Erica nodded. “A huge deal. This guy is national news, and he’s only agreed to three interviews. We were one of them. She’s going to shop that interview around, and this could make her career.” She seemed to shrink as she added, “It could’ve made my career, too, but not now. My name will be on the credits, but that’s it.”

“I’m sorry. That seriously sucks, Erica.” Wanker and I nodded, agreeing with Jake.

I sighed. “I’m ready to get drunk now.”

Erica’s head bobbed up and down. “Bring on the shots. My feistiness is gone. I want to wallow. Wallow with me, friends.”

I slid out from the booth. “Save me some of those shots. I have to go to the restroom first.”

“You pee, you lose.” Erica grinned at me. “Tell your bladder to man up. It’s first come, first served with this company tonight.”

I laughed. For whatever reason, Erica wasn’t mad at me. I wasn’t sure what I would say, but I wasn’t going to question it. “I’ll be right back.”

Susan and Tara’s herd went to the right side of the club, so I headed for the left side. I was passing through a hallway to the back restrooms that most people didn’t know about because they were obstructed by the back stairs when I was grabbed from behind and pulled into a dark closet.

I tried to scream, but a hand clamped over my mouth.

A voice whispered against my ear, “It’s me.”

It was Kian.

I stopped breathing for a second as so many sensations washed over me—shock, fear, and excitement. I pushed him back and tried to look up at him, but I couldn’t. It was too dark. His silhouette was the only thing I could make out.

“They said you left.”

“Who did?”

“Susan and her vipers.”

His teeth showed as he grinned. “Vipers? I take it you’re not a fan of Susan…what’s her last name?”

“Hollister, and no, I’m not. She screwed over my friend. Speaking of Erica,”—I poked his chest—“Susan said you requested to work with her. Was that after I talked to you about Erica?”

He caught my hand and held on to it. He murmured, stepping close, “I didn’t know anything about her until you brought up her name, but I did ask Laura about her. She might’ve requested Erica for a reason.”

“Who’s Laura?” That wasn’t jealousy in my voice.

His fingers slid against mine, entwining our hands even more. “She’s my head publicist, and she runs everything from the PR aspect.” He tapped my chin, lifting my head. “I got your note.”

My breath caught and held in my throat. “You did?”

“I did.” There’d been a lighter note in his tone, but his voice dropped low. “Did you mean it? You don’t want to see me anymore?”

“Yes.”

He hadn’t asked the right question. He hadn’t asked if I wanted to mean it. I didn’t.

Right there, being in a dark closet with him, holding his hand, the desire to be with him was increasing in me. I didn’t want to mean it, not at all, but I bit back those words. Normal life meant no Kian. I wanted to be normal more than I wanted to be with him.

I murmured, “I’m sorry.”

The finger that tapped my chin rested there before it moved to smooth over my cheek in a soft caress.

A shiver racked through my body, filling every pore and cell with pleasure. I wanted to move into that touch, move into him, but I held back. I had to.

I whispered, “Kian.”

“I shouldn’t be in here with you then.”

I heard the regret from him. I heard the yearning, too. My own lurched to my chest and began to mount.

“Why did you grab me?” I winced at the sound of that. “You know what I mean.”

He chuckled, releasing my hand, only to cup the side of my face. I felt him leaning closer and closer until his breath coated my cheeks, my eyes, my lips. His forehead softly touched mine, and he rested there.

He murmured, “I shouldn’t be touching you like this. It’s dark and private in here, and I can’t help myself.” His thumb touched my lip.

My heart wanted to burst out of me. That touch…I was struggling against licking his thumb. It was right there. I began to pant.

He kept going, “Miss Hollister insisted on bringing me here to their private box for a drink. I didn’t want to, but Laura made me. Said it’d help with getting a positive angle on the story. I stayed for as long as I could handle it, but I’ve been wanting to find you since I saw your note. Are you absolutely sure, Jo?”

With his forehead resting on mine, he guided me backward until I touched the wall. I felt the space between our chests, but as soon as I felt the wall and I couldn’t move back anymore, he began to close the distance. The rub of his jeans grazed against my thighs. I could feel him through my pants. It was just a slight touch. He wasn’t pressing against me, but I wanted him to. I wanted to feel all of him.

“Kian,” I whispered. I was beginning not to think.

His thumb rubbed back and forth over my cheek. “When we were leaving, one of their friends arrived. They said you were here with that guy you’d said wasn’t your boyfriend.”

“Jake? What?”

“I snuck back in. I had to try.”

“But…” My mind was muddled. What was he talking about?

I couldn’t help myself. I touched a hand to his chest. He sucked in his breath, and I felt his heart lurch to my touch.

“If you want me gone, I’ll go.”

As he spoke, I felt his heart racing like mine.

He moved his mouth, so he was whispering right into my ear, his lips grazing my ear, “Change your mind. Please change your mind, Jo. I’m showing all my cards here. I have no shame. We’re connected, no matter how much distance or fake names are between us. That day in your bedroom put our lives together, and we have no say about it. I’ve always regretted that you saw what I did, but if I were put in the same situation again, if I saw him doing what he was doing to you, I’d do it all over again.”

I closed my eyes. He was saying the words I’d wondered about.

He kept whispering, “We don’t know each other, not really, but I just know how I feel right now.”

The last of my strength gave way. I leaned into him, sinking against his body, and Kian adjusted. He was now holding me in place. He was holding all of me.

His hand left my lips and curved around the back of my neck. “I understand why you’re scared. I’m scared for you, but I would never do anything to hurt you.”

My hand curled into a fist, resting on his chest.

“You don’t understand. I’ve only ever wanted to protect you. Since Edmund, every time I saw you in the courtroom, all I’ve known is that I have to protect you.”

Oh God.

He was saying everything I wanted to hear. Everything.

A small voice whispered in the back of my mind, But…

With Kian came the threat of being exposed. Even though every fiber of me wanted to agree to whatever he wanted, to go with him, to get to know him, somewhere in me was an inkling of strength that pulled me away. I had to cling to that last little bit of reservation and make it stronger. Doing that, I felt it spread inside me, and I looked up.

I saw into him and said, “I can’t, Kian. I…just…can’t.”

This was the second time I was saying good-bye.

My jaw hardened. I whispered, cupping his face as he was holding mine, “I want to, you know I do, but I can’t. Please, please don’t push this.”

I knew then, if he found me again, I wouldn’t have the strength to turn him away again. I would succumb.

I left the closet, but I had to admit that I wanted him to try again.

“You’re a dick,” Felicia greeted me as I headed inside our suite.

Her bags were packed and by the door, and she was glaring at me with hate in her eyes.