The music raged through her as she clipped her heels across the bar top. She was on top of the world. Higher than she had ever been. She was swigging whiskey straight from the bottle, grinding her hips and lapping up all the whoops and cheers that were flying around the room, all aimed at her.

She had never been so carefree and so confident.

And she was loving every second of it.

She knew the women in the corner were giving her evil eyes, and she knew it was because all the men inside the bar wanted her. In that moment, she was holding court. She had all of their attention. She was the star of the show and she was working it.

Quiet little Kady had disappeared.

And wild Kady had appeared in her place.

She threw her hair back over her shoulder and stomped in time with the music as she rolled her hips and danced like she had never danced before. It wasn’t until she neared the edge of the counter and felt her foot go out from under her that she really became aware of just how dumb she was being.

Showing off never ended well. She should have known better.

But lucky for her, she had a knight in shining armor.

He was right there waiting to catch her. And when he did, she looked up into his incredible wide, deep, dark eyes and smiled. He held her tightly, steadying her and laughing as he shook his head and helped her out of the crowd and to the side of the room.

“Whatever will I do with you…” he said as he sat her down in one of the booths before he crossed back over to the bar and brought her a glass of water.

He urged her to sip it, and then he knelt down and looked deep into her eyes again.

He was so handsome. So rugged and raw, so full of danger and bad, and yet, in that moment, he was tender and caring. He was looking after her, making sure she didn’t hurt herself or make a fool out of herself while she shook her stuff right there inside The Bleeding Bullet for all of Slate Springs to see.

He was being a friend.

A genuinely good friend.

“Do you know how sexy you are,” she found herself saying before she had a chance to stop the words from escaping her loose lips.

He smiled coyly and then looked away.

She wanted him.

She always had.

Since the first moment he had walked into her salon to collect that month’s rent. She had wanted him, but she had never dared to admit it. And now, there they were. In the middle of a bar and he was making sure she was okay.

She knew how he could make her even better.

“Kady,” he said. “You’re wasted.”

“Even if I wasn’t I’d still tell you the same,” she said as she bit her lip seductively.

His eyes locked in on hers and she knew he was feeling it too. They had always kept it professional. Strictly business. But tonight, things were different.

Ever since she had walked in she had known he had been looking at her. He had felt the same rush of longing when he had seen her that she did when she saw him.

And she wasn’t going to let that evaporate into nothing.

Especially, now that she was liquored up and confident. She was raring to go and she knew this was her chance to seize what she had always wanted to take.

“Walk me home,” he purred as she traced her fingertips down the side of his neck.

He’d been drinking too. They all had.

It had been one big bad party out there in the middle of the desert, and even though it was nowhere near finished, all Kady wanted to do was get the hell out of there… with him.

He looked back at her again and she could tell she had hooked him. He looked over to the other’s. His brothers were all laughing and slapping each other on the back, they were drinking and chinking glasses and she knew he really should have been with them.

But he wasn’t.

He was with her.

And she wanted more of his attention.

She wanted it all night long.

“Walk me home,” she said again.

Her confidence was sky high and she knew she would never have the nerve to be like this again.

It was now or never.

He smiled as he slipped his hand into hers and then raised it and kissed the top of her knuckles.

“You keep surprising me,” he said.

She grinned at him and sipped the water. She wanted him to know how serious she was.

This wasn’t just a drunken advance. She wanted him. And she was determined to get him.

He cupped her face in his big rough hands and held her there, looking into her eyes as if it were some kind of test.

The muscles on his arms bulged and she could already taste him, the scent of smoke and whiskey was already playing on her lips.

“Take me home,” she whispered again just before she pressed her mouth up against his.

And she was lost. She really was.

Lost in the wonder of him and the magic of the moment. 

***

The alarm trilled on the nightstand and pierced through her dream with a deafening call of reality.

“Nooo,” she moaned as she rolled over onto her front and pulled the pillow tightly over her head. “It can’t be morning just yet.”

She kept her eyes clamped tightly shut as she groped out to the side and swept the phone up between her fingers. She couldn’t bear to look at it, even the light from the screen was sure to send her headache into overdrive and the last thing she needed was to make this hangover any worse.

“What were you thinking,” she said to herself as she exhaled and tapped the phone into silence. “You’re a goddam idiot.”

Kady rolled over onto her back and rubbed her forehead. The pressure that was building inside of her was tight and intense, and she knew she had gone way overboard the previous evening.

But a girl has to let her hair down every once in a while, right? 

The headache was making her start to think that maybe she should have just stayed home instead…

She slowly began to open her eyes, but shielded them from the sun with her hand. The light burst in through the crack in the curtains. She had clearly been too wasted to close them properly, and she certainly didn’t want to have to force herself out of bed to go and do it at that particular moment.

She reached for the glass of water that was on her bedside table and took a long, drawn out sip and then she rested it back down.

“Weren’t too far gone to forget your water, though,” she laughed to herself as she rested it back down and then lay flat like a starfish across her mattress.

Her bed felt so good. And with each second, she was pulling herself further and further into the land of the living, she was becoming more and more aware that something wasn’t right.

Last night…

Something was tugging at her. It was tickling the back of her mind and creeping into her consciousness further and further.

It hadn’t been any old night.

Kady had gone wild at The Bleeding Bullet. The most lawless bar in town, a haven for bikers and badasses. She had gone there with her friend but had left there with someone else.

It was all quickly flooding back to her in all of its exciting clarity.

Oh shit… she thought as she leaned up on her elbows and looked around the room.

Her bedroom was as clean and tidy as always, and there wasn’t a thing out of place except for the fact that the curtains hadn’t been drawn, and there was an unmistakable scent clinging to her bedsheets.

Smoke. Whiskey. Cologne. Sex.

Red hot sex.

She felt a rush of giddiness run through her and she looked down to find herself completely naked and aroused.

She bit her lip and let her mind unfurl.

She had been a naughty girl… What had she gotten up to?

As she lay back again in the sheets, which were a lot less crisp and white than they had been twelve hours before, she let it all come back to her.

Last night.

The wildest night of her entire life.

She had done things she never thought she would ever dare to do. And she had found someone who had changed the way she looked at everything.

Growing up in Slate Springs, Kady had always been the good girl and she had done her utmost to stay clear of all the bad there was in the town. She had heard the stories, much like everyone else, of how bikers ruled the desert and that Slate Springs was the headquarters for one of the most prolific gangs in the West. But, over time, she had slowly had her opinion changed on just how bad an outlaw could be.

Sure, the bikers were mean and dangerous, but they had also looked out for her town and helped her get started in business. She leased a space from them on Main Street and ever since she had opened up shop she had found herself becoming friends with some of the men that had been feared around town for generations.

And last night showed just how friendly things could really get.

She could barely keep the smile from her face as she recounted the evening.

She had gone to the bar with her friend for a quiet drink and to drop off her month’s rent to the bikers, but one drink had turned into two… which quickly turned into three. And before she knew it, she was dancing up on the top of the bar, shaking her hips and giving it her all.

Oh God… she cringed as she remembered how she had acted.

She had been loud and over the top. She had been confident and brazen and she had flirted her way around the bar.

She remembered him taking tight hold of her arm and telling her to calm it down. She remembered the way she suddenly realized how strong he was, and how intense his gaze was when their eyes caught hold of each other.

She remembered the way it felt when she looked into them and realized she had seen something she hadn’t ever seen before.

He had been around but she had never paid attention.

She knew he was attractive. He was sex on a stick. But she had always been afraid of him.

But not last night.

Last night, she had been so fueled up she had done something she had always vowed she would never do.

She had confessed her crush to an outlaw.

She slapped her hand over her mouth and gasped as she remembered what she said to him.

“You’re sexy,” she’d purred. “I’ve always thought it, and now I want to show you how much I mean it.”

Speaking dirty like that wasn’t like her. She had been practically celibate for the past two years, so for her to talk to someone who she worked alongside was all kinds of mortifying.

“Oh God, Kady, what have you done?” she said aloud as she sank back into the pillows and pulled one over her face.

As she lay there, trying not to let her beer fear tear her apart, she was sure she heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Coming closer and closer, louder and louder.

She thought her heart was going to stop. And then she thought it was going to burst out of her chest with nerves as she held her breath and braced herself.

Was he still there?

Was he coming to see her?

She hadn’t even seen her face, what if she had make-up running all down it? What if her hair was stuck up on end? What if she looked like she had literally been mowed down by a truck and dragged through the desert?

She didn’t have time to change any of that.

So instead, she kept hiding until she was aware that the footsteps had stopped and they were in the doorway.

“Kady,” his voice was low and deep, and so goddam sexy it made her tremble.

It brought it back to her how he had said it the night before. How he had panted and grunted it as he’d kissed her and swept her up in his arms.

“You awake?” he asked as he stepped further into the room.

She slowly pulled the pillow back from her face and looked up at him. He was standing there all godlike; tanned, rippling muscles, messy sex hair and a smile to die for.

Her heart wasn’t just going to skip a beat this time, it was going to explode.

Flash…

Fucking Flash.

She’d finally done what she’d always wanted to do.

She was speechless as he came closer to her with a big, steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He sat down on the end of the bed and looked at her with a wry little smile on his face.

She couldn’t even believe it was all real.

How had they ended up there?

What had they even done to each other?

She knew the details would come back, and she knew she would love recounting every second. But just looking at him sitting there at the end of her bed, she could barely believe it was real.

“Morning,” she croaked as she exhaled and brushed her messy hair out of her eyes.

She was very aware that she was naked and that he was only wearing his low-slung jeans. They were so low she could see the muscles on his hips, trailing down to his groin.

She swallowed.

And she remembered how she had traced her fingertips over every inch of him.

It had been exquisite.

“This is for you,” he said as he passed her the mug.

She gripped it tight and smiled up at him.

“Thank you,” was all she could manage.

She felt her face burning red. She wanted to say so many things but she was stunned into silence.

She had gone home with Flash.

A biker.

A Forsaken Rider.

A man she did business with.

And now, she didn’t know where to look.

“You okay?” he asked with a half laugh as he reached up and brushed her cheek with his hand.

His touch sent a shiver right through her and she was sure her bones were actually trembling.

“I’m better than all right,” she said in a breathless whisper.

He smiled at her and held her gaze before his hand went down to hers and gripped it tightly.

She remembered the way they had held each other. She remembered how he had saved her from making a fool out of herself in the middle of the bar. How she had told him she’d always had a crush on him, and how he had smiled with his whole body when she had said the words.

They’d fallen home in a tangle of limbs and lust, and as he removed every piece of her clothes, and then his own, she had honestly never felt desire like it.

Passion.

Pure passion.

And now, they were there. Sitting in her bed in the morning light, drinking coffee, too shy and embarrassed to say anything else.

She bit her lip and Flash started to laugh.

“Last night…” he began as he looked at her deep in the eyes. “That really was something.”

His eyes were glinting and he looked so handsome she wanted to reach up and ravish him again. But her head was still pounding and her shyness was overwhelming her. She couldn’t even believe she had managed to seduce a man like him. Never mind have him still in her room, bringing her coffee, telling her good morning… looking at her like that…

“It was,” she managed to say as she let his hand warm hers.

There was something there between them that she couldn’t name. She had known him for so long, and she had seen him so regularly, it was bizarre to think of him as anything but a guy about town. One of the bikers. A dangerous man with a dangerous past.

But there he was with her.

Looking deep into her eyes, holding her hand, making her skin tingle as she remembered how he’d made love to her the night before.

What a goddam night.

“Thank you for the coffee,” she said as she took a sip.

She honestly didn’t know what else to say. She was overwhelmed with shyness and also the fact that she couldn’t believe he was there with her. He was like a god. And she had him in her bedroom. She had seen him naked and done things with him that she had never done with anyone.

How would she ever be able to look at him again without feeling not only intense pangs of desire but also the need to run?

“That’s cool,” he smiled. “How about we go and get some breakfast?”

He was looking at her with raised eyebrows and a ton of hope and Kady knew she was about to close the door.

Never a biker.

That’s what she had always told herself.

No matter how hot they are. No matter how much you might want it.

Never get involved with an outlaw. Because they will break your heart.

She shook her head slowly and her excitement began to ebb into disappointment.

“I don’t think so,” she said sadly.

Flash’s expression changed to one of both hurt and shock. But he nodded his head and gave her hand a little squeeze before he got to his feet and bent down to find his t-shirt.

As he pulled it on over his head and she saw how his incredibly sculpted and tanned body flexed with each movement, she wanted to kick herself.

What are you doing? You’re a complete idiot!

But it was too late. She had rejected him and now she was going to have to live with it.

He came up to her and brushed her hair over her shoulder as he smiled sadly.

“It was a great night,” he said as he held her gaze.

“It was,” she whispered, her heart a raging mess inside her chest. “Thank you…”

She didn’t know what to thank him for. But she knew she wanted to thank him for something.

For bringing her back to life?

For making her feel wanted?

For sticking around?

She didn’t know, all she knew was that this was hard and she didn’t want to be sending him away.

“Goodbye Kady,” he smiled sadly as he leaned down and kissed her on the top of the head.

When he removed his hand and his heat disappeared with him, she instantly felt a sense of loss. She wanted it back but he was already moving toward the door.

“See you around,” he said as he looked back over his shoulder and gave her a half smile.

He closed the door behind him and she listened to his footsteps go throughout the house and down to the front door. When he opened it and closed it behind him, it was only a matter of seconds before the roar of his motorcycle screamed out around her street and sent the neighborhood dogs into a barking frenzy.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and placed the mug of coffee down on the side table.

She had slept with Flash.

And then she had sent him away.

“You’re such an idiot,” she said aloud to herself as she flopped back into her bed and pulled the covers up over her head.

But the damage was done.

She had turned him away and now she knew she was going to regret it.

After the best night of her life, now she was having the worst morning of the life. 

“What a way to ride that rollercoaster,” she said to herself as she blinked away a tear.

She felt complete and at a loss at the same time.

“Well, Kady, your fear of men and relationships has really surpassed itself this time,” she laughed as she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to hold herself as tightly as Flash had done the night before.

But it was pointless, it wasn’t the same.

She had thrown caution to the wind and let her primal urges take over. She had had the time of her life, but this morning, she had brought them both crashing back into reality.

“He only would have left you anyway,” she told herself bitterly as she closed her eyes. “At least, this way, you kept the control.”

And she didn’t know if she truly believed that, but that was the way it was going to have to be.

He had made her feel alive, and she had turned him down anyway.

The Kady Curse strikes again… she thought as she tried to convince herself back to sleep.

But she knew she wouldn’t be able to.

She had the feeling she was going to be having sleepless nights for a very long time to come.