Page 9 of Rainstorm

Hissing.

Undeniable and veritable.

“Wait here,” I said to Zeph as I stood, ready to go after her.

“Don’t go there, Chase. A woman like that will have your nuts in her hands before you know it. You’ll end up totally pussy whipped. In fact, I’d bet she has a whip and some chains stashed in that big purse of hers.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I glared at him.

“Never ignore your basic instincts, of which number one is self-preservation. Granted, sex comes a close second, but in this instance, you really need to protect your balls,” he lectured me.

“Shut the fuck up, I’m not asking for your blessing.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I heard him groaning, but I was already walking across the restaurant, too drawn to her to turn back.

“I know what I’m doing,” I stated, my mind already focused solely on her.

I calmly walked over, even though I wanted to run to her, to make my claim, as something inside me sizzled and burned.

Irrational.

Visceral.

Instinctive.

My soul recognizing hers, calling hers.

Calling to her innermost depths.

Calling home.

???

She played hard to get, but her body betrayed her, shouting the words her mouth refused to pronounce.

And I wasn’t prepared to back off, because nothing worthwhile is ever easy, people say, and I was a firm believer.

I was not a sick fucker who forced a woman against her will. My parents raised me well. Don’t forget, I had four older sisters, and you can’t survive in a home dominated by women without being feminist to the core.

Only a strong man—a real one—is able to cherish and nurture the fierceness inside a woman. And I was not going to act like a weak man. So I didn’t give up when she tried to brush me off.

Her friend, who introduced herself as Mandy Sue, was a chatterbox. I had no idea how the air got into her lungs, but at least within a couple minutes I’d gleaned some facts about the goddess. Her name was Roselynn Banks, she was twenty-four, she was single and she’d been working on the TV show for the last two years. But as much I enjoyed learning these facts, I wanted Roselynnto tell me about herself, I craved hearing her sweet voice.

“Mandy, that’s enough,” Roselynn finally stated. “Look, Chase” she said, staring straight at me. “You have no idea what you’d be getting into if you hung out with me. I live in an apartment over my parents’ garage—they’re kind of overprotective. Plus, I have two big brothers trained to send away any man who dares to look at me. You’re a...” She paused, pointing her hands from my head to my toes. “Gorgeous man, and I am pretty sure women throw themselves at your feet, but that’s not me, ok? You think I’m pretty? Fine, I’ll take the compliment but that’s as far as it goes, because I’m not an easy fuck, so back off. You have been fair warned.”

Instead of making me want to run, I was amused by her string of fair warnings, my mouth sorely tempted to kiss those sassy lips of hers. More intrigued than ever, I found myself so, so tempted to immerse myself in the hot mess she said she was.

Hell, I wanted to make her mine.

Only mine.

I loved a challenge, I lived one. My life hadn’t been as easy as people assumed. Yes, I had the house, the money in the bank, the flashy new truck and an awesome career, but I had sweated my ass off to be in the place I was at that moment.

When I pulled my phone from my pocket, Roselynn looked askance at me, clearly not prepared to give me her number. But I wasn’t giving up that easy.

I knew it was going to take more than light banter to impress her.

Bring it on.

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