Page 1

Prologue
Serafina
USA.
Four years ago…
“For your challenge, Sarah, I dare you to go flirt with that guy.” Mia’s voice drones into my subconscious.
“Uh?” I say, staring in confusion at the three of my friends who have had a little too much to drink while I’ve been wallowing.
If you aren’t going to drink, well then, that’s your challenge. He's been staring at you all night. I suppose it won't be too much of a challenge?”
Guilt washes over me for refusing their offer to drink at every turn. Of all the things I can do, drinking isn’t one of them. I’m never able to get alcohol down in my stomach, not even a little quantity. It’s why I always steer clear of it whenever we’re out, nursing my coke in silence while the girls do their thing.
Besides, I’d been thinking I wouldn’t be here with them tonight if I hadn’t decided to stop being wary by my father’s present, yet non-present influence. Only two days ago did I call him to get the man always subtly trailing me off my back. The girls would laugh if they knew that I, and by extension, them, had been shadowed all this time. Even now, I glance around to make sure he’s not lurking. Lucky for me, he isn’t.
“Sarah? Adelaide chirps.
“What guy?” I say, already craning my neck to catch a view. The other girls twist their necks too.
I don’t have to look further because I see the man immediately. He’s looking straight at me, and I suck in my stomach, my breath dying in my lungs at the intensity of those black eyes on me. His gaze is probing, unraveling me in places that had been dormantfor too long. In that moment, the world falls away, the noises around slowly ebbing until it’s just the two of us.
Jesus. The man is striking.
He’s dressed in a black tailored suit that molds his perfect frame. Even from where I sit, I can see the bulging muscles underneath his clothing. He's sitting lazily, head above others, cross-legged, arms across his broad chest as his eyes burrow intently into mine.
I mentally shiver.
The low hum starts from low in my belly, vibrating through me until it’s wrapped around me. Goosebumps race across my skin, all nerve endings standing on edge as this man practically undresses me with his eyes.
“Hello!” Mia snaps her fingers at me, jolting me out of the spell I’d fallen into.
The noises resume around me, and I look at my friends in a daze. Then suddenly, I remember where I am. A breath whooshes out of me as I’d held it in for too long.
“Uh-oh. Sarah is taken. Fuck me,” Rose says, her voice throaty.
My eyes slither back to the man who's still looking at me. For a moment, I entertain the thought that he's another of my father's devises to guard me. But this man with the brooding and intensestare would never in a million years pass for a bodyguard. He exudes a dark aura that's both appealing and a bit frightening. Suddenly, I find myself wanting to know what makes him tick.
“Oh, shit, she's standing up,” Adelaide mumbles.
Whoops.I didn’t even realize that.
I hear Rose’s reverent whisper of “make it count”, before my ears go deaf to the sounds around me.
I walk towards him like a lady on a mission, placing one foot solidly before the other. My steps don't falter. I don't stop to mull. I just simply walk, until I'm standing right there in front of him. This up close, I'm nearly keeling over from tension that has my body wrung tight.
I wrestle with the compulsion to stay and see this through. What about him has me taking on a silly challenge? He’s striking, yes, but I’ve seen my fair share of sexy-as-sin men. I let my eyes remain on his face, my resolve firmly in place.
His eyes lazily trace up my form until it rests once again on my face.God.I squirm under the intensity of his stare.
“You've been staring at me.” My voice is a choked whisper that barely makes it past my lips. My throat is parched. He hasn't even touched me, and yet, here I am, reduced to a complete idiot.
A half smile forms on his face, drawing attention to the fullness of his lips. The man is dynamite. What would it do to me if he turns the full effect of his smile on me? I'd give anything to have him kiss me till I'm holding on to him for dear life.
He uncrosses his legs to part strong, powerful thighs, their muscles rippling beneath his black pants. It boosts my confidence. I step into his space, my legs almost making contact with his thighs.
“Why were you staring?”