It was strange how one mistake could change a person's life so drastically. Once upon a time, she would have flirted with a man like Rome, but now she knew better than to be swayed by a pretty face. One never could tell what lies beneath the polished surface.

"Fine, thanks,” she finally answered.

Suddenly she realized she was in a small bedroom with a very virile male, a male who was looking at her as if she was a delicious dessert he wouldn't mind spending the next few hours licking. Slowly.

A warm blush filled her cheeks and she could do nothing to stop it. "That will be all thank you," she said crisply and squeezed past him to open the front door. She stood next to it, waiting as he strolled slowly towards her. She held her breath when he stopped close to her. Keep going, keep going, she chanted.

Instead, he faced her and lifted her chin with a long finger. The corner of his mouth was curved upwards taunting and full. "If you need anything at all beautiful, just let me know. I’m sorry it took something awful to bring you here. But I’m glad you’re here. If you need anything, I'm your man." She shivered at his words. He leaned down close, his lips scant inches from hers.

Oh God, don't kiss me she begged, slamming her eyes shut. Hot breath teased her lips and they parted, the traitors. And then she felt it, the press of his lips against hers. His lips were smooth and matched perfectly against hers. A hot pulse throbbed directly in her sex and her breasts suddenly ached to be touched. Then he lifted his head. It was over too fast, or not fast enough. Definitely not fast enough.

Her eyes fluttered open to see a darkness in his hazel eyes that wasn't there before a dark, intriguing color that could only mean one thing.

"Please go," she said quickly.

He grinned at her taking in everything, her flush, her wet lips, her chest moving a little too fast, and then he nodded as if he'd done a good job.

"Vane has sentries posted all over, especially near the guest cabin. So relax and don't worry. But remember," he paused at the doorway, the light from the street creating a golden halo around him. "If you need anything, I'm here."

Alison slammed the door in his laughing face.

Rome was still smiling when he returned to his house.

He didn't know what it was about the quiet Alison Bennson that rattled him so, but she really got to him. There was something about her prim little black glasses and dismissive nature towards him that just taunted him to prove her wrong, to push her until she forfeited. True he had never pursued a woman who clearly hated him, but so far, he found the act quite entertaining.

In the past, he'd pursued women for the sake of getting them to bed, and that had never been a difficult feat. Most women were eager to be with him, didn't want to leave afterwards. Yet it wasn't just the pursuit and challenge of seducing Alison that made his blood stir. In fact, he couldn't remember ever being so captivated by a woman.

Since he met her some two months ago, he'd had trouble getting her off his mind. He'd first seen her while he and his brother Darien were keeping watch outside of Sarina's father's house. Her father was an asshole with some supreme control issues that would probably take serious psychiatric help to cure. Alison had pulled up in her blue Civic and marched to the front door with the same determined stride he'd seen tonight.

He'd watched her from the woods. It was embarrassing really, but just watching her tight pants, those square bangs across her forehead, and those black glasses. She looked like a naughty teacher he wanted to discipline him. With a jolt, he’d looked down to see his cock was hard in his pants.

Strolling into the bathroom, he turned on the water, waited until it got hot and stepped in. He knew what he really needed was some frigid temperatures to cool the heat in his veins, but he couldn't make himself do it. He was too revved up after that kiss. Hell, after everything.

She was in danger and that made his protective urges flare to life like never before. Sure, he'd plowed his fist into a few people’s faces for looking at his sister wrong when she was young, but this was somehow different. Vane told him the bastard had jerked off on her bed, right where she slept.

His fist curled tightly, he needed to find out what Alison's history was with the bastard Prince Conlin. After her words with Conlin at Sarina and Vane's bonding ceremony, it was obvious Conlin was furious. Fuck, he should have seen it. He should have checked in on her, protected her.

Instead he'd spent the last two months fucking his fist while thinking about her. Hell, he'd even broken things off with his fling, Sandra. It might have been a mistake too considering how his cock was as hard and long as a monument. But he honestly couldn't continue to string her along, not when it was another he craved. A woman with hair the color of dark chocolate and a body so luscious and curvy he wanted to spends hours just learning it with his tongue.

God, he shouldn't have kissed her. He grabbed his hard cock in his hand and squeezed the stiff flesh with a groan. Not that he didn't want to kiss her, but he wanted so much more than she was really to give. He definitely planned on finding out what she had against him; every time she was around him she was stiff and edgy. She could barely look him in the eyes, yet she wasn't that way with Vane or even Darien, and surely not Sarina. It was just him.

He didn’t know whether to feel honored or pissed off.

His other hand reached down to cup his sac and squeeze the flesh. He pumped some conditioner into his palm and went back to his cock, squeezing and stroking with long, smooth glides. Christ, he'd wanted to thrust his tongue in her mouth until she was pushing his head down to her needy little nipples and begging him to suck her. He imagined it, saw him thrusting his fingers into her sex and pump them inside her, make her come on his fingers. His breath came in short bursts as he pictured kneeling before her and licking her wet clitoris until she was humping his face and screaming his name. Then he would wrap her legs around his waist and shove into her tight flesh, right there against the wall.

He threw his head back, the tendons in his neck standing out sharply as his orgasm rushed closer and closer. His hand pumped faster, faster, tighter over the head of his cock, and as he imagined slamming into her with her sweet little body and coming so deeply inside her. He exploded. Grunting roughly, fighting to catch his breath, he jetted hot semen over the tile walls. He leaned against the wet wall until he had his breathing under control.

He washed the conditioner and come off his cock, and turning off the shower, he realized that what he just did was more exciting than sex had been with Sandra. Alison was a mystery wrapped up in a neat, sexy little package. He was going to figure her out, and along the way, he was going to have her, over and over again.

The next morning was one of the strangest of her life. Alison woke up in an unfamiliar bed and home. She felt oddly disjointed, as if she was living out someone else’s life that morning. Sarina called her woke her up from her nightmarish sleep, to inform her she was coming right over.

So she made a point to put on a pot of coffee and take a quick shower. When a knock sounded at the door a little while later she didn't think to look through the peephole first. She should have. Because then she could have ignored it.

"Hello beautiful. You look good enough to eat." How Rome managed to say such simple words and not sound lame was impressive. But when he said it, his eyes were dark and serious as if he meant it. Surely he didn't. He was drop-dead gorgeous, a veritable god to women. It had to be pity that made him be so nice to her. That and he had a dick.