Chapter Two

I was extremely conscious of every sound—the steady pacing of my own breathing, the faint buzzing of the city outside, the silent tick of a clock somewhere—because the complete silence in his room was oppressive, pressing on my skin. He stayed at the door.

He stood with his shoulders relaxed and his hands tucked into his pockets, but his eyes were anything but casual. It was hot, holding me down as if I were already naked and under his control. I tightly hugged my arms to my body as I gulped.

“For what exactly did you bring me here?”

He curled his lips into that annoying half-smile.

"To...