Dominic snorted. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know and I’m still not convinced.” Meriel locked her jaw, holding her words back. Instead she rolled her eyes.

Which Dominic didn’t notice as there was some sort of dick-measuring moment taking place between the two men. She sighed loudly and grabbed her bag. This startled them both and Dominic put his hand on her elbow.

“Simon, you’ve met Meriel. I hope you enjoyed touching her because that was the last time it’ll ever happen. We’re going now. I’ll see you tomorrow. Keep an eye on the vampires near the back bar.”

Dominic put his body between them, his arm tight around her and walked her out the back door where her car waited. Interesting. She’d never experienced that level of possessiveness before and goddess help her, she liked it.

He stared at the powerful Camaro rumbling there. Waiting. “You said car. This isn’t a car. This is a dream. I’m impressed.” He moved the valet out of the way to hold her door open himself.

She walked around and got in. “It’s not mine. It’s my best friend Nell’s. She’s on her honeymoon so I’m driving it in her absence.”

He slid inside, his large form looking hot, even as he also appeared completely capable of violence if necessary.

“Oh, I’m so going to fuck you in this car, maybe on it as we’re both tall. I’m at 2nd and Broad. The garage entrance is on Broad.”

She didn’t tell him Nell would kill her for having sex in or on this car. It sounded really hot anyway. She followed his directions and they arrived in under two minutes. Neither spoke in that short time but for a few directional words from Dominic. The tension felt unbearably good.

The building had good security but she still worked a protection spell around the car. Nell would also kill her if that car got scratched. They’d been friends since both could walk so it would be bad to kill each other over a car scratch.

Meriel wished she could call Nell right then, to ask for some advice about this whole situation. Meriel could probably track her friend down. Nell would take the call and not ever complain. She was sure no one would give her better advice, but Meriel wanted her friend to have a honeymoon free from work or drama. She’d tell Nell about it when she returned. It was just a few days. Until then she was on her own. She handled lawyers and psychos all day long; it wasn’t like she was ill equipped to deal with this guy.

He held a hand out.

She took it, swallowing back a gasp as their contact reawakened the spark between them and their power surged again.

IT wasn’t until she stood in his living room that she made a decision and one she knew was right, even as she hated to say it out loud. “We can’t have sex tonight.”

He froze, blinking at her, disbelief on his features.

“What? Why? Did you hit your head on the way up from the garage?”

She allowed herself a long look at him. Holy crap was she in over her head here. He was so freaking hot. Long and tall, stylish. All the expensive clothes in the world couldn’t hide the very real fact that he was a predator though. He’d look delicious in a tux, but the brawler within would always be there, hinting at the edges.

So much more than he appeared on the surface. Which made her hungrier for him. She wanted to know his story. That longing to know was as powerful as her desire to be naked and sweaty with him.

That visual was so not helpful in her resolve. She twisted her fingers and ordered her hormones to knock it off. For all the good that did. They were doing a conga line and had two kegs tapped.

“I don’t know if I can explain this right.”

“Give it a try. Because I know you want me. I can feel it. I can taste your desire in the air.” He waved around agitatedly.

“Once we give in and have sex, this need between us will only get stronger.”

He interrupted with a sharp movement of his hand. “And this is bad why?”

It helped that he was being a cock. “Interrupt much? Seriously, do boys just say anything they have to to have sex? It’s like you’re all frozen at age fifteen.” She began to pace and he tossed himself on a nearby couch, arms crossed, glowering in her direction like she’d told him he couldn’t have a cookie until after dinner.

He made a sort of snorting sound that still managed to be smooth. “Please do enlighten me on why it’s bad to want each other more. And I’m going to have sex with you so I don’t need to say things designed to compel you.”

Smug bastard. He couldn’t know it, but she found boys to be utterly charming. Not because they tried to be. But because they were just totally from another universe. All that focus on sex, when they weren’t dickheaded manwhores like some men could be, was cute. She wisely withheld that commentary though. Stern. Yes, she needed to be stern.

“It’s become quite clear to me that you don’t know much about my world. You may or may not believe the whole bond-mate thing. I want you to want me for me. I want you to want what’s between us tomorrow and the day after. I don’t want to go forward and have sex and then next month or next year have you wonder, even just in the back of your mind if you would have made a different choice had we not rushed into sex.”

“Meriel, come here.” He held a hand out and she looked at him carefully. He was the human equivalent of sour cream and onion Pringles and egg rolls. So very good, but man, oh, man, could she be in trouble if she allowed herself to gorge on him.

Dominic started to laugh at how she looked at him. A few memories of what it was like to be a fifteen-year-old boy came back. “I promise we won’t do anything you don’t want to. I’ll stop when you say to.”

She snorted a laugh and moved to him, keeping some distance. “Next you’ll tell me you’ll only put the tip in. I’m onto you.”

Not liking the space between them, he grabbed her, pulling her boots off and freezing at the sight of her socks.

“You’re all business and then you reveal some small thing, like these socks.” He looked back to the Hello Kitty socks. He’d noted that she had socks on back at the club, but he was too busy looking at the legs and being bowled over by her presence to see the detail. The cat had on a ninja outfit and was wielding a sword looking silly and fierce. Just like she was.

“I like socks.” She blinked at him, he could tell, not sure whether to take him seriously or not. And he couldn’t really blame her. He wasn’t used to this whatever it was between them. He wasn’t an overly serious man any more than he was a silly one. He’d dated and he’d fucked a lot of women. He had women friends. But this was different and totally new territory for him. She made him feel things, want things he’d never imagined before.

“I like socks when they’re on you.” He slid his hand higher, over the curve of her calf, up her thigh, all while she watched him, clearly torn between interest and suspicion. “You’re taking me right back to high school, Meriel. What’s your middle name?”

Her brows knitted as she tried to figure out his game. She was out of her league, he was a con man, a master player and she didn’t have a chance against him.

Thank the heavens for it.

“Patrice. Why does this take you back to high school? Did you trick girls into sitting next to you and while complimenting their socks all innocent-like, you slid your hand up their thigh until your fingertips were just a whisper away from their panties? We’re all trained to foil your gender’s tricks, you know. I was a whiz at deflecting wandering hands.”

He sent her what was supposed to be a reassuring smile but she snorted so he knew she was on to him.

“I’m sure I said something like, I know you’re nervous, but I promise you’ll like it. Let me make you feel good, Meriel. I’m not teasing you now. I want that. How can it be wrong for me to want to give you pleasure?”