That was the stupidest mistake of my entire life.

I’d thought I was going to be able to play it cool. I’d go out with Bull, maybe have some fun, and try to learn something about him. It was supposed to be research for the article and nothing more than that.

Until it became something more, of course.

It was the second we got onto the dance floor. He was so cocky and such an asshole, and it was easy to be annoyed with him. But once we hit the dance floor, I couldn’t resist it anymore. I’d been pulled toward him ever since we first met, and I wasn’t able to deny it anymore as our bodies moved together. Bull was a big man, but he knew how to dance with a girl. I could feel his cock hard against my body, but I pretended like I didn’t notice.

It only got me excited, anyway. I was dripping wet as I moved my ass against him, his hands on my body, roaming down along my hips. I forgot all about the other people in the club and could only focus on Bull.

And then I turned toward him, and I saw that cocky grin and the pure lust in his eyes. He wanted me, and I knew it for sure in that moment. There was just no faking the kind of look he gave me.

I couldn’t have stopped that kiss even if I was thinking right. He tasted incredible, his lips soft, his stubble prickly against my skin in a good way. He kissed like a man, and it only made me that much wetter.

Until the flashes started going off of course. Then I was brought back to reality very, very fast.

I couldn’t be seen with Bull. I was risking my job by going out with him, let alone by kissing him. I was some low-level journalist and nobody knew me, but if those pictures got on the internet and my boss saw them, I’d be fired in a second.

Sports journalists couldn’t make out with athletes. That was an unwritten rule, but a pretty important one.

I had to get out of there. I couldn’t stick around with him another second. I didn’t know what I’d do if I let myself get sucked back into his orbit.

So as he scared off the people taking pictures, I ran away. I ran like a scared little girl, because frankly, I was scared. I was so far out of my depth that I could barely breathe. I got outside, ignored his call, grabbed a cab, and went home alone.

Except I kept thinking about that kiss and what it might have led to. Bull didn’t seem like the complete evil, partying douchebag everyone in the media said he was. There were elements of that for sure, but there was something else in him, too. He’d had a hard upbringing for starters.

But no. No, I couldn’t go soft. Just because I kissed the guy didn’t mean he was suddenly a prince. He was still Bull, the violent asshole I’d always thought he was.

Monday morning came and I headed into the office. I threw my stuff down onto the chair and half expected my boss to appear and fire me.

“Morning, Charley.”

I looked up. Dee smiled down at me.

I freaking hated Dee.

“Morning,” I said to her.

“You look tired.”

“Thanks,” I said, giving her a look.

“Did you finish that article on the boys’ regional swim finals?”

“Not yet,” I said. “Working on it.”

“Good, good. No rush. I mean, who really cares about some kiddie swim meet?”

I wanted to get up and punch her in the nose. Instead, I took a deep breath and looked at my computer.

“By the way,” she went on, “did you see the new pics of Bull Dixon?” She laughed. “He’s making out with some skank in that new club—what’s it called, Club Envy or whatever.”

Oh god. I wanted to throw up. I did a quick Google search, and there it was, a picture of me and Bull making out.

Except you couldn’t see my face. Bull’s body was completely obscuring mine. In fact, I looked like just another club slut.

“Nice one,” I said to Dee. I was sweating like crazy. What if she recognized me?

“That guy is such a pig. Did you know that he sleeps with a new woman every night?”

“That’s probably true,” I muttered.

“Well, have a good morning. I hear Coop is in one hell of a mood.”

“Thanks for the heads up.”

Dee disappeared, probably heading off to annoy some other copywriter.

She was a real bitch, but I was glad she’d shown me this image. If this was the only one, then I’d be fine. I’d have to hope that was the case, otherwise I was finished before I even started.

The morning passed excruciatingly slow. I kept glancing at the clock and checking Google for new images, but nothing was coming up.

Finally, as lunch approached, I thought I was safe.

Until my phone vibrated.

“Did you see the pictures of us?”

I frowned. It was from Bull.

“I saw,” I typed back. “It’s not very flattering.”

“I don’t know. I think you look sexy. Too bad they can’t see that pretty face.”

“I’m relieved. It’s embarrassing.”

“Embarrassed of me? You should feel proud.”

“Not of you. It’s just, I don’t know how my dad would feel if he saw a picture of me kissing some big guy on the internet.”

I felt my heart leap at his next text.

“Want me to make these pictures go away?”

“Can you really do that?”

“Of course,” he answered right away. “But I won’t do it for free.”

I frowned, nervous, but I felt hope for the first time. I knew Bull had some power, or at least he had money and a PR team. Maybe he really could make this go away.

“What’s your price?”

“You have to see me again,” he said.

“I don’t know.”

I frowned, not sure what the hell I was thinking. All I had to do was see him again, and then he’d get rid of this picture problem. Plus, I’d get another chance to dig up some dirt on him for my article.

This was such a good opportunity, and yet I was afraid of what I’d do if I saw him again, afraid of what Bull made me feel. I didn’t think I could separate myself from this and try to be a decent undercover journalist.

“Drinks. That’s all.”

“One drink.”

“One drink, but at the location of my choosing.”

“Fine,” I said. “Deal.”

“I’ll see you tonight at eight. Check Google in a few minutes.”

I sighed and put my phone away and then tried to get some work done. I finished up that boys swimming article and sent it off to Coop before finally letting myself check.

The picture was gone. The links had all disappeared, and even the cached versions had been taken down.

As far as I could tell, it was almost as if the picture had never existed.

How the hell was this possible? Even if he could pay off the blogs, it had spread too far for him to really get it taken down. Even with unlimited money, it seemed impossible.

And yet he made it happen. Bull somehow made the impossible happen, and that terrified me. It only made me wonder what else this man was capable of, and I realized again that I might be in over my head.

But I had made a deal. I was going to see Bull again, although I knew that was a bad idea. He had possibly saved my career, though he didn’t even realize it.

I took a deep breath. This was the chance of a lifetime. I didn’t get many second chances, and I wasn’t going to let this one slip away.