Prologue

PROLOGUE

MONROE - TWO YEARS AGO

"God, you have pretty tits. What did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't," I reply on a breath, grabbing him by his collar and jerking him to my mouth. As soon as our lips meet, just like they did in the back of the car on the way to this swanky ass hotel, fireworks explode around us. I moan into his mouth, realizing this is way out of character for the girl I'm trying to be, but I want to melt right into his kiss.

I'm not here to fall in love.

I'm here to get some strange dick.

He pulls back. "You're not going to give me anything?" he questions. "What am I supposed to yell out while I'm fucking you?"

I bark a laugh, surprised by his candor. "Who says I'm going to let you fuck me?" I ask.

"Babe, you're topless in my hotel room and the muscles in your stomach are quivering. We're fucking," he says with a cocky smirk .

This guy is too hot for his own damn good.

I step back, slapping both hands over my abdomen, which is in fact quivering. I can't let my body react like this. I need to stay in control. I gave all of myself to someone once, and it ended with me having to skip town and start all over. I just got here. I'm not doing that again.

"Listen, Val," I say as he steps back in and digs his long, thick fingers into the flesh of my waist. My body goes hot all over again with the way his touch is so firm, biting into me in the most delicious way. As soon as he traces his tongue in a wet line from the base of my throat to my earlobe, I moan loudly, almost losing my train of thought. "I…" I breathe. "I need this to be a one-time thing. No names. No personal details. Just sex."

He trails kisses over the side of my face, working his way back to my mouth. "I already gave you details," he murmurs. "I told you I'm in town for work, that I live in Florida, and that I'm going to blow your fucking mind tonight. The least you can give me is your name."

"How about I just suck your cock instead?" I say, dropping to my knees and bringing my fingers to the button of his dress pants. Hopefully the distraction will make him stop asking so many questions.

"Fuck," he groans, gripping my long, newly chocolate-brown hair. "I'm going to call you Mayhem. Because that's exactly what you look like down there. Chaos. Trouble. Like a riot I know I should run from, but I can't fucking look away."

I keep my gaze on his as I pull his pants and boxer briefs down in one go. My eyes widen and my mouth waters as his cock springs free. It's big and hard, with wide veins wrapping around it and a bead of precum sitting at the tip, waiting for me to drink.

I don't waste a fucking second. I need this so badly after everything I've been through in the past week. Packing everything you own into your small car and leaving the only place you've ever known to start all over by yourself takes a toll on you, and I just want to let go. The old Monroe needs to die so the new one can be born. I have a chance to be anyone I want now, and I'm choosing to be a bad bitch who takes what she wants and doesn't let anyone walk all over her. As far as everyone here knows, that's exactly what I am.

Leaning forward, I lap at the head of his dick before sucking it between my lips. I moan at the way he tastes as I feel myself growing wetter under my panties. Looking for relief, I squeeze my thighs together, but it's nowhere near enough friction to soothe the throbbing ache between them.

"Holy fuck," he rasps, gripping my hair tighter in his fist. "That's it, baby. Suck my cock." The sound of his voice, plus the way he's got his fist clenched tightly to my scalp has me taking him as far back as I can go, fighting against my gag reflex that's telling me to pull back. I've never done anything like this before, and I've never felt more alive.

Looking up, I almost orgasm without even being touched at the sight above me. Val's face is pointed up to the ceiling in pleasure, and I watch his Adam's apple bob as I suck his cock like it's the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. It's not far off. I could live off the flavor of his skin.

"You suck me so good. Fuck ," he grits out, thrusting his hips into my face. I feel powerful and owned at the same time, and it's making my blood run like lava through my veins.

I feel him get impossibly hard against my tongue and he pulls away with a jerk. A string of saliva connects us as I look up at him through my lashes, both of us gasping for air as we stare into one another.

"Up," he growls loudly. The tone of his voice has me on high alert, and while I should be running for the hills, it makes the throb between my legs intensify almost to the point of pain. I scurry to stand, willing to wait for further instruction, but I don't even get a second to think before I'm lifted off my feet and tossed onto the bed. I push up onto my elbows, watching as he stalks my way with a look in his eyes that I can only describe as predatory. Prowling toward me, I stare, not blinking a single time as he crawls over my body and leans down, pressing his mouth to my throat. I arch up to him, throwing my head back as he licks and sucks, but when he sinks his teeth into the sensitive skin of my neck, I hiss a breath through my teeth as pain radiates down toward my shoulder.

"I want to take you rough," he says. "Are you okay with that?"

I shouldn't be. His voice is dark and chilling…and it's possible that he just broke through my skin when he bit me. But fuck . I want more.

"Yes."

I blink my eyes rapidly, waiting for them to adjust to the early morning sun that's peeking through the blinds of the hotel room. Memories from last night slowly come back to me as I lie there, trapped under Val's muscled arm. The biting. The clawing. The way he worked my body until I was a desperate, writhing mess, begging for more pain to go with the pleasure he was giving me.

It was everything .

But I can't stay here. I need to sneak out somehow without waking him. He already had a million questions that I wasn't willing to answer last night, so I know if he gets the chance, they'll start right back up. Plus, I don't want to be late for my first day at the boutique, so I need to skedaddle.

Wiggling down the bed, I inch myself out from under his gigantic arm. Whatever this guy does for work has to be some type of manual labor. I bet he can pop someone's head right off their body with the inside of his elbow while chugging a beer with the other hand. I try to hold in my laugh at the mental image as I continue working my way down the mattress.

As soon as I'm out from under him, I rush around the room, picking up my clothes. My shirt and bra are right by the door, where he pulled them off of me as soon as we walked inside, unable to wait another second. I get them on, spinning quickly to look for the rest of my belongings. The pink linen micro skirt I wore to the bar last night is tossed over by the window. I run over, swiping it and sliding it up my legs before tiptoeing to where my panties lie bunched up by the bed. But when I go to put them on, I realize they're completely ruined. Memories of Val literally ripping them from my body flood my brain and I want to swan dive right the fuck back into the bed with him for another round. But I'm just going to have to settle for keeping last night's festivities in my spank bank for future use, because this can't be anything more.

I grab my clutch off the back of the armchair, moving to the door and taking one last look back at Val before reluctantly leaving him without saying goodbye.

Forty-five minutes later, I pull into the parking lot behind Praya, the luxury boutique where I just got hired. The drive from Boston to Hope Harbor wasn't too bad since I made it through the city before rush hour. I had to touch up last night's makeup and steer with one knee while I brushed the wild knots out of my hair, but I managed to make myself presentable.

And keeping an emergency pair of panties in my glove box?

What a power move.

I rush to the door with about ten minutes to spare before the store opens, smoothing my clothes down and walking in like a normal, confident individual who has her life together, even though I definitely don't.

"You must be Monroe!" an adorable blonde girl says as she stands and comes my way. "I'm Grace. I'm the assistant fashion buyer here. It's nice to meet you." I take her extended hand, returning her smile. She can't be more than a couple of years younger than me, if that, and I have a feeling we're going to get along really well.

"Likewise," I say, looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh!" she replies. "The ladies always meet for tea on Monday mornings before they come in, so they'll be a little behind. It's just us for about an hour. Until my brother gets here. He's a professional baseball player and his team is playing in Boston tonight, so he's dropping in to say hello before he has to be at the stadium."

"Oh, that's cool," I offer. "What's his na?—"

"Riggs!" she squeals, cutting me off as she runs to the door. She jumps into her brother's waiting arms and I turn around, smiling as I watch them embrace.

"Hey, Bunny," he says, and my blood goes cold when I hear his voice. As soon as she steps back, my eyes lock onto his. Eyes that I was just looking into hours ago as he ripped orgasm after orgasm from my exhausted body.

This lying motherfucker.