"Don't Call Me Sir"

front of the towering glass doors of the Kingsley penthouse. Her coat clung to her body like a second skin, drenched and heavy. Her dark auburn hair dripped wate

. Her arms hung stiffly at her sides, her heels squishing softly every time she shifted her w

owhere el

reath, she pres

you h

and quiet. The background was silent-no traffic, no

the door panel. The name blinking on the screen

l Kin

h with exhaustion, but unmistakably his. And hearing i

'd be here. Not at his do

lift her onto countertops when she was small, only to turn cold and distant as she grew older. The man who be

her last

, her voice cracking like

pa

und of the d

, smooth and quiet. Like

rs and long frame. His features were sharp and angular-like they'd been sculpted from stone. His jet-black hair wa

her like she

a?" he asked, his tone flat,

still dripping from her lashe

at. He simply stepped a

The warmth of the apartment wrapped around her immediately, but it did

ou," she

," Daniel said instead, h

rength left to argue. Her pride had already

odding toward the leather so

g it over the armrest. The plush cushions swallowed her in

f amber liquid, and leaned against the counter. He didn't look at her r

is it you want to say? You showed up here, soaked to the bone

fingers tightening around

to misunderstand,"

t?" His tone was d

or anything... inappropriate. I just-" she pa

ally meeting her eyes. "You h

ere," she said quic

sharpened. "S

my classes. Leaving notes on my door. I've filed a report, but the p

's jaw

inued, voice barely above a whisper. "But now I..

ween them, thick

dn't waver. "So,

rust," she said softly,

ook a long sip from his glass and walke

asked, voice lower now, edged with something dangero

eplied without hesitation, thou

of her, towering a

" he murmured, a

ave," she

long moment, then nodded

r so fast it near

word hit like a slammed

ed up. "W

ers, cold and unreadab

her harder tha

inked.

"I don't like being calle

about to say it-not out loud, at least-but the word Sir had always be

you?" she asked quietly, a

closer. "Anything else,"

oo small, the air thick

ed slowl

d-just slightly-but th

understood something she

t just abo

nto a world where rules

him Sir wasn

she wasn't all

new-she would want