"Xavier," she managed her voice a husky whisper that belied the steel in her gaze. "This isn't a game."

"Isn't it, though?" He stepped closer, each movement calculated to rattle her composure. "You keep running. I keep chasing. It seems like a game to me, Cat. We both know how much you love to play."

Her throat tightened, and words lodged like shrapnel. This man, this infuriatingly irresistible force, knew just how to wield control and manipulate the tension between them until it sang like a plucked string.

"Stop this," she said, her command brittle. But even as she uttered the words, Cathleen knew they were fuel on the fire...