Chapter 4

“Do you know how to tie a tie?”

His low voice broke the silence.

I snapped back to reality.

Gideon had already taken the white shirt from my hands and was shrugging it on.

But he hadn't buttoned it.

He picked out a black silk tie and held it out to me.

I swallowed, feeling like I was under a spell, and nodded.

I took a step forward.

Closer to him.

The top of my head barely reached his collarbone.

He was so tall.

He didn't move back to give me space.

Instead, he leaned in closer.

My hands trembled as I wrapped the tie around his neck.

My fingertips brushed against his scorching hot skin.

I flinched like I’d been shocked.

Too close.

So close I could hear the deep, powerful beat of his heart.

Thump, thump.

His hot breath fell like a feather on my nose.

The air grew thick.

His intense, masculine energy wrapped around me, suffocating me.

“Want to find out?”

His seductive voice suddenly rumbled above me.

My hands froze.

I looked up in disbelief, my eyes crashing into his deep amber pools.

His long fingers reached up, gently tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

The rough calluses on his fingertips grazed my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine.

He leaned down, his lips almost touching my ear.

His hot breath ghosted over the sensitive skin of my neck.

“Want to find out how rough an Alpha is in bed?”

My heart stopped.

He let out a low chuckle, a sound full of danger and undisguised aggression.

“Want to know… what it feels like when I bite you?”

Hearing my mortifying texts spoken aloud by him was pure torture.

My defenses crumbled.

Before I could react, he grabbed my waist and slammed me back against his desk.

My face burned. My body was already betraying me.

Files scattered to the floor.

His kiss was urgent. Vicious. A brutal, possessive claiming.

From the desk, to the leather sofa, to the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.

He claimed me right there. Relentless. Savage.

The rumors about werewolf stamina? They were all true.

For the next two hours, he showed me exactly how savage an Alpha could be.

…

Later.

The clock on the wall read 3 PM.

Two hours of pure insanity.

Gideon was already fully dressed.

Even the tie was knotted perfectly.

He stood with his back to me, facing the window. He was pouring a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid matching his dangerous eyes.

I stood by the sofa, clumsily pulling up my skirt, my hands shaking as I fumbled with the buttons on my blouse.

My legs were so weak they could barely hold me.

I stared at his broad back.

I thought he would say something.

Even just a kind word. An explanation.

I would have listened to anything.

He set the glass down and turned around.

His eyes swept over me.

They were cold again. Completely indifferent.

Arrogant. Uncaring.

He was back to being the cold-blooded tyrant.

“My place. Tomorrow. 7 PM,” he said flatly.

I froze, my heart starting to race.

His place?

“Pack my bags for my London trip the day after,” he continued, his tone all business. “I’ll send you the list.”

A bucket of ice water poured over my head.

I stared at him in disbelief, the warmth in my body turning to frost.

So that's what that was?

Just because some pureblood she-wolf pissed him off, he needed a release? And I was just a convenient tool?!

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Fine. Just fine.

I buttoned the last button of my shirt all the way to the top and forced myself to stand up straight.

“Yes, sir,” I bit out.

If I was just a machine, then I’d act like one.

Crossing class and species lines? Keep dreaming.

I turned and stalked toward the heavy office door.

Full of humiliation, frustration, and rage.

I grabbed the handle and yanked the door open.

“Whoa!”

“Watch out!”

A dozen figures who had been pressed against the door lost their balance.

A whole crowd of my colleagues, their faces a mixture of shock and gossip, tumbled right into me.