Chapter One

Havoc

She had to be fucking kidding me.  No way was I going there with a crazy bitch who was more than likely just trying to catch herself a man to pay her bills.

Rubbing her hand against my crotch, she begged, “Come on, baby, take me back to your place and show me how well you can use this.”

Her hot breath on my ear turned me way the fuck off.  Pushing her hand away from my body, I muttered, “I can use it really fuckin’ well, just not with you.”

She took a step away from me, clearly stunned at my refusal.  I knew her type; good looking and easy.  It was a pity for her that wasn’t my type anymore.  And she was obviously not used to being told no because she wasn’t handling it well.  Her face clouded over in anger.  “Well aren’t you a prick,” she spat, “Leading me on like that and then telling me no.  I’ve wasted my time on you; time I could have spent finding a man who knows a good thing when he sees it.”

Fuck, bitches like her pissed me off.  Usually, I wouldn’t waste my breath on her, but I’d had a shit of a day, and she’d just pushed me that bit too far.  “Let’s get something straight, I didn’t fuckin’ lead you on.  I didn’t buy you a drink, didn’t do much talking and I sure as hell never gave you the impression I wanted to fuck you.  I’ve met too many women like you so I know what you’re after, and there’s no way you’re ever getting it from me.  Been burnt once in my life, not going back for seconds.  So move the fuck on and leave me the hell alone.”

She stiffened and her mouth fell slightly open.  She recovered fairly quickly though, and narrowed her eyes at me.  “Fucking asshole,” she snapped before giving me one last glare and stalking off.  I pitied the poor bastard she latched onto next.

Turning back to the bar, I motioned to the bartender to bring me another scotch, and contemplated why the hell I was back in Brisbane.  It had been six months since I’d been here, and a year before that.  It was never long enough between visits as far as I was concerned, but my sister had her own way of bringing me back every now and then.  When she’d called to tell me our father wasn’t well, I hadn’t hesitated to return home.  However, as much as I wanted to check on him, I knew I wouldn’t stick around for long; too many bad memories lived here.

The bartender brought my scotch over and as I threw it back, a woman settled onto the stool next to me at the bar. I didn’t look at her, but I knew it was a woman by her smell.  Balenciaga.  The same fucking perfume my ex fiancé had worn.  I loved it, and yet I hated it simply because it reminded me of her.  Raising my chin at the bartender, I indicated my desire for more scotch.  I’d knock myself out with alcohol before I’d dredge memories of that bitch up.

“So you’re with Storm, are you?”

I turned and scowled at her.  “I’m not interested.  I just want to have a drink in quiet.  You think that’s possible?”

She didn’t flinch, just raised a brow at me, and returned my scowl.  “Hate to break it to you, Romeo, but I’m not interested either.  I was just asking a question.”

I’d fully intended on turning away from her and minding my own business, but her smoky voice stopped me.  It was the kind of voice that commanded a man’s attention, and it got mine.  My gaze lingered on her face for a good while.  It was her green eyes that did it; there was something there that called to me.  Sadness perhaps.  Definitely pain of some sort.  Whatever the hell it was, I wanted to know more about her and that was without even taking a look at the rest of her.

“Yeah, I’m with Storm,” I answered, my gaze steady on hers.

She nodded, and then broke eye contact to ask the bartender for a drink.  I let my gaze drop to her chest and then lower.  She wasn’t my usual type; her breasts were smaller than I liked them and she wasn’t as curvy as I preferred.  And she was a brunette; I always went for blondes.  But fuck, she had something that was making my dick get hard and I needed to know what it was.

Turning back to me after she’d ordered her drink, she asked, “You know where the ladies room is?”

I nodded in the direction.  “Over that way.”

She moved off her stool and slid her bag along the bar towards me.  “You watch that, I’ll be right back.”  Without waiting for my response, she took off in the direction I’d indicated.  I watched her go, finding something about her that was definitely my type.  Her ass.  It had to be one of the best I’d ever seen and desire slammed into me.  I wanted to hold that ass in my hands before the night was over.

“You want another drink, buddy?” the bartender asked.

I dragged my gaze from her ass and answered him.  “Just keep ‘em coming.”  I retrieved some cash from my wallet and placed it on the bar.  “Keep hers coming too, until that runs out.”

She surprised the hell out of me by only taking a couple of minutes.  I raised my brow at her while she settled herself back on the stool.  “That was quick.”

Reaching for her drink, she said, “I did what I needed to do.  Besides, I needed this drink so there was no time to waste.”  Her words had barely left her lips when she sculled her drink.

“I’ve never known a woman who didn't fuck about when they went to the ladies.”