he Persian rug. Her fingernails dug so ha

nd tight. She pinched the offending piece of fabric

tical. He looked at her as if she were a rat in

er fist. She looked Julian directly in the eye. She r

stated firmly, her voice steady, "I have

und scraped against the walls of the room. I

ward. He put five feet of distance between them. H

rately emphasized the name. He laced the syllables

Serena's blood boil. Heat rushed to her ears. But she

, unlit corner of the massive bedroom near the hea

that hard wooden bench in the shadows. Consider yourself exiled to the corner fo

in her throat. She stared at him in disb

tural, feisty Montana temper flared u

flashed in her mind. She saw the pla

p retort. Her jaw clenche

ed her back on Julian. Her spin

oors. The cold draft from the hallway seeped through the w

g wooden surface. The red lingerie d

k desk. He picked up a digital tablet. He began sc

y. The heavy, rhythmic sound was agonizingly slow. It ma

A vent directly above the door blew a stream of fr

tered together. A wave of goosebumps e

cy. But he was deeply engrossed in scrolling through stock rep

d position. The adrenaline from the car ride and the black

he hard bench. The wood creake

blet. "Sit still," his voice snap

head. She silently cursed him in her m

going to freeze. She scanned the room. She spotted a thick,

steps away. She decided she was not going to f

le. She took a stealthy, quiet step away from the