I recognized them as the girl’s friends.
“I wouldn’t mind a piece of him myself,” the one with wide eyes said.
The brown friend slapped her on the arm and stabbed a finger in her face.
“Don’t you dare, Charlotte! Emma’s in desperate need of a shag and you’re not about to take it from her. I’ve never seen her like this around a guy before.”
“I know, right?” the one called Charlotte said. “It’s like she’s become a completely different person.”
The brown one frowned over her drink and set it down.
“Maybe we should intervene.”
“We shouldn’t ruin her evening, Olivia. She just needs to let her hair down. It’s been a while since she was last with somebody.”
“Greg,” Olivia said, rolling her eyes. “What a nightmare. No wonder she hasn’t seen anyone else since. He almost put me off cock too.”
Charlotte snorted.
“I don’t believe anything could ween you off your addiction.”
“I said ‘almost’, didn’t I?”
Charlotte chuckled.
“Do you think she’ll want to take him back to her room?”
“I hope so. She needs proper protection and she’s not going to get it in his room.”
I glanced over at the table with the girl—her name was Emma, and what a beautiful name it was!—and my Shadow.
They were still deep in conversation.
She threw back her head of gorgeous blonde hair and laughed hard but I couldn’t hear it over the music.
I didn’t want to hear it.
Not when he was the one making her do it.
And to think how the evening might turn out…
What he might do to her if he got his way with her.
I couldn’t let that happen.
And wouldn’t let it happen.
I downed the drink and although I desired another, I decided against it.
I needed to keep my wits sharp.
Emma’s life depended on it.
Emma
Iav leaned forward and placed his hand on my bare knee, prickling my skin with goosebumps.
Instead of pulling away, I uncrossed my legs and eased forward a little so his hand automatically trailed up.
You slut!
And yet, did I feel embarrassed for doing it?
No.
I felt exhilarated.
It was all I could do not to throw myself across the table at him right now and tear his clothes off.
His thumb gently rubbed the soft skin of my inner thigh.
“How about we go somewhere quiet?” he whispered in my ear.
“Yes,” I said. “I would like that very much.”
Would I? Who the hell was speaking?
“Good,” Iav said with a deep growl at the back of his throat.
He stood up, took me by the hand, and led me toward the exit.
I caught sight of my friends at the bar.
I reached over and took Olivia by the arm.
“I’m taking him back to the apartment,” I said, unable to disguise the giddiness in my voice. “Can you guys give us a little time alone?”
The smile on Olivia’s face was crooked, like someone had squeezed from the middle of a tube of toothpaste.
Her eyes roamed over to Iav and returned to me.
She lowered her voice.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Oh yes, very sure.”
Olivia’s eyes shifted between mine, her brow furrowed with concern.
“Okay,” she said before leaning in close. “But remember. Use appropriate protection.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I will. Don’t worry.”
I embraced Olivia, then Charlotte.
“Wish me luck.”
Charlotte ran a confident eye over Iav.
“Oh, honey, I don’t think luck is going to have anything to do with it.”
I shoved the front door open with my shoulder and stumbled into the entranceway.
My heels clattered against the tile floor and I almost pitched over.
It happened every time I returned home.
“Sorry. The door always sticks.”
I wrenched the key from the lock, almost snapping it in half.
I backed away as Iav entered and tripped on the raised step leading into the front room.
“That’s the step’s fault,” I said defensively. “I never understood why they built it that way.”
Because they never intended for a klutz to live here, that’s why.
“Hm?” Iav said.
His attention was focused entirely on my ass.
His eyes rose to mine and there was no mistaking the hungry look in his eye.
“You, uh, have to take your shoes off,” I said. “Olivia’s touchy about keeping everything clean and tidy.”
I slipped my heels off—which were really portable torture devices—and gratefully tossed them in the shoe cupboard.
Iav slipped his polished black shoes off and placed them inside the cupboard beside mine.
I was surprised by that, and I wasn’t entirely sure why.
Maybe because most men were untidy creatures?
Or maybe it was because he was so big, so strong, that I assumed he wouldn’t take any notice of our rules.
But I was pleased he did.
Now he was in my home, I wasn’t entirely sure what to do next.
Suddenly, the world lurched to one side.
I stumbled and pressed a hand to the wall to steady myself.
I felt a little woozy.
“Those mojitos must have been pretty strong,” I said.
I looked down to find Iav’s hands on me, holding me upright.
He towered over me, a small smile on his lips.
His scent was strong and overpowering, masculine like good aftershave.
He led me into the front room and placed me on the sofa.
“You live with your friends?”
I surveyed the living room.
There were too many cushions and teddy bears and soft blankets for there to be many guys around.
Then there were the easels where we liked to paint in the evenings together.
“Yes,” I said. “There are three of us. Olivia and Charlotte. You met them at the club earlier.”
“I’ll get you some water,” Iav said.
He searched the cupboards and found where the glasses were stored.
He filled them from a large bottle in the refrigerator.
“Do either of them have kids?” he said over his shoulder.
The world still turned sharply on its axis.
He was looking at Olivia’s Howard the Duck doll, a fluffy monstrosity she’d had since she was a kid.
It might have been a fetching doll at one point but now it was ragged and worn beyond recognition.
“No. Just the girls who live here.”
He handed me a glass of water.
I took a big gulp and let it rush down my throat.
It was cool and refreshing and made me feel better already.
“Will your friends be
