Kai curled his hands into fists at his sides. The kiss was warm, soft, and undeniably persistent, and a needy sigh escaped her as her tongue flicked experimentally against his upper lip. Teasing him. Tormenting him. And testing his restraint in a way that was foolish and dangerous for a man like him.

A man who didn't do soft or slow or sweet when it came to women.

He placed his hands on her waist, intending to push her away and end this madness so he could set some boundaries, until the vixen nipped at his lower lip and playfully tugged it between her teeth. Oh, fuck me…

Before he could talk himself out of it, he crushed his mouth to hers. The kiss was hot, hard, and demanding from the moment his lips touched hers, and his tongue swept deep inside to plunder and devour. She moaned and wrapped her hands around his biceps, as if she needed something to hold on to as he continued to keep her mouth positioned beneath his and feasted on her rich, decadent flavor.

With his mouth fused to hers, he guided her backward, until her ass hit the edge of the table they'd just been sitting at. His hands dropped to her hips, and with a slight lift, she was sitting on the flat surface. Breathing hard against her parted lips, he pushed her legs wide apart and moved in between, so that the rigid length of his erection aligned with the front panel of her panties. Even through the denim, he could feel her heat and dampness, and it drove him wild.

He groaned and shuddered. His dick throbbed almost painfully, and he barely managed to clench his jaw against the onslaught of relentless heat surging through him.

What the hell was he doing? If she'd been any other woman, he would have been balls deep inside her by now, driving them both toward a mind-bending orgasm.

He jerked back so that there were a few inches of space between them and more than enough room to put an end to their very near miss. She looked up at him, her lips wet and swollen from his kiss, her face flushed with desire, and her gaze exhilarated and oh-so-hopeful for much, much more.

It wasn't going to happen. "You're playing with the hottest kind of fire there is," he said, his voice tinged with an unmistakable warning.

Her chin lifted ever so slightly, and the corner of her mouth curved upward in a brazen smile. "You didn't seem to mind a few moments ago."

Bracing his hands on the table on either side of her hips, he leaned in close and gave her his best intimidating scowl. "I'm not a gentleman, Bonnie," he said harshly. "I don't do soft, gentle and sweet. I like to control and fuck so hard and deep you'll scream and be sore the next day. I'd want you on your knees, with my hands fisted in your hair while you suck my cock, and then I'd bend you over this table, spread your legs wide, and fuck you all over again."

"What…what if that's what I want?" she asked softly.

Kai exhaled a slow, deep breath as he straightened once again. "It's not going to happen." He had to be smart enough for them both. "If you're going to be staying here, we need to set some rules."

"I'm twenty-six years old, and I've spent my entire life being told what to do. I'm done with rules, Kai. I'm done being a straight-laced good girl when the woman inside of me wants excitement and passion and a man who can show me both."

"I'm not that man, Bonnie," he said gruffly. "You're just being wild and rebellious now that you have a little freedom, and you like the way it feels. There's no way I'm gonna let you do something you'd regret later."

Whoever she'd been before, this incarnation of Bonnie Hopkins clearly had no problem going after what she wanted.

And she'd made it clear she wanted him.

Bonnie liked Nora immediately. She was friendly, kind, and arrived at Kai's place with a t-shirt dress and a pair of flip-flops for Bonnie to wear since her blouse and pants were still dirty.

"Ready to go?" Nora asked once Bonnie walked out of Kai's bedroom, now wearing the more comfortable outfit.

"Yes. Thank you again for the loan on the dress and shoes," Bonnie said, feeling momentarily self-conscious because she'd had to borrow someone else's clothes. That was another first for her. "I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem," the other woman said with a wave of her hand, though her pretty green eyes were filled with interest. "Though I have to say, I've never known Kai to let a woman spend the night here, let alone have one move in so quickly."

"My staying here is temporary," Bonnie replied to Nora's comment as she picked up her purse from the couch. "Until I can make some money and figure out a few things." Which she hoped would only take a few weeks, tops.

Bonnie followed the other woman out a different side door and down a flight of wooden stairs to a small parking area. From what she could remember of last night, the other door in the apartment led directly to the bar downstairs, so Kai lived conveniently above the bar.

Once they were both settled into the small and surprisingly comfy car, Nora glanced at Bonnie as she turned the key in the ignition. "Kai said you'll be working as a bar waitress at the Prison World, so you'll need some jeans and comfortable shoes, right?"

Bonnie nodded, trying to read Nora's tone, but the woman was really good at keeping her true thoughts concealed. So, she tried to explain. "I know this whole situation, with me staying with Kai and working at the bar, must look odd to you—"

"Oh, it's not odd at all," Nora interrupted before she could finish, a small smile on her lips as she shrugged. "It's what Kai does. He takes care of people."

Bonnie watches Nora put the car in reverse to back it out of the parking spot. "I have two hours before Liv expects me back at the shop, though honestly, she can kiss my ass for making that demand, considering I am the manager of the place and not her personal slave."

Bonnie couldn't stop the grin that appeared as the other woman pulled into traffic. Oh, yeah, she liked Nora. A lot.

"Liv is Kai's sister, right?" Bonnie asked.

"She's Kai's lil sis, yes," Nora said as she slipped a pair of sunglasses on her face. "There's also Luke, Liv's twin brother."

"I take it they're all close?"

"You wouldn't think so when you see them interact, but to be fair, Liv can be an asshole, and she likes to push both of her brothers' buttons." Humor infused Nora's voice before her expression turned more serious. "But yeah, they're close. The three of them have been through a lot of shit together, and there's nothing they wouldn't do for each other. That said, they couldn't be more different in looks or personality."

Bonnie was intrigued. "In what way?"

"Well, Kai doesn't look like the twins, but they are all fine, hot-looking, gorgeous pieces of eye candy." Nora grinned, clearly appreciating that particular quality about the Parkers. "Personality-wise, Kai is the responsible, super tense that one. Liv is and always has been a bit of a hell-raiser and lowkey a queen bee, and Luke is the good, respectable cop who wouldn't dare stepping outside the lines, if you know what I mean. He's so straight-laced he squeals."

"I take it you've known them a long time?" Bonnie asked when Nora stopped talking.

"I met Liv when I was fourteen and we…" She paused for a moment, as if catching herself before she said something she hadn't meant to share before continuing more tentatively. "We went to the same high school. We bonded over something we had in common, and we've been best friends since."

Bonnie instinctively knew there was more to that story, but didn't want to pry. "And now you work with her?"

"Actually, I work for Liv," Nora clarified as she turned the car into a large shopping center with an array of stores, with Target as the anchor. "She owns a tattoo shop a few streets over from Kai's bar that's called Inkling. Mostly I manage the place and do her accounting and keep her shit together, but I also occasionally draw art for clients, though I don't do the actual tattooing."

Bonnie's gaze once again took in the stunning images displayed on her skin that looked so lifelike. "Did Liv do all those butterflies on your arm and neck?"

"No. Someone else did," Nora replied as she turned the Beetle into a parking spot.

Considering Nora had just said that Liv was her best friend, along with the fact that she worked in his shop, Bonnie was surprised another artist had tattooed her instead. "Well, they're beautiful."

"Thank you." The other woman took off her sunglasses, giving Bonnie a brief glimpse of something more emotional in regard to those butterflies, before it was chased away by a light and fun smile. "Come on. Let's go get the things you need and spend some of Kai's money."

Nora made it sound as though he had a ton of cash to burn, which couldn't be the case considering where his bar was located and the tiny apartment he lived in. "I just need the basics to get me through to my first paycheck." And then she'd be reimbursing him for everything she bought today.

As she got out of the car and followed Nora toward the huge retail store, the other woman glanced her way with a devious grin. "Trust me, you'll have money before your first paycheck. We'll get you a pair of tight-fitting jeans to wear while you're working, along with a snug Prison World's T-shirt, and I can guarantee that the men who come into the bar will be throwing tips your way."

"Or not, since I have no idea what I'm doing," she joked, but it was the truth.

Bonnie could only hope that Kai didn't fire her on her first night.