Chapter I

CHAPTER  PLAYLIST

Cemeteries of London By Coldplay

I’m With You By Avril Lavigne

Human By The Killers

Learn to Fly By The Foo Fighters

Creep By Radiohead

Untouched By The Veronicas

It is one of life’s mysteries to notice stars only when we are surrounded by darkness. It’s only then we realize how many of them there really are up there. Not that I was enjoying my star-gazing. Not one bit. It was just a little distraction, a game, to keep my mind off the unpleasant business call I had to make tonight.

 

The dark alley behind The Hogs’ Breath Bar – I swear that’s what it was called – was disserted. Or so I thought. I heard some clattering noises before I had a view of the whole place. Probably a cat eating from the dumpster. Yeah, I was being very hopeful tonight. There was a pile of rusting junk that used to be a car, in front of me. I took a peek passed it. There were people close to the back wall.  Two of them to be exact. A long-haired blond man was beating the crap out of a shorter one with darker hair. The short guy was making indiscernible whinnying sounds as I got closer. Neither had seen me yet, and I planned to keep it that way.

Maybe I had come at a bad time. Nah, ya think? There was a thud that brought me back from my reverie to the show playing in the dark. To my utter horror the tall blond had literally blasted the other man against the wall. At lightning speed he picked him up again and held him in place, pressing his throat painfully against the bricks.

“Tell me where he’s hiding Kit, you worthless coward!”

Kit was whimpering within the blond’s violent grasp. Without much thought he swung a punch smack in the middle of his face. There was blood. I didn’t need a clear visual to know. The thick substance was unmistakable. Some primitive part of my brain snapped. Run, RUN NOW! I was locked in place. Could it be we were both looking for the same man? I really wanted to crash the party and ask. It was the timing I wasn’t too sure about.

I should wait inside. When it was all over, maybe, I could get my chance with Kit. What was left of him that is. I turned to go as quietly as I had come, but accidentally kicked a beer bottle against the car remains. I cursed repeatedly under my breath. If I was lucky they wouldn’t notice. Yeah right. Luck alone wasn’t going to get the job done. Both men were adjusting their eyes to see me. For a moment I imagined what I’d look like to them. A shortish girl, pale as paper, with two raven braids, and a pair of terror-filled cobalt eyes. Great. The blond lowered his fighting stance a bit. Something shifted in his eyes. They went from solid blackness to regular dark eyes. Now I was officially freaked. Somewhere inside of me I knew I wasn’t supposed to see that.

 

“Sorry, sorry, don’t mind me… you guys go back to your thing…” Did I mention my tendency to babble when I’m scared?

The tall blond cocked his head slightly to the right, casting a curious look towards me. The short man took full advantage of the distraction. Freeing himself, he raced all the way to the safety of the parking lot and onto a gone-green Harley. All in a matter of seconds. The blond had started to chase him, but changed his mind midway. The bike sped away, which brought my attention back to him. His victim had gotten away and it was my fault. He was studying me like a rare object. Darn. I was sure that wasn’t good news. I did not want to be seen as rare, or an object, for that matter. I turned to go, taking a tentative step away.

 

“Why are you here?” I winced, shutting my eyes closed. The melody of his voice went from liquid to solid. The same rich texture of milk chocolate. Of course it couldn’t be that easy. There had to be a rule written somewhere about the bad guys always doing everything the hard way.

“I think we might be looking for the same person. Obviously his contact won’t be saying anything tonight.” I faced him very slowly. He hesitated about something, then started closing the gap between us.

“Do you mind if we speak inside?” I was still spooked. Honestly I wanted to disappear, but I needed answers. I really had to find this guy soon. So I shrugged, and resigned, followed him into the bar.

It was a Tuesday night, the crowds were low. We each took a stool at a far corner. He ordered Heineken. I asked for Perrier water. The weather was always a little weird this time of the year. It was the end of summer. The days were hot and then got cold after midnight, or so. We weren’t even close yet, so I had nothing to worry about. Right? I was still sweating from the heat outside. Wearing a shrunk black tank top and black leather pants was definitely not heat-friendly, only good enough to blend in. My new companion was also wearing black. From t-shirt, to leather pants, to boots. A monochromatic David in all his contrasting glory. Somehow I always found myself with irresistible men. Nowadays it’s quite hard to find ugly millionaires. Who happen to be the bulk of my clientele. May I add, I’ve always managed to resist. It certainly sounds cliché, but business and pleasure simply don’t mix. Besides, I’m more of a regular-kind-of-guy girl.

Ashen strands framed each side of his face, out of the low ponytail down his back. I shot a few suspicious glances at him. It never broke his concentration. He was so interested at first, and now I was invisible. Go figure. I was anxious to make eye contact. I couldn’t tell myself enough times that his eyes were perfectly human. He just sat there deep in thought. The clean-cut scratch on his right cheek, gleamed with a hint of blood, for a more dramatic effect. In the background Foo Fighters’ ‘Learn to Fly’ was playing.

“Who are you looking for?” That was my cue to examine closely my latest obsession. His eyes were gray clouds, with orange flickers around the pupils. Hard and precise. Capable of assessing every detail with an effortless glance. Perched on that stool was a dangerous predator. A panther hunting for his next prey. I took a steady breath. I could be a lot of things, but I was nobody’s prey.

“Why are you interested?” When in doubt answer with another question. Yes. I felt my confidence surface at last.

“If we are searching for the same man I have to know why you need him.” No emotions betrayed his purpose when he spoke. A smooth marble statue sat across from me.

“You have to know? Why?” The intensity of his stare made my skin crawl, and it wasn’t pleasant. I didn’t look away, he did.

“He took something from me.” He was moving closer as he spoke. Air caught in my throat, while he eye-balled my face. His energy reached for my skin. It rolled on my cheeks. Caressed my hair. It was my turn to frown and give him the bone-chilling stare. I wasn’t sure I could manage it, though. For all I knew, I ended up blushing. Darn. His broad lips curled up, just enough to show he was pleased.

Heat built up under my skin, hands hardened into fists, sitting forcefully on my lap.

“Your turn.” His voice had a different edge to it now. It was chocolate, melted within each word. He was so full of himself he just might burst. I was not a happy camper. Anger took  me over, strong enough to get up keeping eye contact. My frown was set in place.

“I’m leaving. If you want my services you’ll have to come to my office.” My chin held up in the air. He was looking up to me now.

“So not fair, Raven.” His eyes traveled up and down my body. Energy trailing behind them. I felt my jaw clench, as a shiver ran the length of me. I wanted so bad to slap him I froze. If I moved an inch nothing could save us. Something must have shown on my face, for his features became a marble mask once more, and his voice was back to a solid richness.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to insult you. Please forgive my carelessness. I’m willing to make amends…” I wasn’t quite satisfied, but it was a start.

 ”Would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow in my office. Truman and Terry Lane, number 401.” I took one last look at the likelihood of Michelangelo’s David, in case he never showed up. He grinned wide and troublesome. And it was only a grin, no energy attached. I tried not to show off as I walked towards the door, but with that panther stare on my back I failed miserably. And I was glad.

*****

Sometimes I feel people before I know they are close. It is still a strange sensation, even though I’ve felt it all my life. Call it a gift or a curse, but I can sense energy a lot better than your average human. Similar to a dog’s sense of smell, my sense of feel is somewhat over-developed. This ability usually sharpens, when I get to know people. In some cases I experience an affinity with certain individuals or things. I seem to also have a talent to influence the wrong crowd. It doesn’t happen by choice exactly. It’s more of a familiarity with everything that is, how can I put it… as weird as I am.

I sat in my office contemplating the lonely red rose that stood out from the mess of books and papers on my desk. She was elegantly propped by a crystal vase, a small card secured in its leaves. I took it absentmindedly and read it for the third time.

“Immensely looking forward to the pleasure of meeting you today.” The elaborate handwriting and choice of words confirmed my suspicion.

He was old-fashioned. There was a certain accent when he spoke last night, a strong clash between his aggressive outfit and his proper words. He was definitely not hiding it here. I wondered if it was only in writing he expressed himself like a gentleman. The more I thought about it, the more I remembered feeling something foreign about him. And the fact that he extended his energy to feel me was unnerving. Not to mention rude and strange as hell. I only knew of one type of creature who could tell I was feeling them. But I had only met one person who could feel others like I did. However, he couldn’t know when I was doing it to him. It was a one way energy display. He also had little control of it, which I did have, thankfully. I could manage the outgoing and incoming energy from him to me. With this man’s energy I had no say. It was very intrusive to touch someone with energy. Someone who could feel it, of course. It stirred things deeper inside than any physical contact was capable of.

I didn’t know anyone like me. With my limited experience on the matter I had to get more information. Had to try my skill on him to find out if he could feel my reach as well. Feeling him will let me better prepare myself, in case I ever saw him again. If he felt what I would do to him, then I will worry. I’ll worry a lot.

I still didn’t know at what time to expect him. Heck, he hadn’t even signed the stupid card! As far as I knew it could be from anyone. Well, probably no stranger would send me a flower with such a personal message, but there were still a bunch of crazy people out there. Maybe I was just a little bit upset I didn’t even know the name of the man who felt me up last night. Drama Queen, who me? I had to admit I was on the edgy side today. My first appointment had gone okay, but after I received the rose my concentration went out the window. I had no other clients today. Thank God.

There was a subtle change in the air. A presence I recognized. Seconds later I heard a knock on the door. At some point I hadn’t been aware of my heart had joined a race. It was so loud in my ears I was afraid he could hear it too. Two deep breaths, and I answered.

“Come in.”

Nothing could have prepared me for this encounter. There was a marble god at my door. His ashen blond hair spilled around his shoulders, the tips brushing the small of his back. It adorned his glowing face in perfect balance. Black Wayfarer sunglasses partly hid his eyes. He wore a midnight blue shirt, made of a soft-looking fabric good enough to rub against, fitting every imaginable muscle of his torso. Black velvet pants completed the outfit, snug from the waist down in all the right places. He didn’t stand in front of my desk. He posed. He smiled a knowing smile. And it was a sight worth seeing. I shook my head in defeat. He was stunning and we both knew it.

“I owe you a proper introduction.” He walked a few steps closer taking my hand. I stood up very slowly, burning holes into the dark glasses. I felt the intense weight of his stare back at me. Goose pumps branched through my arm from the touch of his hand. I barely held myself from giving into the sensation.

“My name is Asher.” He was perfectly at ease watching me, my hand in his. Until I realized I was supposed to introduce myself too.

“Piper…Grimm.” I threw a frustrated look at the bookcase. How did I manage to sound like I had forgotten my last name? Darn it! Asher didn’t miss a beat. His hand lifted mine to his lips, bringing my undivided attention back to him. He lingered for a moment inhaling the scent of my skin, then kissed it. I swallowed my heart back to its cavity, snatching my hand away as fast as was possible. Right that minute I decided there wouldn’t be any more physical contact between us. Not if I could help it. He was distracting enough to watch. I didn’t need the extra stimuli.

Going back to my chair, I had the comfort of the desk as a barrier between us. Asher’s features had rearranged into something naughty. A guilty pleasure to be had. Focus!

“A pleasure.” The sound of that word in his mouth was plain obscene.

“Please.” I nodded, offering the chair in front of me.

“To our business then.” I spoke more to help my concentration, than to his benefit.

“As you like. What exactly is it you do, Raven?”

“Well, I mostly work with clients who want to purchase rare objects. Sort of like an antiques dealer. I try to find what it is they’re looking for.” I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Finally I was in my comfort zone.

“Interesting. I think we’ll be working closely together then.” My stare was blank. My face controlled. But for a moment I didn’t know what to say to that.

“Why don’t we get to the point, shall we? What do you need from Kit?” I didn’t care how amused Asher appeared. I stood my ground, knowing I had something to hit at.

“Humour me for a second, Raven. What do you do if a client comes to you seeking a person, not an object?”

“I don’t do that type of job. And stop calling me that.” I crossed my arms studying his face carefully. Where the hell was he getting at?

“But if you are already searching for this person, wouldn’t you take another client and charge twice for the same job?” A smirk hinted warmly on his lips.

“So you are looking for Angra.”

“Yes. I am.” There was a short pause before he continued.

“The point, which you are eager to get to, is this: I want to hire you to find Angra, but I want to participate in the investigation. I have the ways and the means, all I’m missing is your expertise.” He put it in such a way that it was hard to argue. Then, why oh why, did this feel like something illegal?

“What did he take from you?”

“That, I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss. I’m sorry, but it’s a very personal matter.” There was that intensity in Asher’s eyes again. I felt the energy struggle to be set free. He held it back, which reminded me of my little experiment. My own energy increasingly bubbled up inside of me. A warm blanket spreading to every corner of my body much faster than usual. As if it had been waiting in the background without my knowledge. I breathed in, as deep as my lungs allowed, the citric scent in the air. That was enough to send an invisible wave of energy in his direction. I parted his lips with the rush. Slowed down through his shiny locks. Then hovered down his chest. He closed his eyes, head rolling back with a gasp. I was on a role. The energy led me, instead of the other way around. It stroked his thighs, dangerously close to a certain place I didn’t dare touch. My eyes opened up abruptly, and I didn’t remember closing them. I thought I was about to have a heart attack from the wild pounding against my ribs.

Asher remained motionless in the same position, except for the heaving of his upper body. Fingers knotted tightly around the armrests, to the point I thought the wood would snap sooner or later. An unintelligible whisper came out of my mouth. My face was flushed. Nails digging painfully into my palms desperate for a thread of reality. And the thought of not being able to touch him right now was just maddening. His head came forward suddenly. Unfocused pupils darted around my office avoiding my sight every time they came close. Why did we look like teenagers who’d been making out and didn’t know what they were getting themselves into? And why did I feel that way too? I don’t know which came first, the icy chill or the deafening fear. He stood up so abruptly I started.

“I need a moment.” His voice floated in a hoarse whisper, but he never faced me. Instead he disappeared quickly behind the door to the hall. Two shaky hands hid my face in disbelief. What am I doing! What’s wrong with me? Questions crashed into each other in my mind, until I thought my brain was going to explode. My steps around the small office echoed from a distant world. What did it mean that both our energies could interact? This was too puzzling. I couldn’t get distracted by this right now. There was a job I would get paid to do. I didn’t mix work with flirting, or making out, or whatever that was! It was a mistake. Darn him for starting this whole thing!

The door was opened from the outside. I took one questioning glance of Asher. I needed to see he was as confused as I was. Only he wasn’t. Aside from fisted hands, he was perfectly calm.

“I apologize, I forgot to knock.” He walked inside locking the door behind. I didn’t say a thing. I knew my voice would give away my hostility. I wouldn’t give him the sound, as well as the visual he was already getting. Yeah, I was a mess, but if he could get his act together at the speed of light, so could I. For now. For half an hour. Later I could indulge in the madness. Later. My spine straightened up. An expressionless blank, I strode purposefully back to my chair.

 

 

 

“Let’s clear a few things before you decide to hire me. First, I am in charge.”

“Of finding Angra.” He interrupted me.

“Yes. Second, I get what I need from him before you take care of your personal stuff.” He nodded softly.

“And third, we will deal strictly business.” I over-emphasized the word for reasons we were both well aware of.

“Alright. Anything else?”

“Yes. If the police come knocking at my door, you were looking for a worthy David.”

“An imitation of Michelangelo’s sculpture?”

“Mmhh. It’s just personal preference, nothing more.” Son of a gun. All he had to do was connect the dots. Heck, I didn’t even know why I said it! Great going Ms. Grimm. I was shuffling papers around my desk, trying to find a copy of a contract to fill out, and take his attention away from the wretched truth. He was the embodiment of David.

“Aren’t you going to ask how much I charge?” I took a wild guess at a dramatic change of subject.

“That won’t be a problem.” He gave me one of his teasing smiles.

*****

  

 The afternoon had turned cloudy. A mass of gray threatened to morph into a downpour at any moment. Blues, Books & Coffee, secluded around the corner from my apartment building, was as good as dead at noon. I had left my office, heading straight home, but when I got there I couldn’t stay still. So I changed, called my best friend Bennie, and asked her out for coffee. I had already ordered a white chocolate mocha and grabbed a book, by the time she arrived. Bennie was a private investigator and a heck of a badass. We met at the orphanage we both spent most of our childhoods in. We were the perfect partners. She was the strength and I was the brains. She knew about my gift. We had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of it when we ran away. Two seventeen year-olds, homeless, and alone. Yeah, there were many times I used my energy to influence those who I could. The weak and wicked. But that didn’t mean she liked it. Not even now, eight years later.

I usually avoided the subject for her comfort. Today was different. I needed to talk or I was going to do something stupid. Bennie walked inside, a slender brunette, fine curls bouncing artfully close to her face, meaningful hazel eyes searching for me. She spotted my table within seconds. The childish grin she wore lifted eight years off her age.   

“Hey there doll face.” She kissed my cheek. I didn’t speak. She arched a perfectly waxed eyebrow.

“I’m going to grab some tea and you’d better start talking when I get back.” She made me smile. Always did. There was no line, so she came back in a flash.

“Then? What’s bothering you? Is it work?” She took the chair opposite to me. I finally willed myself to talk. I didn’t even know where to begin.

“Yes and no.”

“Explain.” Her frown deepened.

I told her about last night at the bar. Then about the rose. And about the meeting afterward. She had become very observant. Necessary in her line of work. I left the worst for last.

“What aren’t you telling me?” She took a long seep of tea, eyes glued to mine.

“He felt me up and I gave it right back to him.” She choked on the mouthful she was swallowing.

“With energy Ben. He did it to me first and I was so bewildered about it I had to try it on him.” She winced automatically at the turn our conversation had taken. I ignored her.

“There’s never been anyone Ben… not one of them has been able to interact with me that way!” I leaned in, stressing how important this was.

“What about that guy with the weird eyes, Jude is it?”

“Jude can sense others, but that’s it.”

“Are you sure you didn’t just imagine this?” God I hated when she spun her skeptic-detective garbage on me.

I crossed my arms, clenching my teeth loudly. This was the last thing I needed right now.

“Yeah, I imagined the fact that I wanted to physically abuse him, because I felt violated, without him putting a finger on me. And also, the fact that we were both left gasping for air like a couple of horny teenagers after a make out session. Yeah, I have a vivid imagination. I’m crazy darn it! Isn’t that what you want to hear!” The earnest concern in her eyes made me waiver. The sudden silence helped to appease the anger.

“I never said that.” She added cautious to my reaction.

“Darn Bennie, as good as if you had! I don’t need this untrustworthy crap from you.”

“You know I trust you. Trusted you with my life many times actually. But I can’t help you there, doll face.” I knew she was sorry. Bennie was that type of person who never overtly apologized, but she made sure she excused herself regardless.

“You’re right. It’s just I had to get it off my chest. I don’t know what to make of it and it’s driving me insane.” I brought my attention back from the window, to my friend’s sweet smile.

“Why don’t you concentrate on tonight’s party and leave the rest on hold for now. Maybe you should talk to crazy-eyes Jude. I bet he’ll have something helpful to say.” She patted my hand reassuringly.

“Poor Jude, Ben! Please don’t call him that. I’ll ring him tomorrow. He’ll have something to say, alright. Whether it’s helpful or not, we’ll have to see about that.”

I had told Bennie that before Asher left my office he’d said there was a gathering tonight. The leathered group Angra surrounded himself with, was getting together at one of their houses. He’d also said he could get us in. I agreed. What else could I do? He was practically doing my job for me. This was, in part, why I was letting Bennie in on everything. She was one of my professional contacts and my number one back up in emergencies. She was always aware of what was going on. In case something happened to me, she knew where to go and who to blame. Even if the little devil didn’t show up, hopefully we could collect some new information on his whereabouts and get this over with.

“So I’ll gather everything I can find on Asher No-Last-Name, Angra No-Last-Name, and this address.”

“If you find anything important, before I leave at ten, call me.”

“Will do. I better get going then. See if I can get some stuff worked out before you leave.” I stood up too, book in hand.

“Yeah, me too. I want to take a long bath before the action goes down.”

“Hey, you buying that teen fiction?”

“Yep. You know, I’m kind of curious about ‘Twilight’. What can I say, I’ve been more in touch with my teenage side lately.” The implicit irony made us both smile, despite Bennie’s disapproving eyebrows.

*****

The bath was a good idea. It forced me to relax, which would have been impossible any other way. I was trying on outfit number four when the phone rang. Bennie’s research was cut very short for lack of material available. No criminal record on Asher or Angra and an address with no apparent owner.

“Piper, listen to me. Promise you’ll be extra careful with this one. These people know what they’re doing. They’re covering their tracks like professionals. This Asher guy may have a clean record, doubtful, but Angra the heck doesn’t.” I sighed letting my body fall on the bed.

“Don’t panic, Ben, I’m in thug mode as of right now.” The attempted joke obviously backfired.

“I’m going with you.” She sounded so resolved I feared I wouldn’t be able to talk her out of it.

“Relax, please! I’ll be fine. This is what I do for a living, remember?”

“You are so not taking this seriously!” If I’d had a mother half as concerned as Bennie I would’ve been proud.

“Just because I’m not freaking out doesn’t mean I’m not serious. I promise I’ll be extra careful, okay?”

There was a resigned grunt from the other end of the line.

“I hope you know what you’re doing. Besides we are not seventeen anymore.”

“Bennie please don’t get mad. I know you are so much tougher than little old me, but give me some credit, will you?” This finally worked the magic.

“I guess you should be able to keep some control for awhile, super powers and all.” I was giggling like a child and she gave up and joined me in the end.

“Look, I’ll keep you posted. If anything happens you’ll be the first to know. Deal?”

“Don’t I get a second choice?”

“No.”

“Fine, then.”

*****

I had finally decided on a black leather skirt and a corset, with black boots. Chic and comfortable enough to run the heck out if necessary. Asher and I agreed to meet at his house. I didn’t want him anywhere near my place. Heck no! The makeup was darker than usual. Then again it was all for the purpose of fitting in. Not that I wanted to bring out my cobalt blue eyes. Not at all. Alright, I never cared too much for it, but tonight, maybe I did a little. Hanging out with a marble rockstar slash leather-bound god, pardon me for wanting to look my best! There. Even if that meant I was still short by quite a few plastic surgeries.

His modest home – and I’m being ironic here – was majestically located at the end of Caroline Street, in Old Town, Bone Key. Three stories high and a block long it was impressive. The outside wooden porch showed signs of recent renovations. Even though this mansion probably dated back to the turn of the twentieth century, it was still awe inspiring. I usually liked antiques. Heck, I made my living from them. But this house, I was helplessly in love with. I sighed to myself climbing the steps to the front door. God, why did everything about this man had to be so fascinating? I hated him. I rang the bell and shifted anxiously on my feet half expecting a snobbish butler to greet me.

“Welcome.” I gulped in some air, as a shirtless Asher leaned comfortably into the doorframe. The hint of a smirk played on his lips, firing his stormy eyes. It didn’t take me too long to recover. I was getting the hang of this game. I waited for him, then he showed up looking even more gorgeous than before. Yep, I was getting better at it.

Caught up in my thoughts I hadn’t noticed the way he was entranced eyeing the edge of my skirt. The other hand hanging limp by his side was fingering an invisible texture. And just imagining he was thinking of touching the leather piece I was wearing made my cheeks burn. Son of a gun! Why did I always end up acting like a sixteen year old in front of him? My hands pulled down at the hem unconsciously, bringing his face up. He cleared his throat gaining back some of his composure and fixing his eyes on mine. Their intensity had diminished, but they still held that panther stare of his. He motioned with his arm for me to come in. For the first time I was pleased about the fact that he was the one speechless.

“Hey. Hope I wasn’t too early.” I smiled mischievously. Amazing. I was actually teasing him! Gave him a taste of his own medicine. Surprise, surprise! His expression turned incredulous. He was as astonished as I was of my attitude. I absolutely loved the effect, especially on someone as self-assured as he was.

Asher flashed his teeth dangerously on his way over to where I waited. The dim light of the foyer danced all over his naked chest. His skin glowed under the golden clarity. I was staring unashamed. My eyes glided leisurely across all that firm flesh. The muscles surrounding his navel hardened with each step, revealing how precariously low his jeans hung. He halted a foot away. A knowing, upward curve of his mouth touched his eyes.

“You had perfect timing, Raven. I was getting dressed when you called.”

“It’s Piper, and I’ll wait, I don’t mind.” I gave him my best unaffected facade.

“As a matter of fact, I was wondering if you’d mind helping me choose a shirt and another pair of pants. You see, I could switch combinations on the spot and you’d tell me your thoughts…” Him changing clothes in front of me? Did he honestly think I would fall for that?

“I’m sure you have plenty of good judgment all by yourself, Asher.” His name was so delicious to pronounce. For an instant I pondered if he tasted that good. Careful.  My conscience warned. He shrugged gracefully, moving in the opposite direction. He walked a few paces when he faced me again. Hands unbuttoning his jeans, he added casually,

“You and I have similar taste in clothes, Raven. For one thing, I crave that tiny skirt. I want my fingers wrapped around that leather. I want to see it tossed on my bedroom floor.”

The words floated in the silence. Asher was a solid sculpture. Unmovable. Only the carnelian specks in his eyes flickered brightly. I was determined not to listen to anymore nonsense coming from him. He was a big flirt, with a huge ego, and an unhealthy history of getting his way with women. His very own brand of a menacing-smug smile crept subtly onto his mouth. He truly thought he’d gotten to me. How sweet. Live and learn, you arrogant bastard.

“Oh, this old thing? I’ll borrow it to you any time, silly.” I accented my acting with a dismissive wave of the hand and an exaggerated roll of the eyes. He chuckled. Apparently all too pleased to say anything else. Then he went away at last.

Either he found my stupidity amusing, or he was thrilled to see me as a challenge. Both ways it was a lose-lose situation for me. Idiot or prize? Let me see… I would rather be anything than an idiot. And it’s not likely he’ll ‘wit’ his way into my pants. As long as there was no energy involved I was positive I could survive Asher’s charms. The energy part was tricky. But, if I ignored and sabotaged his come-ons, eventually he would grow bored and let it go. Right? All was to hoping my logic made any sense. Of one thing I was sure though, I would not be another item on his ‘Been There, Done That’ list.

Chapter 2 will be out shortly!  Check back soon!!!

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