Chapter 2

Six Months Later

As I try to regain control of my racing heart, I find myself lost in the depths of his haunting green eyes. He’s ruggedly handsome even with a scar that runs down the left side of his face. And his crooked smile, that could melt panties. Mine. I have craved his lips on mine for months, but I already know I just made a huge mistake.

“You shouldn’t have kissed me,” Ian snaps, frustration lacing his words. I can see it in his eyes—he’s angry.

My cheeks glow with heat. He’s the cop working my case. The man who encouraged me to change my look, the vibrant red hair I once had was too conspicuous, so I followed his suggestion and transformed it into a lustrous shade of raven black, blending seamlessly with the darkness of the night. With his guidance, I adopted a new identity, shedding my former self as Harley Havardi and embracing the name Lana Sinclair. A nickname my brother called me by when we were younger seemed fitting, something to remember him by every time anyone in my new life says my name. Ian even helped me acquire fake identification to match my new persona. But beyond all of that, he’s the man who has shown me kindness in this harsh world, in these past six months. A world I realized, that even at the age of twenty-one, I knew nothing about it at all. I had lived a sheltered existence of a cushy boarding school, rubbing shoulders with the other elite children; my papa made sure of it. But now he’s gone, Ian’s been the one to take me under his protective wing and teach me how to survive.

I shouldn’t have mistaken his kindness for flirtation. He’s out of bounds in so many ways. I shouldn’t have kissed him, but when he looked at me like I was the only girl in the world, I wanted to believe him. I craved the touch of his lips against mine, the scratch of his stubble on my jaw, even if it could only happen once. I needed him to take me out of the darkness of my current hell, even if it was for just one moment in time.

He shakes his head, staring down at me with disapproval. I squirm under his scrutiny, feeling way too close to tears. Embarrassed, I try to shove out from under his hold, but he holds me firmly, with his muscular legs caging me in. “You shouldn’t have kissed me, Red, because now that I know you want me, I won’t be able to hold back.” He lowers his face toward mine, and I feel like my heart is going to stop. And then his lips crash with mine hungrily, devouring me in a way I’ve imagined so many times while rolling around on the mat of his MMA gym with him.

He wants me too.

The intense chemistry buzzing between us all this time wasn’t in my imagination. I run my hands through his short hair, bringing our faces closer as he kisses me passionately. My hips rise off the mat instinctively, wanting more connection with his solid body. I can feel the firmness of his body pressing against me, as his length pushes through his tight workout pants. I suck in a ragged breath, trying to get my needy body under control. This is a terrible idea.

“Fuck, Red, you’re so fucking perfect. I shouldn’t be touching you,” he warns as his hands slide over my tank top, running over the curves of my breasts. His words say no, but his rough touch says fuck yes.

I blink back up at him, feeling small and so insignificant under him; he’s a large and powerful man with the physique of a warrior and the intelligence of a genius. I’m no one compared to him. I had no right to kiss him in the first place, but my body begs for him anyway. “But I want you to,” I whisper, afraid of his rejection.

His lips curl into a wicked grin, revealing everything I need to know. “In that case, who am I to stand in the way of offering you everything you desire.”

His hand glides down my torso, causing goosebumps to rise in its path. The way he touches me is both intense and deliberate, almost like a form of exquisite torture. I have waited a long time to really feel his skin on mine. When he reaches lower, pushing in between my legs, my mind goes blank. All I see is him, all I feel is his deliberate touch rubbing his palm over my deprived pussy. I’m drenched with arousal, and I’m sure through the stretchy fabric of my yoga pants, he can feel exactly how turned on I am for him.

“Ian,” I moan his name in a plea, wanting him to touch me under my pants, not just tease me like he is.

His eyes meet mine, melting me into a pool with the deep lust I find. “Red, what is it that you want from me?” he purrs, all domineering. And I knew he would be. He exudes power in his everyday life, so of course he holds all the control in the bedroom. I know that was half my fascination with him, desperate to know what it would feel like to be with a man like him.

But, fuck, he’s going to make me say it. I can tell from the stern gaze on his rugged face. I swallow the lump in my throat, feeling uncertain about my ability to ask for what I want at a time like this. My fingers run down his arms, tracing over the ink on his tanned biceps. I’m afraid to admit how inexperienced I would be compared to him, considering he’s at least fifteen years older than me and looks like an Italian god. He’s the type of man you just know would be a Casanova, all charisma and smoldering looks, and with a job as detective on top of owning his MMA gym, he would have chicks lining up. Whereas little old me has only ever been with just one other man.

His hand brushes over my pussy again, sending a shiver right through me. “What can I do for you, Red?” he asks again, getting impatient with my lack of response.

I open my mouth to talk then close it again, I’m sure looking like a fish. Get your shit together, Harley , I curse myself. Why can’t I just ask for what I want? I deserve this. Something for me, a second to breathe in a life that has been turned upside down. “I want… I want you to touch me,” I finally stutter out, finding my voice.

“Where?” He raises a brow, his eyes roaming over my body leisurely. He hasn’t moved from the last grappling position we were practicing, and that leaves me flat on my back with him pinning me under his body.

Be brave, Harley, this god of a man wants to pleasure you, so tell him what you fucking want. “I want your fingers inside me.” I bite into my lip nervously, awaiting his response.

His thumb comes to my chin, forcing my head to tilt back and our eyes to meet. “Good girl, that wasn’t so hard, was it? From now on you tell me what you want. No being shy with me. We know each other so well after all our time together training. You can trust me to take care of you, can’t you?”

“Yes,” I squeak, wishing I could find some confidence from deep within. But he’s so intimidating, and the way he looks at me is hot as sin. He has me a total mess.

His grin widens as his hand slips into my yoga pants, fingers gliding through my juices as he explores my pussy.

I shiver with anticipation, enjoying every stroke. “Yes, please, touch me there, I want your fingers inside of me,” I beg as he brushes past my center deliberately.

With desperation taking over, I help him by tugging my pants down so he can get better access to my lady bits, thanking the Lord that I had the sense to shave this morning before my shift at the diner. After six months of us sharing most evenings together training, I’m completely smitten with him, and part of me can’t actually believe he’s touching me. But now that he is, I want him to be thinking about me as much as I am him. I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help it.

He chuckles darkly at my hurry, before shoving my legs apart and exposing me. I blush, burning heat coming off my face, but as soon as he pushes a thick finger inside me, knuckle-deep, I forget my embarrassment.

My hips rise to meet his finger, but he places a hand on my stomach to stop me from moving. “Oh, fuck.” My cry vibrates off the empty gym walls, reminding me we’re in the middle of the floor mat in the center of his gym. Panic suddenly races through me. “Did you lock the door?”

“Worried we might end up with an audience?” He smirks cheekily, continuing to stroke my core.

“You’re not?”

“It would make one hell of a show, watching me bring you undone. But you’re safe, Red. I want your cries all to myself.” He adds a second finger. Everything he’s doing takes me closer to euphoria. The way he’s curling his fingers inside me, the way he deliberately brushes over my clit with the palm of his hand. The way he bites my neck and tells me I’m a good girl. I can’t take much more.

“Ian, I want you to fuck me.” The words leave my lips before I can stop them, his strumming fingers giving me false confidence. I reach for his length, palming him through his workout shorts.

“I want to hear you scream first, Red.”

Oh, fuck.

He drops his mouth to my pussy and sucks my clit into his mouth, nipping at me as he finger-fucks me. A winning combination. It’s like he’s played with my body just like this a thousand times before. “How do you know me so well?” I break into a sweat, then tell I’m about to tip over the edge.

“You’re easy to read, and I’ve spent a lot of time studying you,” I think is what he murmurs into my pussy, but my head is too foggy to know for sure.

I’m tumbling, falling, gliding. As my body convulses around his fingers and I cum in a rush, I scream his name into the empty gym. Just like he said I would.

When the intense pulsing subsides, he pulls his fingers free and brings them up to my lips. “Taste yourself.”

I curl my tongue around his fingers, feeling a little dirty but more turned on than ever before.

“Suck,” he instructs.

And fuck, I do exactly as I’m told. I stroke over his cock at the same time, feeling him grow harder in my hold. He likes watching me be a little dirty for him. And man, it’s hot .

When my head stops spinning and he’s satisfied I have licked his fingers clean, he lifts me to standing with him. Lacing our hands together, he leads me over to the front counter and opens his wallet, producing a condom. My stomach clenches; we’re really going to do this.

Lifting me like I weigh nothing, he positions me on the counter in front of him, legs spread wide. His intense gaze scorches me as he shoves his pants out of the way. I reach for him, feeling his cock properly for the first time. He’s massive and throbbing with need, and he feels so fucking good in my hands. I want to taste him, but I know from the look in his eyes this is going the way he wants, and he wants to fuck. He rolls on the condom and looks me over with a look of pure satisfaction before lifting my hips and plowing straight into my tight pussy.

“Oh, Ian,” I cry out in shock, with his huge cock stretching me more than I have been in a long time.

“Now you know why I wanted you to cum first.” He smiles slyly. He knows how massive he is. Reaching for my tits, he pulls down my sports bra, palming my exposed flesh roughly as he moves inside of me, not giving me a second to catch up with him.

I groan, loving every delicious, callused touch. He’s hot as sin and fucks like a demon. I’m never going to recover from this.

He shoves more shit out of the way on the service desk, pulling my legs up higher so he can plunge in deeper. I let my eyes flutter closed, feeling every hard pump.

The phone on the desk next to us begins to vibrate. I see him swiftly scanning the screen. He silences me by pressing his finger to my lips as he answers the call.

“Hey, Chief. What can I do for you?” he asks, throwing me a charming smile .

Oh God, how mortifying. He’s on the phone with his superior while his cock is buried deep inside of me. Why did he answer the call?

“I’ll let her know.” He stirs within me once more as he listens to the woman speaking on the phone. “I’ll call you in the morning,” he informs his boss and then hangs up the phone. He scoops me up in his arms so our bodies are as close as we possibly can be, kissing my lips as he thrusts inside of me in deliberate movements. Before long, I find myself moaning his name once more as he climaxes inside me at the same time. The two of us are breathing heavily, drenched in sweat and exhausted. I can’t believe we just did that. I gape back at him, not sure what to do now.

He presses a featherlight kiss to my lips then pulls out of me, removing the condom and throwing it in the trash can under his counter. I roll off the counter and gather my discarded yoga pants and panties, wiggling back into them, before grabbing the bag I came in here with tonight. I need to take off before I make even more of a mess of our friendship.

When I find Ian, he’s dressed again as well and watching something on his phone, his brow creased. “You remember everything I taught you?”

I run a hand through my tangled mess of a ponytail, pulling the hair tie out. “Ahh. Right now, I can’t think straight, but yeah.” I redo my hair, throwing it back up in a high ponytail.

He firmly grips my shoulders, locking eyes with me, a profound seriousness taking hold of him. “No, not yeah. This is fucking serious, Red, I need to know you can protect yourself if you have to.”

As I stare back at him, his serious expression fills me with fear. “Why would I have to? The threat is gone, right? No one even knows I’m still alive. ”

“That was my boss. She needs those drawings you’ve been working on. We might have a lead, and I want this case wrapped up as soon as possible.” He pauses, his gaze intense. “I’m going to ask you one last time—do you have any idea what your papa was involved in?”

“He was a car salesman,” I huff, frustration bubbling up. We’ve gone over this a million times since the night my family was killed.

He hesitates before continuing, his voice lower, “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but it’ll be on the news by morning. Two guys matching the description of your attackers hit a local business tonight before burning it to the ground.”

“Fuck.” I wrap my arms protectively around my middle, a cold shiver running down my spine at the thought of the destruction. Memories of my own nightmare flash through my mind. “You have to get them. Lock them up.”

He pulls me closer, his voice softening as he tugs me back into him. “Come home with me.”

I give him a skeptical look, convinced that he has lost his fucking mind. “You’d get in a lot of trouble. Besides, they’re not after me. Dead girl, remember?”

His eyes flash with something I don’t like the look of. “Home, work, the gym, those are the only three places you go, right? Meet me back here tomorrow.”

I salute him even though I know he’s being deadly serious, and I wouldn’t go anywhere else anyway and he knows it. I’m not stupid. I might be a dead girl, but I don’t really want to end up in a shallow grave.