Chapter Two

Chapter TwoPresent dayIlifted my glass. “Now let’s make a toast.”“To what?” asked Cat.I hesitated as nothing came to mind. I shrugged at the beautiful, leggy blonde. “I don’t know. You think of something.”“We could toast that we’re the most awesome group of friends in the history of ever.”Sitting opposite me at the table, Izzy raised her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”“Me, too,” said Briar beside me, absently flicking aside her sleek, champagne-pink bangs.We all gently clinked glasses and sipped our drinks.I pursed my lips. “And maybe we could also toast that our girl Briar has been lucky enough to experience taking a cock up both holes at the same time.”Cat sighed at me, but her stunning green eyes glimmered with a reluctant amusement. “We were having a moment. You ruined it.”I glanced at each face. “So no one else is thinking that such luck deserves a toast?” I highly doubted it.After a moment, Izzy shrugged one shoulder. “All right, we can toast to that as well.”So we did.Beneath the table, I adjusted the hem of my ruched turquoise dress that crisscrossed around my stomach and then smiled at Briar. “Now be a dear and tell us which of your boys has the longest—”“Inaya,” hissed Cat.I widened my eyes. “What? I was going to say ‘recovery time.’ Really, Cat, your mind is always in the gutter.”Briar huffed, her slanted blue-green eyes twinkling. “Now you’re just deflecting.”“I’d rather be dancing.” I knocked back the last of my drink. “We gonna hit the dome or what?” A cross between a bar, a club, and a ballroom, the dome was the heart of the basement—a floor beneath the Vault, a twenty-four/hour exclusive nightclub that attracted the rich and famous.The Vault had a little something for everyone. Comedians and Dueling Piano shows could be enjoyed on the rooftop. Below that was the burlesque floor, which I loved. The main floor featured DJs, thumping music, fog machines, and spotlights. There were rumors about what took place on B2, but I’d never met anyone who could confirm or deny them.Here in the basement, there were various ways to spend your evening. You could sit here in the tastefully decorated lounge, either at the restaurant area or the bar area. You could dance your ass off in the dome. Or you could head to one of the private rooms—some resembled hotel suites, others were themed and so catered to all sorts of fantasies.No matter where you ventured in the basement, you could be sure of one thing—someone around you would be getting up to something raunchy. Public sex was a given here.Cat gestured at the other glasses, none of which were yet empty. “We need to finish these first.”The trio did no more than sip at their drinks.I groaned in exasperation. “If you guys can’t even toss back a drink you must be shit at swallowing.”“Inaya,” said Cat.“It was just an observation,” I defended.“It was you being a pain in our asses so we’ll hurry.” Cat shook her head. “Have a little patience.”“Why?”Briar snorted, smoothing a wrinkle out of her cobalt-blue strappy dress that clung perfectly to her curves. “How come you’re so eager to hit the dance floor?”“How come you’re not?” I shot back. “I’ll tell you why—now that all three of you are taken, you don’t find the same appeal in getting jiggy the fuck with it. Probably because you’re exhausted from how often you get laid.”Izzy chuckled and pointed her finger at me. “There’s likely some truth in that.”“You’re just jealous because you’re not getting sex on the regular,” Cat teased.“That I won’t deny, but I’m still right.” I looked at Briar. “Considering you do the dirty with two dudes on what’s probably a daily basis, you should be the most exhausted. But for some reason, it appears to be Izzy. Just what does Cole do to you?” I asked the brunette. “And how filthy is it?”A secret smile lit Izzy’s wide brown eyes that were a few shades darker than the gorgeous curls that fountained down her back like satin ribbons. I had total hair-envy around this woman. “I’ll tell you once I’ve had a few more drinks,” she said.“I will ply you with them when we’re in the dome. Now empty those glasses, ladies.” I tapped my wrist where a watch would be if I’d worn one. “Time’s a ticking.”They rolled their eyes and grumbled but drank what little was left of their drinks.“Right, I’m ready.” Izzy stood and adjusted the front of her plum-colored halter neck dress that highlighted her killer cleavage.I pushed out of my chair, delighted. “Boom.”Briar and Cat also rose to their feet, and then both led the way as we weaved through tables and sofas to make our way to the door at the other side of the lounge. I admired the back of Cat’s dress—thin, diagonal straps crisscrossed like shoe laces all the way to her lower back, flashing lots of sun-kissed skin. The bottom half of the red garment also had a gold zipper.All my friends were wearing something red tonight, signaling that they were claimed and therefore off the basement’s market—it was something every claimed member did, man or woman. I, however, didn’t have an arrangement with any of the club’s members. Though it wasn’t deliberate on my part. I didn’t pointedly avoid arrangements. I just hadn’t connected with anyone here.Finally reaching the door, we stepped out of the lounge and into the dimly lit hallway. We strode along it, passing many doors that led to private rooms, before eventually reaching the entrance to the dome. As per usual, it was packed. Strobe lights slashed through the darkness, beaming down at the many people dancing, whooping, and laughing on the checkered dance floor. Others lingered at the bar, sat at the tables, or hung near the columns and alcoves.We didn’t bother grabbing drinks from the bar; instead, we headed straight for the dance floor. None of us were close to inhibited, so we had no problem giving it our all. I could feel eyes on me, but I ignored the sensation. I wasn’t looking to chat with any guys tonight; I was here to have fun with my friends.We didn’t have girls’ nights out as much as we used to. Not now that Izzy, Briar, and Cat were all loved up. I was ecstatic for them. They deserved the happiness they’d found. And while I wasn’t envious in a bitter way, I did wish I had better luck with relationships.The non-celebrities I’d dated had either gotten tired of the media attention, grown irritated by how often we were approached in public by fans, or developed trust and jealousy issues. I’d tried dating within the music scene, since fellow artists could relate to your struggles, were used to dealing with paparazzi and tabloids, and even shared your goals, but none of those relationships had worked out.I’d only had one serious relationship prior to winning the talent show all those years ago, and that had ended worse than any of the relationships that followed. Inwardly flinching at the memories, I squeezed my eyes shut and visualized a stop sign. I was not going down that mental path. No. I was going to focus on enjoying this time with my friends.So I danced. Laughed. Hooted. Posed for selfies. Gently brushed off any guys who approached. But one such guy wasn’t so easy to move along. Anthony.Wonderful. Just wonderful.It really didn’t matter how often I’d tried communicating to the dude that nothing would happen between us, he never failed to try his luck. Still, he did walk away when I shot him a back-the-fuck-off scowl that could have flayed skin from bone. So I hadn’t expected him to shortly afterwards bar my path as I was returning from the restrooms. He had to have been waiting for me, because I hadn’t taken more than three steps onto the crowded dance floor before he appeared.Anthony grinned. “I was hoping you’d be here tonight.”I couldn’t imagine why, since we’d established that we didn’t have the same sexual tastes. He was a sadist. Me? I didn’t mind a teensy bit of pain in the sense that I liked my sex to be rough, raw, and dirty. But I was no masochist. Which I’d explained to him multiple times.“Let me buy you a drink.”Sidestepping his attempt to grab my arm, I said, “I’m good, thanks.” Nothing about my tone, expression, or body language was remotely welcoming, but his grin nonetheless widened.“One drink,” he coaxed, all charm. “There are things we need to talk about.”“If you’re going to again ask me to change my mind, the answer is no. You should go seek out a woman who’s into the same stuff as you.” It was surely pure common sense.He gave me a slow eye-fuck that made my stomach clench—and not in a good way. “I’d rather have you,” he said.“And I was clear that I’m not interested. I couldn’t possibly be clearer about what I do and I don’t want.” But he didn’t seem used to hearing the word ‘no.’ Well, being a CEO of a large and hugely successful company, he probably rarely did.“I could make you want it.”“Excuse me?”“I could train you to like pain, to want it, to crave it.”“Thanks, but no thanks.” I tried skirting around him, but he blocked my path.His lips thinning, he advanced on me. “You won’t even give it a chance.”“I don’t have to.” Was he not getting that?“If you’d just be open to giving it a try—”“But I don’t want to try it. Does that not matter to you? Is it only what you want that’s important?” It would seem so.The thing about having any level of fame was that you ceased being an actual person to many people. You ceased being someone who had a family, feelings, hobbies, fears, or even health issues. You were merely a celebrity in the eyes of some—that status, for them, defined you. And Anthony here … He didn’t see me. He saw a famous rock singer, and he wanted to dominate that artist because it would do something for his ego.“I’m walking away now,” I told him. “Don’t bother me again.” But the annoying piece of shit blocked my path once more. I hissed. “I swear to Christ, if you do that one more time—”“This guy bothering you?” someone asked from behind.I stilled. Oh, no. I knew that deep, raspy voice. Knew it as well as I knew my own. I’d sung or hummed along with it for many years while listening to the albums that the owner of that voice recorded. And I could still recall him bluntly informing me that, essentially, I wouldn’t make it as a rock artist.Anthony’s eyes darted over my shoulder. “This has nothing to do with you.”“I could give less of a fuck,” my rescuer told him. “She clearly doesn’t want to talk to you. Get out of her face, and leave her alone.”Anthony’s lips thinned, a muscle in his cheek ticking. He slammed his gaze on me, and something cruel glittered there for a moment. Then, muttering under his breath, he stalked off.The man behind me, however, didn’t go anywhere. I could feel his body heat radiating against my back.I couldn’t lie, I would seriously prefer not to talk to him—it wasn’t like he’d have anything pleasant to say. But it would be shitty of me to walk away without at least thanking him for intervening, since I’d been on the verge of punching Anthony right in the face—that would have risked me losing my membership.Subtly drawing in a preparatory breath, I slowly turned. And there was Kaiser Wolfe, looking all broody and self-assured and sexily indecent.Just as it had six years ago, my stomach went all fluttery.No matter how hard I’d tried, I’d never been able to stop wanting him. Never. I wasn’t sure if it would be possible.Still to this day, he was the only person who made me feel starstruck. As much as I reminded myself that he ate, slept, and shit like everyone else, that full-of-awe-and-wonder-feeling stubbornly surfaced whenever I was near him.Right then, there was no way to stop myself from drinking him in. It was crazy how someone could be a relative stranger to me … and yet, I knewevery angle of their face, the exact shade of their eyes, the precise shape of their full mouth, the location of each facial scar and freckle. Well, I’d had a lot of posters of him once upon a time.Even crazier was that I could still feel a modicum of possessiveness toward this person. I knew down to my bones that if I actually saw him touch or kiss another woman, I’d feel the burn of it. Which was why I never dared visually seek him out here at the Vault; I didn’t want to see him with others.Given that he’d recently become not only a member of the club but one of my neighbors, I’d known there was a chance I’d bump into him at some point—I’d been prepared for that. But I hadn’t thought he’d approach me for any reason.We’d crossed paths several times over the years while at the same venues, but we hadn’t conversed. I’d say something in passing like, “Well, if it isn’t my number one fan,” and he’d merely grunt.He also often leveled a cool stare at me. I often returned it with a bright smile. It was like a little game we played.I couldn’t really be offended by his lack of warmth toward me. Not while I’d personally witnessed how Kaiser didn’t make an effort to engage with anyone—not even fellow artists or others working within the industry. When such people crowded him, he mostly stood still and silent. He always looked so very alone, regardless of how many surrounded him.Even when he was photographed with women he dated, he somehow seemed apart from them, no matter how close they stood. He’d only recently got out of a relationship and, from the rumors I’d heard via the industry’s grapevine, the only person cut up about the separation was her.Did his past words still hurt me? Nah. I’d had plenty of time to get over them. Plus, I’d proven him wrong—there was some satisfaction in that.Still, it was disheartening to know that he’d likely never respect me or my music as a result of me not paying my dues or some shit. But the man was fully entitled to his opinion, wasn’t he? There was no fairness or sense in holding it against him. I wouldn’t find it acceptable for him to hold any of mine against me.Nonetheless, if we’d incidentally bumped into each other, I would have merely cast him a quick smile and tossed him a throwaway comment before walking off. But this wasn’t such a situation, was it?Really, I was shocked that Kaiser had intervened on my behalf just now. He generally didn’t seem to bother himself with other people’s business. His manager had once gotten into an argument with another artist backstage—a punch had even been thrown. Kaiser had done no more than spare them a disinterested glance.Focusing on the present, I gave him my usual bright smile. “Well hello, neighbor. It’s been a while since I last saw you in person. How’re things?”His gray eyes narrowed slightly. He always seemed so confused by how I was nice to him. “Fine,” he said after a few moments.One word. He’d said only one word. Yet that sexy-as-hell voice made goosebumps sweep up my arms.He slid his gaze toward the direction that Anthony had headed in. “Who’s he?”More than a little surprised that Kaiser hadn’t simply grunted and then done a disappearing act, I replied, “His name is Anthony Gibbons.”“I mean, who is he to you?”“Just a guy who wants what I don’t wish to give. Thanks for hurrying him along.” Not wanting to expand further, I changed the subject. “By the way, congrats on winning the Maverick Music Award for best album. It was well-deserved.” He might be an arrogant ass, but I’d never deny that his capacity for talent was bottomless.Again, those eyes narrowed. Like he couldn’t decide if I was being sarcastic or not.“Well, I’ve got to get back to my friends. Have a good night.” I was about to turn, but his words made me pause.“You’re not going to say anything about it, are you?” It was a statement, not a question.I slanted my head. “What?”He took a fluid step closer, making my pulse briefly skitter. “You know what. That I was wrong about you.”I blinked, genuinely surprised he’d admitted it.“You’ve never called me on it. Never bitched at me for it. Never smugly rubbed it in my face.”Going for airy, I shrugged. “Why would I bother to do any of that? Sounds boring. And there are far more interesting things in life to rub.”His eyes darkened and flared with heat, which took me totally off-guard. My still-fluttering stomach twisted almost viciously at the sight, and ghostly fingertips whispered their way down the length of my spine.Whoa, that was not good. I was too damn susceptible to him. It was as if, having spent so many years obsessing over him as a teen, I’d handed him some level of power over my body. It believed he was mine, and it had no problem belonging to him in turn.Sensing two women hovering close by, I took a quick peek at them. They were alternating between shooting me dark looks and casting him covetous glances. Ugh. “Your lady friends are waiting for you,” I told him, my gut knotting.“They’re not ‘my’ anything.”I loathedthat that relieved me. “I think it’s safe to say they’d be thrilled to change that.” Bitches. Okay, they probably weren’t bitches, but whatever.“I don’t want them.”And now I understood why he hadn’t long ago walked away. “You’re thinking that if you keep standing here talking to me they’ll eventually get bored and wander off. I don’t know if it’ll be that easy. They have that light in their eye.”“What light?”“The one you see in people who’re looking at a celebrity and see nothing but a celebrity. It’s kind of fanatical and obsessive and shallow.” Also kind of creepy at times. “You’re a pretty feather, and they want you in their cap.”“Guess you know what that’s like.”“It’s the problem I’m currently having with Anthony. Again, thanks for stepping in just now.”A glint of cunning slid into Kaiser’s eyes. “I’d say you owe me for that.”My brows dipped. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”“Yeah, you owe me.” He closed the small space between us, making my nerve-endings light up in anticipation. “I helped you shake off that prick. Now you have to help me shake off those women.”“How exactly?”“By making it look like I’m not going to be available tonight.” A warm hand splayed on my lower back and pulled me against him in a move so smooth, dominant, and utterly unapologetic that a breath stuttered out of me. “As soon as they walk off, I’ll let you go.” But not before was left unspoken.I should have bristled. But the part of me that yearned to submit—something I’d never confessed to anyone, not even my friends—yet had never found anyone worth my full surrender woke with a fury and rose to the surface. As if he drew it out of me just like that. As if it recognized the strength, authority, and assertiveness that seemed hardwired into him. Which made me seriously nervous, because I already had a weakness for this man. I didn’t need anything exacerbating it.His eyes followed the path of his free hand as he skimmed it up my arm and over my shoulder. He tugged at a lock of my hair. “Red as the devil.”Well there were streaks of black and purple in it but, yeah, it was a deep red all right. I didn’t say that, though. I didn’t speak at all. Didn’t move. All I could think was … He’s touching me. He’s actually touching me.Kaiser Wolfe, the man I’d once idiotically planned to marry, held me flush against him while now dancing his fingertips along my collarbone. The whole thing was freaking surreal. And my skin was tingling like a mother.He tilted his head, his gaze flitting all over my face. “Still just a baby, really, aren’t you?”“I’m twenty-five.”“A baby compared to me.”“That’s not stopping you from groping my ass.”His lips curving ever so slightly, he dipped his head and scraped his teeth over my pulse. “Well we’ve gotta make this believable, haven’t we?”I narrowed my eyes at his tone, sensing he thought that he was pushing me out of my comfort zone. Oh, please. I wasn’t so easy to daunt.I twisted my mouth, watching as his eyes dropped to it. “I guess we do. I should probably do something like this, then, shouldn’t I?” I looped my arms around his neck. “And maybe this.” I nipped his jaw hard while dragging my nails over his nape and around the side of his neck, raking one over the sensitive spot behind his ear.A little growl vibrated in his chest. Ooh, how fun. I held back an amused smirk by sheer force of will.One hand still keeping a death grip on my ass, Kaiser skimmed his other up my side. His finger flicked the zipper at the top of my dress. Then, keeping his intense gaze locked with mine, he dragged the zipper down a few inches.Dragged. It. Down.More, he slipped two fingers inside my dress to sweep them along the outer side of my breast. I silently cursed my skin for liking it; silently cursed my nipples for pebbling. He wasn’t touching me like this because he wanted to. He was trying to unnerve me.Well, if he honestly believed that I’d blush and fumble, he was out of his mind. I ground my hips against his, my heart skipping a beat when I realized his cock was hard. That I hadn’t expected.Something dark momentarily blazed in his eyes. “Careful.”I gave an innocent blink. “What? You want it to look realistic. I’m a girl who likes to grind.” I did it once more just to dick with him, ignoring how a zap of pleasure shot from my clit to my core.Kaiser growled and pinned my gaze with his. “You do that again, I will fuck you against that column over there.”Shock might have brought my thoughts to a screeching halt if defiance hadn’t shot through me. Just because I wanted to submit to someone didn’t mean I’d easily do it—especially with just anyone. Even if I did have a weakness for that ‘anyone.’I winged up a brow. “Who says I’d let you?”He dipped his face closer to mine. “If I slipped my finger into your panties right now, you wouldn’t ask me to stop.”Cocky bastard. “I’m not wearing panties. Prefer thongs. They’re easier to snap off when necessary.” I almost snickered as his nostrils flared and his eyes glittered.“You’re playing a dangerous game.”“You started it.” I gave his upper arm a patronizing pat. “You can back off if it’s getting too much, old timer.”“That mouth is going to get you in trouble.” His eyes dropped to it again, now gleaming with something that made my inner muscles throb. “One taste,” he said, though he seemed to be speaking to himself.Before I could think to respond, Kaiser lowered his mouth to mine and nipped at my bottom lip—a demand for entry. I parted my lips without thought. He sank his tongue inside and licked at my own. My hormones. Went. Wild.The kiss was soft, lazy, and wet. But … something happened. Changed. Flared between us like oil was tossed on a roaring fire. A growl poured down my throat, I broke out in a shiver, and the fingers splayed on my ass dug into my flesh through the dress.He pulled back ever so slightly, boring his gaze into mine. Seconds of a loaded silence ticked by. He bit out a harsh expletive, and then he was all-out ravishing my mouth like nothing else existed. It was a bruising, savage kiss that swept away my control.I arched into him, clinging to his solid shoulders. He jacked his hips forward and pressed his cock against my clit. I moaned into his mouth. Fuck, yes.The hand clutching my ass held me to him while his other hand slid up my nape and thrust into my hair, blunt nails scratching at my scalp. All kinds of levers got flicked as sensations drowned me—the burn of his mouth, his tight-enough-to-hurt grip, the feel of his cock roughly brushing over my clit, the scratch of his nails on my scalp.I met each roll of his hips over and over to get more friction, so hot and achy I didn’t give one single shit that my dignity was sailing away.Starved for air, I tried pulling back from the kiss to take a quick breath. Kaiser wouldn’t let me. The fingers tangled in my hair kept my head exactly where he wanted it. Jesus, he knew how to—Someone bumped into us, jolting us out of the moment, forcing us to break the kiss and loosen our holds on each other if we were to stay on our feet.Our breaths ragged, we stared at each other. Holy hell, that had been intense. Majorly intense. And my brain struggled to compute that it had actually happened.I had not one clue what Kaiser was thinking. Nothing in his expression gave anything away. But, given his repeated need to comment on my being ‘just a baby’ compared to him, I wondered if he might not be too happy with himself right now. It had only been a kiss, but still.Holding my gaze, he slowly released me. I did the same. He took a step back. I did the same.A muscle ticking in his cheek, he flexed his fingers. Struggling. He was struggling with something. I could sense it.Giving a small, fast shake of the head, he swore beneath his breath and then stalked off, disappearing into the crowd.I scrubbed a tremoring hand down my face, distantly noting that his admirers had also vanished. Mother of God, I’d just kissed the man I’d crushed on since I was twelve. A man I’d imagined kissing more times than I could count. A man who’d always seemed so completely unreachable to me, even when I became a celebrity and walked in his ‘world.’It’s no big deal, I told myself as I took a long breath and fixed my zipper. No big deal at all. I turned, intending to head back to my friends … only to discover that all three were sitting at a nearby table wearing huge-ass smirks. Sighing, I crossed to them.“Well, that was one fascinating show,” said Cat.I rolled back my shoulders. “It was a little kiss, that’s all.”Izzy let out a soft snort. “There was nothing little about it.”Briar nodded. “It was wild. How did it even come about?”I sighed. “Anthony was up in my space again. Kaiser ran him off, so I thanked him—”“With your tongue?” asked Izzy.I felt my lips flatten. “No. He wanted a favor in return. Some women were loitering near him, and he asked me to help get rid of them by making it seem like he wasn’t available.” I frowned. “It went a little further than I’d expected it to. It was like we were playing sexual chicken. And there was no way I was gonna back down.”“You said he didn’t like you,” Cat reminded me.I adjusted the strap of my dress. “Well he doesn’t.”“Seems that he likes you just fine to me,” said Briar. “He fucked your mouth with his tongue, and he made no bones about it.” She folded her arms. “I think it’s about time you told us what the deal is between you and him.”I scratched at my forehead. “I need a drink for this. And we should probably go somewhere a little quieter.”As a group, we returned to the lounge and claimed one of the large sofas across from the bar. A waitress was quick to appear. We ordered drinks and a basket of nachos.Once the waitress disappeared, I took a long breath and then began, “I first met Kaiser six years ago, shortly after I won the TV contest. I knew in advance that he’s shockingly rude but … As you know, my homelife was a little on the turbulent side.” I’d only told them dribs and drabs about it, not a fan of discussing it. “Music was my escape—whether I was singing or listening to it.”Cat dipped her chin in understanding. “Books were mine. Still are, really. You go somewhere else in your head; block out the outside world.”Yes, that was exactly how it had been for me—I’d closed my eyes and let the music drown out everything else. “I listened to Kaiser’s songs a lot growing up. For me, in a roundabout and weird kind of way, his voice and his music were there for me when there was no one else other than my grandmother. I know that doesn’t make sense—”“No, it does,” Cat assured me.I shrugged, not so sure I agreed. “Anyway, I had an embarrassingly huge crush on him when I was younger. And I mean huge. I was pretty much obsessed with him.”Briar’s lips kicked up. “You weren’t alone in that. A lot of women—old and young—developed an obsession with that dude.”“It still makes me cringe a little.” Though I couldn’t blame my younger self for losing her mind over him. “Of course, my obsession with him died as I got older, but my attraction to him didn’t go anywhere. So, taking everything into account, you can imagine how nervous I was approaching him.”“I’m not sure I’d have had the balls to do it,” said Izzy. “I’d have felt too awkward to look him in the eye.”The waitress reappeared and set our orders on the table. We thanked her, and she then left with a smile.I took a sip of my pink gin. “Knowing how rude he is, I wasn’t expecting anything from Kaiser when I approached him—not even a hello or a tip of the chin. But he did talk to me, and afterwards I kind of wished that he hadn’t.”Izzy frowned. “Why? What did he say?”I scraped my teeth over my bottom lip. “That, in so many words, I’d crash and burn because I hadn’t paid my dues and contest winners rarely achieve longevity.”Briar gaped in outrage. “He didn’t!”“He wasn’t trying to hurt me,” I said, putting down my glass. “He’s just a straight shooter who also happens to be naturally tactless. In his view, I was wasting my time and it was best I knew it.”“That didn’t give him the right to say it,” Briar insisted, plucking a nacho out of the basket.“It stung at first. Badly,” I admitted. “Partly because I’d idolized him for so long. But I shrugged it off eventually. And I went and proved him wrong, just as I warned him I would.”“So he apologized just now for being a presumptions prick?” asked Cat before tossing a small nacho into her mouth.I hesitated. “Not exactly. Well, not at all. I mean, he admitted to being wrong—I think, for him, that’s really as good as it gets. From what I’ve seen, Kaiser isn’t a man who makes apologies for anything he does or doesn’t do.”Briar shook her head, fuming. “I can’t believe you let him kiss you. Well, I can believe it—he’s mega hot. But he deserved to be shoved away.”“I know, but the minute he touched me I started thinking with my pink parts,” I confessed, feeling my shoulders slump. “He’s just so … Kaiser. And damn he knows how to kiss.”“It looked like one crazy hot kiss.” Cat took a sip of her neon-colored cocktail. “I half-expected him to take you right there.”I felt my brow furrow as I grabbed a nacho. “I wouldn’t have let it get that far.”Izzy picked up her drink. “Ha. You’re funny.”“I wouldn’t have!” I protested.“Bollocks, you’d have been all for it,” said Izzy. “That kiss was a bloody seven-bus pile up. Like years’ worth of sexual tension exploded. It was a long time coming, if you ask me.” She paused. “I’ve heard he likes sex rough. Thought you might find that interesting.”“I don’t.”“Again, you lie.”Briar threw Izzy an annoyed look. “After the stuff he said, we should be encouraging her to stay away from him.”“Well I would, but I don’t think she wants to,” Izzy told her. “And considering how often he stares at Inaya, I also don’t think he’ll stay away from her.”I frowned, biting into my nacho. “He said ‘one taste.’ That was all he wanted.”Izzy nodded. “But he took two just now, didn’t he? So think about that.”