Chapter１

Nicola

I was acutely aware that I was about to go too far. The instant her wonderful blue eyes caught mine, I knew I shouldn't touch this barely legal, innocent angel.

Emily. She was completely removed from my gloomy underworld. It was selfish and risky for me to allow myself to grow close to her.

But as she swung toward me, it was almost difficult to refuse, as if she were lured by the same magnetic pull that had been tantalizing and torturing me for weeks.

I should have just left. Maybe I should have just disregarded her, dismissed her. She may be able to avoid scarring her flawless complexion with permanent bruises if she allows her pride to be bruised now.

As the horrible mental picture of her in agony flashed before my eyes, my hands tightened. My being in any kind of relationship with her may be dangerous. She would be the one to be used as bait if someone from my past ever found me. In an effort to humiliate me.

Since the moment the lovely, curvaceous brunette caught my eye from across the dark bar where I worked, I had been dying to make her mine. Dive bar, but college kids didn't come here for fancy drinks; owner didn't mind serving alcohol to minors; paid me in cash, beneath the table. I liked that I could hide my true identity in this position. There was no paper trail indicating my occupation, and no digital footprints to indicate my whereabouts. I was safe from discovery in this place. Neither my merciless buddies nor my merciless opponents.

Someone with Emily's gorgeous, charmed existence would never comprehend the dirt and grime of my world, and if I were a decent guy, I would protect her from it.

I thought I had left that life behind me, but you never know when the past will come up with you. I had to go away, maybe from my fake relatives.

They weren't even a concern of mine. My loved ones' lives would be at jeopardy if my family's adversaries tracked me down.

And I certainly didn't want that for Emily. However, my desire for her increased each time I saw her at the bar. She was beautiful, but that wasn't the only thing that captivated me about her. Her long lashes were down to conceal the longing that clouded her eyes, and her cheeks were the palest pink throughout our short rendezvous.

Soft, charming, and bashful, she embodied all the feminine attributes that appealed to the darkest corners of my personality.

I had become used to getting my way back home. Women were lining up to get into my bed, and my family had more money than we could ever spend. All eyes were on me because of my prosperity and authority.

That was never a problem for me previously. To be honest, I'd never given it much consideration before.

Not until Emily's eyes met mine with want. No filthy wealthy relative who would spoil her with lavish presents. Emily's desire for me was not motivated by anything other than our mutual attraction. The explanation for this is obvious: animal magnetism. This was a tantalizing glimpse of the world I yearned for, free of all violence and violent power struggles.

To live a life free of the guilt that comes with having the blood of the innocent on my hands.

Yet, I knew there was nothing conventional about the strength of our connection, even as I indulged the unattainable notion of dating her like I was a regular guy with an unremarkable history. Rare was the chemical that burned and consumed. Greater intensity than I've ever experienced before.

In those long weeks of suppression, she had become into more than just a beautiful lady whose body I could not wait to possess. In my opinion, she was an angel from heaven who had a lovely, pleasant existence. I was envious of her and really wanted to be with her. Maybe for a little second I might imagine that type of existence was mine if I could reach out and touch her, if I could taste her.

Although I was aware that I was harmful to her, I was unsure of how much longer I could control my baser, more carnal desires.

Emily

When our eyes met, my stomach did a little flip. Even though the pub was packed with drunken students, the shrill shrieks of women and the blare of hip-hop music eventually subsided. As a person who has experienced this phenomena before, I found it to be really engaging. Having conversations like this with him became quite addicting. The sight of his confident, crooked grin raised my blood pressure and pulse rate.

Without thinking, I relaxed my grip on the bar separating us and leaned forward Nicola. Before his pressing complimentary beverages into my palm, his long fingers barely brushed over mine.

I had a major crush on the stunning bartender, but so did most of the ladies who visited the dive pub where minors could easily order drinks. I'm not typically the kind to wink and smile her way into free drinks, but something about Nicola made me feel like I could do anything. There was just too much electricity between us for me to ignore.