Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Her burning red lips brushed against his. Liam's pupils dilated, his entire body going rigid.

His voice came out low and hoarse. "Mandy, take it easy."noveldrama

But Mandy couldn't hear him at all. Even if she did, her mind was too foggy to process anything.

She just kept nuzzling against him, rubbing her cheek along his chest.

Liam let out a heavy breath. "You're really something, you know that?" he muttered. “Lucky for you it's me. If you'd run into someone with bad intentions tonight, who knows what might've happened."

Just the thought of Mandy being at someone else's mercy sent a flare of anger through him. He didn't even understand it himself-why was he this possessive over a woman he'd only met once?

Normally, he'd never go this far for a stranger. He wouldn't have offered her a ride, shielded her from the rain, or-God forbid-held her like this. Usually, he'd brush off any woman who tried to get close.

But now, glancing down at Mandy curled up in his arms like a sleepy kitten, all her defenses dropped, he couldn't bring himself to push her away.

"You started this, you know," Liam whispered, almost to himself. "When you wake up, don't even think about denying it."

He carried Mandy into the guest room, gently laying her on the bed. She refused to let go, her arms still locked tight around his neck, pulling him down with her.

Their faces were so close, nose to nose, he could see every detail of her delicate features in the dim light.

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he fought to keep his composure.

Carefully, Liam pried her arms from around his neck. He stood, meaning to leave, but then a devilish idea flickered through his mind. He realized he didn't want to let things end here. He needed to do something-anything-to make sure she remembered him.

A sly smile curled his lips as he stripped off his suit jacket and tossed it to the floor. He yanked

open the collar of his crisp whitenet

shirt; buttons popped, flying in all directions. Still not enough-be ran a hand through his hair, purposely mússing it.

Now, looking in the mirror, he resembled a well-bred man who'd just been thoroughly ravished.

He placed his tie in Mandy's hand, then slumped down by her bedside, feigning exhaustion.

Time blurred. Eventually, the effects of the alcohol began to fade, and Mandy slowly drifted back to consciousness, her head pounding.

The first thing she saw was a man slumped beside her bed. She gasped in horror.

Liam stirred, acting groggy and confused. "What's wrong?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Mandy's brow knitted in suspicion. "What did you do to me?"

Liam had to suppress a laugh, though his face was all deadpan innocence. "Me? You're seriously asking what I did?" He pointed to himself. "Seems to me that question should be the other way around."

Mandy took a closer look, her embarrassment mounting with every detail she noticed. His shirt was torn open, his hair a complete mess the hard lines of his chest visible through the ruined fabric. And there she was, clutching his tie in a death grip, refusing to let go.

What more evidence did she need? She must've gone wild after drinking—maybe

kissed him, maybe more. There were even lipstick marks on his face.

Oh God.

Mandy wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

What she couldn't possibly know was that, in a twist of fate, all the tricks she'd used to manipulate Liam in a past life had now been turned right back on her.