Fever (Breathless #2)(4)

But just as quickly he closed in on her again, moving into her space until her pulse leapt erratically and she began to eye the alley door, suddenly uncaring whether she’d get paid or not.

“What’s your name?”

She glanced up at him. “Uhm, does it matter?”

He paused a moment, cocked his head to the side and then said, “Yeah. It matters.”

“Why?” she whispered.

“Because we’re not in the habit of f**king women we don’t know the name of,” he said bluntly.

Whoa. There was so much wrong with that statement she didn’t even know where to begin. She put her hand up in automatic defense before he could get any closer.

“We?” she demanded. “We? What are you talking about? Who the hell is we? And I’m not f**king anyone. You. We. They. No way.”

“Jace wants you.”

“Who the f**k is Jace?”

“And I’ve decided I want you.”

She barely suppressed her snarl of rage. Barely. She grit her teeth and then went on the attack.

“I am not putting up with sexual harassment on the job. I’m filing a complaint and then I’m out of here.”

To her further surprise, he merely grinned and then reached out to touch her cheek.

“Cool your jets, sweetheart. I’m not harassing. I’m propositioning. Big difference.”

“Maybe in your book,” she pointed out.

He shrugged like he didn’t particularly care if she agreed.

“Who the hell is Jace?” she repeated. “And who are you? You don’t proposition a woman without giving your name. And you have problems not knowing a woman’s name before going to bed with her? What is wrong with you? You didn’t even introduce yourself.”

He laughed again and it was a warm hum that felt so good she wanted to hang on to it forever. It was a carefree sound and she bitterly resented it, was so jealous she wanted to burn with envy. This was a man who had no problems. Had no cares—except who he wanted to go to bed with next.

“My name is Ash. Jace is my best friend.”

“I’m Bethany,” she said reluctantly. Then her eyes narrowed. “And you both ‘want’ me?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Not so unusual. We share women. A lot. Threesomes. You ever had one? Because if not, I guarantee we’ll make it an experience you won’t forget.”

Her nostrils flared. “Yeah. I have. Nothing special.”

Something flickered in his eyes. She could tell she’d surprised him but oh well. He should expect to have it handed back to him when he made outrageous propositions like this.

“Then maybe you’re f**king the wrong men.”

Her eyes went wide at that because what could she possibly say in response? There was no doubt she’d made a habit of f**king the wrong men. No earth-shattering discovery there.

“Ash.”

The sound was explosive in the confined area of the kitchen and Bethany jerked her head up to see another man standing in the doorway, his brooding, dark gaze scorching the flesh right off Ash’s bones. Ash didn’t seem overly bothered that this guy was obviously pissed.

Bethany was.

This guy was the one she’d caught watching her when she’d ventured out to bus the tables. Twice. She’d felt his gaze on her. Burning a path over her skin until she’d shivered with the intensity. Where Ash was lighter, carefree, that whole package of wealthy and I know it and I don’t gotta do nothing except what I wanna, this man was . . . He was Ash’s polar opposite.

Intense wasn’t the right word. It didn’t even come close to describing him. He looked like a complete badass, and she knew badasses. She had plenty of experience with men on the street and from the streets, and she had the sudden thought that she’d rather take her chances with the devil she knew rather than this man staring holes through her.

Dark eyes, dark hair. Really great hair. It was mussed and unruly and longish. A lock fell over his forehead and she imagined him pushing it impatiently back without care over whether it messed it up more. It hung down his collar, giving him an untamed, wild look that probably made women want to try to tame him. Tanned skin. Not the fake tan some of the metrosexual pretty boys went for. There was a ruggedness to him even as he screamed wealth and polish like Ash did. It was just a different kind of polish.

Where Ash wore his wealth like a skin, like he’d always known it, this other guy looked like he’d accumulated his wealth later in life and wasn’t yet as comfortable in it as Ash was.

It was a ridiculous assessment, but there it was. There was something dangerous about this other man. Something that made her stand up and take notice.

“Jace,” Ash returned mildly. “Meet Bethany.”

Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

This was the threesome guy? Ash’s best friend? A man involved in the outrageous proposition Ash had just given her?

Jace’s lips tightened and he stalked forward. Bethany instinctively backed away.

“You’re scaring her,” Ash said, a reprimand in his tone.

To Bethany’s surprise, Jace pulled up short, but he was still glaring holes in Ash. At least it wasn’t her he was glaring at.

“I told you not to do this,” Jace said in a quiet, angry voice.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t listen.”