Cruel Temptation (Underground Kings 1)

“Quinn!” the man in the corner said my name and bolted to a standing position. He rushed over, and his boots slid against the floor through the water. He came to the side of the bed and flipped on the light, illuminating his face.

Wow. He was handsome. He had these chocolate eyes and inky black hair, tattoos running up and down his arms. Red scratches marred his cheek, and he looked tired, like a man who survived a thousand deaths.

Heck, or lives. Living could be just as exhausting.

“Quinn, baby, you’re awake.” His thumb rubbed over my cheek that was bandaged, but the warmth from his body seeped into the gauze and warmed my skin.

My heart rate monitor sped up from the proximity of this man. My heart told me I was connected to him. I had to be with how I was reacting. My body knew him.

“I’m going to get the doctor. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait,” I said, stopping him mid-step. I wanted to get another look at his face. He had to be the most handsome man on the face of the earth.

Crap, here I was lusting after another guy when I was engaged to Brian. “Who are you?” I played with the blanket, wringing it together with my fingers as I waited for his answer.

The hope in his face fell, and he ran back to the side of my bed and held my face with his rough palms. His eyes darted between mine, and I swear those black orbs shined with tears, but why? “You don’t know who I am?”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I don’t. Are we friends? It’s nice of you to wait to make sure I’m okay.”

“I’m your fiancé, baby. My name is Jaxon Steel. We are more than friends.”

Jaxon. That name sounded familiar.

“Are you friends with Brian? Where is he?”

“You remember him?” His voice deepened as sharp as a razor blade; I nearly felt it gliding over my skin, threatening to cut me.

“He is my fiancé. Is this a joke? Did he send you in here to play a prank on me?” I clenched my jaw in annoyance. “I hate pranks.”

“No, baby,” his words cracked. “Him and I are enemies. I’m going to go get the doctor. I’ll be back,” he kissed my forehead, and my eyes shut at the feel of his lips. They felt familiar; even the motion and placement against my forehead sparked something inside me. His lips were warm and cozy, like home. I settled, the annoyance gone, replaced with a feeling of love.

His lips were gone in the next second, and I watched as the shadow of his large body left the room. When he stopped in the hallway to talk to a nurse, I saw him in a better light. He was tall, broad, and muscular. He said I was his fiancé. How could that be? Why couldn’t I remember anything?

A few tears fell, and the scuff of feet coming inside the room had me looking from the ceiling to the two men. The doctor was young as he checked my chart, his lips pursed as he read, and the man that called himself Jaxon moved around the bed and took my left hand. That was when my eyes landed on the huge fucking rock on my finger.

Holy hell! That diamond had to be bigger than five carats.

Brian didn’t even give me a ring, so Jaxon had to be speaking the truth.

What happened between me and Brian? Did I leave him for Jaxon? I’d admit, I didn’t blame myself if I did because this Jaxon guy was gorgeous.

“Your fiancé tells me that you are having some memory problems, Ms. Taylor. Can you tell me where you were born, please?” he shined a light in my right eye, then left.

“San Francisco, California,” I said as I have said a hundred times.

“What is your birthday?”

“January 15th,” I replied.

“And what’s the last thing you remember?”

“I…” My bottom lip trembled as my mind went blank. “I don’t know. What’s wrong with me? I don’t know. Why don’t I know?” I was becoming hysterical. I couldn’t breathe. The monitor started to speed up to match my pulse, but I couldn’t calm down. “I can’t… I don’t know! Why don’t I know?” I cried. “I want to know who my fiancé is. What happened to me?” I sobbed, and Jaxon came over and wrapped me in his arms, holding me against his chest as I cried.

Oh, he felt good. Safe and powerful. I found sanctuary in him while a storm rained strife inside me.

“It’s okay, Quinn. I got you. I always have you, baby. You’re safe with me. I love you.” He ran his fingers through my air as I laid my cheek against his chest, and the baritone as he spoke vibrated inside his breastbone. It was soothing and calmed me instantly.

“It’s okay, Ms. Taylor. Amnesia is common with head injuries. You smacked it pretty hard when you took that fall.”