Wanted - Dead or Alive: A Bad Boy Outlaw Romance Read Online Free Page A

body is covering me is a complete stranger. Anything could happen to me.
    Somewhere deep in the darkest recesses of my mind, I wonder what it would be like if he did ravage me in this filthy place. I can’t stop myself from imagining his strong, taut body thrusting against me, and an involuntary moan escapes my lips, much to my embarrassment.
    But Dexter isn’t even looking at me.
    I follow his gaze towards the parking lot, where the squad car has pulled up. Dexter’s grasp on my mouth gets stiffer, more rigid. I can feel his heart pounding against my chest, the powerful thump, thump, thump betraying his stark fear even further.
    What the hell is wrong? Why is he so afraid of the police? Is he a criminal?
    I whimper, suddenly afraid all over again. I try to slide away from him, but he holds me more firmly.
    "Shh," he whispers. "Just a moment longer, I promise."
    The hand that’s wrapped possessively around my waist leaves my side for a moment, and his palm flattens against my cheek. I tense, scared of what he's going to do next. My heart starts to flutter, matching the frightened rhythm of his.
    His hand slides gently down my face, stunning and soothing me all at once. He's caressing me softly, clumsily, like it's a motion that he's not used to. I remain tense at first, but once I realize that this isn't some sick prelude to a twisted game he's playing, I start to relax in his presence.
    Slumping into his arms, I let him hold me, and as I nuzzle into his chest, I can feel every single one of his hard muscles pressing up against me. He’s a strong, powerful person who oozes masculinity like no one I’ve ever been close to before.
    He hesitates for a moment, trying to gauge whether it’s safe to move away yet. Once he decides that I’m not going to run at the very first opportunity, his hands drop and he takes a step back.
    I realize that I could use this moment to scream at the top of my lungs. There's a squad car only a few feet away, and the cops would undoubtedly come to my aid. But I can't bring myself to shout for help. I'm too engrossed in this stranger, too curious to let him go now.
    Plus, my opinion of the police isn’t exactly the highest. When I first tried to report Nicolette missing, despite her insistence that I shouldn’t, they completely blew me off as some sort of hysterical idiot.
    "What's going on?" I ask, my voice shaky with insecurity. I lean back against him, wondering what it is we’re hiding from. "Why did you drag me in here?"
    "I needed to hide," Dexter replies sharply. He motions towards the two laughing policemen who are just now heading inside the bar. "I didn't want those two to see me."
    "Why not?" I ask as my heart pounds. I'm not too sure I want to know the answer, but now it's too late. The words are already out in the open.
    "You really don't know who I am, do you?" he asks me incredulously, and I give him a wide-eyed look as a reply. It's the first time we've met, isn't it? How am I supposed to know who he is?
    "You're...Dexter," I say simply. He stares at me, stunned, like a wounded animal ready to strike back. There's vulnerability in his eyes, like I've just hurt him on some deep emotional level.
    Should I know who this guy is? Oh God, is he famous?I’ve never kept up with popular culture, so there’s no way I would know, even if he was.
    "I haven't been Dexter in a while," he says, averting his gaze and looking down at the dirty ground beneath us. It's littered with trash and the wind is blowing leaves everywhere. It’s not really the ideal place for having a heart-to-heart. "And you don’t really have somewhere to go, do you?”
    His question takes me by surprise, and it becomes my turn to look away. I'm blushing, embarrassed that I’ve been caught out; I can feel the redness creeping in my cheeks.
    "Yeah, I don't really have a place to go," I admit. "My car...I ran out of gas, so I won't be able to go anywhere tonight anyway. I guess I’ll just sleep in there.”
    "I