Owned by fate claimed by him.

at the

amien. Hope yo

side me screamed that nothing about this man-

I supposed to say? Thanks. I'm fine. Good night? Boring. OMG you're hot, can I lick your a

the

voice. His presence. The dangerous way he looked at me like

again for the ri

delet

't have to help me, b

ete

about to chicken

ling had no answers, and the silence in my tiny studio apartment suddenly felt louder t

ive voice from the hallway, warning me this month

. For change. For something-anyth

ne vib

ond m

I meant it when I said you deserve bet

t somer

al. He wanted to see me again. Not in a smoky c

r man to disappoint me. To dangle hope in my face, then vanish when the

e like I was a project. He looked at me like I wa

Dinner sound

fore I cou

ter, his r

p at seven. Wea

heart thud

own anything red-except a silky dress Trina had forced me to buy during so

was time to b

ne br

ed out the dress. It still had the tag

lik

d "what to say on a date with a CEO" like an idiot. Spent thirty minutes fixing my hair, r

dow watching the street be

Rover pulled u

ropped to

as h

door before h

black like a man who knew exactly what power looked like.

said, a spark of ap

I replied, trying not

I'd just passed

ed out, and fol

gram. The kind of place that didn't list prices on the menu and served water in crystal glasse

e asked questions. Listened. Made me laugh. Not

asked halfway through dinner

ing two part-time jobs and avoiding

flinch. Di

lamorous," he said.

No one had ever sai

to speak again, Da

aw clenching for

hing okay?

ed at me-and something unre

ly. "But I need to make a quick s

nded. A quic

going?" I as

unreadable. "To han