“Aren’t we all?”

Darien looked at her but didn’t say anything.

She knew she touched on a sore spot for him, and for once she kept her mouth shut. Silence passed between them as he drove. When they arrived in town, he pulled to a stop in front of a department store but didn’t kill the engine. He bent towards her and she stiffened, her breath caught in her throat as he neared. Kiss me.

She might as well of not even been there because he just opened the glove compartment and pulled out a wallet.

“You keep your wallet in your glove compartment? What if someone stole your truck?”

He shrugged. “If they can find it, and they need it that bad then so be it.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

“That doesn’t bother me, Cassie.” He pulled out a fresh, crisp hundred-dollar bill and handed it to her.

“Oh, no, that’s way too much, honestly.”

“Spend as much of it as you want. If you need more then I’ll give you more.” She tentatively took the money, guilt riding her hard.

“I appreciate this.” She started to open the door but turned back and said, “But where will you be?”

“I’m going to go take care of some business. I’ll meet you back here in an hour.” She nodded, then before he could see it coming, she leaned across the seat and kissed him square on the mouth.

As far as first kisses went, this one did not disappoint. Yes, she was counting this as the first and not that brief peck from the first day. Okay, well maybe it did disappoint because he wasn’t kissing her back. In fact he sat still underneath her like he was a mime mimicking a statue.

She didn’t care about that at all, because his lips were warm and fit perfectly against hers. He lips were soft like silk and tasted decadent. Her tongue darted out and flicked across his bottom lip to bring that lush taste into her mouth. It was like sex on her tongue, and it only served to whet her appetite. A soft moan escaped her and pleasure bloomed in her veins.

But he still didn’t kiss her back. He did not cock his head or part his lips for her. He stayed still as if he was waiting for her to be finished. Cassie pulled back with a frown. She searched his eyes and tried to read his thoughts. His eyes were dark but with anger or was it something else? She wished she knew.

“Sorry,” she mumbled and started to scoot back to her seat. Hard, strong hands grabbed her. Her eyes shot to his and she had no choice but to move closer to him. His eyes were no longer dark, they smoldered. He didn’t stop dragging her until she was half in his big lap.

“You have no idea what you mess with,” he growled and then he slammed his mouth down on hers.

He didn’t kiss to taste or to learn. He kissed to capture and plunder, to demand obedience. His lips slanted over hers in a hot rush and then he thrust his thick tongue inside her mouth. Cassie could only moan as he took her mouth again and again. His tongue was so thick, he filled her mouth, and he tasted like she thought he would...perfect.

The hands on her cheek turned and fisted in her hair, holding her still for his plundering. Cassie realized that something she did had let loose the beast inside the man, inside the lykaen. And she was melting for him. His lips closed over hers before he slanted her head to the other side and took her mouth at this new angle. He let out an approving growl that had her sex weeping happily in response.

He kissed her for an eternity.

He kissed like a man tasting a woman’s lips for the first time. His raspy tongue licked at her lips before his teeth sunk into her, creating wild, hot sensations in her breasts and between her legs. He was savoring her with every pass of his lips, each swipe of his tongue against hers, and she sought him out eagerly, matching him pace by pace.

Abruptly, he pulled back and with that motion, he stole all the heat from her body. He pushed her shoulders away and closed his eyes.

“Get out.”

The cold hard words were like a stinging slap to the face. Cassie stumbled back to her seat, panting like she’d just run a mile, and fumbled for the doorknob. It took her several tries as she blindly wrenched the door open and jumped down out of the big truck. She landed hard on her feet and her ankle gave out. A sharp, burning pain from her ankle had her shouting out in agony.

Quickly, before she lost it, she slammed the truck door shut and wobbled as fast as she could to the department store door. She didn’t look back.

It didn’t matter because a second later she heard the truck back out and pull away. Cassie rushed to the lady’s bathroom and didn’t stop until she was locked in the tiny stall. The hot tears started spilling before she had the door locked. Not caring about the dirty public restroom, she sat down hard on the toilet seat and the let the tears come.

She bit her fist to keep from sobbing aloud. The last thing she wanted right now was some concerned lady asking her if she was all right. She’d just break down again.

Reaching for the toilet paper, she pulled down a huge rope of it and started blotting dry her face and hands. Her shirt was wet from drops of tears that had landed on her, but whatever.

Bitter anger settled in, happy to replace the tears. At this rate, Darien must think she was a psychopath. Her emotions were ranging from one extreme to another.

Feeling petty over her stupid overreaction, she flushed the toilet out of habit then went and washed her hands. Seeing her reflection made her want to break down and cry all over again. Being a natural redhead made her prone to pale skin that easily freckled, which either could be cute or a nasty mess like right now.

Wishing like hell she had a compact, she turned on the cold water and splashed some on her face. When she looked back at the mirror though her face only looked redder. Growling a curse, she snatched a paper towel and dabbed her face dry as she left the bathroom.

What was his problem anyways?

Who kisses like that and then growls at her to get out? She limped through the clothing racks and started picking up jeans and t-shirts, her usual repertoire. Her heart went out for him though. She could feel the pain he was holding so close to him. What is haunting you, Darien Kategan? His words came back to her: Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine. Could she really?

Some part of her, a part that was surprisingly not driven by her sex hormones, told her she could help. It told her that his man needed her. It was probably a load of bull, and she was just drawn to him because he was sexy. But no, even thinking that felt wrong.

Darien Kategan did intrigue her like no other, but how often was it that someone met a total stranger and felt such a wild, magnetic pull towards them? Often, she thought, thinking of many quick Vegas weddings. This was different than that, real. He troubled and needed help. Her help.

With a cocky smile, Cassie turned around and put the jeans and t-shirts she’d picked up back on the shelf. Instead, she went and grabbed a flowery skirt that dropped just to her knees and a white button-down silk shirt. The thought of him ripping open her shirt eagerly totally had nothing to do with that decision.

She grabbed some flat shoes that would be comfortable for walking, too. She found a couple more skirts, shirts, and some cute panties to add to her cart. She loved cute panties. She pouted as she thought of her big, two-drawer filled dresser back at home—err home wasn’t quite the word she wanted to use for that place. More like hell. Yeah, that fit much better.

Checking the time on the clock on the wall, she saw that she still had another thirty minutes. A happy thought came to her as she paid for her items. Her lykaen needed a gift. She spotted the perfect store out the window and marked that as her next location.

She grabbed her change from the young cashier and was practically skipping as she left the store. The sun was shining brightly in the clear sky and the whip of the wind was growing sharper, making her hair hit her face like soft slaps. She waited for traffic to pass and started to step out onto the street, but as she took her first step, the wind brought along a scent she was all too familiar with.