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Triumphantly, she reached for her prize from the conference table, but I plucked the apple off the janitorial cart before she could. My little thief wouldn’t let it go that easy; I should have known.

“Hey! That’s mine,” she protested and took a step forward.

I held it high above her head, unsurprised by her desire to keep the spoils of the night. “Come and get it.”

At my dare, she launched herself at me. We collided, her small body crashing into my much larger one. I barely budged, but I felt the impact of her everywhere. This was fire, and I was the fool playing with it. Her hands scrambled for purchase, grabbing at my arm as she tried to reach the apple.

I laughed, deep and throaty, as I watched her struggle. The determination in her eyes was breathtaking. She wasn’t afraid to touch me, to breach the invisible barrier between captor andcaptive. Her fingertips pressed into my bicep, and I felt myself flexing beneath her touch.

“Damn it, Markos,” she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. “Give me what I earned.”

“Ah, so you want to keep the evidence of your crimes?” I taunted, raising the apple even higher.

“You’re insufferable,” she hissed, lunging again.

This time, when she jumped, I caught her with my free arm, her momentum bringing us both against the wall. Her breath hitched as I steadied her, my hand splayed across the small of her back. The warmth of her seeping through the thin fabric of her shirt sent electricity crackling across my skin.

“Let. Go.” Each word was punctuated with barely restrained fury.

For the first time, a woman looked at my hideous visage without fear or disgust. Her reaction to me was intoxicating.

“Make me,” I whispered.

A tense second passed, and then she lifted her knee. I moved just a fraction so it collided with my thigh.

You’re a fighter, little one.The perfect woman to thrive in the criminal underbelly.

I pushed that thought away, not wanting to think about the possessive implications. No, when a woman took my last name, it would be a purely pragmatic action. Love would never be part of the equation. Lust and children, if I was lucky, but what we gave each other in terms of power was far more important an exchange.

“I suppose you earned it.” I couldn’t help it, I inched my fingers up her spine, tangling them in the lengths of her dark gold hair. I wanted nothing more than to free it from the braid.

Her breath hitched. “Damn right, I did.”

Slowly, I brought the prize between us. Her fingers curled around it, brushing against mine. We stood there, breathing hard and staring off.

Only the knowledge that the guard might be suspicious if Atlas didn’t show had me breaking the moment. I took a step back, putting some much-needed distance between us.

“How about we grab a bite to eat before heading back to the village?”

Serena nodded, seeming at a loss for words at my innocent suggestion.

We snuck out the back, the night air swallowing us as we headed straight for my jeep. Tampa’s cool evening did nothing to quench the fire blazing inside me.

I was a rotten bastard, enjoying this fierce woman’s company while knowing full well that I would try to marry another. Sliding behind the wheel, I drove us down the street to a shopping complex and a chain burger joint.

“Don’t try anything funny,” I warned.

Serena scowled. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

The fluorescent lights flickered overhead as we approached the counter. The smell of grease and salt settled around us, a sharp contrast to the tension crackling between us. We placed our order, our voices barely rising above the din of the bustling restaurant. When we moved to find a seat, Serena’s eyes held a challenge, daring me to acknowledge the fraught electricity we tried to ignore. Trays in hand, we weaved through plastic tables until we reached a booth in the corner. She slid in, her eyes watchful and wary, full of a burning intensity. I sat across from her, the heat of her presence scorching, and wondered again how I would ever keep my distance. I was playing a dangerous game, and Serena was the spark that could destroy everything.

It might be worth it.I was so close to letting everything burn just to make her mine.

“Do you mind explaining what I just did?” she demanded before popping a fry in her mouth.

I shrugged. “You helped me teach a business associate a valuable lesson. Nothing illegal.”

She snorted. “Yeah, right.”