“Take me,” she whispered. “Take what you need from me.”
“You don’t understand.” He groaned. “There’s a side of me … I’ll hurt you.” He released her and pushed her toward the stairs. “Go upstairs and lock the door.”
A shiver ran up her spine. “You want me to run from you?”
His entire body shuddered, like he was fighting something that grew larger by the second. “Evie.” His voice dropped to a warning growl. “Run.”
She made a split second decision and then kicked off her shoes and took off, a grin splitting her face. Her bare feet pounded on the concrete hallway and she hit the door to the parking lot at full tilt. He wanted her to run, so she’d run. But not in the way he expected. Because she understood—the loss of control to passion, emotion so intense it overwhelmed, the instinct of a predator to chase its prey.
As she surged forward, she felt the rush of adrenaline she hadn’t felt in years, the freedom of baring herself to the night.
“Evie. Come back.”
She crossed the parking lot and ran into the small field behind the shop, praying there wasn’t anything sharp in the grass. Warehouses dotted the commercial area around her; giant, corrugated metal structures surrounded in barbed wire. Spotlights, streetlights, and the bright moon gave her a clear view of the soft grass underfoot. She veered over to a small thicket of trees, hoping to find more cover. Although she worked out a few times a week, the thrill of fear coursing through her body ratcheted her pulse up to a level that would have made her kickboxing teacher proud.
Chase me.
And he did. The door slammed open, clanging against the metal wall, and she heard him call her name, this time with a growl of determination that sent a delicious shiver up her spine. This was her game now. She was in control. If she wanted him to catch her, she could slow down her pace. If she wanted him to chase her, she could pick up speed. If she wanted to hide, she could head for the dense underbrush ahead. He was hers to command. Zane, VP of the Sinner’s Tribe. Dark warrior. First love. The man who had stolen her heart.
Chase me. Chase me. Chase me.
Her heart pounded furiously with each footfall, her speed hampered by her tender feet and the fabric of her dress. She heard him call, nearer now, his voice echoing in the stillness, but now that she was going she couldn’t stop. Not until he caught her. And God, she wanted him to catch her. But first he had to prove himself worthy of his reward.
Evie laughed as she ran, drawing in breaths of air scented with pine and a hint of diesel. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt such a rush, fear and excitement mixed into a heady cocktail that made her heart race and her sex throb.
Exhilarating. Had Zane felt like this the night she chased him through the forest? Had he run in anticipation of being caught, as she did now, or had he run in fear? Had he succumbed to her desires simply because she brought him down?
The crack of a tree branch behind her made her kick up her pace, every step a delicious thrill that made her heart flail against her ribs, her body tense in anticipation of the moment he caught her.
“Jesus. Fuck. Evie.” With a grunt, he lunged, his shoe just brushing the back of her heel. Finally, blissfully, his hand closed around her neck. She tensed for the impact, but he pulled her against him and rolled, taking her to the ground in the cradle of his arms. She almost came at the surge of adrenaline that accompanied her capture, her legs shaking so violently, she was grateful when he rolled again, positioning her on all fours in the cool grass, covering her with his body.
“Need you.”
Evie looked over her shoulder. His eyes glittered in the semi-darkness, his face masked by shadows.
“Yes.”
Zane shoved her dress roughly over her hips, then tore her panties away with an animalistic growl. “Now. Can’t wait.”
Evie’s body flared to life, seized by a lust unlike anything she’d felt before. Zane reached around and cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing over her nipple until it peaked beneath her bra.
“More,” she rasped. “Take off my dress.”
“Like the dress. Naughty dress. So fucking hot it drives me outta my mind. Wanna fuck you in this dress, but I won’t be gentle.”
She wished she could see his face, although the torment in his voice told her what she needed to know. “If I wanted gentle, we wouldn’t be here.”