Page 12 of F*cking Shattered

Seeing him again, in the darkness of this club, not knowing his name, only makes me want him more. He’s dark and mysterious, and that makes him dangerous. Something I’ve never been attracted to before.

I order a strong drink and throw it back the second it’s in my hand. I set the glass on the bar and when I turn around, he’s standing right beside me. He looks over at me with something in his eyes I can’t place.

He leans in close and his scent drifts my way, causing this fog to settle over me. “Why’d you walk away?”

I swallow down the fear that’s bubbling up my throat. “I’m just confused.”

His eyes bore into mine like he’s searching for something. “What confuses you?”

“Everything. Why this happened. Why I’m here. Why you have taken such an interest in me.”

He gives me a lopsided grin. “I took an interest in you because I can see you’re in as much pain as I’m in. I thought we could keep our mind off it awhile, together.”

His hot breath blowing across my neck causes a shiver to run through me, goosebumps break out across my skin.

“I don’t even know who you are.”

He waves down the bartender and motions between the two of us. “And I don’t know who you are.”

The bartender places a new drink in front of us both. I pick it up and take a drink. “And that doesn’t bother you?”

He shakes his head before taking a drink. “Nope, the only thing that bothers me is how you obviously want this too, but you’re avoiding it…or too afraid of it.”

I feel like he’s insulted me. My back straightens and I square my shoulders. “I’m not afraid of you.”

He finishes his drink and turns to look at me. “You’re not afraid of me, but you are afraid to let yourself feel free for a while.”

I throw the rest of my drink back and turn my whole body in his direction. “That’s what you think? That I’m so uptight that I can’t even dance with a stranger?”

He shrugs. “I bet you wouldn’t know how to have a good time if it kicked you in the ass.”

My eyes squint before I rise to his challenge. I grab his hand and pull him back out to the center of the dance floor. When I turn to face him, he has a big smile that’s spreading across his face.

I place my arms around his neck and pull myself against him. He grabs hold of my hips and keeps me close. His hand snakes around my back and rests just above my ass. We’re locked into some sort of staring competition, so close that our lips are almost touching. His hot breath blows across my skin, and the way he’s moving against me feels too good. I find myself closing my eyes, enjoying the reactions he’s causing in me.

I’m completely unprepared when his lips touch mine. My eyes pop open before I relax and give into him. He’s pushing me and I know it. He wants to prove to me that I can’t have fun and be free. He’s going to push me to my limit, push me until I cave and run away. But I won’t. Not this time.

This time, it’s for Katie.

With a surge of bravery, I let my hand fall from his neck. It glides over his chest and down to his growing erection. I brush against it and the moment I do, his lips still as he sucks in a hissing breath.

He breaks the kiss, and with the darkest eyes I’ve ever seen, says, “what do you think you’re doing?”

I offer up a flirtatious smile and take a step back. “Living in the moment. Letting go. Having fun. Don’t tell me you’re the one that’s afraid now.”

He pulls me back against him. “Don’t start a fire you don’t know how to put out, sweetheart.”

I bite my bottom lip and look into his dark eyes. His words only egg me on. “I have no doubt in my firefighting capabilities.”

Without a second thought, he takes my hand and pulls me behind him, leading me out the door and around the building to the back alley.

When we round the corner, he spins me around and pushes my back against the wall. He presses himself against me with his hands holding firm at my hips. “How sure are you now, princess?”

“I’m no fucking princess.” I wrap my hand around the back of his neck and pull his lips to mine forcefully. His tongue dives inside, twisting with my own and further fueling my passion. His hands travel my body, pulling me closer, teasing all the right places. I’m practically dripping with need for him, for this man I don’t know.

His hand runs up the outside of my thigh and under my dress, pushing the thin material out of his way. He grabs my panties, pulling at them until the lace rips and falls at my feet. The thin lace being pulled so roughly burns the skin of my hips, but the pain somehow mingles with pleasure, creating this yearning to form in the pit of my stomach, something I’ve never felt before.

I’ve never had sex like this. It’s always been slow and causal. Not rough, hard, and animalistic. When he breaks the kiss, I open my eyes to see him standing in front of me. His chest is heaving, his jaw is flexed, and his eyes are as black as night.

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