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I was a mess, and it was all his fault. Sienna Marquez did not get attached. Sienna Marquez did not fantasize about stupid grins and handsome faces.
Sucking in a deep breath, I vowed to get my shit together. Fury Gracen might be good-looking and charming, but he wasn’t for me. And I wasn’t about to let him mess with my head, no matter how good he made me feel.
I turned off the water with a decisive twist and stepped out of the shower with a renewed sense of determination. Fury Gracen might be sexy as sin, but I was done thinking about him.
Clean and marginally more relaxed, I had thrown on an oversized t-shirt and settled into bed with my latest guilty pleasure—a reverse harem romance featuring a human girl who somehow ended up mated to an entire pack of werewolves. It was ridiculous, it was over-the-top, and it was exactly the kind of mindless entertainment I needed right now.
Except I couldn’t seem to focus on the words. I’d read the same sentence about Alpha Brock’s “smoldering amber eyes” at least five times now. Every time I tried to picture the brooding werewolf, he morphed into Fury, with those warm brown eyes that seemed to see right through me.
I tossed the book aside with a frustrated groan. This was getting downright pathetic.
I padded to the kitchen for a much-needed glass of wine, and I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Vanessa’s voice. She was leaning against the doorframe, already dressed in her yoga gear, a knowing smirk on her face.
“Jesus, Vanessa. Wear a bell or something, would you?” I clutched my chest, willing my heart rate to return to normal.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. You’re usually passed out by now. Everything okay?”
I waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. Just a long night at the club. New VIP in town, had to play tour guide.”
Vanessa’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? Anyone interesting?”
I tried to keep my face neutral, but I could feel the heat creeping up my neck. “Just some finance guy Gavin’s bringing on board. No big deal.”
“Uh-huh,” Vanessa said, clearly not buying it. “And does this ‘no big deal’ finance guy have a name?”
I sighed, knowing I wasn’t getting out of this. “Fury. Fury Gracen.”
“Fury?” Vanessa repeated, a grin spreading across her face. “Well, that’s certainly a name. What’s he like? Handsome? Charming? A total asshole?”
“He’s...” I trailed off, searching for the right words. “He’s different. Not like the usual guys we get at the club. He’s smart, funny in a dry sort of way. And yeah, I guess he’s not bad to look at.”
Vanessa’s grin widened. “Not bad to look at, huh? Coming from you, that’s practically a marriage proposal.”
I grabbed an oven mitt and chucked it at her head. “Shut up. It’s not like that.”
She dodged it with practiced ease. “Oh, come on, Sienna. I haven’t seen you this worked up over a guy since... well, ever. Spill.”
I groaned. “There’s nothing to spill. He’s Gavin’s new money manager, end of story.”
Vanessa snorted. “Yeah, right. Come on, give me details. What does he look like? What did you guys talk about?”
I closed my eyes, knowing resistance was futile. When Vanessa got like this, she was like a dog with a bone. “Fine. He’s tall, built, but not in that gross steroid way. Dark hair, brown eyes. And he’s got this... I don’t know, this intensity about him. Like he’s really listening when you talk.”
“Mmhmm,” Vanessa hummed encouragingly. “And? What else?”
“And nothing,” I insisted, but even I could hear the lack of conviction in my voice. “We just talked about work stuff. And... okay, we got caught in the rain and had to duck into this little café. It was... nice.”
Vanessa squealed, actually squealed, like we were teenagers at a slumber party. “Oh my God, Sienna! This is huge! When was the last time you actually enjoyed spending time with a guy?”
I sat up, suddenly defensive. “It’s not a big deal, V. So what if he’s kind of attractive and not a complete asshole? It doesn’t change anything. He’s still a client, and I’m still... me.”
Vanessa’s face softened. She reached out, squeezing my hand. “Hey, I know you've got your past. But not every guy is like Ralf, you know?”
I pulled my hand away, a familiar knot forming in my stomach at the mention of Ralf’s name. “It doesn’t matter if he’s not some asshole. I can’t... How would I ever be able to open up to a guy after…? I just can’t.”
“Sienna,” Vanessa said gently, “I know you’re scared. But you can’t let one total scumbag ruin your chance at happiness forever. And hey, if Gavin trusts this Fury guy enough to bring him on board, he can’t be all bad, right?”
I chewed my lip, considering her words. She wasn’t wrong. Gavin was a lot of things, but he was an excellent judge of character. He wouldn’t bring someone into the fold if he didn’t trust them implicitly.
