He grunts. “Lady, it isn’t.”

I smirk at him. “Man, it is.”

“Fuck me,” he mutters. “Well, we’re sharing, then.”

My mind whirls, knowing this is my golden opportunity to seduce him, though we didn’t exactly start off on the best foot. Plus, if he figures out what I’m up to, he’ll probably hit me over the head and bury me in a shallow grave. I bite my lip pensively and he turns to stare at me some more. How did I forget how beautiful he is? It’s always the beautiful ones who are so deadly.

“You sure I haven’t met you before? Your face seems familiar … though I’ve seen a lot of faces in the last month.” He grins, staring at my lips now.

Wow, he’s still as arrogant as he was the day I met him. Not to mention it’s clear I made a massive impression on him … not. How am I expected to seduce him when I can’t even get him to remember my face? I need to pick up my game. Fast.

“Probably in your wildest imagination.” I flash a flirtatious grin at him. “That happens a lot.”

His lip quirks and he leans back in the seat, crossing his arms. “I only go for blondes.”

Ouch.

“Yeah, well, I only go for men with—” I look him up and down. “—big—” His face grows lusty. “—personalities.”

He chuckles softly and I want to close my eyes and pray to the high heavens to make him sound like a wheezing man with bronchitis instead of the gorgeous, masculine one he sounds like.

“I’m up for the challenge. I can show you plenty of big, lady,” he rasps.

“Ugh,” I mutter even though my heart is pounding.

“You always so pleasant to be around?” he asks, his eyes still on me.

“You always so arrogant?” I throw back.

His eyes flare with amusement and I reach toward the door. “I’m taking another cab.”

He reaches across, his big body covering mine as he stops me from being able to open the door. I gasp at his close proximity and squirm desperately to dislodge myself from his hot, hard body. “Take her where she’s goin’ first,” he murmurs to the cabdriver.

I gape as we take off, and the driver asks where I’m going. I mutter off an address and then turn to Raide, who is smirking. “Is it a tradition of yours to hold women hostage in cabs?”

He chuckles. “I’m not holdin’ you hostage, you wanna jump out—” He nods toward the door. “—off you go. I was only trying to be a gentleman.”

I snort. “I get the distinct feeling you’re never a gentleman.”

His eyes flash with amusement and he leans in close. “No, you’re right about that. Care for me to show you just how ungentlemanly I can be?”

Oh boy, my heart kicks up a notch and I can’t stop my eyes dropping to his lips. Raide Knox is dangerous, there’s no doubt about that.

“Dream on, buddy,” I say, but my voice comes out in a sultry puff.

His lips twitch. Yeah, he caught that.

“What’s a lady doing out this late anyway? It’s not wise to be out alone at this time of night, especially a tiny little thing like you.”

I know that for the sake of seduction, I should offer up a flirtatious reply. But his comment irks me. “I can take care of myself just fine. I’m a woman, not a defenseless idiot.”

He chuckles. “I have no doubt you can take care of yourself, but isn’t it a lot more fun to have a man take care of you?” By the heat in his eyes, there’s no mistaking his meaning.

I cross my arms and stare up at the cab roof, frustrated that he seems to be seducing me instead of the other way around.

“Don’t get me wrong, I think women are great for a lot of things.”

“I have a good idea what those things are, and I’ll have you know that we’re capable of a hell of a lot more than just satisfying a man’s needs.”

This all comes out in a rush, and Raide is silent for a moment. Then he bursts out laughing. “You really have a stick shoved right up your ass, don’t you, lady?”

I purse my lips. “No, I just think women have the same abilities as men and should have the same opportunities.”

“There’s a problem with that,” he murmurs, leaning in close.

With a hitch in my voice, I say, “And that is?”

“Women aren’t men.”

Damn him. He has a point. Even if I hate to admit it.

“They were never meant to be men.”

Stupid jerk.

I turn and stare out the window, not wanting to argue further with this infuriating man. When the cab pulls up a few doors down, because I purposely gave the driver the wrong address, I reach for the door and push it open after thrusting a twenty at him. I glance at Raide as I’m climbing out and yet again he’s staring at me with those to die for amber eyes. “Good to see you again, Gracie.”

My mouth drops open as he closes the door and the cab takes off.

He knew the whole time.

Damn Raide, he one-upped me again.

Chapter Five

“Gretchen,” I smirk, “is that a pimple forming?”

My sister gasps, pressing her hand to her chin, and then she quickly runs it over her face. I can’t wipe the grin off my face; it gets her every single time. When she realizes there’s no awful growth forming on her flawless skin, she scowls at me, throwing her hands onto her curvy hips. Her brown hair falls around her face in perfect curls. She always looks perfect.

“Why do you have to be so childish, Grace?” she mutters.

I flash her a grin. “Because you’re so entertaining.”

She studies me and frowns. “What happened to your hair?”

“It’s raining outside,” I say, waving to the pounding rain on the window. “It happens.”

“I don’t know how we’re related,” she says, curling her upper lip at me. “I’d never been seen with hair that looked like that.”

“Don’t be jealous, sister—one day you’ll be as cool as me.”

She scoffs just as my mother enters the room, looking equally perfect. “Grace.” She smiles, walking over and wrapping me in a hug that feels as cold as it is empty. Typical. Wouldn’t want to ruin her makeup. She steps back, looking down at me. She has the same dark hair as me, but my eyes are all Dad’s. She and my two sisters have dull blue eyes.

“Sweetheart,” she says, scowling like Gretchen. “What happened to your hair?”

“I got electrocuted,” I say in a deadpan voice.

“Don’t play with me, Grace. Would it hurt you to pretend to feminine? I mean, it’s bad enough you work in a man’s role and hang around with men every day. The least you could do is act like a lady when you’re not there.”

I gasp, cupping my cheeks. “I’m not acting like a lady? Why didn’t you say so?”

She narrows her pretty eyes at me. “Grace—”

“No,” I say, licking my hand and running it over my hair. I silently thank Cole for the move. Turns out he was good for something after all. Who knew. “I wouldn’t want to embarrass you, Mom. Is that better? Does it look better? Wait, maybe it’s my skin.” I lick my hand again, running it down my cheek. They both gasp. “There, how do I look now?”