Perfect Villain (Dark Lies Duet 1)

Me: Yes. *frowning emoji* I’m waiting for my friend to see the band Nova. She’s running late.

I don’t know why I told him that, but I hit send on the text before I can stop myself.

The server returns with my whiskey, and as soon as she sets the drink down, I take a big gulp of it. The liquor burns a path of fire down my throat. What is wrong with me? I don’t talk to random guys, much less flirt with them.

I’m with Taj. This is wrong, but if it’s wrong, why does it feel so right?

My phone pings, and I look at the message.

Christian: Fuck, you should never be left waiting… If I were there, I’d….

He doesn’t finish his text, and my mind’s going a million miles a minute.

What did he mean to say? My heart pounds against my rib cage, and I see him in my mind as if he’s standing in front of me. I think back to our almost kiss from the night I met him.

I bite my bottom lip and type out my response.

Me: What would you do?

He must be holding his phone in his hand because the bubbles from him typing out his response pop on the screen right away.

Christian: Whatever you want me to do. *wink face*

My stomach tightens, and I can feel the butterflies inside, waiting to be unleashed. Do I want him to do things to me? I’m pretty sure I do, but I’m also confused over Taj. I take another drink and exit the message.

What do I say to that?

The band starts up again, and I shove the thoughts of Christian from my mind. I still haven’t heard from Kyla, and I wonder what the hell is going on there? I’m nearly finished with my second drink when I’m startled by a deep voice.

“It’s a pleasant surprise to see you, Siân,” Christian’s voice buzzes in my ears, and my entire body lights up. Suddenly, I’m hot all over.

My tongue is heavy in my mouth, but somehow, I manage to speak.

“I…” I stutter. “How did you find me? Are you stalking me?” The questions come out like word vomit.

He smiles this big, perfectly white, toothy grin. I’m taken back to the old fairy tale of the wolf who ate the granny with his wolfish teeth. This man oozes danger, and I’m deeply attracted to him. What the fuck is wrong with me?

He’s looking devilishly handsome tonight, as he does every time I see him, and I can’t seem to drag my gaze away from him. Tonight, he’s wearing his usual dark blue jeans, but instead of his white T-shirt, he’s wearing a dark green shirt that makes his blue eyes and blond hair pop. He’s paired it with his black leather jacket and black boots. I force myself to swallow and look away.

“It wasn’t hard to find you. I just searched for Nova’s tour and found out what bar they were playing at. I was in the area anyway, and like I said, a woman like you should never be left alone. Any strange man could come along and hurt you. If you were mine, there wouldn’t be a chance in hell you’d be alone in this bar.” His eyes flash with something violent, and I shiver at the possessiveness in his tone.

I don’t want to admit how much I like it, not out loud and definitely not to myself.

“But I’m not yours,” I whisper.

He takes the seat across from me, his grin turning wolfish. “No, not yet, but never say never, baby. If I wanted you to be mine, make no mistake, you would be fucking mine.”

My head is buzzing, and my palms are sweaty. I know nothing about this man, but I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Maybe it’s a trap? Maybe he is a bad man? My entire body tenses. We stare at each other for a moment, and then I take a drink, chugging the rest of the whiskey in the glass before setting it back down.

“A woman who drinks whiskey… it’s like you were made to be mine?”

“Are you always this straightforward with women you meet?”

“Only ones I’m interested in.” He winks.

I bite the inside of my cheek and change the subject. “What do you do for work?”

A muscle jumps in his perfectly sculpted jaw. “Sales. I do a lot of work for my father, so I’m always traveling. I’m in town on business right now.”

I nod. Okay, so maybe he’s not a crazy guy who’s going to kidnap me and take me to an island in the middle of nowhere.

“If you’re worried that I’m some crazy stalker, you have nothing to worry about. I’d never hurt you, Siân. I’d rather rip my heart out than hurt a single hair on your body.”