Page 2 of Relentless (Dark Confessions 3.50)

“Hey, yourself.” He smiled, his eyes lighting up even more.

“Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you.” My blush deepened, my body not stopping itself from the reaction this man had on me as I leaned into him.

“No? Should I check my pocket for my wallet?” He smiled as if it was the most carefree thing to ask, and I wasn’t sure if he was joking, flirting, or even fishing. Maybe all of the above.

“Um, no.” I tilted my head, looking at him as I stepped back a smidge, warning bells going off.

“Hm, well, maybe a drink?”

“You asking or offering?” I stepped back more as my arms crossed, assessing him. Removing the lust, I looked him over. He was dressed in a nice suit that fitted his clean-cut look. He was so far from the guy I typically went after, not that my hometown had a lot to choose from. The sexy man stared at me, letting me take him in. I kind of liked his confidence, even if I wasn’t used to men being this self-assured.

“Asking,” he replied when I met his eyes again. “But,” his face fell, “first, my boss has a few questions.”

The minute he said boss, I knew this wasn’t a casual meet-cute. Nope, he’d been waiting. Which could only mean I’d been had. Fear pulled in my belly, and I started to run through everything I knew about the layout of the building.

“Well, in that case, I’ll have to decline. You tell your boss if he’s interested in a girl, he should ask her himself.”

Thinking quick, I stomped on his foot with my heel and took off around him, kicking off my shoes as I did. Taking a corner, I ducked into the first room I found and immediately barricaded it. Turning, I took in the room, looking for the exit I remembered from the blueprints. Stripping out of the dress, I tossed it under a table and pulled out the cap from my bag. Thankfully, I’d been able to retrieve it, or I’d be screwed. Throwing my hair up, I tossed on a hoodie, hiding my shape and size, and walked through the door on the other side.

Slipping out into the hall, I kept my head down as I fell into the crowd, making my way toward the door. My heart pounded in my chest, and I struggled to hear anything outside of the sound. Adrenaline spiked through me, and my body felt like it was zinging from the overload. Once I was free of the place, I ducked into the first bar I saw and collapsed against the counter.

“Fucking hell, what a day.”

“You okay?” a deep rich voice asked, creating goosebumps on my skin.

Not looking up, I tugged off the hat and hoodie, pulling out a bright red leather jacket. Putting it on, I peered up, grinning at the hot bartender. “I will be. Please tell me you have a decent bourbon?”

“I’m guessing by the accent you’re from the south, so how about Knob Creek. Will that suffice?”

“Yes,” I moaned, already feeling it run over my tongue. Grinning wide, I settled into the bar, my body slowly releasing the energy it’d built up. The nervous need to check on the ring rode me, but I knew I couldn’t be seen pulling it out.Not here.Biding my time, I drank and flirted with the bartender, giving myself enough space to no longer be of interest to whoever the suited guys’ boss was.

“Hey, hot stuff,” a man in ripped jeans and a leather jacket said as he slid up to me. He was a stark contrast to the man from earlier, but someone I was used to dealing with. This was more my speed, and I’d only been kidding myself earlier, entertaining ideas the other guy was interested in me.

Men like him didn't want anything to do with women like me.

But this guy? He’d be perfect to scratch an itch and spend my night in Chicago with.

“I usually go by Nat, but hot stuff works.”

“Oh, you’re clever. I like that. I’m Mason.”

“So, Mason, buy me a drink?”

“Of course.”

He lifted his hand, and the bartender came over, his deep voice drawing my attention to him. His dark skin shimmered under the lights, and I found myself drawn to him.

“Another? I’m not sure this guy can afford it.” I stared at him, shocked he said something, too stunned to correct him.

“What did you say, asshole?” Mason roared, standing as he braced his hands against the bar.

Sighing, I pulled on his arm, dragging him out of the bar. The man with the sexy voice stayed back, watching me walk away as I did, his dark eyes following me the whole way. His forearms flexed as he leaned against the bartop, urging me to return back to him.

The voice inside of me that struggled to believe good things whispered he wasn’t interested, pushing me in the direction I was headed.

Mason started to rant about the guy when we got outside, and I found myself numbly agreeing, not sure what had just happened. His arm wrapped around me, and everything in me felt off, but I shoved it away, needing to focus. To no surprise, we ended up back at his small apartment, and I found myself wishing I hadn’t bypassed the hungry-eyed bartender or the suited hunk as Mason pumped and dumped, not even attempting to get me off.

He was at least nice enough to let me crash for the night, some of my worry about where I’d stay taken care of. When his breaths finally evened, I crawled out from under the covers, one of his t-shirts covering my body as I tiptoed over to my bag that lay on the floor. Unzipping it, I felt around in it for the case I’d locked the ring in, anxious to finally put my eyes on my prize. When my hand came up empty, panic started to seep in.

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