“Hey, Alexandra.” I stiffened at the unfamiliar, masculine voice behind me.
I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks and plastered on my poised mask that I usually wore at my dad’s political events. If this person knew my name, they must recognize me as Ron Fitzgerald’s daughter. Probably because of those stupid articles in the Times.
Hiding the fact that I was crumbling inside, I turned to face the man with a genial smile. Dread was a lead weight in my gut, but I couldn’t do anything that might reflect badly on my dad.
I instantly recognized the man who’d taken pictures of me from across the bar, and my stomach dropped. My smile wavered slightly, but I managed to catch it and force it back into place. I was deeply uncomfortable with the fact that he’d been snapping photos of me like I was someone to gawk at, but I had to be polite. My dad’s public image was at stake, and I wouldn’t do anything to tarnish it.
The man’s eyes crinkled at the corners, the fine lines indicating that he was at least a decade older than me. The streetlights shone dully on his shaved head as he tipped his chin back on a cocky grin.
“I knew it was you,” he said, a note of excitement in his deep voice. “Can I get a pic with you?” He lifted his phone, ready to take yet another embarrassing photo of me.
I shifted on my feet. “Um, I’d rather not.” My tone was about an octave too high, but I managed to keep my smile in place. “Sorry, I’m just out with my friends tonight. I don’t really like having my picture taken.” There. That was polite, but I was setting a boundary.
“Oh, come on. Just one.”
Shock immobilized me when he stepped close and swung an arm over my shoulder. He lifted his phone and grinned for a selfie. The camera clicked, capturing my slack features.
His arm tightened around me, pulling me closer. I could smell whiskey on his breath. “Smile, Alexandra. Or do you think you’re too good for me, since you’re dating a billionaire?” The words sounded like they were meant to be teasing, but there was a hard edge to his tone that set off alarm bells at the back of my mind.
“Let her go.” The familiar, furious growl made my belly quiver, and a thrill danced down my spine.
I blinked and looked past the man’s phone, automatically searching for my dark savior. He stomped toward us, violence coiling his powerful muscles. They rippled and bulged beneath his black cotton shirt, barely containing his most savage impulses. The rabid beast stalked closer, closing in on his quarry. His black eyes glittered with malice, and his sensual lips were drawn tight in a snarl. His hair was pushed back from his face, leaving the terrible scar on full display.
My fierce, damaged protector had materialized out of the shadows once again. Max was coming to my rescue, and my heart leapt at the sight of his beautiful face, twisted with possessive fury.
ALLIE
“Take your arm off her, or I’ll break it,” Max growled. “Just like I did to the last guy who touched her.”
“Jesus Christ.” The man reeled back from Max’s terrible scowl, releasing me and edging away with his hands held up. “Okay, okay.” His voice hitched slightly as he attempted to placate my dark protector. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted a picture. But I’m leaving now. Okay?”
He walked backwards, never taking his eyes off the threat Max posed. As soon as he got to the safety of the bar entrance, he ducked inside, his face several shades paler than it had been when he’d initially approached me.
Max didn’t slow his advance, but the man who’d accosted me was no longer his prey. His full, predatory intent fixated on me. I froze, trapped in his black stare. Just like I remembered, the streetlights flickered over his intense eyes like white-hot flames in the deepest night. His snarl eased as he focused his full attention on me, his sensual lips softening with concern.
I stared at him, at a loss. I’d thought I’d never see him again, and here he was, materializing out of the darkness like he’d done so many times before.
He stepped into my personal space as though he had every right. His intoxicating scent enfolded me: salt-kissed leather and something that was uniquely Max.
The tension around my chest released, and I drew in a shuddering breath, drinking him in. My hands shook in the aftermath of the confrontation with the handsy stranger. All I wanted to do was lean into Max’s big body and allow his strong arms to hold me.
He reached for me, and his calloused fingertips traced the line of my jaw. Sparks pinged over my skin, my senses coming alive in a way I’d only ever experienced with him.
“You okay, Bambi?” he rumbled, his dark eyes studying each of my features, as though he could read my soul.
“Um, who is this?” Davis’ sharp demand pierced the moment, and I jolted away from my savior.
No. Not my savior. My stalker. Max must’ve been stalking me again. Had I really seen him outside the restaurant while I’d been on my date with Niko yesterday?
My skin pebbled at the prospect of him watching me on a date with another man, and for some stupid reason, guilt twisted my insides.
I took another step back, seeking the shelter of my friends. They crowded around me, and Davis edged forward to partially block my body.
Max’s scowl returned, and he took a possessive stride toward me, reaching out as though to snatch me back into his corded arms.
“Oh my god,” Charlie gasped, squeezing me tight to her side.
My gaze flicked to her, and I found her staring at Max, her delicate features pinched with fear.
Every bulging muscle in his imposing body locked up tight, and he went still as a statue. My friends closed ranks, protecting me from the monster before us.
Max’s eyes cut to the pavement, and he quickly mussed his hair so that the dark curls tumbled over his brow, obscuring the worst of the damage to his beautiful face. He tipped his chin down, making shadows pool beneath his high cheekbones. He was hiding behind that skull-like mask again, trying to frighten my friends away from looking directly at him.
My heart twisted. Despite everything, I hated the sight of his pain.
“You guys,” I said softly. “This is Max.”
“Max?” Isabel said sharply. “The Max?”
His massive frame jerked back slightly at her acerbic tone. After seeing how upset I was over our breakup, she was coming to my defense. But Max wouldn’t understand that. He would think that my friends were repulsed by his scar.
“What the hell are you even doing here?” Davis demanded. “Allie broke up with you.”
That wasn’t an accurate assessment at all, but Max flinched as though Davis had shoved him in the chest.
“I came to her house to talk,” he gritted out, explaining away his stalking. Neither of us wanted my friends to know about that aspect of our relationship. “When she wasn’t there, I left. This bar is just around the corner. I happened to see that guy harassing her, and I made him leave her alone.”
“What guy?” Charlie asked, her tone hard and cold in a way I’d never heard before. “The only guy I see bugging her is you.”
“The man who was taking pics of me in the bar,” I said, my voice too high and thin. Something deep inside me wanted to shield Max from their righteous anger. He looked terrifying right now, but I knew how vulnerable he truly was. “Max made him leave me alone.”