MiaWe were in front of a door in no time, and James rang the bell. In an instant, it was drawn open widely, and I was greeted by one of the most intimidating men I’d ever met. James was intimidating, too, on first meeting, but at the same time, I felt drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I felt a type of an attraction to him that was difficult to break or explain.This man standing before us, on the other hand, was just plain intimidating. He was tall and muscularly toned, with sandy-brown hair and steel-gray eyes. His aquiline features were darkly handsome, and I was pretty sure every female found him attractive. I guessed I wasn’t one of those females as I stared up at him, wide-eyed, like a child who had just met her first Santa Claus.He smiled at James, and they shook hands. Suddenly, he turned his attention to me. I felt a little uneasy as his eyes roved over me. I didn’t utter a word as I stared up at him. Slowly, a hint of a smile played across his lips, and then he laughed.

MiaWhen the elevator door dinged open, I slowly stepped in. James wasn’t far behind and stood close to me when it shut again. He pushed the button, and the lift ascended.My whole body was still tense from the meeting with Andy as my mind wandered off about the whole situation. Ever since our parents had passed away, neither of our lives had ever turned out the way we had expected. This whole story of him leaving our small town of Mystic Spring in New Hampshire to come all the way to the West Coast, first to Los Angeles and then to Las Vegas, to find fortune and freedom, to live the American dream, was nothing but that—a dream. Reality, it seemed, was a bitch, killing a young man’s dream of having a better future, both for himself and his sister.I suddenly felt the warmth of a body against me, and strong, powerful arms wrapped around my slender shoulders. Those inviting, dependable arms lured me into a comfortable embrace. I couldn’t resist and leaned against that hard, muscular wal

MiaAs I stood staring at the door, waiting for it to open, I prayed Matt wasn’t around. I wanted to spend time with my brother alone, without that overbearing man watching our every move. We were siblings, for God’s sake. Why he behaved as though Andy belonged to him was beyond me.Or did Andy really belong to him in some way?A dreadful thought struck me, and my heart raced. Oh God! What if Andy was in some sort of contract with Matt like I was with James? My body shook, and a fearful groan escaped my lips.The door opened, and once I saw Andy, I flew into his arms and hugged him tight.Andy gasped in surprise. Once he realized it was me, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me.“I’m so glad you’re still here,” I said, my face snuggled against his shoulder.“Of course. I’m always here,” he said. “Why are you so freaked out?”I drew back. That was Andy all right. He always saw right through me.He led me into the room as I said, “I thought you might have gone out to work or somethi

James“You know how hard it is to keep those bastards under control,” Matt said, rolling his eyes heavenward. “Fuck! The police are useless. Drugs and prostitution are booming in Las Vegas.”“All you need to do is keep our turf save,” James said. “Make them understand we’re not to be fucked with.”Matt laughed. “No need to worry.” He crossed one leg over the other. “It’s taken care of.”“How’s Andy going with the infiltration?” James asked, his eyes dark.“Good, I guess,” Matt said, shrugging. “Can’t we put him in another job? That boy’s too fucking tempting for most men.”James laughed. “Come on, Matt, you know how it works. We need someone like Andy. Someone with the good looks and the brain, who still looks innocent and gullible enough to be lured and fall into a trap. He’s smart enough to look after himself.”“James, I get it,” Matt muttered. “You don’t need to lecture me. He just worries me sometimes.”James wasn’t surprised by that. Matt was falling in love with Andy, and he did

MiaThere was definitely something wrong about James. I could feel it in my gut. Though his face was as stern and expressionless as ever, I could still sense something was amiss.Once again, I took a peek at him, and instantly my heart skipped a beat. Gazing at that handsome man and standing so close to him in the small space of the elevator did nothing to ease my fascination and craving for him. My foolishness of molesting him in his sleep last night did nothing to soothe the sudden urge of wanting him the moment I’d seen him at the door just moments ago. Even though I did vow to myself last night would be the very first and last time I’d do such an embarrassing and naughty thing.But it was quite nice to be naughty sometimes. The feelings of just letting go and doing whatever you desired most were wonderful. Apparently, making love to James while he was still deep in slumber was one of those things for me.Even right now, all I wanted to do was to kiss him and throw myself into his