Chapter 5

The air in the VIP booth of the retro bowling alley was thick, heavy with the scent of stale beer, floor wax, and the electric hum of a hundred fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. But in there, tucked away behind the heavy velvet curtain that separated the private lounge from the clatter of pins and the roar of the crowd, it felt like a different world. A cocoon. My heart was hammering against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage, echoing the rhythm of my blood rushing in my ears. We had been standing there for only a few minutes, but the tension had spiraled out of control, tightening around my throat until I could barely breathe. He had pinned me against the plush, burgundy wall paneling, his body a solid wall of heat and muscle. I could feel the rough texture of his suit jacket against my cheek as he tilted his head, his eyes dark and predatory, devouring me. The kiss was no longer tentative. It was a claim. His mouth moved over mine with a desperate, consuming hunger, tasting of mint and whiskey, claiming every inch of my lips as if he were marking me for