forced to blow his cover.