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“It’s not so”

“Sooo … what? You wish you’d punched hiood measure?”

“I was thinking the gut, but breaking his nose probably would have given me equal satisfaction”

I couldn’t tell if he was kidding … or deathly serious That raw intensity I’d noted in the bar still exuded froe to him, one that made my nerves jump but which excited me all the same A surreal combination Definitely not a sane elixir to be tempted by, and yet … I was tempted by this man

For reasons I couldn’t fully fathom Reasons that ell beyond a si, unshakable way

Eventually finding h it sounded a bit breathy—as it had in the bar—I said, “Thanks again Especially for keeping h to contend with because of the storm”

“You handled it all well—until someone decided to manhandle you” He shook his head Ground his teeth He wasn’t letting the slight go

I wanted to ask him why it bothered him so much Kyle and the others had clearly been ready to come to my aid Why had this man felt it necessary to do so, particularly with the whole don’ton?

I eyed hi in his sculpted features andif perhaps he had a different agenda … though I couldn’t for the life of ht be

“Would you likeyour car around, Mr Bax?” Alex asked courteously, interrupting the broken silence I’d forgotten all about the valet Nothing else had existed for several minutes—except the two of us

“I’d appreciate that,” he said, his gaze still on h he spoke to Alex the way he had with Tat Guy When ere alone, he introduced hilowed, and his voice was low and seductive Making ht

Luckily, I remembered my own name “Ari DeMille”

He extended his hand I stared at it for a second or two, hedging against that anchoring temptation

Then I e for a business card in ency necessities—soon to be home to a backup outfit I placed the card in his palm to avoid an actual handshake I didn’t need to feel his skin ontoelse fanning the flames

Several lanced down at the white linen cardstock bearing lossy obsidian The back was a reverse color scheme, black with my Web and social media addresses in white script