The Girl in the Rental

Pinned to the wall, I froze as the bathroom filled with steam, the shower still drumming against the tiles.

It was Ryan Miller—the foreman from the construction site next door.

He was in nothing but his work pants. His bare chest was crushed against my back, every muscle hard as iron. My heart was thundering, and I couldn't tell if the rhythm I felt was mine or his.

"Hey, Miller! You fall in or something?"

The rough voices and laughter of his crew drifted in from the hall. Their footsteps were right outside the door. His arm tightened around me, hauling me up onto my tiptoes. My towel had already pooled on the floor.

"Tsk."

His Adam’s apple bobbed as his gaze raked over my bare skin. Suddenly, his free hand moved to my collarbone, his calloused thumb grazing my skin with heavy pressure.

"I told you not to come here alone at night."

I shivered and tried to squirm away, but he shoved his knee between my thighs, pinning me flat and killing any chance of movement.

"Listen," he rasped, his breath hot against the dampness of my ear. "Get dressed. You're coming with me tonight."

Outside, the men were getting louder, their jokes turning cruder.

I let out a soft, breathy laugh. "And if I say no?"

Ryan stiffened. He clearly didn’t expect me to push back. The arm around my waist went rigid as a flash of surprise crossed his face. Seizing the moment, I tilted my head back, my lips brushing his stubbled jawline.

"What’s the matter?" I whispered, my voice thick with provocation. "Is the big boss all talk? Are you actually afraid to do something?"

The crew started pounding on the door. The heavy thuds felt like a drumroll for the tension between us.

"Ryan! What’s the holdup?"

"Yeah, let us in on the fun!"

"Damn, you hiding a woman in there? Don't be greedy!"

The noise should have terrified me. Instead, it felt like a match to a fuse, sparking a rebellious, heavy heat deep in my gut.

Ryan’s eyes went dark. The muscles in the arm bracing him against the wall flexed until his veins popped.

"You little..."

His voice was a low growl, thick with irritation and a sudden, sharp hunger. I watched his mouth, just inches from mine, and reached up with my free hand to trace the hard line of his throat.

He surged against me, his whole body jolting at the touch.

"What do you want them to hear?" I narrowed my eyes, my fingers sliding down the corded muscle of his neck to his chest. "You want them to hear exactly how you're... toying with me?"

I let out a low, deliberate moan right against his ear.

The last of Ryan’s control went up in flames. He leaned in, his scorched breath crashing against my lips, though he held back from the kiss.

"Fine," he ground out through gritted teeth. "I'll show you exactly what ‘toying’ looks like."

He let go of my mouth only to grab the back of my neck, tilting my head back until I was forced to look him in the eye. That iron grip around my waist hauled me flush against him, leaving absolutely no space between us.

The sudden, raw contact made me gasp.

Outside, the men were rowdy and shouting; inside, the water hissed. I didn't flinch. I leaned into him.

"Try me," I breathed.

As the words left my lips, I hooked my leg high around his waist.