She holds out a shaky palm up. “Stop right there.”

I reach for her hand, craving contact with someone real, but she snatches it away from my grasp. “Baby, I told you. No need to play hard to get. I won’t tell anyone that you fucked me.”

Her eyes widen like she can’t believe I would say such a thing to her. This only excites me more. “You’re really full of yourself, you know that?”

I smirk. She’s one hell of an actress. “Only when it comes to women.”

She rolls her eyes. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but not every woman on the planet is willing to sleep with you, Riff.”

“Maybe.” I shrug. “But I can tell that you want me.” I take another step towards her and she backs away, trying to put distance between us. She bumps against the cabinets behind her and I close in.

She shoves her tiny hand into my chest and shakes her head again. “No, I don’t want you. I’m here with—”

“Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.” I try and sooth her while I stroke the soft skin on her shoulder. I want her to show me she wants me. No more games. Time to be real. “No more talking.”

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Riff?” Noel growls from the hallway, wearing a low-slung towel around his hips, while water beads speckle his chest. Oh shit. Is this his piece of imported ass? How the hell did he get so fucking lucky?

I pull my hands off the woman and gaze into her eyes. Now I know why he’s so crazy over her. She’s hot, but what makes her even better is she’s Noel’s one big heartbreak. “You’re Lanie?”

She nods and glances at Noel. “I’ve tried to tell you. I told you I was with someone when you first tried to shove that ticket thing in my hand.”

Noel’s eyes narrow at me. “You gave her one of your fucking golden tickets? I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Noel’s face twists with rage and he lunges for me, but I’m quick enough to avoid him and shove his hands away. I don’t know why he thinks he owns this chick. She left him, and obviously we have no guy code between us, so as far as I’m concerned she’s fair game. Matter of fact, I love the idea of paying him back by sleeping with his girl.

Lanie throws her hands against Noel’s chest. “It’s okay. Let it go. He made a mistake.” She looks over at me like she wants me to apologize to defuse the situation. She has no idea that isn’t going to fucking happen. “Right?”

I stare Noel down. If he thinks he’s scaring me off right now, he’s got another fucking thing coming. To drive it home, with as much sarcasm as I can muster, I say, “Yeah, we wouldn’t want to accidentally steal each other’s woman, would we?”

Lanie flinches at my tone. I’m sure she has no clue what’s gone down between us. As much as I would like to spill the beans, and tell her all about the secret I’m sure Noel’s hiding from her, I keep my mouth shut. He’ll eventually hang himself.

The muscle in Noel’s jaw clenches. “You stay away from her. Or so help me God, Riff, I will end you.”

It takes everything in me not to laugh in his face. He may be sporting a look of pure malice, but that shit doesn’t intimidate me. He and I both know we’re pretty evenly matched. If he comes at me he better be ready for a fight.

Noel and I continue to stare each other down, neither of us ready to be the first one to back down. Lanie being here ups the stakes between us, and he knows that. He knows I can pull chicks and this girl already hates him, so snagging her away will make a fun game. He just added fuel to our never-ending feuding fire.

Lanie pulls on Noel’s arm and he tilts his head down and gazes at her. “Come on, Noel. I want to show you something.” She grabs his hand when he doesn’t immediately respond. She obviously doesn’t want us to come to blows and she’s doing her best to diffuse the situation.

Noel stares at me, like he’s daring me to let everything out—to tell Lanie his secret and ruin his chance getting her back.

Finally, after he sees I’m not going to say another word, Noel nods and follows Lanie down the hallway, leaving me alone in the front of the bus.

I lean back against the cabinet and sigh. Jesus can my life get anymore fucked up?

My cell buzzes in my pocket and fish it out to read the message.

Riff,

Hot, sweaty and naked? Really? That’s the best line you got? I expected more from one of the world’s biggest players? I guess I can cross ‘has suave game’ off the list of your qualities. I can’t believe women respond to that lameness.

You want to bed me? Impress me.

Aubrey

I laugh and shake my head. Kitten is really headstrong. What I wouldn’t give for her to be here right now so I can show her how well lines like that can work when whispered into a horny woman’s ear. I bet I would even forget my own name when I’m with her. She’s exactly the distraction I need.

Chapter 5

AUBREY

I close myself inside the car and direct the driver to take me to LaGuardia airport. The tiny shoebox apartment I share with Lanie seems so much bigger now that she’s away. Not in the good way either—more like the lonely-you’re-all-by-yourself way. It’s sort of depressing, so I’m glad to be out of it for a few days.

It’s only been a few days since Lanie left to tour with Noel, and sadly the only company I’ve really had was my co-workers and sporadic messages from Riff.