4. Chapter 2

Adeep, husky voice says my name and a shiver runs through me. It can"t be, can it? I look at the tall, attractive man beside me, and of course, it"s him. It"s like my mind conjured him up with the dream and just now with the fortune teller saying those things about love and happiness.

"Keith, is that really you?" I ask in almost a whisper.

"Yes, princess. It"s me."

He lifts his beer as if saluting me and takes a sip. I watch as the liquid passes his lips, and he swallows with a slow bob down his throat. There"s a jolt straight down to my sex, making me cross my legs, searching for relief. But there can"t be any relief, not with this man, anyway. I look back down at my drink, and the desire to flee overwhelms me. If I don"t leave, I will do a very bad thing.

I down my wine in one go and get up to leave. He grabs me by the arm before I can make my escape.

"Wait, where are you going, princess?"

"Anywhere. Away from here." I mutter without looking at him. He"s too tan, too beautiful. I can"t look, or I"ll be blinded and convinced of doing something forbidden.

"I haven"t seen you in years, Julie. Stay with me. Let"s get a table."

He gets up, signals something to the bartender, and pulls me toward an empty table. I know it was the wrong move because now I"m facing him in all his glory. I can tell he"s aged, but it looks good on him, damn it. Can"t a girl catch a break? A server approaches our table and puts down another beer for him, and what looks like a strawberry daiquiri is in front of me.

"How did…"

"I think you told me once that was your favorite drink."

I frown as I don"t remember having that conversation with him. I take a sip and let the sweet and tart flavor into my mouth. I let out a little moan of pleasure and briefly close my eyes. I take one more sip and let my eyes open. Keith seems to be studying me, and it makes my throat constrict just a bit. I decide to be stubborn about our situation and keep on sipping my drink.

"Why are you in Vegas, Jules?"

"Having some fun."

"Are you here by yourself?"

"Yup."

I see him getting ready to give me a lecture, and I grin. I give him the brightest smile I can muster and keep sipping my fruity drink.

"You think this is funny? It"s not safe for a single woman to be roaming around the streets of Las Vegas."

I put on my best outraged expression. "Who says I"m single?"

"After this drink, I"ll take you back to your hotel."

"I can get back without any help from you."

"I can"t let you do that. I owe it to your brother to take care of you."

"Right, my brother. Your best friend. The titanium barrier between us."

Fuck. I didn"t mean to say that. It shows that I might still be angry. Angry that he put that barrier between us nine years ago.

"Forget I said anything," I say.

I happily go back to my drink. Or at least that"s what I"m trying to broadcast. I"m happy, and I don"t care about you, and I"m not even a little bit wet. If only I could believe that myself. My panties are already drenched because of the flashbacks I"m getting of us having hot monkey sex together. He was my first, and after all these years, no one has compared to him. Not. A. One.

I"ve tried, I really have. But Keith Matthews is a man who claims you when he touches you, and that never goes away, no matter how hard you try. I look up at him again and find him frowning.

"Don"t frown. It"ll mark your handsome face."

"Do you still want me, princess? Do you still touch that pretty pussy of yours when you"re thinking about me?"

Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I look around to see if anyone has heard what he says. I think it just felt like a shout to me, and it made another jolt go straight to my clit this time. My mouth opens, but nothing comes out.

"Do you scream my name when you come, even when you"re with other men?"

My blush goes a deeper crimson, and I adjust myself in my chair to try to appease the treacherous pulse that"s between my legs. How does he know that? It"s happened too many times to count now, and it"s the reason I"ve stopped dating altogether. I pick up my drink and press it to my right cheek, hoping it will cool me down a bit.

The cool glass brings me some relief, and I close my eyes for a brief moment. When I open them, I see his smug smile and I want to wipe it from his face. I want to lie to him, to say that I haven"t thought of him once since that night, but I can"t bring myself to do that.

"I"ve decided to become celibate," I announce with a straight face.

He bursts out laughing. A delicious sound that makes me squeeze my thighs together. I"m actually not lying. Ever since that last boyfriend a year ago, I just stopped trying. Never mind that I came to Vegas thinking I might hook up with someone.

"Princess, that pretty pussy of yours is too hungry to go without. Let me make it all better."

He reaches over and takes my hand. The warmth of his skin immediately seeps into my own, going from my hand directly to my core. I make a noise that sounds like a whimper as I look into his sapphire eyes. I pull at my hand, but he won"t let go. I take a deep breath and refuse to look away.

"No one can make it all better, least of all you."

"Give me a chance, and I"ll have your ass up, taking me deep inside your tight cunt."

"Why are you doing this? Saying all these things? Getting me hot and bothered, when you yourself put a stop to what could have been us."

"Seeing you again has done something to me. You"re even more beautiful than I remember, Jules. Sexier, hotter, good enough to eat. I won"t waste this second opportunity."

I manage to get my hand back and hide both of them in my lap. I feel like fanning myself. It"s so hot in here. But I need to stop letting his words faze me. Yes, he"s saying all the right things, but back then, when he rejected me, I was shattered. It took me years to be able to date other men, and even then, I don"t think I ever healed entirely.

Should I risk my heart again? He"s not promising anything. This could be a one-time deal, and I"ll be left in pieces all over again. I hear a glass shatter, and all the sounds of the bar come back into focus for me. That"s the pull he has over me, and I hate it.

"One night, that"s all I can give you, Keith. Take it or leave it."

"Okay, but it starts now, I can"t wait to have you. Go to the ladies' room, and I"ll follow you."

I blink and get up from the table. I think I"m in a lot of trouble.