Her lips were swollen, her breath ragged. She fumbled to zip her jeans with trembling hands, shame, and fury warring inside her.
Chris licked his lips, smirking. "For someone who claims she isn't interested, you moan beautifully." his voice mocked her.
Tears welled in her eyes. His satisfaction faltered when he saw them, her tears cracked his facade for once, victory tasted bitter.
"You're disgusting" she whispered, voice trembling as she showed the door open and rushed out.
She hated him. She hated herself more. Because no matter how much she resisted, her body betrayed her every time.
In the bathroom, she cried, hating her weakness, cursing herself as a fool. The door swung open again, and there he was, the very man she wished she could escape.
Before she could scream, he kissed her again, he wanted to know why.
This time, she fought, pounding her fists against his chest, panic clawing through her.
"Stop!" Her voice trembled as she pushed him back, her chest rising and falling in ragged breaths.
"You don't want me to stop," he murmured, the ghost of her kiss still burning on his mouth. He had felt her respond, the way she pulled at his hair like she needed him closer.
But now, her glare cut through him.
"I know you, Mr. Lopez," she hissed. "You lure women into your traps. I am not naïve."
His brow arched. "You kissed me back."
She let out a bitter laugh, smoothing her hair into place. "Maybe rejecting you bruised your ego. But touch me again, kiss me again, and I'll burn your empire to the ground with a lawsuit."
He chuckled darkly, stepping closer, his presence swallowing the air between them. "A lawsuit only works if you didn't kiss me like you meant it." His voice dropped, dangerous but threaded with something else.
For a moment, he caught himself. His hand tightened in her hair, tilting her head so their eyes locked. "Submit to me, Susan. Be mine, and I'll forgive your cute little threat" He let her go as suddenly as he'd touched her, the command lingering in the charged silence. Her fear pierced him. And it shattered something inside him.
For the first time, his threat was empty. He wouldn't ruin her. He couldn't. And God help him. All he wanted was for her to look at him with longing, not terror.
"What do you want from me?" she whispered, shaking her head. "I have nothing. I'm not your type. Why are you doing this to me?"
His hand brushed her chin, softer this time. Their eyes met.
"I don't know," he admitted, the confession more dangerous than any threat. He pulled away before the truth could cage him.
Susan stood before her mirror, her fingers grazing her lips. His kiss lingered like fire, the way his hands had trapped her, the unrelenting pull between them.
Her reflection mocked her. Was it just sex he wanted? The thought made her chest tighten because deep down, she wasn't sure she wanted to fight him anymore.
Her gaze dropped to the scar on her side. Memories of the ex who nearly destroyed her shadowed the heat burning in her veins. She shook her head. "Stupid," she whispered, crawling into bed, but her lips still ached with memory.
Chris carried an unshakable mood into the office. People noticed the rare lightness in him, the faint smile. But he was restless, his mind circling back to her the defiance in her eyes, the way she trembled when he touched her. Later, she stood in front of him, silent, looking at the floor while he sipped his drink. The air stretched between them, taut and heavy.
"Do you want me to do anything?" she asked.
His jaw tightened. "Get out," he snapped.
She turned to leave, but his voice followed her like a chain. "Wait."
She froze.
He crossed the room, every step deliberates, until he stood close enough to feel her breath. His hand caught her face, his thumb brushing her jaw. "Do you want me?"
Her lips parted. "What?"
"Different place. Different time," he murmured. "Would you have me?"
Her brows knit together. "Why ask if you don't feel the same?"
"And if I did?" His voice was low, rough, almost pleading.
"You're too proud to feel," she whispered, taking her face out of his reach.
His throat worked. His eyes flickered, unguarded for once. "Or too scared of your answer."
She shook her head. "You're scared of no one. You're Christian Lopez"
His gaze darkened. "You. You scare me."
Her smile was small, almost kind. "Then don't approach a woman like she's a trophy."
Her words unsettled him. Her smile undid him.
"See you around, Susan," he whispered, stepping back.
She left him there, shadows crawling into his expression. For the first time in years, Christian Lopez didn't have control. And he hated and craved it.