“To punish you.”
Suddenly, the room felt smaller, the air thicker, and Aurelia’s defiance began to falter.
“What do you mean?” she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady, but it trembled despite her best efforts. Of course, she knew what she meant, but at the same time, she didn’t.
She hoped it wasn’t what she was thinking, and yet the prospect of it made her insides warm, causing her to press her thighs together in reflex.
Luke arched a brow at her, his eyes glinting with sinister intent. “You think you don’t deserve to be punished?” he drawled, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.
Aurelia’s instincts screamed at her to retreat, to escape, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. Luke’s presence seemed to fill the room like a dark cloud of smoke, suffocating her, and she knew she had to act fast to regain control. But how?
“I’m not in the mood for your mind games.” she retorted, her gaze lingering on his lips before she looked away. “We both have had a long day.”
“Come here Aurelia.” he blatantly ignored her, patting his lap. “Don’t make me come get you.” He added, his tone leaving no room for discussion.
This man. This man and his freaking audacity. Aurelia wondered if he’d forgotten about their fight, or maybe he chose to disregard it altogether, and now he expects to just walk into his arms.
Aurelia glared at him, her mind racing with the implications of Luke’s words. She knew better than to underestimate him, but a part of her refused to back down. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and met his gaze, a spark of confidence flickering within her.
“What makes you think I’ll obey?” she challenged, her voice laced with a hint of mockery, despite the trepidation creeping up her spine.
Luke’s expression remained unreadable, but his widened momentarily. He couldn’t deny the fact that her resistance was sexy, his gaze lowering to her thighs with heavy desire. “Oh, I think you will,” he said, his expression turning smug.
The night she slapped him, he saw the fierce side of her that only came out whenever he pushed her too far. The side that made his heart race and blood boil. The fiery look in her tear-rimmed eyes pulled at his heartstrings, simultaneously shooting low to his dick. At that moment he had forgotten about his anger, his lust, and his need taking over.
“I know you can’t resist me.”
With an air of nonchalance, Luke patted his lap again, his gaze never leaving hers. “Come here, Aurelia.
I won’t say it again.”
The command sent chilling shivers down her spine, but Aurelia stood firm, not moving an inch. She knew that giving in would be a mistake, that it would only fuel Luke’s dominance.
“I’m sorry but not today Mr. CEO, contrary to what you think, I can and will resist you.” she spat, the words escaping before she could censor them.
Luke’s smirk grew into a cocky grin, his eyes glinting with anticipation. “We’ll see about that,” he whispered, his voice low and menacing.
With a fluid motion, he rose from the bed, his movements eerily silent. Aurelia’s heart pounded as he closed the distance between them, a shadow of desire crossing over his features.
Aurelia stood stiff, her back pressed against the bathroom door. “Stay back,” she warned in a shaky voice, her hands groping the door for the handle.
“Or what?” he whispered, his breath caressing her ear.
Finally, she found the doorknob and twisted it, causing her to fall back into the bathroom. Luke’s eyes widened momentarily, but before he could react, Aurelia scrambled up and shut the door in his face.
Heaving out a sigh of relief, her hands flew to her chest, feeling the tremors of her heart against her skin. That was close, she thought.
Aurelia waited, unconsciously holding her breath. But she heard nothing. She had expected him to yell her name, bang the door, and force his way in. But it was dead silent, and that bothered her more.
“Luke?” she called out to him, unsure if it was a good idea. Could he have left? No that doesn’t seem like something he would do, he had too big of an ego to have just walked away.
Or would he?
What seemed to be hours passed, and Aurelia grew more uneasy with each passing second. She sat on the toilet, still wrapped in nothing but a towel.
Then her stomach grumbled and she internally wept at her dumb luck. She needed to leave the bathroom.
Aurelia stood in front of the door, mentally bracing herself, but each time she reached for the handle, she pulled back, cursing under her breath.
Damn, she was scared, scared of what waited for her on the other side.
She hoped he’d gotten fed up and left, maybe his arousal would have dwindled. Yes, that should be the case. But even with all her mental pep talks, she couldn’t still bring herself to unlock the door.
“Common Aurelia.” she hunched over the sink, staring at herself in the mirror. “Wear your big girl pants and go get something to eat.” her stomach grumbled in agreement and she nodded, steeling her resolve as she turned to the door once again.
“Here goes nothing.” Aurelia squeezed her eyes close as she reached for the handle, her fingers trembling slightly. She flung the door open, popping her eyes open at the same time.
Silence.
“Luke?” She called, keeping close to the bathroom as she examined the room with narrowed eyes. “Mr. CEO?”
She was greeted with more silence, the echo of her voice floating around the empty room.
Aurelia heaved out a sigh of relief, but she remained cautious, moving to the front door to secure the chain and deadbolt. It gave a fragile sense of security, knowing he wouldn’t be able to barge in again.
She told herself not to ponder on how he got in the first place.
Now that the coast was clear, she glanced at the clock and saw that it was already evening. Her stomach grumbled again, louder this time and she hastily decided between going to the diner or ordering from room service.
Choosing room service, she placed the call, ordering a grilled ribeye steak with mashed potatoes.
“Now let me get some clothes.” She muttered to herself, taking her luggage and settling on the table. Aurelia knew she would still have to face him again, but she would like to avoid him as much as possible.
As she opened her traveling bag, she unwrapped the towel from her body, letting it pool at her feet.
“I can help with that.” A dark whisper reached her ears.
Before Aurelia could react, she was swept off her feet and thrown on the bed. A scream got caught in her throat as she was pinned down, her hands above her head and her legs spread apart.
“Help-”
Eager lips crashed against hers, swallowing her call for help. Aurelia thrashed and jerked, but her attacker held her firmly, their tongue thrusting into her mouth.
It was then she realized, her panicked senses recognizing his scent and taste. It was the CEO. Aurelia stilled at the revelation, her face paling in horror.
Luke pulled back from the kiss, staring down at her with a grin of victory. “Hide and seek is over.”
Aurelia jolted as she felt his fingers tease her entrance, her heart picking up in fear and anticipation.
He leaned closer, his lips hovering over hers. “Since you lost our little game. Would you gladly accept your punishment now?”