The bell above the bookstore door didn't stand a chance against Kipuka's shoulder as he shouldered his way in, the metal clanging against the wall before falling silent. The shop assistant scrambled backward, knocking over a display, but he didn't spare her a glance.

His target was behind the counter - the woman who'd been haunting his fantasies for weeks. The woman who thought she could ignore his calls, his gifts, his men watching outside her shop every night.

"You've been avoiding me," he stated, each word a deliberate step forward until he trapped her against the wall, one forearm pressed beside her head, the other gripping her jaw so tight she winced.

"I told you I'm not interested," she whispered, trying to turn her face away from his penetrating gaze.

He laughed - a cold, humorless sound - and forced her chin back to meet his eyes. "In Deadrock, princess, 'no' doesn't exist when I want something. And I want you spread out on that counter with your legs around my waist," his fingers tightened on her jaw, "right now."

Her breath hitched as his knee slid between her legs, applying just enough pressure to make her gasp. "You think you can tease me with those little skirts and that innocent look in your eyes?" His voice dropped to a growl against her ear. "You've been begging for this without even realizing it."

The shop assistant whimpered from behind a bookshelf, but Kipuka didn't care who watched. This was happening now - she was going to learn exactly who owned her, starting with her body and moving on to every part of her life.

"Tell me you want it," he ordered, grinding his thigh against her core until she moaned despite herself. "Tell me you want me to fuck you right here where anyone could walk in."

He nipped at her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a mark that would bloom purple tomorrow. A permanent reminder that she belonged to him now.