Page 52 of Love Me in the Dark

“Excuse me?” My heart races, adrenaline replacing my earlier annoyance.

“Your age, your struggles with the bakery, the sacrifices you’ve made. I even know when you lost your virginity and who your last boyfriend was.” A chill runs down my spine as he lists off intimate details of my life.

His words hang heavy in the air, and I feel exposed, like he’s stripped me bare. How dare he invade my life like this? Yet, part of me wants to test him, to push him further.

“Tell me, Rafe,” I press on, my voice defiant despite the tremble in my hands. “Why did you look so deeply into my life? What could possibly be worth that much effort?”

“When your father used you as a guarantor for the loan, I looked into you. Thoroughly. It’s just business, and I’m damn good at that,” he rasps.

I grit my teeth, willing myself to stay strong even as doubt gnaws at the edges of my resolve. “Just business, huh?” I scoff, my fingers tightening around the edge of the counter. “Then what’s next on the agenda?”

“Today, you’re staying with me.” His answer is firm, allowing no room for negotiation. My heart sinks at the thought of beingtrapped within these walls, away from the one place that feels like home.

“But I could still work at the bakery,” I argue, trying to mask the desperation in my voice. “It’s not like anyone would know I’m here.”

Rafe shakes his head, his face hardening. “No, you’re not going back there. Not this week.”

My frustration mounts, and I glance at his lips, wondering what it would feel like to wipe that smug expression off his face.

4

Alina

It’s day three of this twisted arrangement, and I’m going out of my mind. The routine of baking fresh bread for breakfast isn’t calming me as it should. If anything, it’s agitating me. I feel like a trapped animal.

I haven’t felt the sun or wind on my face for three fucking days. I’m going stir crazy. Sure, there are perks to being here rather than at my dingy studio. The in-home library filled with the classics is just one of them. The roaring fireplace and couch is another.

All the other mornings, Rafe disappeared after breakfast, only returning in time for lunch, and then dinner. All of which, you guessed it, we consume in his home. Because God forbid I actually get some fresh air.

“There you are.”

I jump, clutching the book I’m reading closer to my chest. “Rafe.” I gasp his name as soon as he walks into view, heading straight for the sofa I’m lying on in the library.

Since he left an hour ago, I didn’t bother getting fully dressed. So I’m sitting here in only my sleep shorts and tank top—neither of which does much to cover me up. My hair falls like a curtain around my face, hiding anything but his feet from this angle.

Rafe joins me on the couch, taking the book from my hands. “Flowers in the Attic,” he muses, arching an eyebrow. “How scandalous.” There’s a twinkle in his eyes, and a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

He’s freshly shaven, and his hair is wet. He smells of soap and his expensive cologne. I’m not aware I’ve moved until he rubs his nose against mine. The intimacy of this gesture catches me off guard, and my breath hitches in my throat. When did I move closer to him? And why on earth would I do that?

“Kiss me, Alina,” he commands, his voice soft yet unyielding.

“Wh-what?” I stammer, taken aback by his demand.

“Are you forgetting our agreement already?” he challenges, a darkly amused glint in his eyes.

With reluctance, I place a quick, chaste peck on his cheek. He laughs mockingly, his fingers tightening around my wrist.

“Sit,” he orders, pulling me onto his lap. I straddle him, my cheeks burning with embarrassment as I awkwardly dig my knees into the couch while making myself comfortable. “Now, kiss me properly.”

My heart races as I press my lips to his, feeling the heat of his body through the thin layers of our clothes. Rafe’s hands roam over my back, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us. And even though I know I should resist, even though every fiber of my being tells me this is wrong, I can’t help but lose myself in the intoxicating taste of danger that clings to him.

My lips press against his, and I can’t help but shiver as the warmth of Rafe’s body envelops me. The kiss is firm but slowthis time, deliberate and controlled. His tongue teases mine, probing and coaxing me to respond. As we kiss, I feel his cock growing between us, and my hips unconsciously wiggle, causing him to groan.

“That’s it. Grind on me, Alina,” he rasps into my ear. “Make yourself come using my body.”

Shame floods through me, my cheeks burning with humiliation, but I can’t deny the way my body responds to his words. I bite my lip, hesitating for a moment before obeying his command. Tentatively, I begin to rock back and forth, the friction sending sparks of pleasure through my core.

“Good girl,” Rafe praises, his voice low and hungry.