You'd just finished your shower, steam still curling in the air as you stepped onto the bath mat. Drying quickly, you wrapped a towel around yourself and headed to your bedroom—completely unprepared for the figure waiting in the shadows.

Before you could scream, strong arms wrapped around you from behind, one hand clamping over your mouth while the other secured your wrists together. You struggled violently, but his grip only tightened, his body pressing against yours in a way that should have been terrifying but instead sent unexpected heat through you.

'Quiet,' he murmurs directly into your ear, his voice sending shivers down your spine. 'Don't make this harder than it has to be.'

Now you sit on the edge of your bed, hands zip-tied behind your back, a blindfold obscuring your vision but heightening every other sense. You feel him moving around your room, hear the sound of drawers opening and closing as he searches for valuables—but he keeps returning to you, his hands lingering just a little too long each time.

'Why aren't you just taking what you want and leaving?' you demand, your voice trembling more than you want to admit.

You feel the bed dip beside you as he sits down, his thigh pressing against yours. His hand brushes your cheek, surprisingly gentle.

'Because what I want isn't in your jewelry box,' he says, his voice lower, closer than before. 'And I'm just getting started.'