The deep timber stroked my neck, sending chills down my back, urging me to turn and find the man it was attached to. Just as it had the first time, his voice called to me—wrapped around me—demanding I stay right where he wanted me. With a deep breath, I slipped my professional mask in place and faced him.

If I thought he was addictively captivating before, it was nothing compared to seeing him enmeshed in the sexy atmosphere at Voyeur. I looked up, up, up, finding the same dark eyes with hints of blue sparking with the all-too-familiar arrogance.

It was that gloating confidence that made it easier to ignore the broad shoulders, salt and pepper scruff that had been missing before, and lips that promised sin. It was exactly what I needed to keep at least some control over myself.

“Here you go.” I passed him his glass, making sure not to brush my fingers with his. His gravity begged me to curl up at his feet. If I touched him, my resolve to keep my distance may shatter.

“Amara, you remember Atlas,” Ian said.

Somehow, the odd name suited him—unique, unlike anything you’d known before. Atlas. I repeated his name in my mind, wishing I could feel the way it fell from my lips. “I figured you would have gone back home—wherever home is for you.” I hoped it was far, far, far away from here. Somewhere that wouldn’t have him coming back to chip away at the thin veneer holding me in place.

“Nah. This is much more interesting than New York.”

New York didn’t seem far enough, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“And what’s so interesting to you about Cincinnati?”

“Right now?” He took his time to answer, wrapping those lips around the edge of the glass like he was making love to it. When he pulled back, his tongue chased the liquid, and I hated the urge to climb on his lap to do the same. “You.”

“Oh, god,” Carina groaned.

I forced my own scoff to hide the shameful way my core clenched over the corny line. Jesus. What the hell did this man do to me?

“Also, Ian told me about Voyeur—so I figured I’d come check it out myself. Why not be charitable at the same time?”

“How gallant of you,” I deadpanned.

“I do my best,” he responded with a wink.

Fuck, I hated how much I wanted to simper under his attention—from a stupid, pretentious wink. Disgusted with myself, I managed to shift most of my attention away. However, even out of the corner of my eye, he was all I could see. Apparently, leaving him behind and putting as much distance between us as possible hadn’t been enough to fortify my defenses. In fact, they practically stood like fractured sugared glass, one soft blow from crumbling.