I walk over to the window and watch her where she sits at the bar drinking and talking with her friend. Probably giving her the scoop right now on the crazy owner upstairs.
My eyes rove over Sophie's little frame. I frown as I take in just how short that little skirt is. If she so much as sneezes, she'll be flashing the entire fucking club.
I know what she's wearing is actually more conservative than most of the other women here, but I still don't like the thought of all those men down there getting to see so much of her pretty skin.
She's mine.
The possessive claim hits me with such force I almost stumble back from the blow of it.
But I don't deny the thought as it settles in my veins.
No, I embrace it, knowing deep down inside me that it's true.
She wandered willingly into my den, and now she's mine.
This isn't over. I'll give her space for now, but you can bet your ass I'm going to find out everything there is to know about Sophie Smith.
She's never going to be far from my sight, and when I figure out what makes her tick and when the moment is right, I'll strike again.
And next time, I won't allow her to run away from me.
* * *
Sophie
I wake up with a scowl on my face, hating myself for dreaming about Axe Black yet again.
His stormy gray eyes and large frame have haunted my dreams every night this week—ever since he let us into his club and had me escorted to him upstairs.
I don't know why I can't forget the man. He's like a bad toothache. I just can't shake him.
Of course, my starry-eyed roommate thinks this is all just so romantic. According to her, he saw me on the street, and one look is all it took for him to fall desperately in love with me.
I snort at the notion. More like one look and he fell desperately in lust and wanted to get his rocks off.
I frown when I think that, though. That doesn't make any sense, either, because I'm not the prettiest girl in the world. I have red hair, freckles, and pale skin, and, more importantly, I was standing next to my beautiful best friend outside the club. Why wasn't she the one he homed in on? She's usually the one who gets all the male attention.
And that's perfectly fine by me. I'm not looking for romance. I just want to finish college with good grades. Get my degree in accounting and have a safe, stable career.
I don't need to get caught up with a club owner who's surrounded by beautiful women. Hell, he probably has a different woman every night.
Why he fixated on me is beyond me. Maybe it's just because I stood out because I looked so different from everyone else. Yes, that's probably all it was.
I remember the look in his eyes and the possessive way he called me his little ruby, though, and something jumps within me at the memory.
I scoff and tamp those feelings down, telling myself I'm being ridiculous. He was probably just using some lines on me to try to get in my pants. Maybe that's what he does, stands up in that office and picks out a different woman to bring up every night.
Little does he know I'm sure I would have been a disappointment there. I'm still a virgin. I have zero experience with men, and I could tell just by looking at him that he’s had plenty of experience with women. How could he not? The man is gorgeous, everything about him darkly sensual like he's a sex god or something.
And that's obviously all he was looking for because he hasn't made any move to contact me since then. Of course, he has no way to contact me, and, more importantly, I don't want him to, so I don't know why I'm even thinking about this.
I shake my head as if I can physically shake him from my thoughts. I haven't seen or heard from him since I've studiously stayed away from the club. Despite how many times Vera keeps begging to go, I refuse to look like I came back to take him up on his offer.
Of course, he never really made an offer, but it lay unspoken there between us.
I feel a twinge of guilt when I realize I'm probably being unfair to judge him based on his good looks and occupation alone.
But then I remind myself how he pulled me out of the crowd and had me escorted up to his office. I mean, who does something like that when they don't know someone?