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  Scraping a hand through his hair, Beckett silently berated himself.

  Alyssa might get off on watching and being watched, but that hardly gave him the right to push her to a mindless frenzy in the middle of a crowded street and toward something she’d most likely regret the moment it was over.

  And he’d be damned if she’d regret a single thing they did together.

  Especially after experiencing the unbridled way she’d put herself completely in his hands. They might be adversaries in the boardroom, but she completely trusted him with her body. Even if she wasn’t aware that’s what she was doing.

  And he wouldn’t abuse that gift.

  Another growl of frustration rumbled through his chest. Beckett blended into the crowd, pulling off the mask and changing his posture. He slumped, shoulders rounding and head dropping down. Even though it looked as if he studied the pavement, his gaze never shifted from Alyssa.

  He was going to make sure she got home safely. He, more than most, realized the kind of bad things that could happen late at night. And that was before adding the craziness and lack of restraint that accompanied Mardi Gras.

  Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he followed her. Her gait was no longer mindless and ambling. She walked with purpose, her strides eating up ground and taking her home at a fast clip.

  When he’d come out tonight, loitering across from her apartment, there’d really only been one thought on his mind—possessing her.

  And while he still wanted that, something about the encounter they’d just shared changed everything.

  Before, he hadn’t been thinking about her, not really. He’d let the buzz of their sparring match this morning and the residual frustration from the night before cloud his thinking.

  And he didn’t like what that realization said about him. Not at all.

  Tonight she’d given him something unexpected—her vulnerability.

  It was another side of her, something softer that made him want to protect and please her. Not the teasing minx or the sharp, determined businesswoman. In both of their previous encounters she’d exuded a harsh confidence that pinged every instinct he had. He’d never been one to walk away from a challenge.

  But tonight he’d realized it had all been a bluff. Or, mostly a bluff, hiding a deep vulnerability that made him want to protect her.

  He had no doubt she would continue to challenge him and he wanted that, desperately. Arguing with her this morning had gotten his blood flowing in a way he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

  Alyssa slipped behind the fence surrounding her building.

  While he’d obviously decided to play this straight, that didn’t mean he wasn’t opposed to stacking the deck in his favor. He was fair, not stupid.

  He’d vowed to protect her and he was going to fulfill that promise, providing the perfect opportunity for her to explore the desires she kept locked down in a safe environment.

  A smile of anticipation curled Beckett’s lips. If she wasn’t already hooked, there was no way she’d be able to walk away from what he planned next.

  Not even when she discovered the mystery man who could make her body burn was the same one she wanted to hate.

  5

  IT HAD BEEN two days since Alyssa had seen or heard from her masked stranger. And her body had been humming the entire time, a kind of deep-seated arousal nothing could cure. It left her fidgety and restless. Nothing, not even work, managed to settle her.

  She didn’t like feeling this way. Out of control. Reactive. It reminded her of walking on eggshells around her father and stepmother. Tension tightening her shoulders because she had no idea when the next verbal punch would come.

  Everything reminded her of him. The slide of her shirt against her stomach. A puff of air across her neck. The scent of coffee and mint.

  God, this was the last thing she needed right now. Her focus should have been squarely on Kayne and how she was going to prevent him from taking everything from her. Instead, she couldn’t concentrate. Not the best frame of mind for negotiations.

  Taking a deep breath, Alyssa had forced her brain to focus. In less than twenty minutes she and Mitch would be sitting down with Vance Eaton, who expected a preview of her tourism app.

  This was too important to screw up. It was their lifeline, and she needed her head in the game.

  Two hours later, Alyssa was biting back the elation that wanted to escape. They’d won. For the first time since Mitch told her the loan was being called due early she could take a full breath. The weight that had been holding her down had disappeared. Until that moment she hadn’t realized just how desperately afraid she’d been.

  But, if they could work out the small details, she was almost certain Vance Eaton would buy the app. Problems solved. Disaster averted. Beckett Kayne thwarted.

  She had to admit, that more than anything was responsible for the goofy grin permanently affixed to her face. On her way out the door Megan, their receptionist, asked her to come out for a little Mardi Gras fun. Normally, Alyssa would have declined, but for some reason she found herself saying yes.

  Excitement flashing in her bright blue eyes, Megan had clapped her hands and squealed. “I’ll pick you up around eight.”

  Alyssa had just nodded her head, deciding to sit back and enjoy the ride. Megan was always trying to get her out. The party scene had never been her thing, but she wanted to be seen tonight.

  A chill of anticipation tripped down her spine. Maybe if she was out her masked stranger would resurface. He’d promised they weren’t done.

  So she’d come home from the office and spent the past two hours getting ready. Fussing with her makeup and second-guessing her outfit. Alyssa couldn’t remember the last time she’d cared. And it was all her masked stranger’s fault. The prospect, no matter how slim, of seeing him had her tied in knots.

  Alyssa Vaughn didn’t get tied in knots over men. Ever. Until now.

  Her buzzer sounded and Megan’s crystal-bell voice floated out to her through the speaker. “Get your ass out here, girlie. I’m ready to party!”

  Shaking her head, Alyssa grabbed her clutch and her silver pashmina, wrapping it tight around her shoulders. It kept her from feeling almost naked in the short leather miniskirt and tight sequined top she’d put on. They were outside her normal comfort zone but, knowing Megan, appropriate for whatever her friend had in mind.

  Tonight she was going to live a little. Like everyone else in New Orleans.

  They had to fight through the Monday evening crowd to get to the car Megan had left blocks away. Parking was a bitch, but they were both too excited to get annoyed.

  Alyssa was riding the wave of anticipation and didn’t realize just where they were going until it was too late.

  When they parked outside the huge structure, Alyssa looked up at the innocuous facade of Exposed—the last place she wanted to visit. Just the appearance of the industrial building with the line of antsy people waiting outside was enough to deflate her bubble of enthusiasm.

  She looked at Megan, with her cropped white-blond hair, pixie face and tiny stature, and contemplated leaving before their night had even begun.

  “Why are we here?”

  The wicked grin Megan flashed her did nothing to soothe Alyssa’s nerves. “Keep your friends close and enemies closer. If nothing else, you can gather intel on Kayne. Besides, my roommate’s boyfriend is a bartender here. He put us on the VIP list.”

  She couldn’t leave. Not unless she wanted Megan giving her hell for being a coward. A drink, maybe two, and she could plead exhaustion and head home.

  Taking a deep breath, Alyssa forced her feet to move. The bouncer consulted a list and waved them past grumbles from those still waiting in line. She tried not to let her lips curl with distaste when she walked through the door.


  There was nothing physically wrong with Exposed. Alyssa’s issues were focused squarely on the owner himself. God, she hoped he wasn’t here tonight. The last thing she needed was to run into the man. At least in the boardroom she had a chance of remembering the contention between them instead of the awareness. In the middle of a dark, crowded club...

  Megan wouldn’t let her linger by the door and shoved her along with the sheer force of her enthusiasm. They were both pressed tight to the bar ordering drinks from the guy Megan knew in no time. The crush of humanity here was almost as bad as the throng they’d left behind on Canal Street.

  The benefit was Alyssa’s ability to hide behind the shield of people. The music, something with a heavy techno beat, settled deep inside her chest, making her muscles twitch and pulse.

  It was obvious Beckett Kayne was making plenty of money. Although she’d already known that. Twelve locations in some of the most expensive cities across the country. The man was doing just fine.

  For some reason, that only made her more uptight.

  Her eyes darted over the crowd, as if he might rise out of it like a serpent from the sea.

  Two drinks and forty-five minutes later, Alyssa finally started to relax. Megan had been back and forth to the dance floor multiple times. But once she’d found a seat, Alyssa hadn’t moved from it, despite being asked several times if she wanted to dance.

  “Come on, stick-in-the-mud, come out there with me,” Megan whined, tugging on Alyssa’s arm. Maybe it was the alcohol, or Megan’s stubborn insistence, but she finally gave in.

  That’s how she found herself in the middle of a pack of sweaty, drunk and gorgeous people. Megan fit in perfectly, apparently having already made friends. She laughed and leaned close to hear what one of the guys yelled into her ear.

  Alyssa rolled her hips, her body responding instinctively to the deep-throated beat of the music blaring around them. Laser lights flashed, the pulse adding to the throb building inside her.

  Hands slipped around her hips, pulling her back against a hard body. For the briefest second, Alyssa’s cloudy brain thought it was her stranger, but even before she glanced back she knew it wasn’t.

  While the masculine wall of flesh at her back was nice enough, she didn’t respond on an instinctive level.

  But combined with the buzz of alcohol, she wasn’t going to ignore the pleasant way the man’s interest made her feel. Being wanted was a seduction all its own. And by the way the man looked at her, his eyes running appreciatively over her body, she knew he wanted her. Knowing it was nothing more than a harmless flirtation, Alyssa gave in to the moment. She let her body follow his lead, gyrating, swirling and grinding.

  Her eyes closed, her imagination conjuring up other hands and hips. Until suddenly the warm wall of masculinity at her back was replaced by a breeze. The shock, more than anything, had Alyssa twisting around to figure out what had happened.

  Air seized in her lungs when she realized.

  Beckett Kayne had his hand wrapped around the back of the guy’s neck. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, exactly, simply holding the guy, but it was clear from the expression on Beckett’s face that he was pissed.

  Leaning in, Beckett whispered something close to his captive’s face. The guy’s eyes went wide, sliding to her before jerking back to Beckett’s. The guy nodded, a single, quick movement, which was all he could manage beneath Beckett’s tight grasp.

  His mouth twisting into a grimace, Beckett released the man, but let his hand hover in the air as if waiting for the guy to make one wrong move.

  Alyssa couldn’t breathe. She stood stock still, waiting, her body humming with concern, conflict and feminine appreciation. She hated herself a little for that last one.

  But she wasn’t blind. Every woman in the place had her eyes trained on Beckett Kayne. His chest and arm muscles strained against the confines of his black T-shirt, which looked as if it might give up the fight and rip at any moment. The jeans practically poured around his lower body didn’t help, either.

  God, he was hot. And her brain telling her that physical perfection wasn’t everything didn’t seem to help.

  Not even considering he’d just stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.

  That thought finally shook her out of her stupor.

  Closing the gap between them, she pressed into Beckett’s personal space. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Saving you from making a stupid mistake.”

  “I was dancing with a guy at a club, not taking him into the alley for a quick grope.”

  A low sound rumbled through Beckett’s chest. An ominous warning flashed in his blue-gray eyes. Stepping closer, he crowded into her personal space. What was wrong with her that she wanted—hoped—he would put his hands on her hips just as the guy he’d scared off had?

  She shouldn’t want that. She didn’t want that. Not really.

  Disappointment was not swelling through her when, instead of bringing their bodies flush, Beckett grasped her hand and turned away.

  The crowd parted like the Red Sea, making a clear path for him. She’d had to push and shove to get anywhere. It bugged the heck out of her, the ease with which everything came to him.

  He was the perfect example of the silver-spoon set, having everything handed to him on a platter. Even when it had been taken from him, he’d managed to land on his feet...rather quickly.

  Dragging her behind him, Beckett opened a door in the wall she hadn’t even realized was there. Behind it were a darkened hallway and stairs leading up to an office. The moment they were both inside, he dropped her hand. She didn’t appreciate the way her skin prickled, as if the loss of his touch was painful.

  Shaking her hand to try and rid herself of the reaction, Alyssa crossed her arms and tucked her hands close to her body. Her gaze landed on the floor-to-ceiling wall of glass that looked out over the expanse of the club below.

  “I had no idea this was up here,” she said, wandering closer for a better look. “You can’t see it from down there.”

  “Good,” Beckett grunted.

  Slipping up beside her, he mirrored her body language. “What are you doing here, Alyssa?”

  “I came to a club with a friend. One who’s probably wondering where I went.”

  Alyssa felt the impact when he twisted his gaze away from the crowd and directed it at her. Here they were isolated, even the pounding sound of music muffled behind the thick glass.

  “I already had security let her know you’re up here with me.”

  When on earth had he done that? Certainly not since he approached her on the dance floor. A sudden thought blasted through her brain. Without letting it filter through, Alyssa blurted out, “Were you watching me?”

  “Yes.” No explanation, justification or apology, just blatant honesty.

  The gravity of that single word pressed against her. She felt suspended, and not just because they were high above the people churning below like class-five rapids. Something was happening, and Alyssa wasn’t entirely certain she wanted it to.

  “Why?”

  “Let’s just say Exposed is the last place I expected to see you.”

  For some reason that bothered her. “Why? Because I don’t fit in?”

  A frown marred Beckett’s beautiful face. “No, because you’ve made it clear what you think about me.”

  It was her turn to look surprised. “Oh? What do I think of you?”

  “Obviously, not much.”

  Alyssa scoffed. “I find it hard to believe the man who stands behind a wall of glass surveying his domain like a feudal lord needs me to stroke his ego.”

  Out of nowhere the atmosphere shifted. Something hot and alarmingly loaded crackled between them. Alyssa could practically smell burnt ozone and passion.

  Leaning close,
Beckett brought them nose to nose. He stared deep into her eyes. “My ego isn’t what I want you to stroke.”

  A sharp breath whistled through her teeth. Beneath his words and intense stare, she was frozen. Her throat was dry and her mouth refused to work. Words screamed through her head, but she couldn’t force them out.

  Her body hummed, energy and anticipation flowing just beneath her skin.

  No, this wasn’t what she wanted. Or needed.

  Forcing her tongue across suddenly numb lips, she whispered, “Too bad. Not gonna happen.”

  He smiled, a wolfish twist of his lips that did nothing to cool the need flaring deep inside her.

  As if realizing he was pushing her too far, Beckett stepped back. With him out of her personal space, she could finally breathe again. Her lungs pulled in a huge gulp of air.

  She should leave. But she didn’t. Instead, she stood there, watching the push and pull of people below. She spotted Megan in the throng, caught between two men who seemed perfectly willing to share her attention.

  After several minutes, Alyssa’s shoulders began to relax again.

  “Can you see it?” Beckett finally asked.

  “See what?”

  Canting his head sideways, he drilled her with that blue-gray gaze. “The screens. The cameras. The app and interaction filling this place.”

  He pointed to the exposed rafters, his words painting pictures she didn’t want to see, but could.

  She could see what he was talking about because, as much as she hadn’t wanted to, she’d read his proposal. And his vision worked perfectly with what she’d imagined for the app.

  She’d wanted something that would break down barriers and bring people together.

  If anyone else had presented her with Beckett’s proposal she would have leaped at the chance to work together.

  But she refused to let him know that.

  “No,” she said, her voice harsh. “I can’t see it.”

  * * *

  ALYSSA STORMED AWAY, her sharp words ripping through him. Why did it bother him so much? It had been a long time since he’d let anyone’s opinion of him matter. What hold did this woman have over him that she meant something?