She nearly toppled over when she laid eyes on him, standing there like a shadow leaning against her front door.
The dim yellow light above barely illuminated his tall, imposing frame, casting sharp angles across his sharp features.
"Eeeeeeee!" She leaped in fright, her hand flying to her chest. "Jesus, you scared me!" she snapped, her voice breathy, heart hammering in her chest.
His face was a dark scowl, though, come to think of it, she had never actually seen him smile.
Her tiny house groaned as the wind rattled the window panes, the peeling paint on the walls whispering its own tired story.
A lamp on the side table flickered, threatening to die any moment, while a half-empty wine bottle sat beside a stack of unread bills.
A mess of clothes and shoes lay strewn across the worn-out couch, her scent still clinging to the cushions.
"What are you doing in my house?" she demanded, gritting her teeth as though she hadn't been sending him filthy messages just five seconds ago.
"I was in a meeting." His voice was rough, like gravel scraping against steel, his gaze traveling down, slow, deliberate, from her tousled hair, grazing her bare neck, lingering over the deep curve of her chest, the smooth slope of her stomach, and finally, to her legs, long and golden in the dim light.
He shrugged, eyes flickering with something dark. "What are you wearing?"
She gave him a devilish look, her lips curling as she shifted under his gaze.
The backless two-strap, two-back-strap piece barely clung to her body, and the miniskirt threatened to expose more than it concealed.
"An outfit," she murmured, shifting just enough to give him an even better view.
His jaw tensed, his grip on the doorframe tightening.
"You're not going out in that," he said, his voice edged with command.
She arched a perfectly sculpted brow, challenging him. "Who's going to stop me?"
She turned on her heel, the sharp click of her stilettos echoing against the creaky floorboards. As she reached for the doorknob, his heated gaze burned into her back.
Before she could take another step, he moved.
Fast.
One arm wrapped around her waist, and suddenly, she was weightless, her body lifted effortlessly off the ground. She gasped, a sharp little yelp escaping her lips as her insides flipped.
The room spun for a second before she found herself sprawled across his lap, her body trapped against his like she belonged there.
He sat back on her sagging sofa, his large hands spanning her waist, holding her still.
"Don't be naughty," he murmured, his lips just inches from her ear, his breath warm and teasing. One hand trailed lazily down the bare skin of her back.
"Do as I say."