Chapter 1

Allison smoothedher skirt over her thighs as it fluttered up, her steps quick, heading toward her English class. The butterflies in her stomach had nothing to do with excitement over Matthew Lewis' The Monk. No, those butterflies were because of the route she was taking, one that took her almost five minutes out of her way, so she could pass by a particular spot on campus.

Her body recognized him almost before she saw him, her breath catching as he turned his head, his profile outlined by a clear blue sky. Todd Rinald and his frat brothers were hanging outside the gym as they always did this time of day when the weather was nice, and since spring arrived, there had been a lot of nice weather.

One day, she hadn't been in a hurry, so she'd taken a longer than usual route to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, and there he was, casually leaning against the stonework along the path, checking out the girls who walked by. Gorgeous, just over six feet tall with wavy black hair and deep brown eyes that most girls wanted to melt into. He looked like a pirate—a rogue. If he hadn't been so plebian, Allison might have considered dating him.

However, when your father was the president of a multi-million-dollar corporation, dating someone like Todd just wasn't done. She needed a man she could take to charity dinners, who could interact with state senators and CEOs, and who would help cement her father's image as the perfect family man and businessman. That kind of thing mattered. At twenty-six, Todd was older, even though they were both juniors in college. During the fall semester, he had been her lab partner in the last Chemistry class she'd ever have to take—thank God—and she'd found out this was his second time at college. He'd had to leave to earn more money and get another scholarship before he could return.

Not that anyone would look down on him for that—it was admirable, really—but he didn't come from the social set anyone she dated would have to be a part of. Daddy would never approve.

Which, of course, made him all the more interesting, especially because when she'd flirted with him, just for fun, he immediately shut her down. That dark gaze of his had left her stammering—and Allison Bradford was never at a loss for words. He'd made her feel like a silly little girl, not the confident and accomplished young woman she knew she was.

Walking by and ignoring him had become something of a ritual—a way to prove his rejection of her hadn't affected her at all. Not that he seemed to notice she was ignoring him. She seethed a little, but none of her inner turmoil showed on her face.

"Allison." The deep voice intoning her name made her jump, and a flush of heat ran up into her cheeks. Suddenly, he was standing right next to her. Damnit, how did he make her feel so small? At five feet seven inches, she wasn't exactly short, but next to Todd, she felt tiny, petite, delicate. No. She would not start thinking about how good that felt. It was just some kind of mind trick.

"Todd," she said, turning ninety degrees to bestow a dazzling smile on him. Allison knew she looked good today. She never passed by here unless she was looking fantastic. The short fluttering royal blue skirt highlighted her long legs, and the crisp white button-down top she wore was tailored to her curvy body with just enough buttons undone to give her a hint of cleavage, but nothing trashy. Of course, the fact he was looking down at her might give him a better view. Unconsciously, she took a deep breath, her chest swelling a bit.

"You walk by here a lot." The tone of his voice was indifferent, uncaring, just an observation. "Where are you headed?"

"English 301." The class all Juniors had to take.

She winced as his eyes drifted to the direction she'd come. For anyone who knew the campus, it was obvious she'd gone out of her way.

"It's so beautiful out lately," she said breezily, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder as she tried to cover her tracks. "I love walking around campus when it's like this."

"You never say hello when you pass."

The sudden change in topic made her grit her teeth. Todd had done this all last semester, too, always pushing her off balance, bluntly saying things, instead of talking around them politely. Every WASP bone in her body objected to the lack of cordiality. People weren't supposed to say things like that! But then again, she wasn't always a good WASP.

"Neither do you," she responded tartly. She started to turn on her heel, ready to leave him in her dust.

"Want to go grab a drink?"

Allison turned back, staring at him in disbelief. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his jeans, and the dark green shirt he was wearing looked fantastic against his olive complexion. The smile on his face was mocking—challenging. Sunglasses covered his eyes, but she felt as if she was being watched by some kind of predator—a hawk going after a rabbit or a fox. She didn't have to be a rabbit. She could be a predator, not his prey.

"I just said I'm on my way to class," she said finally and cursed inwardly as she realized she hadn't sounded firm as she'd intended. Her voice had been slightly breathy as if inviting him to talk her out of going.

"Of course," he said. "Wouldn't want to get you in trouble with Daddy for skipping class or drinking."

Damn him. She curled her hands into fists. As if she didn't have a mind of her own. Just because she lived at home with her parents didn't make her a little girl. She regretted ever mentioning her living situation to him.

"You know what? You're right. I could use a drink." Stepping closer to him and looking up into his face, she tried to see his eyes through the sunglasses. He didn't back away, just looked down at her as if assessing her intent. Smiling sweetly, Allison turned to start walking in the opposite direction she'd been heading. "You coming?"

She kept walking, determined not to turn around when she heard his frat buddies ribbing him. Then he was walking easily next to her, not even breathing hard, although he must have had to move quickly to catch up.

Two hours and four dry martinis later—martinis for her anyway, beer for Todd—Allison was surprised at how much fun she was having. They'd gone to one of the bars right next to the campus, which she'd never been to before because it wasn't exactly her kind of establishment. She'd expected he would spend the entire time mocking her like he had all last semester. The plan had been to have one drink to prove he didn't bother her, then dip out and leave him wishing she'd stayed. Instead, they'd talk about classes or his frat activities—his frat was running a fundraiser to benefit children with autism, and he was in charge of promoting it to local businesses.

Todd was easy to talk to. She didn't have to stand on her manners, he certainly didn't, and he didn't care if she cursed or said whatever was on her mind. The more she drank, the more holes she punched in her verbal filter.

"So, Allison." Todd leaned forward, his eyes traveling over her face and down her neck to her cleavage, eventually skimming over the skin of her thighs as she fought the instinct to push down the hem of her skirt. Something about the way Todd looked at her made her feel both sexy and vulnerable. "What made you agree to get a drink? I didn't think you actually were going to say yes."

Allison snorted. "Well, maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."

"Is that an invitation to get to know you better?" Instead of sounding turned on, like other guys who had used that line or one similar to it, he sounded amused. That really got under her skin.

"You wish." She sipped her martini, looking away, a small knot in her stomach. Allison was used to guys who asked her to dinner, showed up with flowers, and took her somewhere nice. Whatever she was doing here with Todd, it was way outside of her experience and made her feel unsure but excited.

A finger trailed down her thigh, and Allison shivered, becoming wet between her legs. Shocked eyes turned to look at him. Men didn't just reach out and touch her intimately, certainly not in public. The smirk on his face made her want to slap him… or kiss him, which was just about the stupidest thought she'd ever had.

"What do you wish, Allison?" His voice was lower, more intimate. She found herself leaning toward him without knowing why. The fingers that had just touched her leg brushed across her cheek, sweeping tumbled curls back, tucking them behind her ear. "What do you want?"

God, what a question. What did she want? Allison bit her lip, looking at him. What she wanted, she could never have—a normal life, the option to jump in the sack with the hot man in front of her and have crazy hot sex. But if it ever got out… Even now, she was risking her father's wrath by being in a bar with him. Of course, no one here should know her, so it shouldn't get back to her father. She should be safe. This was not behavior he would approve of and would infuriate him—no lower- or middle-class men for his darling girl.

Fingertips trailed across her cheek again, then curved under her chin. Todd's thumb pressed against her parted lips, rubbing the lower one sensuously. Allison barely managed to stifle the groan in the back of her throat. His dark eyes seemed to burrow into her, reading the rebellious and wild nature she kept carefully confined, hidden away behind the fa?ade and mask of upper-class respectability. With a wrench, Allison leaned back, pulling herself away and giving a half-laugh.

"What do I want? I want to be able to just be me." Taking a long swallow of her martini to wipe away the bitterness in her voice, she made a face as the words tumbled from her mouth. "Sometimes, I wish someone would just come along and make me do all the things I really want to do. Capture me and take me away. Or blackmail me into doing them, so at least it wouldn't be my choice, and I wouldn't have to feel guilty."

When Todd leaned forward, the movement caught her eye, and she turned to look at him. The intensity in his gaze made her insides tighten in a way she'd never felt before.

"And what do you really want to do?"

Allison looked back at him, into those melting dark eyes that seemed to look into her darkest desires and see her clearly without judgment. Her heartbeat fluttered, increasing as if she was running a race.

"Everything."