Chapter 1
Ally
“Can we go already?” I leaned against my bedroom doorframe, arms crossed, one foot tapping.
Jade stood glued to the mirror, weighing two handbags like the wrong choice might end civilization. She’d swapped shoes three times already.
“Seriously, Jade. It’s a party, not a fashion show.”
“Life is a fashion show, Ally,” she fired back, flipping her dark brunette locks over one shoulder before snatching the sleek black clutch. “And some of us don’t have your flawless skin and effortless glow to coast on. Some of us actually have to try.”
I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t argue. Jade was drop-dead stunning. “Well, some of us are ready for a drink.”
Her laugh rang out, bright and easy. “Yeah, yeah. I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Our Uber idled out front. We yelled a half-hearted goodbye to Mom and stepdad Larry as we thundered down the stairs and spilled into the night.
We hit the rooftop just after ten, and the party already thrummed with energy.
City lights sparkled below like a spilled jewel box. Jade adjusted her burgundy halter-neck dress, yanking the deep V lower until it plunged daringly toward her waist, then flared into a flirty short skirt. She looked like trouble—the kind you begged to get into.
My outfit screamed Jade’s influence: a cream bodycon mini with a square neckline. Modest up top, but the hem barely skimmed my thighs, and the high slit on the right flashed leg with every move.
We hit the bouncers with our brightest smiles and dropped the golden ticket—Reid Harrington. Jade’s NFL-star big brother and the best wingman in existence. My own brother would’ve ditched me without blinking, but Reid always hooked us into the hottest spots, even when he couldn’t show.
The bouncer checked the list, found our names, and waved us in.
Music pounded. Lights strobed. The view stole the breath right out of me.
We aimed straight for the bar. Packed, of course.
So much for “exclusive.”
“I’ll grab drinks,” I shouted over the bass. “You find Piper and Cass.”
Jade nodded.
“What do you want?” I asked, waving my hands like an air traffic controller.
“Surprise me!”
I pushed through the crowd and waited. And waited. Finally, a bartender wandered over.
I opened my mouth—
“Two whiskey cokes.”
The voice came from right behind me. The bartender spun away to pour without a glance my way.
“Cut in much?” I snapped, irritation sharp in my tone.
I turned—and my stomach did a slow flip.
Six-foot-something of dark-haired, blue-eyed perfection stared down at me. Navy button-down, top buttons undone, sleeves rolled to reveal ink tracing his neck and corded forearm. He moved with quiet, magnetic confidence that pulled the air from my lungs.
Damn. He was gorgeous.
“Oops. Didn’t see you there,” he said, a slow, wicked smirk curving his lips.
His gaze dragged over me, taking in the tight dress, the slit, the legs. Heat prickled across my skin like he’d already touched me.
“Sure you didn’t.” Sarcasm dripped from every word. I glared, muttered “What a tool,” and turned back to the bar.
The bartender slid two glasses forward. I caught the flex of the guy’s muscular arm as he paid.
“Relax. Honest mistake,” he said smoothly. “What are you drinking? I’ll cover it.”
I turned on a slow, dangerous smile.
Game on.
“Well, in that case…” I faced the bartender. “What’s your most expensive champagne?” I asked, all sugar and innocence.
“Wait—” the guy started.
I ignored him. “Cristal?”
The bartender nodded.
I glanced back, catching the flash of disbelief on his face—then grinned.
“Relax,” I echoed sweetly, using his word like a weapon. “Two espresso martinis.”
His expression flickered: annoyance, curiosity, then reluctant amusement. He added more cash, eyes never leaving mine. His chest brushed my shoulder as he reached past—deliberately close. Warmth radiated off him, and I caught another glimpse of that neck tattoo snaking upward.
Why did he have to be so infuriatingly hot?
“Got a name?” he asked, voice low, standing way too close.
“Yep.” I held his stare, grabbed the drinks, and walked away without another word.
He’d follow. Or hunt me down later. Men like him always did.
I glanced back once. He was still watching, that smirk lingering as I disappeared into the crowd.
“Ally!” Jade’s voice sliced through the noise.
She waved from a prime plush lounge at the rooftop’s edge—unobstructed city views included. Piper and Cassie had already claimed it.
Quick hellos, drink handed off, and I sank down beside Jade.
“Ooh, thanks,” she said, taking a long sip. “Next round’s on me.”
“Don’t bother. I didn’t pay.” I sipped mine, savoring the bitter kick.
“Of course you didn’t,” Piper huffed.
Jade shot me a knowing look and rolled her eyes.
Piper was the jealous type—always had been. She didn’t need to be. Platinum blonde bleached from natural strawberry blonde hair, pale skin, freckles usually buried under layers of tan and makeup. Pretty in her own polished way.
Me? Sandy blonde with a few salon highlights when I felt like it. Tall, athletic build, light outdoor tan. Nothing flashy. But it got the job done.
To Piper, I was competition.
To me? There was none. I wasn’t here for romance or catfights. Men were simple—fun, disposable toys. Easy to play with, easier to walk away from.
Piper craved the fairy tale.
That’s why Jade was my ride-or-die. She matched my energy: flirty, fearless, always up for a good time without the drama.
Barely twenty minutes later, a waiter appeared with shots on a tray.
“From the guys over there,” he said, nodding toward a nearby table.
“Ooh, they’re cute!” Piper squealed.
I looked—and knew she was dead wrong.
They weren’t cute.
They were dangerous.
One had his back turned, but when he shifted, recognition hit like a spark. Dark brown hair, sun-kissed skin, those piercing blue eyes.
Bar guy.
Our gazes locked. Electricity crackled instantly across the space between us.
A slow smirk tugged at his mouth.
I looked away as we raised the shots. Tequila burned a fiery path down my throat.
I didn’t glance back.
Didn’t have to.
He’d come. They always did.
One heated look usually sealed it.
“Hey, ladies,” a cocky blond with buzzed hair announced as the group closed in.
“Hey, thanks for the shots,” Piper jumped in, seizing center stage like always.
Chairs and lounges filled around us. Bar guy dropped into the seat right beside me, his broad frame claiming the space. His knee brushed mine.
“Hey,” he said, voice low and rough like gravel wrapped in velvet.
“Hi,” I replied, letting my eyes roam over him just as openly as he studied me—bare legs, curve of my dress, the dip at my neckline.
I barely registered the other names before the blond bellowed, “TJ, another drink?”
“Yeah,” TJ answered, gaze still pinned to mine. “Same again.”
“TJ?” I asked.
He nodded. “And you? Or you planning to bolt again?”
I laughed softly. “I didn’t bolt. I got bored.”
He scoffed. “You do that every time a guy buys your drinks?”
I sidestepped it. “You always cut the line at bars?”
“I told you—I didn’t see you.”
“Liar.”
His smirk deepened. He leaned in closer, cologne wrapping around me—warm amber and sandalwood, heady and addictive. Close enough that I felt the heat rolling off his body.
“You always this feisty?” His breath ghosted my skin.
“Always. You always annoy girls into talking to you?”
“Usually works a hell of a lot faster.”
“Maybe you’re losing your touch.”
“Or maybe you’re more work than I’m used to.”
“Don’t sound too thrilled.”
“I’m not.” His eyes dropped to my lips, dark with promise. “…yet.”
The air thickened. My pulse kicked up.
“Ally,” I finally offered. “My name.”
The corner of his mouth lifted, slow and satisfied.
The blond—Dex—returned with TJ’s drink, and reality crashed back in. Piper and Cassie flirted hard with the other two. Jade glared daggers as Dex wedged himself between us on the lounge.
She looked thoroughly unimpressed.
Didn’t stop him.
“Dex,” he said, thrusting a hand at Jade. “Your name?”
She eyed it like a dead fish. “Jade.”
“Nice dress. Would look even better on my floor.”
She scoffed. “Grandpa give you that line?”
“Just trying to make you laugh. Worked, right?”
“Felt more like vomit rising.”
“I’ll take the win.”
“It wasn’t one.”
Their bickering filled the air while TJ and I traded loaded glances. Finally, he broke the charged silence.
“You don’t look like you belong here.”
“Neither do you,” I countered.
“Why are you here, then?”
I sipped my drink, letting the moment stretch. “Bad decisions.”
He smiled, slow and knowing. “Same.”
Jade stood abruptly. “Bathroom break—Ally?”
I rose too. TJ’s eyes tracked me like a promise.
Out of earshot, Jade exploded. “God, that guy is insufferable.”
I grinned. “Exactly your type.”
“Shut up.” A beat passed. “He is kinda cute, though.”
Bathroom done, we grabbed fresh drinks at the bar, then let the music pull us to the dance floor. Alcohol and rhythm took over.
A warm, solid body pressed against my back. I didn’t turn. I knew that scent—amber, sandalwood, pure trouble. His hands settled on my waist, sending sparks racing over my skin.
He towered over my five-eight frame, even in heels. I swayed to the beat, pressing back into him shamelessly. His grip tightened, guiding me, our bodies syncing like we’d done this before.
His breath skimmed my ear, minty and hot. The tension coiled tighter, hotter, until I thought I’d combust if I didn’t taste him.
He spun me suddenly, yanked me flush against his chest, and claimed my mouth.
I kissed him back fiercely, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him deeper. Tongues tangled in a rush of heat and raw need.
God, I wanted to drag him somewhere private and tear his clothes off.
But this? The kiss alone was the best high I’d had in months.
Until—
“Your friend hates me!” Dex yelled over the music, oblivious.
I broke away, breathing hard. TJ exhaled sharply, frustration mirroring mine.
We escaped the dance floor, heading for the quieter rooftop edge. Jade and Dex argued a few paces ahead, TJ’s hand brushing my hip with every step—electric.
“Because you won’t shut up,” I said once the noise faded.
“That’s because she can’t stop staring,” Dex shot back.
“I will shove you off this roof,” Jade called without turning.
At the edge, while they kept sparring, TJ’s hungry gaze burned into me.
I grabbed his hand and tugged him around the corner to a secluded lounge. He pulled me into his lap instantly. I cupped his face and kissed him again—deeper, greedier.
Our mouths fused like we’d been starving for this. His hands roamed my sides, firm and possessive. The tight dress frustrated me; I ached to straddle him fully, to feel every inch.
We were lost in it, hands wandering, when Jade and Dex finally appeared.
“Woah, Ally,” Jade said, eyebrows shooting up. “There are rooms downstairs, you know.”
“Shut up,” I laughed, though the suggestion lingered temptingly.
She flopped onto the opposite sofa. Dex dropped beside her.
“I still can’t believe you’re Reid Harrington’s sister,” Dex said.
Jade rolled her eyes. “The fanboy act is getting old fast.”
“Not a fan,” he grinned. “Just shocked. You look nothing like him. What are you, five foot?”
“Five-one,” she said flatly.
“So cute.”
Jade turned to TJ. “Your friend is exhausting.”
“Dex, ease up on her, man,” TJ chuckled.
“It’s all love,” Dex winked. “She’ll be falling for me by morning.”
“Highly unlikely,” Jade deadpanned, pure disgust on her face.
But I knew that look. She liked the bold, cheeky ones.
She liked him. Stubbornness just delayed the inevitable.
“Keep going,” I whispered loudly across the table.
“Traitor!” Jade gasped, then burst out laughing.
We all cracked up.
I turned back to TJ. His fingers traced the hem of my dress, teasing sparks up my thigh. Our eyes met—dark, heavy, matching fire.
I kissed him again. His hand slipped higher, grazing bare skin.
He pulled back just enough to murmur against my lips, “Want to get out of here?”
I nodded.
“Why don’t we all head to mine?” Dex suggested, shamelessly eavesdropping.
“I’m not leaving without Ally,” Jade declared, then shot me an apologetic look. “Sorry, babe. Accidental cock-block.”
I laughed. “Dex’s it is, then.”
Piper and Cassie were still tangled up with the others, so we slipped away quietly.
Heading for the elevator, TJ suddenly yanked me into a shadowed hallway and pinned me to the wall. His kiss turned ravenous. Lips trailed down my jaw, my neck, until his mouth brushed my ear.
“If you only knew the things I want to do to you…” he whispered, voice rough with promise.
Fuck. He was lethal at this.
I bit my lip. He freed it gently with his thumb, eyes blazing.
“Ally!” Jade’s voice echoed. “Can’t you two wait five minutes until we reach this idiot’s place?”
She shrugged. “Apparently it’s a penthouse.”
She was softening on Dex. I could see it.
Dex’s place was close, and he hadn’t exaggerated. The penthouse was sleek and modern, floor-to-ceiling windows framing the glittering city like a private show.
“Nice,” I said, wandering the living room.
“It’s fine,” Jade muttered.
“Come on!” Dex grabbed her hand, tugging her to the windows. “View’s insane.”
TJ took mine and led me silently down the hall into the nearest bedroom.
I shoved him onto the bed’s edge and straddled him, dress riding high on my hips. I kissed him hard, desperate.
Hands explored greedily through clothes. I rocked against him, feeling him harden, needing skin on skin.
The kiss turned scorching—until—
Crash.
Glass shattered from the living room.
I scrambled off. We rushed out.
Dex lay shirtless on the floor amid the ruins of a glass coffee table, shards everywhere. Jade sat nearby on the sofa, lips swollen, hair wrecked, equal parts stunned and guilty.
“Fuck,” Dex groaned.
“What the hell?” I asked.
“Jade likes it rough,” he grinned through the pain.
“Shut up!” she yelped.
Blood streaked the glass as Dex sat up.
TJ winced at the mess. “Dude… hospital. Now.”
After endless hours in emergency, TJ and I finally exchanged numbers outside. One last reluctant kiss, then we parted.
“I’m calling you,” he murmured against my ear. “We’re finishing what we started.”
“You damn well better,” I whispered, pressing one final kiss to his mouth before walking away.
I had no clue what I’d stepped into.
Neither did TJ.
But it was headed somewhere neither of us saw coming.
