Page 26

Myside.
She’s not running, though. She’s right next to me.
And there’s definitely something weighing on her mind.
“Thanks.” Her smile fades, and she taps her long fingernails on the bar.
“So where’s Alexi?” I narrow my eyes behind her, but I don’t see the beefy Russian anywhere near her.
“I came by myself. I wanted to be alone.”
I scrub a hand down the front of my face. “You wanted to be alone here? On opening night?” I know I’m a guy and I miss a lot, but this shit is confusing. Is she speaking girl code right now? Or is it that I had two doubles too many to be able to process her words?
She shrugs and gulps her shot. Not even a flinch. It has to burn, but you’d never know it by looking at her. Jesus, she’s sexy as fuck.
“Max is my friend, and I wanted to be here for him. I just didn’t want any…baggage.”
I let out a snort and pick up another full shot. “You call your boyfriend baggage, huh? Maybe it’s time to cut that shit off, yeah?”
She lifts an eyebrow and watches me gulp the shot. “Who said he’s my boyfriend?”
“Seems like you can’t go ten feet without him on your ass lately.”
“Seems like you’ve been paying pretty close attention to my ass lately.” She picks up another shot and holds it to her deep red lips. “And if he was my boyfriend, what difference would it make to you?”
Oh, Christ, that’s a loaded question. “He’s an arrogant prick.”
“You think an arrogant prick would be bad for me?” She inches closer, the heat of her breath singeing my skin. Tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention, even though this place is hot as hell. I fist my hands, fighting the urge to grip her slim hips and pull her against me. I want to taste so badly, and she knows it. I can see it in her eyes. She’s taunting me, daring me to make a move.
Or maybe I’m just really drunk, and I’m making all of this shit up in my head.
“I think that arrogant prick has no idea how to handle you.”
“Maybe I don’t like to be handled. Maybe I like to be the one handling,” she breathes against my ear.
My mouth drops open, but no words come out.
For a second, I thought she was going to try the human thing out again.
But, no. She’s back to her tried and true fembot ways. Using sex as a diversion while she grabs control over the poor sucker caught in her trap.
I’m completely blank.
I have nothing.
She pulls away, a smirk tugging at her lips. She got what she came for, and now she’s gonna leave me with these aching fucking blue balls.
The woman is ruthless.
At least I know why she came to find me first.
She pushes past me and walks toward the table in the back, her hips swinging with each step she takes. I watch her tight body weave through the crowd, and I don’t even try to hide it when she looks back at me with a knowing smile.
Fuck it. I smile back.
Even though I’m already in deep with no lifeline in sight, I can’t help myself.
I want her.
And I may be the only one who can protect her.