This Time Tomorrow (Phenomenal Fate 2)

He slowly lifted a hand and there was her cardigan, dangling from his finger. “Caught it before it hit the ground.”

Tiny explosions went off in her belly. “You followed me.”

“I wanted to know your name.” Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he wrapped her in the cardigan, hiding the pink blink. “And we weren’t done.”

“Done what?”

He eliminated an inch of space between them, forcing her head back. “I don’t know.” His breath moved a piece of hair across her mouth and he brushed it back with a knuckle. “Come have a drink with me and we’ll figure it out.”

Fire licked her inner thighs. The words come have a drink might as well have been come to bed with me for the hoarse way he said them. Normally Roksana had no problem putting things in the right or wrong category. Oh, she made plenty of crazy decisions, such as dancing in the middle of Nevada’s busiest street and blocking traffic, but at least she went into those situations with open eyes. An understanding of the potential consequences.

What were the consequences of spending time with this man?

A total unknown.

The ballerina in her stomach was pirouetting madly now, brushing the lining of her belly with a satin, pointed toe, urging her with sensation to go with him somewhere. Sustain this incredible anticipation, even if it didn’t lead anywhere. Even if it couldn’t, seeing as they lived on different continents. She’d never had a casual hookup, but that’s all this would be, right? Roksana didn’t want that. Did she?

She realized he was watching her perform mental gymnastics with quiet scrutiny. “I’m considering your offer.”

“I can see that.” His tone was wry. “You dance half naked on the strip and bring the cops down on your head with a smile on your face. But a drink with me scares you?”

“Jail is temporary.” The honesty whispered out before she could put a lid on it. “You don’t strike me as the same.”

The amusement gradually bled from his face. “Likewise.”

There was a fistful of coins lodged in her throat and she worked to swallow them now, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break eye contact, drowning deeper and deeper in the amber coloring. “Maybe we should pretend we never met. It might be easier.”

He shook his head slowly. “I doubt that.” Something over her head snagged his attention briefly. “There is a cop behind you, havoc wreaker. I hate to tell you this, but the sun has gone down while you’ve been deciding whether or not to have a drink with me.”

“And?”

“Your tits are blinking.”

“Oh.” Roksana looked down to find he was right. The flashing lights were visible through her cardigan. “How close is the cop now?”

“A matter of feet.”

“The off switch is in the back,” she said quickly. “Squeeze the clasp.”

His right eyebrow went up. “Put my hand up your shirt?”

“Da! This is no time for modesty.”

“Just making sure.”

Roksana gasped when his big hand splayed on her lower back, just above the swell of her butt, corralling her toward his body. His warm palm dragged up her bare spine, catching the hook of her bra between two fingers and pinching, never taking his attention off her face. Which was bad news, because he witnessed her reaction to his touch up close. She forgot how to keep her eyelids hoisted and her lips closed. Those skills simply vanished, her nipples quickened into hard points and there she stood, pressed against this man who oozed danger, her senses in a state of chaos.

“You’re good now,” he rasped, his hand drifting lightly back down her spine, resting on the small of her back, just underneath the hem of her sweater.

“Elias,” he said, pressing his cheek to her temple. “That’s my name. Repeat it.”

“Elias,” she whispered. “I’m…Roksana.”

His chest rumbled.

“Evening, folks,” said a man’s voice to their left. It was the cop and he had his flashlight out, shining down near their feet. “You didn’t happen to catch that little performance, too, did you? Maybe see which direction those girls went?”

“No, sir,” Elias answered, his expression passive. “Sorry we can’t help you.”

“Now are you sure about that?” The cop tilted his head, flicking a glance over Roksana, and Elias’s fingers tightened on the small of her back. “A couple of people thought your date here might have participated.”

“We’re sure,” Elias said, using his free hand to dig in his pocket and pull out—

A badge?

“She’s been with me the whole time.” Roksana only caught the words Los Angeles and the acronym S.W.A.T., before Elias stowed the badge once more. “But we’ll be happy to let you know if we find anything out.”

The officer rocked back on his heels. “My mistake, brother.” He nodded and went on his merry way. “Enjoy Vegas.”

“Thank you.”

Roksana blinked, trying to reconcile this prince of darkness with her idea of law enforcement. Shouldn’t they be on different sides? Furthermore, in the world she’d grown up in, those who enforced human rules were obstacles to be avoided. She’d never made any meaningful contact with one of them. “Can I borrow that badge?”