She shot out of the hotel and wandered.

  The wind whipped her hair into her face and she pushed it away forcefully. She stormed ahead in a fit of rage.

  Her life sucked, so everything became worse. The rain came down in sheets and the further she walked, the harder it came down.

  She had no idea where she was going or how she would get back to her hotel. She knew she had to return to the hotel to collect her car but she wanted to wait until everyone had left the party.

  Her heart was beating so fast it was all she could hear. She headed in a random direction, having no clue where she was and not particularly caring, totally unaware of her surroundings.

  Her eyes were focused straight ahead and most likely looked homicidal.

  How had the night turned so horrible? It made no sense to her. She walked until her feet began to hurt on the slick pavement but that didn't stop her.

  She had so much adrenaline pumping through her, that it felt to burn it off.

  The rain had drenched her from head to toe, but it was unusually warm inside her body. The cool water helped to extinguish the fire that was burning inside her. Her stomach felt like it was still filled with flames.

  It took her a long time to come to her senses. The streets weren't nearly as crowded in the area she had ventured into. It was darker and the vibe was not at all filled with life like she was used to seeing. If she had to label it, she would call it dangerous.

  And then she noticed it. The footsteps behind her.

  She was too tired to run and honestly, getting mugged would be the logical ending to the disastrous evening.

  She stopped walking, prepared to face her fate head-on.

  The footsteps came closer but she just stood there waiting.

  She knew how to throw a solid punch, but she certainly wouldn't be able to defend against a weapon. She should have learned how to fight when she had the chance.

  She bogged herself down with so much work, that she forgot the need for self-defense.

  She wondered if she would find her way back to the hotel once the man stole her purse.

  The footsteps stopped directly behind her.

  She swallowed deeply, now sensing the distinct presence. Minutes went by.

  What the hell was he waiting for? She certainly wasn't going to hand him the purse without a fight.

  He would have to earn the bounty.

  If it wasn't for the loud clap of thunder that suddenly rang out, it would have been completely silent. It was as though time stood still. It struck her a little odd that she had yet to be attacked. And then she heard it.

  A loud sigh.

  A familiar sigh.

  A tormented sigh.

  Slowly, she turned and face him, her business partner, and enemy. He was completely soaked. His normally chaotic hair was slicked back from the rain. His fine suit clung to him tightly.

  His eyes met hers. "I'm sorry," he said simply.

  "You should be," Qian Meng agreed stiffly.

  A sudden gust of wind nearly blew her over. Mo Qingchen moved closer, running a hand through his hair before making eye contact with her again.

  "I just…" His gaze was somber. "I don't want you to hurt," he stated with an intensity that caught her off guard.

  "Then why did you treat me that way? Like I was just another business deal for you? Like you could use me any way you wanted? You gave me no choice." A stray leaf landed in her hair and she tossed it aside.

  The wind was howling, thunder and lightning crackling in the sky.

  Mo Qingchen stepped closer. "I was… calculating. I wanted to find the best way to convince you." He watched her take in his words. "It's difficult for me to control that side of me."

  "So you unleashed it on me?" Her hand was on her hip. "What the hell possessed you to come onto me so strongly after what you saw? We had normal conversations for so long. We smiled at each other. And then out of nowhere, you disregard all my feelings and spring your demands and wants on me."

  She was venting her own frustrations, Mo Qingchen knew, but she would let him.

  He let out a frustrated sigh. "I am cruel." His face contorted with emotion. "You were right. I am not the type of person you should associate with."

  A strong gust of wind blew them even closer, their drenched bodies nearly touching. She wanted to comfort him. But damn it, she needed to be comforted first.

  "It's not okay to treat me like that." She searched in his eyes and saw remorse. He was genuinely sorry. That surprised her more than anything else.

  "Why did you have to tell me your plan so urgently?" she asked, hoping to help him sort through his emotions and in turn, hers.

  He shook his head. "You were the one getting impatient. And seeing you treated like that in front of everyone. I just had to…" He paused. "You said you could handle the situation, that you could save yourself. So, I didn't step in. And you were marvelous."

  But then he sighed. "But someone hurt you… physically hurt you." His voice was strained.

  "Do you have any idea how frustrating you are?" she asked, dumbfounded.

  "It's not important," he said firmly.

  "Then what is important?"

  He let out a low growl. His hands were fisted tightly.

  "I have no choice." They had moved so close together that his scent assaulted her.

  Mixed with the fresh rain and wind, his scent was so intoxicating. She was dazzled and she didn't need to be.

  Mo Qingchen's eyes darkened, his wet lips set to spew fire her way. Her heart picked up instantly from the thrill of it… the thrill of him.