She slapped my bicep with the back of her fingers. “My voice is pretty? For real, Casanova? That the best you got?”I tugged on a lock of her hair. “I’m tryin’ to be nice here, which is, again, somethin’ most chicks don’t get. Give me a chance, all right?”“But if I did that, I’d be one of those dumb chicks you associate with.”“True story that, darlin’. Although I ain’t doin’ that for now. I’m being good. Except for that chick at reception.” I brushed my fingers down Elena’s jaw. “I had to agree to buy her a drink before she’d give me your room card.”“Hmm,” she hummed. “I wondered how you swindled that one.”“I’m a regular Romeo.”“Seems it. Are you sure this dinner isn’t getting in the way of meeting Ms. Receptionist?”“Nah, I don’t have to grace her with my awesome presence until tomorrow evening.”“What time?”“She didn’t say.”“Shame. You’re busy all evening, practicing, per your manager’s orders.” Elena smiled and sipped her wine. “Part of his plan to keep you on the straight a

I opened my mouth, but closed it again seconds later. Purse my lips. Licked my lips. “Well, I don’t not like it.”Chloe’s eyes flicked from the cheesecake to me several times, her lips twitching. “So like it some more. And, Elena? You’ve been a lot happier the last few days. Like . . . you’ve come out of that tight little shell you had yourself wrapped in. You’re givin’ the guys as good as you get, and from what Conor said, you gave Charlotte a real ass-kickin’ earlier. You wouldna done that when you got here. Just . . . I dunno, doll. Let whatever happen. It won’t kill either of you, and you sure as hell deserve some fun.”I guess she was right. I was just not sure Aiden James was the right kind of fun. In fact, I was positively sure he was the worst kind of fun. Not least because we essentially lived together for the next few weeks. What if . . . what if I like the man behind the mask and, as soon as his bad behavior quarantine is over, he grabs some random chick?“Fucking shit.” Ai

ELENA“Are you insane? I can’t go for dinner with Aiden!”Chloe ran her teeth over her bottom lip. “You kind of have to. The table is booked. I just kinda . . . beat him to this information.”“What!” I stared at her. What? “No. I’m not doing it. I’m not going out with him.”I walked into the small kitchen area and turned on the coffee machine. I didn’t even want coffee. I just wanted something to distract me.Dinner with Aiden James? Like a date dinner? Or even just dinner dinner?No. No. No. No.“Okay, in my defense, I spoke to him two hours ago and I thought he’d already asked you,” she sighed. “But, Elena, it’s just dinner. Maybe he wants to talk . . . business.”“Oh, you know that is not true!” I raised my eyebrows and pointed at her. “He cannot be alone with me without invading my personal space and his tongue getting all up and personal with mine!”Chloe paused, then hid a giggle behind her hand. “In private. In public he might be a little more . . . reserved.”“Really?” I gripp

AIDENShe took a deep breath and fisted my shirt tighter. “Then don’t be gentle,” she breathed. “Gentle won’t wash him away.”My fingers curled around the back of her neck. “Are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’?”Her lips parted, but she nodded her head. “Replace him with you. Right now.”She had no fucking idea—I’ll replace him, all right. I’ll replace every damn inch of him in her head, and I’ll get so under her skin she’ll forget he ever put bruises there.I brought her face close to mine, my cock already throbbing, and hovered my mouth above hers. “Darlin’, by the time I’m done with you, I swear to fuckin’ God there’ll be no other guy under your skin but me.”“I’m counting on it.”I crushed my lips to hers. She responded in kind, letting go of my shirt to circle her hands around the back of my neck. She was so fucking soft beneath me. Every touch of hers was like the kiss of a feather, and every single one was more fucking addictive than the last.She leaned towards the sofa,

ELENAHe was . . . warm. He was warm and soft and solid all at the same time.His chiseled stomach was against my back, his pecs teasing my shoulder blades, and my back was fully curled into him. Or against him, whatever it was. One of his arms was resting beneath my neck and bent so his hand was shaped around my waist. His other arm was draped over me and reaching up to where our fingers were linked.Holy crap, this was how those cheesy-ass couples wake up in romance novels.Wait—why am I awake?Beep. Beep. Beep. Beepbeepbeepbeep.“Holy fucking shit,” Aiden groaned sleepily. Huskily. Sexily.“Concert-day alarm,” I muttered, untangling my fingers from his and reaching for my phone on the nightstand. I swiped the screen and the beeping stopped, then I froze. “Oh my God! Concert-day alarm!” I squealed, rolling over to face him.“Whaaat?”“Concert day!” I shook his shoulders until his startling bright eyes opened and looked up at me. “I love concert day!”Aiden’s lips curled up slowly. “