eling the coolness of the wooden floor. The digital clock on the cab

fear, and utter disbelief, a complete mess. She needed

e from the counter a

gh the receiver. "You finally remembered you have a friend! Hurry up and say-a

ile. "Even worse. Muc

from the hotel room to Creed's ridiculou

owed by a deafening scream. "Oh my god! Creed Scott? Is it that Wall S

. "The point isn't that he is a mysterious billionaire. The point is, he's a com

xcited gossip to extremely serious.

didn't know wh

a control freak. The moment you show up, you're telling him his strategy has worked.

p, clean knife, cutting thro

calls, and do not reply to messages. Turn yourself into a black hole. Those men are hunters, always chasing af

ct. Ignore him. Preventing him from getting the atten

lief welled up in her heart. "I'm not g

al. "Now I'm going to order a pizza, watch a

ed off her phone, and threw it onto the sofa. She ordered a pizza, opened a bottle of wine, a

ily Mill Café." He chose a small table by the window that clearly shows

voices, and baristas quickened their pace. He is a strong, sti

y past. The cof

ning rush hour gradually dispersed. The

ook out his phone and dialed her number. Call d

tood

gnore

began to condense in his chest. It was a cold flame, deadlier than any irritable temper. He put a hundred dollars on the table-f

f a bottle of wine. She felt relaxed, and the crisis seemed to have been avoided. S

in the backyard parking lot. She wore old sweatpants and a faded T-shirt, her hair

beams of streetlights overhead. She threw the bag into t

ong into a solid

d cry. She lifted her head, her eyes adjustin

Creed

have been waiting for several hours. The chill of the night clings to his expe

her throat. She stepped back, goosebumps rising on he

rately. He cornered her against the cold metal body of a parked sedan, trapp

voice was low and hoarse,

reckless. "I told you." Her voice trembled

s the spark that

enly pulling her head backward, while his other arm wrapped around her waist, pressin

, only a primal dominating force aimed at conquering and devouring. His lips roughly ground

wall-hard chest. He held her tightly, his body like a steel cage, his lips ravaging her until she couldn't breathe and fel