Page 6 of The Hitman’s Obsession

I already know the answer to my question, and Roman’s expression tells me everything I need to know. I should be furious. I should scream, dive under my blankets, run for the closet and hide. But when I think about him outside in the darkness—spying through my window and watching me touch myself in the most private of ways—all it does is turn me on even more.

“You like it, don’t you?” His question sets me back on my heels. This man is more than sexy. He’s sharp. Notices everything.

My immediate instinct is to deny it. What girl in her right mind would admit to being turned on by a random stranger watching her masturbate through her window? I open my mouth but can’t find the words.

My body goes tense as he lowers his jaw and stares at me with eyes like a predator. His chest expands as he takes a step closer. It’s just one step, but I swear I can feel an energy from his body. Like gravity pulling at me.

“Who were you thinking about?” His voice is low and strong, like thunder rumbling in the distance.

“What do you mean?” At first, I genuinely don’t understand what he’s asking me. But then I think about him outside in the dark, watching me reading, playing with my clit, and it hits me. “Oh, nobody. I wasn’t thinking about anyone—”

“Bullshit!” His voice snaps like lightning, causing me to jump. For a moment, I almost forgot how dangerous this man might be.

“Seriously,” I protest. “Just some guy in the book I was reading.”

“Not your boyfriend? Fiancé?”

“No,” I almost laugh. “Absolutely not.”

Roman’s eyes narrow. “You have no man whatsoever?”

My heart is racing as I shake my head. The sound of his voice has me trembling again. This is so intense. Even as I’m gripped with fear, the bad seed inside me is growing, ready to blossom. I’m getting lightheaded as I gaze up at him, the cotton of my panties soaking more as my arousal grows.

“No. I was just making him up in my head,” I reply. “Based on how my book described him.”

I know this is wrong. I know it’s bad. He’s a stranger. A dangerous stranger, and I’m lusting over him, desperate for his touch.

“What did he look like?” he demands, his husky voice penetrating my flesh deep down to my bones.

I could lie, but would he actually believe me? No, I think he’d see right through me. And that turns me on. He’s tall, big, and capable, and I can’t hide anything from him.

“You,” I say softly. His pupils dilate. “Tall, muscular, sexy…and kind of scary.”

Roman’s face shifts, betraying something deeply human. “Kind of?”

I let my eyes smile for me and shrug as he takes another step closer. His massive body blocks the light from my bedside lamp, bathing me in shadow.

“You mentioned your book.” Briefly, his eyes move to my Kindle. “What kind of books do you read?”

This is where my blush should deepen even more. Where I should nearly faint of embarrassment. But I’m suddenly filled with a sense of freedom, like I can finally share my naughty little secret with someone and not feel judged.

“Dirty ones,” I reply. “Where men break into women’s bedrooms. Climb through their windows.”

Roman’s eyes narrow. He’s so intense. Terrible, twisted thoughts flood my mind as he continues to stare at me. For the first time in my life, I’m in the presence of a man I don’t want to get away from. And given how he got here, that seems completely backward.

“Dirty books,” he replies. “But you’re not a slut, are you, Annie? You haven’t done any of those things, have you?”

His questions rock me. My lips tremble. “N-no,” I stammer.

Another step forward…

“Why not?”

He scours me with his eyes. I can almost feel their touch as he moves his gaze up and down my body. I wish I wasn’t wearing this T-shirt. Not because it’s corny but because it covers too much. A man like this deserves to see more.

Jesus, what’s wrong with me? I know I have daddy issues, but these thoughts—I should be ashamed of myself.

Still, Roman is a clear opposite to my father. Dad is a charming man with a million-dollar smile who is always dressed like he’s headed to the red carpet. But he’s also chaotic and unreliable.