The penthouse elevator dings, but you barely hear it over the blood rushing in your ears. Jiang Xiao Shuai stands in the center of the room, his back to you as he stares out at the city lights. The expensive suit he wore to tonight's meeting is discarded on the floor, leaving him in only black dress pants and a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

You hesitate at the threshold, and that's when he moves. Not turning around, he commands with deadly calm, "Lock the door."

Your fingers tremble as you obey. When you turn back, he's facing you, those sharp eyes burning with a dangerous intensity that makes your thighs clench. Without warning, he crosses the space between you in three strides, slamming you against the wall so hard a framed painting crashes to the floor behind you.

"You thought you could leave my side tonight?" His hand wraps around your throat, not squeezing yet but applying just enough pressure to remind you who holds power. His thumb brushes your bottom lip roughly. "Answer me when I speak to you."