Max groaned as she slid her hand across the front of his jeans and the substantial bulge there. The night he’d gone with Nathan to help Carrie take out Cyrus, he’d been thrown on the mercy of this insatiable vampire. He’d never really been attracted to ladies with such generous figures, but he’d always said he’d try anything once, especially if it might save his neck.

It had been the best twenty minutes of his life.

Still, that was the past, and Max never looked back. “Darlin’—”

“Dahlia.”

“I didn’t forget.” He extricated himself from her greedy hands. “Listen, I’d never say that I didn’t have a good time with you, but—”

“But you’ve got it bad for Jo Jo the Dog-Faced Girl.” She sniffed. “I guess there’s no accounting for taste.”

He made a face he hoped conveyed pure disgust. “I’m not into the flea scene.”

“Whatever. It’s not like I can read your mind.” Dahlia arched a dramatically shaped brow. “Or can I?”

Damn, she was fun. Or would have been, if he wasn’t in a hurry to catch up with Bella before she gave his best friend a fatal case of splinters. “What did you tell her?”

“Five thousand dollars.” Dahlia held out her plump hand and wiggled her fingers.

“You’re shitting me.” The first tentacles of hopelessness wound around his ribs.

Negative thinking will get you nowhere, he scolded himself. “Come on, baby. You know I don’t have that kind of cash.”

She sighed theatrically. “That’s too bad, then.”

“Come on, cut me a break.” He grinned, slowly leaning into her. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

“That’s more like it.” She crooked her pinkie finger and led him farther down the alley.

He held up his hands. “Whoa, I was thinking more like a hotel or something. At least, let me take you back to the car like a real gentleman.”

She shoved him against the wall so hard he thought the bricks would shatter.

“What the fuck—”

“Shut up,” she hissed, grabbing a handful of his hair and forcing his head back with a resounding thud. “You think I would tell you shit? Just for a little touch?”

“Hey, I thought you were just that kind of girl,” he snarled. “You sold out your ex pretty fast once I slipped it to you.”

Keep up the hard-ass comments. Her voice invaded his head like a bolt of lightning, and he almost shouted at the pain. He squinted at her face, but her lips never moved as the voice continued. I’m gonna keep throwing out generic threats, just respond appropriately and listen to me.