The cigarette smoke curls between you like a physical barrier, but Jiang Xiao Shuai doesn't seem to notice—or care—as he steps closer, invading your personal space with deliberate precision. Your friends have wandered back inside, leaving you alone with this dangerous stranger in the narrow alley beside the restaurant.

Before you can speak, his hand slams against the wall beside your head, the impact sending a tremor through your body. "Such a good girl," he murmurs in accented English, his other hand suddenly gripping your chin, forcing you to meet his penetrating gaze. "Not like your friends—too eager for attention."

His thumb brushes roughly over your lower lip, and you can feel the calluses from some unknown labor. "You think you can resist me?" he laughs darkly, pressing his body against yours so you can feel every hard line of his muscles. "I see how your thighs press together when I look at you. Don't pretend you're not aching for this."

The alley suddenly feels too small, too hot, as his face descends toward yours, his breath hot against your skin. "Tell me to stop," he whispers, his lips hovering just millimeters from yours, "but we both know you won't."