CHAPTER ONE
New York, 8:30 p.m.
Evander's POV.
"Kiss me."
The words roll out like an order from her mouth, making my hands ball into fists.
My brows furrow as I size her up.
Her short black hair is styled in a bob, her fair skin is inked with tattoos on different parts of her body, her lips are coated black and her lilac eyes reflect a great magnitude of darkness and seduction.
Her arms are crossed, while her body clings to the black leather jumpsuit she's putting on.
Her cleavage hangs out with seductive intent. And her piercings…is that a septum piercing? Disgusting.
Everything about her triggers annoyance inside of me, and a strange feeling of attraction. Beneath all that gothic look, is a beautiful woman whom I now find arrogant.
"Is this how you go about kissing strangers?" I ask, pocketing my hands.
She catwalks towards me, maintaining the resting frown on her face.
"If your fucked up driver didn't crash into my car, you wouldn't be paying me in kind right now," She states, eyeing me.
My head instinctively turns to my driver who has his hands clasped in front of his groin like a scared man.
He better be scared because after tonight, he's losing his job.
I was supposed to be on my way home after a hectic day at the office, but this man… had the guts to drink before driving and ended up crashing into this stranger's car.
Thankfully, the road is a lonely path, if not the case will be different.
I turn my head, realizing that the stranger is now sitting on top of her car that now has a broken headlight and some scratches.
My mind spins into a myriad of thoughts.
I can't kiss a stranger.
That's too much physical contact.
"Come on Evander, think of something!" The voice in my head repeats as I rack my head for an alternative.
And then an idea came to mind, I quickly slid out a chequebook from my pocket–scribbling some figures onto it.
"Here's some money for the damages, take it and leave," I say, stretching my hand forward.
She cackles loudly and frowns almost immediately, "You think I want your money? Boy, you better come kiss me or I'll smash that car."
My jaws clench, "Mind your language. You're talking to a CEO."
She rises from her car with her hands on her hips, "Whatcha gon do if I don't stop? Hit me? Try your fucking luck."
Something about her words came off as commands and I hate that a woman possesses such authority in her tone.
Or maybe, I hate the fact that she's not afraid of me.
I slip the cheque into my suit pocket, staring her down with confusion.
I can't have my car ruined because of my driver's carelessness.
I also can't kiss a fucking stranger who looks like she just walked out of a crime book.
But I'm also aware that she's not going to let me off that easily.
She looks like she can be here all night and I don't have that time.
I glance towards the driver standing on the other side of my car, "Get out."
He scurries into the dark without looking back.
The streetlights start flickering, like they know about the atrocity that is about to happen.
I scan the area.
It's eerily silent, and there's just two of us with our car headlights being the only bright source of light.
What are the chances of kissing her without being on the headlines tomorrow? Very high.
But my vow.
I've kept my vow to abstain from women and from sex for three years already.
Doing this means breaking my vow, and Liora's death still haunts me to this very day.
"Hey! I don't have all the time in the world. Get to it already or have your car get smashed," Her sharp voice snaps me out of my thoughts.
My eyes spot the feminine figure now holding two heavy batons.
Panic surges through me, I swallow hard–the first time a woman is having such an effect on me in years.
"Fine. I'll do it."
After my words, she tosses the baton across the street, dusting her hands as she leans her hips on her car, crossing a leg over the other.
I pace forwards, my heart racing and my brain begging me to stop but my legs don't stop moving.
Now standing in front of her, she grabs my tie, pulling me closer to her.
Our faces are only an inch away from each other and in such close proximity, I feel hypnotized.
Her lilac eyes glisten with a fiery desire to claim me, and I don't know why that has my body heating up.
I shake my head to snap out of it.
I shouldn't be thinking of this.
I shouldn't even be doing this in the first place.
With that, I lean backwards but she pulls me closer, crashing her lips onto mine.
Her lips are hot like fire yet they feel as soft as jelly.
They trap my lips so tight that it sends electric sparks running through my veins.
It feels like every part of my body is coming alive as a result of the kiss.
She wraps her hand around my neck, fondling my hair and pushing my head further into her face.
Her scent smells like a mix of roses and wood, and that strangely aroused me even more.
She slowly circles her other hand around my chest, like she is looking for my racing heart.
My rear starts growing a bulge and that's when my eyes fly open and I break the kiss.
I am still feeling dazed as the feeling of her hot lips laced with her sweet lipstick tingles in my mouth.
She grins, wiggling her hand at me and that's when I notice what she's holding.
I narrow my eyes, "You deceptive lady. I thought you said you weren't after the money?!" I ask, surprised to see the cheque in her hand.
"You wasted time. This is compensation," She shrugs, slipping it in between her cleavage.
I scoff, "So what's the point of kissing me?"
"To mark territory." She says with so much confidence that I almost find myself believing it.
"Who are you?" I ask, baffled by her charisma.
She smirks, winking at me, "Nyx. Your newest addiction."