All the overtly sexual comments he made, and the way my body instantly reacted to him, flood my brain. A man like Xavier, who has already shown that he is well versed in how to arouse the opposite sex, is not the ideal candidate to be honing ones flirting skills on. He’s the kind of guy a girl like Quinn can handle. But me? I’ve only had one serious boyfriend my entire life, and as much as I would like to say I attracted Jorge on my own, I can’t even take credit for landing him. If it weren’t for my father, that relationship wouldn’t have happened either.

“Hey.” Quinn taps the top of my head. “Whatever’s rolling around in there just forget it. Whatever you’re thinking about right now, think the opposite. Today is the first day of your new life—out with the old, shy Anna, in with the spunky new one. It’s time the rest of the world got to experience some of the fire that I know is hiding inside there. I’ve seen spunky Anna before and I like her. It’s time to explore the world.”

That’s the second time today someone has encouraged me to be the me who’s deep inside—to do what I feel, instead of what I think I should do.

I nod and smile at Quinn. “You’re right. That’s what coming here was supposed to be about. I need to learn to loosen up and live a little, and a sure thing like Phenomenal X feels like a good place to begin. I’m so tired of being the good girl, Quinn. The Goody-Two-shoes nobody ever wanted to be real friends with. Did you know I didn’t get invited to one single party in high school because kids were afraid I would narc them out?”

Quinn frowns and strokes the back of my head. “Oh, Anna, girl, that’s terrible, but I’m sure college was much better, right?”

I shake my head and fight back the tears that threaten to expose the years of sadness that plague me to this day. “Not really. By that time Father had set me up with Jorge who went to another Christian college across the state, and I never accepted any invites to any parties because I was afraid of upsetting Jorge or Father. Even though we’re not together a lot, I still feel like you’re my closet friend. You’re the only person who’s ever been really there for me.” I wipe a lone tear from my eye and sniff. “Ugh. Admitting that makes it all sound even lamer.”

She wraps her thin arms around my shoulders and pulls me in for a tight hug. “Screw all the assholes who can’t see how awesome you are. I’ll gladly accept the title of your best friend.”

I laugh softly and hug her back. “Thank you, Quinn. I feel like you and Aunt Dee rescued me.”

She pulls back and smiles. “What are best friends for?”

A couple hours after our heart-to-heart we’re seated at a corner booth at Gibby’s. Quinn is doing her best to attempt to get me drunk for the first time, and so far it’s working.

The fruity drinks she’s been supplying me with are delicious, and I can’t really taste the alcohol.

I throw back the rest of my drink and Quinn smiles. “Atta girl! Liquid courage, baby. You’re gonna need it the moment sexy X gets here.”

The moment he walks in the room, it’s like the air in the room becomes charged, and I feel a pull toward him. Even in the crowded room, my gaze instantly finds Xavier. My eyes stalk him as he walks across the room to the bar, most of the heads in the place turning as he passes by them.

His presence in a room is one that’s hard to miss.

Xavier leans against the bar casually, an elbow resting on the hardwood behind him as he chats with a blond woman and the short, mullet-man I recognize from the plane. Xavier’s broad shoulders fill out the black dress shirt he’s wearing and like before, he has the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His gaze drifts away from the company standing before him as he scans the faces in the busy bar.

The instant our eyes lock, all the air whooshes from my lungs. Everything in me screams to look away—that this guy is trouble with a capital T. I should be scared out of my mind that he’s staring right at me with those piercing blue eyes—but no matter how much I know I need to fight it, the intense need to find out what his skin feels like sliding against mine pushes me to allow this to happen. I have never lusted after a man like this before and as I realize that I’m undressing him with my eyes, my face flushes and I break our stare.

“Oh, good Lord,” Quinn murmurs next to me as she snuggles closer to my side in the booth. “The pictures do not do that man justice. He’s sexy as hell, and staring at you like he’s ready to eat you alive.”

“He’s not looking at me like that.”

Heat creeps up my neck again, surely deepening my blush. I risk another glance in his direction, and he licks his plump lips before pushing away from the bar, grabbing something off the counter in the process. Quinn’s right. He is staring at me like I’m the tastiest thing on earth as he slowly approaches me, much like a tiger stalking its prey.

I swallow hard as my heart thunders in my chest. My eyes grow wide as I stare at Quinn.

“What do I do? I’m not ready for this. I can’t do this.”

Nervous energy spreads through my body and I’m not quite sure how to handle myself. I’ve never felt this anxious before. The only thing I can think to do is flee from this dangerous man because I already know what’s on his mind. The urge to run right out of this bar before a full-on panic attack hits me is at the forefront of my mind as I rapidly become overwhelmed by his presence.

She places her hand on my bouncing thigh and holds it steady. “Calm down, Anna. I know this feels like I’m throwing you to the wolves, but you can do this. Think about what we talked about on the ride over here. You have the tools, remember? Don’t let him gain the upper hand at any point. You call the shots. You lead the conversation. Don’t let him sweet talk you into anything you aren’t ready for, and above all remember that I’m here for you. Just say the word and we’ll split.”

Her words of comfort help a lot, but they don’t change the fact that I’m in a completely new environment. Not only is this my first time at a bar, and the first time I’ve ever had alcohol, but it’s also the first time I’ve ever allowed myself to think about giving my body over to a man to do as he pleases, just because I want him so much.

Xavier’s heady stare bores into me as he approaches our table with a wicked grin. “Anna Cortez.” He holds my purse out in front of him with one thick finger. “If I didn’t know any better I would say you left this behind on purpose, just to see me again.”

I roll my eyes at his cocky tone. “You wish.”

His grin widens even more at my snarky comment as I stand and reach for my bag. He quickly wraps his fingers around it and jerks it just out of my grasp, teasing me like one would do to a puppy with a toy. This is pure entertainment for him. I grit my teeth as he holds it out again, only to repeat his silly little game of “keep away.” The taunting causes a low growl to escape from between my teeth.

I throw my hands on my hips. “Give me back my stuff, you…you…big jerk.”

He throws his head back and laughs heartily which only pisses me off more. I’m not trying to be funny. Can’t he see I’m being serious?

Those mesmerizing blue eyes twinkle with amusement. “Oh, a temper. I like that. Careful, good girl, you’re going to lose that title soon if you get me all riled up with your feisty little attitude. If I get too turned on, I’ll have no choice but to take you right here in this bar.”

I curl my lip in a mock show of disgust, pretending like I wouldn’t love to know just how worked up I’m getting him. I walk around the table to face him, determined to get my things back. “Like I said, X, you wish.”

The easygoing vibe and boyish charm he exuded only seconds ago disappears as he allows me to wrap my fingers around the strap of my purse that still dangles from his finger. The moment I have a firm grip on it, Xavier grabs me by the waist and pulls me tight against his body—the purse wedged between us is the only thing keeping our chests from colliding. I stare up at his face, fully aware of every point where our bodies touch.

Hands.

Hips.

Knees.

His hand pressing tightly against the small of my back.

The crazy idea of pushing forward a few inches and finding out what those sexy lips of his taste like zings through me, and I bite my lip, causing his crystal-clear blue eyes to drift down to my mouth before slowly moving back up to meet mine. “You’re right, beautiful. I do wish.”

My mouth gapes open. Normally I would have responded with some sort of witty comment telling him he didn’t have a chance with me, but I can’t deny the way I crave him.

I’m not sure how long we stay there like that, gazing into one another’s eyes, waiting for the other to make the next move, or at least say something, but before I’m ready Quinn’s voice drags me back to reality. “Anna, do you want to finish your drink? The ice is melting.”

Her subtle way of giving me an out if I need one isn’t missed by Xavier as we remain locked together. “I should get back to that drink. I can’t let it go to waste,” I murmur.

Xavier nods, like he understands things are moving a little too quickly for me. “Drinks, like most things, are always the best before time melts away the taste, leaving things bland and watered down. Everything is better when it’s fresh which is why I never miss an opportunity when I see something I like. I’m a firm believer in jumping on things right away.”

He stays tangled up with me, gauging my reaction to his words—words I don’t believe have anything to do with a drink. It’s more like the idea of this crazy connection we seem to feel toward each other is just a passing phase, but one we should act on right away.