This could be my world now. I could live a life filled with lazy mornings and Ashlyn’s sweet, warm presence at my side.
I’d never again have innocent blood on my hands.
I allowed myself to sink into the fantasy, fully embracing this existence where I belonged in Ashlyn’s bed. Where she belonged to me.
Chapter Eight
Ashlyn
I was an idiot. Because I was pretty sure I was falling in love, and that wasn’t something I would’ve thought possible. Certainly not so fast. I’d spent every free moment with Joseph over the last two weeks, and while I still didn’t know him well, I couldn’t help falling for him. I wasn’t accustomed to anyone truly caring about me, and before meeting him, I’d found it difficult to trust people.
With Joseph, I couldn’t hold anything back. Not my body and not my heart. We spent most of our time together in bed, but I knew our connection was more than simple physical lust. When he captured me in his crystalline blue stare, there was something worshipful about the light in his eyes. No one had ever looked at me like that. Not a man, not my family.
It was addictive, intoxicating. I craved his nearness, and I hated when I had to leave him to go to class or when he had to work a shift at the bar. After I finished studying in the evenings—something that was becoming increasingly difficult with Joseph taking up my full attention—I went to the bar and tried not to seem like a pathetic stalker. Jayme accompanied me, but it was hard to stay focused on girl talk when Joseph was shooting me heated glances from across the bar.
“Are you even listening to me?” she demanded, clearly irritated with my distraction.
“Sorry, what?” I tore my eyes from Joseph’s hypnotic stare and focused on my friend. Her lips were pursed with annoyance.
“I was asking if you want to go to the party at the Fly clubhouse this weekend. You know, if you can manage to pry yourself out of Joseph’s arms.”
I’d firmly rejected Stu’s former invitation, but Jayme had managed to secure one of her own from a blond hottie she’d met a few days after I’d started dating Joseph.
My cheeks heated. “Oh, um, sorry. I should’ve been paying more attention. But I probably won’t go to the party. Sorry,” I apologized again.
She waved off my apology with a small smile, my transgression forgiven. “It’s okay. Stu’s a creepy dick, and I get it if you don’t want to risk bumping into him. I’m really happy for you that you’re hooking up with the hottest guy in town. Even if I’m super jealous. Although,” she purred the word and glanced past me, “this guy might give Joseph a run for his money. And he’s totally checking us out. I call dibs, since you’re taken.”
I grinned at her, happy that she’d found an enticing distraction. “Sure. He’s all yours.”
“Girl, are you not even going to look? He’s freaking gorgeous. Total bad boy, leather jacket vibe. Kind of like Joseph, but…harder. Yummy.”
I laughed at her description and turned to look for the mystery man out of idle curiosity, if nothing else.
My laughter caught in my throat when I laid eyes on him.
Hard wasn’t a dark enough word to describe him. And he certainly wasn’t a bad boy. This was a dangerous man. He was older than the students by at least five years, but there was something else about him that further separated him from the boys around him. Maybe it was his leather jacket and motorcycle boots. Or maybe it was his sheer size; he was almost as tall as Joseph, and impossibly broader. His clenched square jaw looked sharp enough to cut, the almost harsh lines of his face roughened further by his dark stubble.
When his black eyes locked on me, I knew none of those physical markers were what set him apart. There was something dark about his soul, something twisted and cold.
One corner of his lips twitched when he caught me looking at him, and I tore my gaze away. My hands were suddenly clammy, my fingers almost trembling.
“I, um, I’m going to the restroom,” I announced, needing to escape from his stare. “I’ll be right back.”
“Sure,” Jayme agreed easily. “But if I’m occupied when you get back, don’t be offended.”
She shot another heated stare in the dark stranger’s direction. I didn’t understand her attraction. He was obviously bad news. I blinked at her, baffled by her choice in men.
“Be careful,” I advised.
She tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder with a little laugh. “What’s the fun in that?”
I shook my head slightly. “He’s all yours. I’ll hang out at the bar with Joseph to give you some space.”
“Thanks, girl.”
“Of course. But let me know if you decide to take that guy home. I don’t want you to leave with him alone.”
“Will do,” she promised. “I won’t go anywhere alone with a stranger. We can leave with you and Joseph in a few hours.” She gave me a sly smile. “We’ll make it a double date tonight.”
“Sounds good to me. See you soon.”
I wound my way through the crowded dance floor and got in line for the bathroom. There were three women in the short corridor ahead of me, but I didn’t mind. I hadn’t really needed to go, but I’d wanted the excuse to escape from the dark stranger’s stare. I wasn’t entirely comfortable leaving Jayme at his mercy, but she seemed happy enough with his attention. I wasn’t going to cockblock her.
“Are you Ashlyn?” I jolted at the rumbling, masculine voice. It was low and deep, and far too close.
I spun around on a soft gasp, and I found the dangerous stranger in my personal space. The bar was loud enough that I hadn’t heard his approach, but now that I was caught in his black stare, I was very aware of his nearness.
I took a step back, and my butt bumped into the wall. His lips curved up at the corners, his harsh eyes flashing with amusement.
“So, are you? You’re Ashlyn, right?” he prompted. He didn’t step toward me, but he leaned in, his bulk bearing down on me.
My breath stuttered in my throat, and my pulse hammered in my veins. The dark energy pulsing off him kissed my skin, curling around my body in insidious, velvety tendrils. I shivered, but I wasn’t cold.
“What do you want?” I squeaked. I felt thoroughly trapped, even though he wasn’t touching me. His intent stare and powerful aura were enough to pin me in place. “How do you know my name?”
“What the fuck are you doing here, Marco? Get away from her.”
I sucked in a relieved breath at the sound of Joseph’s furious growl. He was coming to my rescue again, and I’d never been more grateful for my knight in shining armor.
Then, something else registered. Marco. Joseph knew his name. He knew this intimidating man. I’d known Joseph wasn’t from my world; he wasn’t a student at Harvard. But I hadn’t imagined that the tender man I’d fallen for would associate with someone so overtly dangerous.
Marco’s lips curved farther, and he turned his coolly amused gaze on Joseph. “I’m just introducing myself to Ashlyn,” he said, nonchalant. “I heard you had a girlfriend. I wanted to meet her.”