Page 31 of Under Fire

She flinched and turned to find Warren’s ice-blue eyes bearing into her.

“You okay?” he asked.

Her head bobbed, but her lips remained sealed. Clutching her empty wine glass for dear life, she felt the urge to run, even from him. He assessed her quickly and moved to tow her down the hallway.

“Come with me,” he said.

As he dragged her, he absently addressed men along the way while they deferred to him. It was like he was a damn celebrity. Gazes drifted to her with questioning looks that told her everything.

I’m not the fake girlfriend this man needs.

In less than a minute, Warren had her outside in a dark spot on the backyard porch. He moved her body as he wished. Pushing her against the hard beam of a pagoda, Warren leaned in, concentrating. She tried to reconnect to the world, but she couldn’t. She shook her head, her gaze still off in the distance, finding stars on the horizon that she never saw in the city. She felt too self-conscious to even look at him.

“What’s going on?” Warren’s sincerity pushed through the fog in her brain.

“Nothing.”

“Liar. Tell me.” He traced his familiar, rough-feeling hand up her cheek, brushing stray hair off her sensitive skin. “Is this about the wives? Did they rake you over the coals?”

“Maybe. If it was a test, I failed.”

He let out an honest laugh. “You know, I like you because you’re different.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re Mr. Perfect.”

“Damn, couldn’t be more wrong.”

Her gaze shot up to him, confused. His hand never left her cheek, moving it down to hold her jaw in that firm, controlling way she liked. She fell into his touch as he wrapped both of his arms around her. It was the hug she needed, and she closed her eyes as she inhaled his masculine scent.

“Now, I didn’t give you permission to whine, did I?” he growled into her hair. “So, you better smarten the fuck up before I show you what happens to girls who defy me…”

His threat washed over her, reminding her of the game they’d once played. She felt something brighten in her chest, but her lips remained a hyphen. Unwilling to let go, he ran his hands up and down her back, finding her ass and squeezing it hard. She flinched with the momentary pain but felt a rush of arousal. She flickered her eyelashes up to him and bit her lip, wordlessly begging for more.

“You want me to hurt you,” he said, reaching up to grab her hair for leverage. He angled her lips to him. “I know you do.”

A little grin crossed her lips, and she was unable to hold it in.

“Yes, Sir,” she prayed, feeling his heat steep through her body.

In a second, he’d managed to flick a switch in her, reconnecting her to reality.

“You want it rough.”

“I want to feel something,” she admitted, biting her lip as she watched heat flush up his neck.

Loud voices spilling out onto the backyard patio interrupted them, and despite being in a dark spot, a couple of guys caught them. Warren exhaled, giving her one last, sly look. He then escorted her by her waist into the well-lit patio where drinks were starting to flow again. She felt herself ease up with him firmly by her side. It was certainly enjoyable to watch how he interacted with his team.

Unfortunately, the vibe shifted as Jen and her fiancé, Crash, joined the group on the patio, making a big show out of sloppily kissing each other in front of everyone. The resulting cheers told Alisa that almost everyone at the party was drunk—everyone except her and Warren. They’d clearly arrived a little too late, a little too sober. And she didn’t intend on changing that.

Then a guy she recognized stumbled through the circle toward Warren and Alisa. It was that same fit guy with receding brown hair and a face full of mischief who had shown up in Warren’s backyard.

“Chief, you made it,” the guy slurred. “And Crash was just about to cancel me as the best man. I told him I’d get you here—and he didn’t fucking believe me.”

“Gaudet.” Warren gave a curt nod. He seemed about to say something more but stopped himself.

Alisa analyzed the two men, curious what that was about. She didn’t have to wonder long.

“It’s a big deal for the guys that you showed up.” Gaudet motioned to the party, clearly starting a drunken rant. “I kept telling them that I got you.”

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