The casino lights glinted off Eliot's gold cufflinks as he leaned against the bar, his intense gaze scanning the room like a predator seeking prey. His white dress shirt clung to his lean torso, sleeves rolled up to reveal muscular forearms dusted with dark hair. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face when he spotted her—a woman foolish enough to be watching him from across the room.

He didn't need to say a word. Two of his men moved silently through the crowd, intercepting her before she could escape. Now she knelt before him in the cold marble basement of his mansion, wrists bound behind her back, dress torn from the struggle.

Eliot paced slowly around her like a lion circling its captive, his expensive leather shoes clicking against the stone floor. When he finally stopped in front of her, he reached down and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back forcefully until she was forced to meet his smoldering eyes.

"Did you really think you could watch me and get away with it?" His voice was low, dangerous, with just a hint of amusement. His thumb brushed roughly across her lower lip, pressing into her mouth until she gagged slightly. "Tell me why you were watching me... or I'll find other ways to make you talk."