Falon barely took the time to dry himself before leaving her stranded in the wake of the storm they had been building. Wrapping the towel around her cooling body, she felt like she had run against a brick wall and the rejection she found there came with quite a sting.

Taking a few minutes to gather her wits, she fully expected to find her bedroom empty. To say she was surprised to see Falon standing in nothing but a low-slung towel by the windows would be an understatement.

She stood for a moment just taking him in. God he was a beautiful man. The light from the night sky barely outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist. In that moment, it hit her. He was a fantasy. He was that thing every woman dreamed of holding onto for a fleeting moment. That thing that made them feel alive. A challenge that could never be won. Because Falon Wolfe was untouchable.

In that moment, her heart ached for him. It must be lonely in his world of ice. But it wasn’t a world meant for her. He had proven that nine years earlier so she would stick to her plan to let a little warmth in and leave it up to the next woman to ignite those embers.

“Aren’t you going to get into bed?” His smooth voice startled her.

“Aren’t you?” she countered, voice cracking under the stress of her thoughts.

“Just get in, Sarah.”

When he didn’t turn, she decided to give both him and her pride a break. He was obviously done with her. The man couldn’t even turn from the window to talk to her. Not one for subtlety, among the many things he had taught her, she had learned that meekness got you nowhere. She couldn’t hold her peace for long.

“I suppose you’ll be leaving then?” she asked, forcing as much bravado into her voice as possible.

“If that’s what you want.”

“Oh, so now you’re worried about what I want?” She could feel anger replacing her earlier hurt. Who did the great Falon Wolfe think he was anyway?

“Not particularly.” He turned to study her. “Just wondering if I’ll be facing any threat of law enforcement.”

Sarah stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. What had happened to the man who commanded her body so sweetly just an hour earlier? Instead of that man, Falon stood across the room as welcoming as an arctic storm. His eyes took in every subtle nuance of her, assessing her reaction, projecting his next step. The man planned everything three moves in advance and it made her want to scream and throw something at him, anything to get him to respond with some spontaneity.

“I see I have overstayed my welcome.”

He began gathering his things with a clipped efficiency that undermined his cool façade. Sarah could only look on as he dressed quickly. When he slipped his feet into his shoes, he seemed to hesitate before approaching her on the bed.

“Thank you, Sarah,” he whispered before brushing a fleeting kiss to her brow and disappearing. She couldn’t help drawing a picture of a lone wolf slinking away into the night as she watched his retreating form.

***

For the second day in a row, Sarah found herself lounging around the house at an ungodly hour in ratty old pajamas. After Falon left, she had pulled the flannel around her body like a comfort blanket. It had taken over an hour to shut her mind off and force herself to sleep only to be plagued with dreams of hot kisses and callused caresses.

Blowing the steam off her coffee, she had to face the fact that what was truly bothering her wasn’t the thrills of pleasure that still cascaded through her body at inexplicable moments. It was the emotions that ambushed her alone in the dark. The same old feelings she got nine years earlier whenever thoughts of Falon would take root.

Dear Lord, she was falling for him … again. How was that possible? Sure the man was a living, breathing sex god but that didn’t mean that she actually liked him. She felt sorry for him. Missed the piece of him that had so attracted her younger self. She just wanted to know she hadn’t imagined the man she thought he was. She needed to know she wasn’t that gullible.

She had to get a handle on this before it got out of control. It was about proving a point and that was it. She had to remember to keep her emotions out of the mix while forcing him to acknowledge his. Tall order.

Perhaps she was going about this all wrong. While getting him into her bed had been great, mind-blowing really, maybe she needed to try a new tact. Could it be as simple as getting the man to talk to her? Taking another careful sip, she laughed at herself. Nothing was ever simple when it came to Falon Wolfe.

***

Falon ran a hand over his face as he held his phone to his ear. Listening to his grandfather drone on about how glad he was Falon was helping out such an old friend and informing him he would be in the city next week and would like to get together set his teeth on edge. But at least he wasn’t apologizing, yet.

The old man had called just as he had decided to go charging back to Sarah’s place and finish what she started in the shower. In a way, he was grateful because he saved him from making what was probably a big mistake.

“Look, Falon.” His grandfather’s voice took on a gruffer tone causing his Italian accent to thicken. “I know you’ve said that you don’t want to hear this. And you would think an old man would have learned by now but I want you to know how terribly sorry I am. For everything.”

“I can’t do this right now.” Falon sighed. When would the man stop? “I’ll see you in a week.”

Disconnecting the call he was filled with an energy that felt too familiar, too raw. Too uncontrolled. He had to get out.

He found himself in his car speeding across town in the direction of one red-haired temptation he should stay far, far away from. She made him feel and that was dangerous.

Knocking on her door he could have sworn he heard muttered cursing before the panel was thrown open.

“Wha—?”

“Please tell me that’s coffee I smell.” He interrupted her and brushed past into the house. Leaving her to stand with one hand holding the door and the other picking up her retort from the floor.

The door slammed behind him as he made himself at home in her kitchen searching for a mug.

“To your left.” Sarah’s voice guided him.

Opening the correct cupboard, he pulled down a pewter mug and filled it to the brim. Turning, he took his first real look at her. She stood leaning in the doorway, arms pulling her ratty robe protectively around her body. She looked nervous and homey and he never wanted her more.

Something in his face must have tipped her off because she straightened from her feigned relaxed position.

“What brings you here?” she asked, licking those lush lips that were just his a matter of hours ago. He couldn’t have stopped himself from stepping in her direction if she tried.

“Come here.” His voice was low and harsh and he did nothing to disguise what he wanted.

***

Sarah stood frozen for a moment stuck in the heat of his command. When she opened the door to find Falon on her steps, she wanted to slam it in his face. She couldn’t deal with him right now. Not with so much still up in the air. But here he was, stalking her across her kitchen looking like a hungry jungle cat ready to pounce.

“What are you doing, Falon?” she managed to squeak out.

“I would think that’s obvious.” He reached for her and she was under no illusion that he didn’t allow her to dodge it. He was enjoying the chase. Her breath hitched when she realized it was working for her too.

“Seriously, Falon, what’s going on?” she asked when she had the safety of the table between them. When he left last night, he had been so cool. Looking at him across the scratched surface of the table she could see something burning behind his eyes that looked nothing like the fires of lust she had been expecting.