“Babe, you’re mine. Anytime you’re in Slade you’re a VIP and drink free.”

Oh.

Cool.

“Really?” I asked.

He stared at me then shook his head and one side of his mouth curved up.

I guessed that was my answer since he said nothing further and although his head shake was negative my guess was his answer was positive.

Since he didn’t say anything, I did.

“Why water, Knight? I’m not drunk. I’m not even tipsy.”

“And you’re not gonna get that way. I’ll fuck you drunk, baby, but not the first time.”

My breath left me in a hard whoosh.

Knight kept talking. “So water, the rest of the night. You get me?”

I nodded.

His eyes moved over my face.

Then he asked, “You got anything for me?”

I stared. Then I panicked.

He gave me a driver, a VIP section and four free drinks (as well as unlimited San Pellegrino not to mention the dress I was wearing, etc.). Was I supposed to bring a thank you gift?

“Uh…” I mumbled then stopped.

“Anya, I haven’t seen you since Tuesday.”

This was true.

“I know,” I somewhat yelled over the music.

“And you got nothin’ for me?”

“Um…” I began, stopped then bit my lip.

His twitched, he dipped his face close and ordered, “Baby, fuckin’ kiss me.”

Oh.

God.

Oh God!

I’d never kissed him and he’d only kissed me once. And when he did, I didn’t really kiss him back I just went along for the ride.

Oh God.

God!

Well, fuck it. If I sucked it would only mean my world coming to an end.

No pressure.

Damn.

I lifted a hand to his neck, tipped my face back, held his eyes and pressed my lips to his.

Then I closed my eyes as I smelled his cologne.

God. Amazing.

I ran my tongue along the crease of his lips.

Then suddenly his arm was locked around me, my torso was tight to his, my body twisted so I was angled across his and partially in his lap and his other hand drove into my hair as his tongue thrust into my mouth and he kissed me.

Plunder.

I had it once.

I missed it desperately.

My arms circled his shoulders, one hand in his hair. I held on and enjoyed the heck out of the ride.

He broke the kiss but pressed my head in, his shifting so my lips were at his ear and his were at mine.

“You see me, four days, fourteen, four hours, Anya, you kiss me,” he growled in my ear.

“Okay,” I whispered in his.

His hand at my waist slid up my side then down as he murmured in my ear, “My baby and lemon drops.”

I shivered.

“When I fuck you drunk, you drink lemon drops.”

I shivered again and whispered, “Okay.”

“Okay,” he whispered back then, “Fuck. So fuckin’ sweet.”

I turned my head slightly so I could smell his neck.

I didn’t know what that was but whoever created his cologne should be given a medal, an island or their very own small country.

Knight, who didn’t miss much, didn’t miss me taking him in.

“You like that?” he asked.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Good,” he whispered back on an arm squeeze then I got another one that didn’t relax in a way that felt different and I pulled my head back to look at his profile.

He was focused on something that was not me and I twisted my head to see Hulk gesturing to him.

I felt Knight move and saw the end of a chin jerk then his eyes came to me.

“You gotta go,” I said softly.

His eyes moved over my face then back to mine.

“Yeah,” he replied softly.

I tipped my head to the side. “See you later?”

“Definitely.”

I smiled.

His eyes moved to my mouth, he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine.

Then he pulled back and locked our eyes.

“Did you wear the red for me?”

For some reason I felt timid suddenly but still I answered, “It’s your favorite color.”

I was rewarded immediately. His face got soft, his eyes got dark and his beautiful lips whispered, “Baby.”

And I instantly decided I was adding a lot more red to my wardrobe.

Then before I knew it, I was on my feet, my hand in his and he led me to Vivica.

“You’re on duty,” he informed her.

She smiled huge and he trailed his fingertips across my hip as his eyes held mine a second.

Then he was gone.

“I… fucking… love him,” Viv announced and my eyes went from where I last saw Knight to her.

Quick judgment.

Shocker.

“All the intel isn’t in yet,” I reminded her. “And you’ve been in his presence, like, a second.”

“Girl, this is what I know, that guy would have to be a freakin’ terrorist for me not to… love him.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Uh… that dress?” she answered.

Point well made.

“The look on your face right now,” she went on.

Another good point.

“The fact that he walked through a club that’s filled with beautiful people, most of them women, and from the instant I spotted him to the instant he left he only had eyes for you.”

My stomach melted.

“Really?” I whispered, my word swept away by the music but she watched my mouth move and nodded.

Game, set, match to Knight.

My eyes shifted to the floor and I grinned a secret grin that wasn’t really secret but it felt that way.

Vivica kept going.

“Nick, one look, douchebag motherfucker. Knight, one look, yeah, the guy is a guy you do not fuck with but other than that, class, command, confidence and cash. And that last in a way that he just has it because he earns it and he’s not in your face about it because he’s got so much of the other three he doesn’t need to be.”

“I already decided I’m going to explore this, Viv,” I shared something she knew loud enough for her to hear but hopefully not loud enough for the others around us. They were my friends but this kind of stuff was only for the close posse.

“Yeah, and what I’m saying is, as you do, that man, you’ll find out shit that will freak your shit right out. You power through, girl, and get to the other side. Because if he stays the way he is with you right now, and I am not talking about dresses and space age phones, I’m talking about him making the world melt away while he sits with you on a booth seat in the busiest club in Denver, it will be worth it.”

“What do you mean I’ll find out shit that will freak me out?”

She glanced around then pulled me to the side away from some friends.

Then she started talking.

“He went from a drag racer to a club owner in a hop, skip and a jump. Club success at age twenty-six. He’s the master of all you survey and as far as I know, answers to nobody. So that means no investors so that means he dumped his own money into this place. I have no clue but just the glasses cost a whack so the rest of this place, my guess, millions. I also have no clue about drag racing but, my guess, that doesn’t make a millionaire. He drives an Aston Martin. He owns seriously exclusive real estate and sends a driver to pick up his woman and her friends. He keeps his shit so tight nobody knows a thing about him and, trust me, I’ve been asking around. He owns Slade. He’s got a motherfucker for a brother. He drives a sweet ride. He does not date but he gets wild amounts of pussy by picking and choosing from his dance floor and none of those bitches talk but if you bring him up, they sure do smile. No one but no one who has all that, does all that and no one knows fuck all about all that doesn’t have secrets. Big ones. So he freaks your shit out, Anya, his secrets come out, you hold on and roll with it. Are you getting me?”

I stared at her.

Then I asked, “Wild amounts of pussy?”

She stared at me and stated emphatically, “Wild.”

Oh my God.

“Babe, girl, babe, listen to me,” she said quickly, her hand grabbing mine and I knew I must have been freaking out visibly as well as internally. I focused on her and she continued, “You know me. I do my homework. And that shit dried up two weeks ago.”

“You’re sure?” I asked.

“No. I’m no PI and I don’t follow him home. But I know folks who practically live here. They see him, know who he is and know he gets himself some and he hasn’t been checking out his regular smorgasbord in a while.”

My head tipped to the side. “He doesn’t date?”

“That’s the word.”

“What does that mean?”

“He likes you, he’ll cook for you at his house. He wants to get off, he does and you go home.”

Cooks for you at his house?

Oh God.

Vivica’s hand gave mine a squeeze. “Babe, he took you to Wynkoop’s. And I don’t have to remind you that he cooked for you but he didn’t do you.”

“Oh God.”

Her hand now gave mine a shake. “Babe, listen to me, the dresses, the phone, the car, the VIP section, not his MO. Wynkoop’s, definitely not. Intel is still comin’ in but it’s slow and there’s not much to be had. But if he was a man on the town, it wouldn’t be. People would see him and report back. They haven’t. His life is this club and his condo. The girls go there then the girls leave there and, more often than not, don’t come back. And they don’t go there for a steak, heart to heart conversation about their dead parents, a nap then he takes them out to eat and sends them home without a kiss. Nor, to my knowledge, does he show at their house in the middle of a night finally to get that kiss. He’s into you. If he was a big spender, his fuck buddies would be reigning supreme in one of these sections and doing it regularly. From what I heard, you are the first.”