Kade's POV

I was half-listening to Emilio drone on and on about his golf club, my attention drifting, when a jolt of raw energy coursed through me. It wasn't a physical sensation, but a deep, primal thrum in my bones, an undeniable knowing that seemed to paralyse me on the spot. She's here! A ripple of murmurs started at the far end of the hall, near the entrance. Heads turned, bodies parted, making way for someone who commanded attention. Only one person I'd ever met could elicit that kind of response. Ignoring Emilio's ceaseless monologue, I turned, my gaze locking onto her as she moved deeper into the room. She was easy to spot, towering over most of the crowd, at over six feet tall.

My eyes swept downwards, and I nearly had a coronary right there on the floor. Her gown, a deep crimson, like the heart of a ruby, flowed around her, clinging to her curves before cascading to the floor like a whispered promise. The off-shoulder design exposed the delicate curve of her collarbone, and resting there, gleaming, was a diamond necklace. I found myself fixated on it, a perverted thought igniting: I wanted to pour wine into that hollow and lick it clean.

As she swerved, the light caught the diamonds, momentarily blinding me. A brief, searing vision flashed in my mind: her naked, the dress pooled at her feet, that necklace still around her neck. Her legs spread wide, inviting me to plunge my fingers into her. Two or three, if she were a good girl. Would she ride my fingers recklessly? Fuck! I needed to know. My cock twitched, dragging me back from my depraved fantasy. I willed myself to think of anything gross, anything to calm the fuck down. This was not the time or place to get a hard-on.

I was still staring, lost in my thoughts, when a voice, closer than I expected, whispered in my ear. "A devil in sheep's clothing that one, best to stay away." It was Emilio. His words snapped me back to reality, making me realise I’d been gaping like a creep. I turned to him, my brow raised. "And how would you know?" I asked. He ignored me, turning away with a stiff gait. I frowned, confused by his sudden evasive action, until a sultry voice called out directly behind me. "And I was hoping to greet you, Emilio."

I stiffened at the sound of her voice, at her sudden proximity. The heady scent of jasmine enveloped me. Apparently, I wasn't the only one affected because Emilio’s movements are rigid as he walks away. I was still angled away from her, trying to summon the courage to face her, when she spoke again, her voice a silken command. "Kade, don't be rude now, turn around and face me, let's talk." A direct reference to our last encounter.

I took a slow, deliberate breath, then turned, forcing a smirk, feigning a confidence I absolutely did not feel. With her, I always felt off-kilter, like a fish out of water. "Apologies," I began, "but I seem to have overestimated your dedication to social graces, Mona."

Her eyes were sparkling with a private, gleeful amusement, as if I were the punchline to her joke. "Yes, you seem to have. Overestimated me that is"

I had a feeling that underestimating her would be the real tragedy. "I confess to having heard of you, though I didn't make the connection fast enough," I replied, my eyes unconsciously dropping to her chest. I fought to dispel the image of that dress tugged down, her tits exposed. They looked small, and while I usually preferred women with larger breasts, I was inexplicably turned on by her. I found myself wondering if I could fit a tit in my mouth. Would her nipples be pink... or red?

I jerked, a jolt of self-disgust hitting me. I was behaving like a pervert. My eyes snapped back to hers, and I froze. She was smirking, a knowing glint in her gaze, as if she'd read my every thought. Shit! "I..." I started to apologise, but she cut me off.

"You've heard of my nickname, then? The Stone Bitch?"

I paused, surprised. I'd expected her to call me out, to reprimand me as she had before. Instead, she seemed to be giving me an out. I cocked my head, intrigued by the excitement in her voice when she uttered the name they'd given her. "You're not mad? About the name?"

She snorted. "No! I'm actually happy that I was able to make a terrifying enough impression to warrant a nickname." She shrugged. "Plus, it helps in sealing deals, so why the hell not?"

"Sealing deals?" I echoed, intrigued despite myself. This woman was nothing like I'd expected. The whispers I'd overheard painted a picture of a cold, ruthless operator who crushed anyone in her path. She was cunning and smart, that much was clear, but did she truly deserve that moniker?

"Yes," Mona confirmed, her gaze turning sharp and assessing, pulling me from my reverie. "Fear is a powerful motivator, don't you agree? And a catchy moniker certainly helps in cultivating that." She paused, her lips curving into a sly smile. "Though, I must admit, 'Stone Bitch' lacks a certain elegance." I gaped at her, genuinely shocked. "You find it dull?"

She waved her hand flippantly. "Dull, boring, unoriginal, all of the above. They could have at least given me something really catchy."

I studied her for a minute. She was a complete mystery, and no doubt crazy from what I'd just witnessed. I'd be a fool at forty to insist on getting closer to her. It was a good thing then... that I had just turned twenty-eight. I nodded, my eyes roving over her face, taking in those dark eyes that threatened to suck me into their depths with each stare. It was like drowning, but while high; you were dying, but you didn't know it. "Would you like a drink?"

She smiled politely, a smile that was both charming and predatory. It was as if she'd set a trap, and I had deliciously fallen into it. She stepped closer, and a shiver ran through me. "Yes, please. I thought you'd never ask." I placed my hand on her back, guiding her toward the bar. A wolf and her prey, walking side by side.

As we neared the bar, the subtle hum of conversation in the hall suddenly ceased. A collective intake of breath rippled through the crowd, followed by a sudden, intense silence. I felt Mona stiffen beside me, her earlier playful demeanour replaced by a rigid focus.

Her gaze, however, wasn't on the bar, but fixed on the man striding towards us, fury flickering in his eyes. Emilio! What was he doing?

He reached us and pointed a finger at the woman at my side. "You! How dare you? Who do you think you are?" He screamed in her face, his face turning an unnatural shade of red.

She flicked his hand away, "Calm yourself, Emilio, you still have shared after all." I whipped my head in her direction. What the hell was she talking about? No matter I would find out later. I pushed myself in between them and pushed Emilio backwards.

I warned Emilio, my voice low and steady, "Whatever your issue is, take it somewhere else. Now isn't the time, nor the place."

He ignored me, his eyes blazing as he tried to get around me to reach Mona. "You snake! You think you can just waltz in here, after everything? After what you did?" He spat the words, venom dripping from each one.

Mona, however, remained unnervingly calm. Her expression was unreadable, almost bored. "Emilio," she said, her voice a silken thread, "you're making a scene. And truly, it's quite unbecoming."

That only seemed to fuel Emilio's rage. He lunged forward, and I had to physically restrain him, pushing him back with more force than I intended. He stumbled, catching himself before he fell. His eyes, though, were no longer fixed solely on Mona. They flickered to me, a wild, desperate anger igniting in their depths.

"You don't know who you're dealing with, Kade!" Emilio shrieked, his voice raw, echoing through the suddenly silent hall. "You have no idea who she really is!"

"Enough!" I barked, my patience finally snapping. I gestured sharply towards the two hulking security guards standing nearby. "Get him out of here."

The guards moved quickly, grabbing Emilio by the arms. He struggled, shouting obscenities, but they were too strong. They dragged him away, his furious shouts fading as they disappeared through the doors.

I turned back to Mona, my heart still pounding from the unexpected outburst, ready to comfort her but where I had expected anger, she was smirking, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

Oh God! Who the hell was this woman?