“My friend was really excited she got invited to fight night. Like an idiot, I tried to talk her out of coming, so she tricked me into coming down here to give her a ride. Only she took off before I got here and now I’m covered in alley goo and was scared half out of my mind by that creep. It’s not an awesome night.”

He tilted his head to the side a little bit and just stared at me. I shivered again, and this time it had nothing at all to do with being in the Point after dark, or feeling like I was being followed.

“I can make it better.”

Kill me now. I had to physically bite down on my tongue to keep from groaning out loud.

“Aren’t you working?”

The dimple made an appearance and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

“One of the guys who was fighting went in the Pit injured. It was pretty brutal to watch, but he somehow managed to pull out a win. Since he was a long shot, most of the bets were placed on the loser. It was a collecting night, not a payout night. I did my part, but now Nassir won’t let anyone leave without ponying up.”

His world was so different from anything I had ever known, and I hated to admit that it was fascinating, alluring, and dangerous—just like him.

“I should go home.” My voice was strained to my own ears. I couldn’t have sounded less convincing if I tried.

“There are always other things we should be doing. Come back to my place with me, Brysen.”

It wasn’t a question, it was almost an order. It shouldn’t sound as hot as it did.

“I don’t really think that’s a great idea. Besides, we haven’t even touched on the fact that I do officially have a stalker.”

He took a step even closer and the finger he had used to rub my cheek he now used to push some of my hair back behind my ear. It was probably the most kind, most reverent touch I had felt from another person in my life. That it was coming from this complex and troubling man hit me in all of my warm and squishy places.

“You have a stalker until I can get my hands on him. And it might be a bad idea, but it’s a bad idea that is going to happen one way or another, so fighting it seems stupid and takes energy I can sure as hell put to better use. Let me take care of you for one night, Brysen. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Of course I wouldn’t regret it. I wanted him, was entrapped by him, and after I ate it all up, took everything he had to give, lived in the pleasure and passion he broke loose inside of me, it would for sure kill me to know I would never be able to have it again. I blew out a breath, lifted a hand to wrap around his thick wrist, and fully intended to tell him no, that it just wasn’t worth the impending heartache, but what came out of my mouth was:

“I don’t know what to do with you, Race.”

His warm hand slid under the fall of my hair at the back of my neck and his head lowered toward mine. His mouth hovered right over mine and my lips parted in their own invitation.

“Yes, you do.”

When he kissed me, my mind was made up. I wanted this—wanted him—and I hadn’t had anything just for myself in far too long. I knew it was bound to lead to really bad things, but on the way there I really, really wanted to enjoy everything that came with him. Including the way he pulled me close. The way he slid his hands down over the curve of my ass. The way his tongue lured mine out to play, and maybe mostly the way he made everything else that was always hounding me fade away. With his mouth on mine, with his hands roving over me, there was no crumbling home life, there was no failed math class, there was no lurking and unidentified threat . . . all I could feel was heat, burning desire, and desperation. It was such a welcome reprieve from what I usually felt that there was no way I could tell him no.

He took a step back and squeezed the back of my neck. I was breathless and his eyes had shifted to that sexy, deep, opaque forest green.

“I can’t offer you anything fancy. You’ve been on my mind and under my skin for a minute now, but I promise that I’ll make it worth your while.”

I breathed out a sigh and took the hand he offered me.

“You already have, Race.”

He flashed that dimple at me again and inclined his head toward the mouth of the alley.

“Where did you park?”

“Around the corner.” He gave me a look that indicated I would be lucky to find the BMW in one piece once we reached it.

“I saw your friend, the one from the party. She doesn’t have any clue what she’s doing running around in a place like this. She’s loud and flashy. Things like that are like bait in the water for predators. Anyone actually from here, anyone who knows how the Point works, knows the less attention you can draw to yourself, the better. She also tried to grab my junk when I walked past her.”