He’s all wrong. He’s a criminal. But here I am consumed with the very idea of being his, even for the night.
He continues watching, but this time his focus is on the men at our table. His expression doesn’t change, but something about the angle of his jaw, the tension in his posture…it shifts slightly. Like a storm rolling in.
Is he…jealous?
I guess we’ll find out.
I lean in closer to the guy beside me, laughing at whatever lame joke he’s telling and pretending it’s funny. My hand brushes his arm, just enough to test a theory.
And when I glance back toward Aleksei…
He’s gone.
A sharp exhale slips past my lips. Relief rushes in, cold and fleeting, followed by disappointment. They tear through me like rivals, clawing for dominance.
Clearly I’ve gone crazy. The last thing I need is more of his attention. I want him to leave me alone, not stalk me more than he already is.
I push back from the table, grab my peacoat, and slip into it as I rise.
Dana squints up at me. “You heading out?”
“Yeah.” I force a smile. “Tired.”
She stands to give me a quick hug. “See you at work.”
My attention flicks to the two guys still at the table. One’s droning on about something, and the other winks at me.
Seriously?
“You sure you want to stay?” I murmur. “One of them looks like he works in insurance, and the other just tried to flirt with his eyelid.”
Dana snorts. “I’ll manage.”
“If you say so. Text me when you get home so I don’t have to worry about dragging your body out of a ditch.”
“I’ll be fine.” She laughs, settling back at the table.
I start toward the parking lot, already regretting every second I stayed. The night is different now. Darker, heavier. The kind that presses against your skin, slipping beneath your collar until it chokes you.
As I walk faster, my heels strike the pavement in loud clicks. Each step toward the back lot tightens something inside me. The breeze catches the hem of my dress and slides beneath my coat, and the sensation crawling up the back of my neck only grows more intense.
My body knows before my mind will admit it: he’s here.
My keys are already in my hand, clenched between my fingers like a weapon I plan to use if I have to. When my car comes into view, I force myself forward, locking on to it like salvation.
Just get in. Just drive. Just breathe. You’re fine.
I tell myself that, over and over.
“Running off so soon, Ms. Prosecutor?”
CHAPTER TWO
FIONA
My body locksthe instant I register his voice.
It doesn’t just reach me. It wraps tightly around me. Every cell reacts. Blood rushes like static in my ears, goose bumps rise along my arms, my thighs clench on instinct, and there’s a flutter low in my belly, like prey sensing the predator.
