Free Control by M. S. Willis

night?”
    I
laughed.  “No I did not and you know good and well that I will not be
contributing to your tragic love life.  If things go south between you and
any guy, I want none of the blame.”  I gave her a pointed look and then
reconsidered my statement.  “Well, let me rephrase that.  There is a guy I’d love for you to meet, but I haven’t gotten his number for you because
I have a feeling you won’t go for him.”
    Annie
looked at me in question.  “The bartender again?”
    “Yes.”
    Annie
laughed. “Well Paige, I guess one day I’m going to have to join you and I’ll
give him a look over to see if I could, possibly, bend my rules.”
    I
looked down and started playing with a frayed string on the couch. “Well, it’s
going to be a while because I have no plans on returning there any time soon.”
    “Bad
night?”
    I
looked back at Annie and nodded my head.  “You can say that.  Long
story short, there was a gorgeous man, he was a prick, and I told him to take a
hike.”
    Annie
smirked.  “Sounds like my kind of man.  Did you get his number, by
chance?”
    I
started to respond when David burst back into the living room and announced,
“Ready!”
    David
was dressed in a dark grey fitted t-shirt and dark jeans.  His hair was
stylishly messy and the dark shade of his shirt brought out the bright gold in
his eyes.
    “I
guess it’s time.  Let me go get my stuff.”  I left Annie and David in
the living room and I went in to my room to grab my bag and my helmet.  I
swiped my keys off the night stand and checked my phone real quick.  There
was a text message from Alex.
    Alex:    Morning
beautiful.  Sorry to leave you alone this morning, but I had an early
client at the shop.  I know you are off to see the folks today so I’ll
catch up with you when you get back in town.  BTW, I cleaned up the broken
lamp.
    I shot
Alex a quick response.
    Me:      Hope
you didn’t get a screamer or a crier this time.  Go easy on him. 
Catch you later.
    I threw
my phone into my bag and headed out to the front door.  David jumped up
and was behind me as we waved goodbye to Annie and made our way to the parking
lot.  I climbed on my bike and pulled out.  I waited until David was
behind me and we drove into town.
    I was
stopped at a red light on the edge of town when I looked up at the luxury loft
apartments to my right.  The building only had three stories but those
apartments cost a small fortune due to their size and proximity to
downtown.  Movement caught my eye on one of the third floor balconies and
I caught sight of a half dressed man looking out over the town.  He
stretched his arms above his head and then brought them back down to rest on
the railing in front of him.  His body was insane and I could see the
definition in his shoulders, chest and arms from where I was sitting.  His
dark brown hair was messy and I suddenly realized who I was looking at.
    Daemon.
    I
started to look away but then noticed a familiar redhead come up behind him
wearing nothing but a robe.  She wrapped her arms around him from behind
and started rubbing her hands down his washboard abs.  She was on her
tiptoes as she whispered something in his ear and he smiled.  He looked
down in my direction and I turned my head back to the road to keep him from
seeing me.  I laughed when I realized I had my helmet on and there was no
way he would recognize me behind the dark plastic.  I looked back up and
jumped. 
    He was
looking right at me. 
    A blank
expression was written across his face and David’s car horn blared behind
me.  I jumped again and then looked up to find that the light had turned
green.  I kicked the bike into gear and then sped down the road away from
Daemon’s view.
    I
pulled into the restaurant parking lot and was sickened by what I saw on the
ride here.  I climbed off my bike, removed my helmet and then shook out my
hair.
    “You
are so hot when you do that.  I think I heard a