Chapter 1: The Spark in the Shadows
Lanna Voss wasn’t the kind of woman to be tamed, and she damn well knew it. At thirty-two, she owned the room the moment she walked in—tonight, a dimly lit jazz bar on the edge of the city, where the air was thick with bourbon and unspoken desires. Her crimson dress clung to her curves like a second skin, and her dark hair cascaded over one shoulder as she scanned the crowd with piercing green eyes. She wasn’t here for small talk. She was hunting.
At the bar, she spotted him—Julian Drake, the man who’d been dodging her calls for weeks. He was a private investigator with a reputation for getting dirty in all the right ways, and Lanna needed his skills for a case that could make or break her career as a defense attorney. But damn if he didn’t look like trouble wrapped in a leather jacket, nursing a whiskey with a smirk that could melt steel.
She slid onto the stool beside him, her thigh brushing his just enough to make him glance over. 'You’ve been avoiding me, Drake,' she purred, her voice low and laced with challenge. 'I don’t like being ignored.'
Julian’s smirk widened as he leaned back, eyeing her up and down with a hunger that wasn’t subtle. 'And I don’t like being chased, Voss. But I’ll make an exception for a woman who looks like she could eat me alive.'
Lanna laughed, sharp and unapologetic, crossing her legs so the slit of her dress revealed just enough to keep him guessing. 'Oh, I could. But I’d rather you work for me first. I’ve got a case that needs your... particular talents.'
He took a slow sip of his whiskey, his gaze never leaving hers. 'My talents don’t come cheap. And I don’t play nice with lawyers who think they can boss me around.'
'Good,' she shot back, leaning in so close she could smell the heat of him, the faint musk of his cologne. 'I don’t want nice. I want results. And maybe, if you’re lucky, a little something extra.' Her lips curled into a wicked smile, daring him to take the bait.
Julian’s eyes darkened, and he set his glass down with a deliberate thud. 'You’re playing a dangerous game, Lanna. Keep talking like that, and I might forget we’re in public.'
She didn’t flinch, didn’t back down. Instead, she reached out, her fingers brushing the edge of his jaw, her touch electric. 'Maybe I want you to forget. Maybe I’ve been thinking about how hard you’d get if I dragged you into the back room right now.' Her voice dropped to a whisper, dripping with intent. 'Bet you’d love to see how wet I am just thinking about it.'
His breath hitched, and for a split second, she saw the raw need flash across his face. He stood, towering over her, his body close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him. 'You’re a fucking tease, Voss. But I’m calling your bluff. Let’s see if you’ve got the guts to follow through.'
Lanna didn’t hesitate. She slid off the stool, her hips swaying as she led the way toward the shadowed hallway at the back of the bar, her heart pounding with anticipation. She could feel his eyes on her ass, could sense the tension coiling tighter with every step. The moment they were out of sight, he grabbed her wrist, spinning her around and pinning her against the wall with a force that made her gasp.
'Last chance to back out,' he growled, his voice rough, his body pressed against hers so she could feel just how hard he already was.
Lanna’s eyes gleamed with defiance as she tilted her chin up, her lips inches from his. 'I don’t back out, Drake. So shut up and show me what that cock can do.'
His growl turned into a low, hungry sound as he crushed his mouth to hers, the kiss raw and desperate, their bodies already grinding with a need that had been simmering for far too long. Her hands were in his hair, pulling hard, while his slid down to grip her hips, promising an explosion that neither of them could—or wanted to—stop.
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