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ChapterFive
RAVEN
I stareup at the hulking blond giant. My brain is buzzing and my heart is racing so fast my breath comes out in sharp little puffs. Those guys jumped me. That’s clear. Everything after that happened so quickly my brain doesn’t seem to have properly processed it yet. I need a minute to get ahold of myself again.
I take a deep breath and watch him shoot his cuffs. Slick. Calm. For a guy who just beat the hell out of three guys he is shockingly unruffled. Amazingly, even his suit has remained in impeccable condition. The practiced ease with which he took down those men now reminds me of a Hollywood action movie. I never dreamed I’d have firsthand experience of something like that in mylife.
“I’ve seen you before,” I say slowly. I’m clenching the necklace so hard the stones dig painfully into my flesh. “At the casino.”
A cool smile lifts one side of his mouth. “Yes, I remember you too. You have the sexiest mouth I’ve ever seen on any woman.”
My eyes pop open with surprise. Instead of graciously accepting the compliment and thanking him, I do what I always do and blurt out, “No, I haven’t.”
One dirty blond eyebrow lifts. “I must take a photograph of your mouth filled with my cock and show it toyou.”
My jaw hits the ground. Did hejust—?
“Not now though,” he says amused.
I close my mouth with an irritated snap and shake my head to clear the cobwebs floating in it. “Did you follow me here?” I ask suspiciously.
“Yes. I saw you leave the party. You looked upset, and this area is not exactly the best place for a midnightwalk.”
The light in the alley is too dim to see his eyes clearly, but I feel the searing heat coming from them on my skin. I stare into his eyes a moment longer. It is the only part of him that’s running hot. Everything else about him feels … frozen. I glance down at the ground in confusion. Something doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s not him. Maybe it’s just the shock. I need to get out of this claustrophobic place.
I push off the wall. My knees are wobbling so hard I worry they’ll give out and I’ll be butt-kissing the ground for a second time tonight. “Thank you for your help, but I think I can manage now. You cango.”
His smile melts away, leaving a detached iciness in its place. “Don’t be silly. I’ll walk you back to the party.”
He takes a step closer and I find myself holding my breath. Alarm bells are going off in my head. Telling me to scream bloody murder. Run. Get away. This man is far, by far, more dangerous than the assholes who just tried to rob me, but I can’tmove.
My feet are glued to the sidewalk.
He looms over me all broad shoulders and taut, powerful limbs. I have nothing to fear from him, but even so, my heart is beating so fast I feel like a trapped bird, flapping its wings wildly. I crane my neck to look up into his face. His eyes are like magnets. Drawing me in. I can’t drag my gaze away from his. My lungs feel as if they will burst. I take a shuddering breath, and the heady masculine scent of him fills my nostrils. Intoxicating me. Making it impossible for me to think.
“You are still in shock,” he murmurs.
My mouth parts to speak, but my mind is a blank.
Lifting a finger, he trails it down my cheek.
The cool night air suddenly fills with sizzling electricity and an astonishing thing happens. I experience a fierce desire to lean into him, trace the curving point of his chin up past the cleanly shaven line of his jaw, wrap my legs tightly around his body, and rut withhim!
The intensity and inappropriateness of the sexual urge has me bewildered.
What on earth is wrong with me? I have never wanted to do that with a complete stranger before.
I blink and try to think rationally. Maybe the attack, the horrible fear of losing Cindy’s precious necklace, and this man bursting in like some modern-day hero must have shaken my bearings. That must beit.
His fingers settle on my arm, warm and firm. I want them between my legs. Oh god! This is pure madness.
I must get away from him. And quickly. Distance will help. A locked door between him and me won’t hurt either. I suck in another shallow breath.
“I should get home. Now,” I chokeout.
“Do you need a ride?” His voice is casual.
“There is no way in hell I’m going anywhere with you.” The words, raw and torn, leave my mouth without my permission. I wish I could take them back. I never meant to sound so ungrateful.
His lips purse and his icy eyes fix on me. Shit. I’ve pissed him off. And no wonder. The guy just rescued me and I’m acting like he’s some kind of rapist leper.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not thinking straight. It must be the shock.”
He steps away from me. Getting on his haunches, he picks up my lipstick and stuffs it into my purse. I watch his fair head in a daze. He snaps it shut, stands, and holds my bag out to me. “Perhaps you will at least allow me to see you safely to a taxi.” His voice is cold and disinterested.
I take my purse from him and he takes me by the elbow before I can muster a response, smartass or otherwise, and leads me out of the alley. My knees are still shaking, but the bright lights of the streetlamps help to take me out of the strange spell I was under. The world is still revolving on its axis. The waves are still rushing to the shore. Everything is still normal.
I look at him sideways as we walk back to theclub.
He has money. That is perfectly clear. I’ve been around rich men long enough that I can tell instantly. The subtle, full-bodied richness of his cologne, the smooth tailoring of his tuxedo, the flash of the pricey cufflink at his wrist, the Swiss timepiece peeking out from the sleeve of his jacket when he dropped Cindy’s necklace into myhand.
It’s an unconscious habit for me to tally these things. It’s useful to be able to quickly identify the high rollers, the big spenders that smile big when they win and even bigger when they lose. I’ve learned to recognize them as they move with easy grace from table to table because these are the men who leave the besttips.
He keeps his stride at an easy, even pace so it is comfortable for me to keep up. Our shoes hitting the sidewalk is the only sound aroundus.
“It’s a bit of a coincidence us both being at the same party,” I begin.
He spares me a lazy glance. “Not really. I’m usually at the best parties intown.”
I chew my bottom lip. Something doesn’t feel right. “Why don’t I believeyou?”
He looks amused. “Do you think I’m stalkingyou?”
When he says it like that it sounds utterly ridiculous. My cheeks feel as if they are onfire.
“No, I just thought … forgetit.”
“What’s yourname?”
“Why?” The sound is like the crack of a whip in the night air. I don’t know why I’m being such a bitch to him. He just saved my skin and got me back Cindy’s necklace. I stop walking and so does he. I turn towardshim.
“Look. I’m really sorry. I don’t know why I’m being so rude. I’m not usually so ungrateful and horrible. I must be in shock. Please take no notice.”
There is no expression on hisface.
“Maybe I just need to get out of these shoes. They’re killingme.”
His gaze drops down to my new shoes. They were never made for walking. A reluctant smile lifts one corner of his lips. “It does seem as if you’d have been better off just slipping your feet into the jaws of two crocodiles.”
A giggle threatens to erupt from somewhere inside me. I push it back. I’ve embarrassed myself enough. I stretch my hand out. “I’m Raven, and it’s not real crocodileskin.”
He takes my hand. His is warm and firm. “Raven. It suits you.” The way he purrs my name makes the hairs on my arms stand.
“My mother chose that name,” I say, and instantly regret giving him that bit of useless information. As if a man like him would be interested in something like that. It is obvious that he is waaaaay out of my league. He releases my hand and I let it drop to myside.
He makes a small gesture with his right hand. “Shallwe?”
I nod and we carry on walking.
A few yards ahead, the end of the queue of people waiting to get into the club comes into view. A few people turn around to look at us. I can see the women staring at him speculatively. I guess he is pretty impressive. A blond giant with extraordinary good looks.
He walks me to a taxi idling by the kerb a few feet from the entrance of the club. He opens the back door and I turn to face him. It’s a nice night, mild and breezy. Strands of golden hair lift off his head and fall on his forehead. He pushes them back with his large hand. There is an air of danger and excitement around him. It’s like standing very close to a wild animal, a big cat, or a grizzly bear. I feel almost dizzy with exhilaration and fascination.
“Well, this is it,” hesays.
I can’t understand it, but an odd reluctance to part company from him fills my entire being. “Thanks for helping me. If there’s anything I can do for you in return please let meknow.”
His eyes flash with something dark and secretive and his gaze drops to my mouth.
Heat blooms on my skin. “I mean, if there’s something non-sexual,” I blurtout.
His eyes widen slightly. I feel like slapping myself. What on earth has possessed me tonight? Honestly, a donkey could have managed that better. “What I meant to say is if you should one day need my help, I’ll be happy to do anything I can,” I say in an utterly miserable voice.
He nods gravely. “Thankyou.”
“Oh well. Goodnightthen.”
“Goodnight, Raven.”
I nod and climb in. He closes the door and starts walking off in the opposite direction.
“Where to, love?” the cabbie asks, peering at me in the rearview mirror.
“Just a minute,” I say, and twist in my seat to watch his progress. He strides up the sidewalk and stops in front of an outrageously expensive liquid black Lamborghini parked right outside of the club. It gleams like a black cat on wheels. A blond man in a big black machine. Yes, the car suits him to perfection.
The wing comes up and he gets in. A moment later the car races up the street, engine roaring. It hooks a tight right around the corner and disappears out of sight.
“I’m not being funny, but I need an address, sweetheart,” the cab driver says with a touch of exasperation.
I whip my head around. “Sorry,” I say, and give him my address.
The taxi moves and I slump back into the seat and place my hand over my belly. The truth is I feel sick to my stomach with regret. How I wish I had not been so rude to him. I should have thanked him properly.
God, I wish I could see him again. All the way home I smell his lingering scent all over me, as though he had climbed into the cab next tome.
