Page 6 of Resist

It’s a heady blend.

He doesn’t touch me, but his face is close enough to my ear that his breath sends sheets of goosebumps down my neck.

Another ember sparks in my core.

“You should come downstairs.” They’re the only words he says to me, and when I turn to ask why, or even shove my red band in his face, I’m met with his back walking away from me as he makes his way toward the staircase.

Eyes wide, I look back at Thor. The audacity! No way this guy didn’t spot my red band. Overstep much?

Thor’s ears turn red. “I might have told him you’re single.”

Of course he did.

“I’m wearing a red band, Thor.”

He nods. “And Sterling will respect that.”

Except he didn’t. He asked me downstairs. That’s not nudging a boundary, that’s hopping over it with two feet.

Okay, fine, he didn’t ask me to get naked with him or anything, but still. “Shouldn’t he be focused on making sure downstairs is safe for everyone instead of...” I huff out a breath. “Whatever that was?”

Flirting, right? That was flirting? I think that’s what it was, but it’s been so long, I can’t remember.

Thor nods. “He has a good team. His second in command is downstairs, and it’s just as important to make sure things up here are safe too. People up here go down there.”

I know this, and it makes sense, but something about a handsome man buying me a drink for the first time in... a while... has me off balance. And as much as I’d like to believe it, it’s not at all because of the color of the band wrapped around my wrist.

Temptation’s brewing inside me, making my feet itch to take the staircase downstairs to see him again, to see if there’s another spark, another moment that passes between us. Butinstead, I sip my drink at a pace that, from the eye roll Thor throws my way, is too slow.

When I’ve all but made the decision to head home, my phone lights up with another text from Phoenix.

FOXY

Get your sexy ass down those stairs before I come up and carry you!!!!!!!

Don’t think I won’t!!!!!

“She’s told me to throw you over my shoulder if you don’t go down there in the next two minutes.” Thor jerks his chin at my screen. “And I’ll happily do it.” He grins.

I’m not sure he can squat my weight, or carry me all that way without putting his back out, but I’m also not willing to chance it.

“No need.” I slide off the stool, the material giving a little squeak to remind me I’m in a rubber fucking catsuit. “I remember the way.”

Thor watches as I slowly stride toward the mouth of the staircase. My ankles wobble with damn near every step but I don’t trip, fall, or even stumble. I wear heels at work, but not this high. It’s taking a hot minute to get used to them.

When I make it to the bottom of the staircase without falling on my ass, I’m convinced I need to buy a ticket for the lottery, because there’s no way Lady Luck isn’t shining on me tonight.

“You came.” It’s the same low, gravely, gruff voice of the man who bought me a drink upstairs.

I turn to face the voice and the delicious man attached to it, my breath stuttering at the magazine-cover-stunner staring back at me. He’s even more handsome up close, his eyes even more arresting, and the embers deep inside me stop flickering one by one and instead blazeto life all at once.

Fuck.

He extends his tailored, navy-suit-clad arm toward me. “Sterling Montgomery. It’s nice to meet you.”

CHAPTER 3

Sterling