Fuck! I’ve never been one for settling down or doing things by the book, but something is different this time. My fucking heart is pounding at the feel of her perfect, naked ass pressed against my crotch and the look in her eyes sets me on fire for more than one reason. What the fuck is happening?

I’ve reverted into a horny teenager, my body screaming for her to touch me, but my mind is going down the opposite route. It’s telling me I need to get out of here because whatever the fuck that look she gave me was, I’m not ready to entertain it.

I roll off the bed, finding my slacks and pulling them up my legs.

“Not staying for another round?” Kai asks, placing a kiss on Taylor’s shoulder that has me wanting to launch myself across the room and rip him away from her. What the hell?

I suck in a deep breath to control myself—fighting for control, it’s all I ever seem to be doing—before grabbing my shirt and walking over to the bed. “I’d love to, but I have to go.” I kiss Taylor on the forehead, letting a finger linger on her plump lips. “Fucking perfect,” I mumble to myself, but I know she heard me by the redness blotching her skin.

“I’ll call you,” I tell Kai and ignore the question in his raised brow as his gaze quickly trails down my body. Walking out of the room, I can’t stand to see Taylor’s things strewn over the floor, so I quickly fold her dress and place it on the counter with her little purse before collecting my things on the way out.

When I’m in my car, I do the only thing I can think of that won’t cause me to self-destruct; I call my tattoo artist before driving back to my place.

Reggie is waiting for me, leaning against the brick wall of my house as I park and climb out.

“Three a.m.? Really, Z?”

I unlock the door to my house and walk in, letting him shut it behind him. “I need a release."

He doesn’t have to reply for me to know he gets it. I already know he does because he’s still battling his own demons too.

He sets up a portable bed, pulling out his tattoo machine and his tools as I pace my living room, needing to feel the needle on my skin.

“Have you got any space on that body of yours left?” he asks, and I know he’s trying to keep my mind off the one thing I can’t ever let control me again.

I shrug, pulling off my shirt and pointing beneath my ribs. “Haven’t touched here yet.”

“What’re you wanting?” Well ain’t that a fucking loaded question?

Feeling out of my element isn’t something I’m used to anymore. I’m the guy who knows what he wants and when I set my mind to something, I always get it done. But it hasn’t always been that way.

Regardless of what I’ve done in my past, I’ve made something of myself. I’m successful and I’ve got nothing to tie me down, preferring to keep my private life exactly that: private.

So why can’t I shake the way Taylor’s gaze locked onto mine and made me feel like we were the only two people in the room?

It was a tiny glimpse into a life that isn’t mine to live, and it makes no sense. I’ve never been a one-woman guy, and I’m not the jealous type. Or maybe I am? I’ve just never had anyone I want enough to know—until now.

My cell pings and I ignore it until it happens another three times in succession. I sigh and pull it out, seeing messages from Kai.

Anger dots my vision and I throw my cell onto the sofa, not bothering to reply. He’ll get over it. He has Taylor to keep him occupied.

Fuck!

I want her, yet she’s back at my best friend’s apartment probably fucking his brains out.

Does that bother me? Abso-fucking-lutely!

My answer confuses the shit out of me, so I hop up onto the edge of the bed Reggie’s set up, scrubbing my hands down my face, my skin crawling because I don’t have control of pretty much anything right now.

“Z?”

I meet his gaze and sigh. “Fuck, I don’t know. I trust you.”

I need to forget about this night and concentrate on the business trip to England I’m supposed to be on right now. It was Kai’s idea to delay it until tomorrow even though he knows how much I need to stay on schedule, but the thought of going when I’m this close to spiraling makes me feel so much worse. I have to cancel.

“Alrighty then,” he replies, before pulling his gloves on and spraying my skin with a solution. He shaves the area before drawing a rough outline of a bird on my skin. I grit my teeth, watching him and waiting for the buzz of the machine. As soon as it sounds around us, my nerves calm a fraction.

The sweet sting of the needle going into my skin helps me relax my muscles. It’s all about control, it always has been ever since the day I decided to take mine back. Since then, I haven’t felt so out of control until now, and it needs to change.

Whatever it is I’m feeling, I know I can’t ignore it. If I do, I’ll slip, and I won’t let that happen. I won’t go back to a point where I let one single thing rule my life.

I’ll forget about Taylor for tonight. I have my release right here, this I can control if not my feelings that have crept up on me.

* * *

Kai seemed to lose a little wind in his sails after Zander left so I was expecting him to send me home, but he didn't. I’ve been sitting between his legs for the last hour watching a movie. I can’t concentrate on it though, and neither can Kai by the way he keeps picking up his cell and checking it every five minutes.

“Everything alright?”

“Hmmm? Oh, yeah, just waiting to hear back from someone.” He sighs and puts his cell facedown. “Sorry, I’m being rude.”

“That’s okay, I’m not exactly riveting company at four in the morning.”

He chuckles. “You’re exactly what I need right now. I’m not into spilling personal details so I prefer when my… sexual partners don’t ask me a million questions.”

I sit up, turning to face him. “You’re lucky I’m tired. My dad calls me chatterbox.”

“Lucky me then,” he replies jokingly with a grin on his face.

Smiling back at him, my gaze travels over his features. He’s not classically handsome but his flaws make him more attractive. He has a couple of scars dotted over the right side of his chiseled jaw and a slight dent in his nose that looks like it could’ve been broken a time or two.

I want to ask him if it’s true when his cell beeps and he looks away from me, frowning down at it. “Do you mind if I make a quick call?”

“Of course not, I’m getting tired anyway.”

He nods and I watch him walk away in just boxers, admiring his muscled back before climbing under the covers when he disappears. I lay my head on the soft pillow and close my eyes, trying not to listen to the voice down the hallway getting a little louder and more aggravated than it was a minute ago.

“Everyone is counting on you… I’m not putting anything on you, Zander. You know as well as I do they want you there.” I know I shouldn’t be listening, but Zander’s name garners my attention. The look he gave me scorched me all the way down to my soul, and I can’t take my mind off it—or maybe I just imagined the moment we had after our release? “Yes, she’s still here, Dad.” My eyes snap open and I strain to hear what he has to say as he lowers his voice. “Did you want me to kick her out?” There’s a few beats before he adds, “I’ll let you know how the tea is in England, asshole… alright… yeah… fuck you, too.”

I shut my eyes again as I hear footsteps moving toward the room, staying still as Kai slips into the bed beside me. I want to pretend I’m asleep, but he moves in behind me. “You heard that, didn’t you?”

“Not everything,” I murmur.

His chest moves up and down against my back in a chuckle. “He said no to kicking you out, that was a joke by the way.”

“Why did he leave?” I find myself asking.

“Don’t take it personally, he’s not very sociable.” He yawns and kisses me on the shoulder before rolling over. “Get some beauty sleep, sweetheart. God knows I need all mine.”

I stare at the wall ahead of me. “You don’t need beauty sleep. You’re doing okay on your own.”

A loud laugh shakes the bed. “Goodnight, Taylor.”

“Night.”

I’m wide awake, there’s no way I’m getting to sleep anytime soon.

* * *

I yawn, stretching out my aching body and feeling another next to me. It takes me a moment to look over, but when I do, Kai is fast asleep, one arm under his pillow and the other curled into his body.

The heat of a blush flows into my face at the thought of everything we did last night—including the hot sex with Zander. Although both men’s sexual preferences are the same, they couldn’t be more different.

Sure, they’re both protective and radiate power without trying. But whereas Kai is light, Zander is dark.

Kai is the type of person you could see yourself settling down with. Well, that's if he wasn’t having threesomes left, right, and center with random women.

But Zander? He’s the mystery all women want to solve, yet I’d bet my life on it none have gotten close enough to even get a sniff at what he’s about.

I slip out of bed in search of a bathroom, trying not to wake Kai. Finding the room has no en suite, I pull on Kai’s shirt from last night, breathing in his masculine scent before venturing into the apartment.

Making my way down the hallway, finding a bathroom and doing what I need to do before washing my face of all traces of makeup, I breathe into my hand, my eyes widening. Oh, God!

Squirting toothpaste onto my fingers, I try and brush my teeth with them before I knock Kai out with my breath. Looking into the mirror afterward at my wild sex hair, I try and tame it with my fingers to no avail. I wish I'd brought a hair tie—my clutch bag!

I creep out of the bathroom and tiptoe down the hallway into the living room. I stop short at the view the floor-to-ceiling windows are showing. You can see the whole of Boston from up here; it’s incredible.

Finally tearing my gaze away, I turn around to find my dress neatly folded on the kitchen counter, my clutch placed on top. I open it, pulling the hair tie out and tying my hair in a messy bun before leaning back against the counter, looking out over the expanse of the city again.

Yawning, I let my gaze wander around the kitchen. I could really do with some coffee right about now.

Spotting the coffee pot, I decide to make me and Kai a cup and walk over to it, trying to work the thing.

When it’s whirring and finally brewing a new pot, I open all the cupboards finding two cups and setting them down on the counter.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

I jump, spinning around with my hand clutched to my chest. “Jesus, Kai, you scared the shit out of me!”

He bites his bottom lip, his gaze running the length of me before glancing up. “You look good in my shirt.”

He stalks toward me and I stand stock still, taking in the low-riding sweatpants hanging precariously on his hips. “I… couldn’t find anything else so—”

“Lucky me,” he interrupts, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his lips against mine. “Good morning, or afternoon should I say.”

He pulls out of the hold—not mentioning that I never reciprocated the kiss—and takes over making the coffee, handing me a cup as I say, “I never knew Boston could look so pretty.”

He eyes the windows before looking back at me. “I can think of prettier views.”

I blush under his intense gaze. “After last night? I don’t think so, I look a mess.”

His deep laugh sends tingles down my spine. “Mess is not a word I’d use to describe you. You’re beautiful, Taylor.”

I clear my throat, looking down at the floor feeling awkward compared to last night. “I’d better get going. I have a lot to do before work.”

He shrugs, draining the last of his coffee. “If you get all your stuff together, I’ll drive you home. I’m going away on business later this afternoon so unfortunately I can’t take you to lunch.”

“Lunch?”

He passes over my dress and smirks. “You didn’t think I’d hump and dump, did you? That’s not my style.”

I have a million questions running through my mind, but I ask only one. “I thought this was a one-night thing?”

“Sure… one night.”