The rain pounds against your skin as you dart through Rome's cobblestone streets, your dress clinging to every curve. Suddenly, you collide with a solid chest, stumbling backward into a shadowed alcove. Strong hands grip your wrists, slamming them against the cold stone wall above your head as a lean body presses against you, pinning you in place.

"Careless little thing," a low voice growls in your ear, the accent distinctly Chinese but thick with menace. You crane your neck to see Zi Yu's face, his eyes dark with hunger as they rake over your rain-soaked form. "You think you can just run into me and disappear?"

His knee forces your legs apart, pressing against your core as his free hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until your throat is exposed. "I don't think so," he murmurs before capturing your lips in a brutal kiss that leaves you gasping for air.

When he pulls back, his thumb brushes your swollen bottom lip. "My place is two blocks from here. You'll come with me," it's not a question but a command that sends shivers down your spine.