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His head tipped to the side, his smile slightly mocking, but my brain was still having trouble accepting Leo washere. This close to my house.
Looking forme.
“Well, yes. But no, we can’t talk. I’m not interested. You can go now.”
My heart was racing, and I was starting to feel lightheaded. I’d had enough for one day, and I would rather risk walking home in the dark than standing there staring at Leo for another moment. It was only a few miles.
And he wastootempting.
Spinning on my heel, I leaned into the Toyota to grab my purse and keys. The car wasn’t going anywhere, and calling a tow truck could wait until morning when there wasn’t the stupidly sexy son of a mob boss trying to lure me into his clutches.
I started walking up the road even though Leo was calling my name. I didn’t make it more than a few steps from my car before his hand on my shoulder jerked me to a stop.
“Cadence, wait. Let me give you a ride home at least.”
“No!”
His face was shrouded in darkness, but I could feel him staring down at me. Trembling, I prayed he wouldn’t feel it where his hand had slid down to my elbow, still preventing me from walking away. The effect he had on me in person was stronger now than it had been before our night together, and my mind was slowly clouding with instincts and lust.
The memories of what it had felt like to be in his arms were trying to drown me. Reminding me how lonely it was in my nest.
How easy it would be to lay my burdens at his feet.
It was ridiculous. We barely knew each other, had only shared one night, but the draw between us felt so much stronger.
“Cadence, please let me help you.”
His quiet words pierced my chest, and it was hard to hold on to why I was being so stubborn about letting him give me a ride home. It was late, and while I would have preferred to avoid him at all costs, I wouldn’t make it home for at least another hour if I insisted on walking.
My feet already ached from the diner, and a headache was beginning to pulse between my eyes.
A raindrop splashing on my forehead startled me, jerking me out of my tangled thoughts and bringing my focus back to the alpha in front of me. Sucking in a deep breath, I almost choked on the delicious smell of him, and pulled on my arm to get away from it.
Leo chose to release me, both of us aware that I couldn’t have gotten loose if he hadn’t allowed it.
“Okay,” I gasped as more rain pattered onto my head. “Just a ride to my house. That’s it. No talking.”
I wished I could see his expression, but he took a step away from me and nodded. When he held his hand out toward his car as the slow drops picked up their pace, I shook my head at myself, but turned to the passenger side of his sleek black car.
It was habit to hit the lock button on the key fob since it was still clutched in my hand, and my chest squeezed as the problems lying ahead of me threatened to push their way in. My gaze caught on the old silver car as I slid onto the smooth leather of Leo’s passenger seat, reminding me of the difference in our stations.
I was the good girl. The one who worked hard, got good grades, took care of my family, avoided alphas, and stayed on the right side of the law.
Leo was everything a mother warned you to avoid. The dangerous man who would ruin your life and disappear from it just as fast as he’d entered, leaving you to pick up the pieces alone. An alpha who only wanted you for a short time and wasn’t likely to commit.
Yet I had spent my life struggling for everything, and he’d wanted for nothing. A snap of his fingers could get him whatever he desired.
It wasn’t fair.
I tightened my lips around the sigh that wanted to escape as Leo took his place behind the wheel. It was only a few minutes’ drive to my house from here, and I was determined to survive it without breaking down. I couldn’t let him see how weak I was. He was an alpha, a predator, and I was his prey.
He cranked the car and drove in silence. As we approached the last corner, I started to believe he was going to honor my wish not to talk, but I should have known it wouldn’t last.
“You know I could help you again.”
I chose to ignore the meaning behind his words. As much as my body yearned for a repeat of that night, I refused to sell myself to him again. I wasn’t a whore. If we couldn’t be equals, we couldn’t be anything.
And we were far from equal.
