Chapter 5

Abigail stumbled closer to the leather sofa.

The city lights cast a pale glow over the man. He was wearing a bespoke charcoal suit, but the jacket was crumpled. His tie had been ripped away from his throat.

His chest heaved violently..Sweat coated his forehead, making his skin shine in the dark. His jaw was clenched so tight the muscles twitched.

Abigail dropped to her knees beside the sofa.

"Hey," she slurred softly. "Are you... do you need a doctor?"

She reached out. Her cool fingertips brushed against the burning skin of his neck, searching for a pulse.

The second her skin made contact with his, the man's eyes snapped open.

They were bloodshot. Wild. They lacked any trace of human reason. He looked like a starving wolf that had just been handed raw meat.

Josephus Hodges had spent the last hour fighting a losing battle. A rival firm had slipped a massive dose of a military-grade hallucinogenic aphrodisiac into his scotch at a merger dinner.

He had locked himself in the penthouse to ride it out. His sanity was hanging by a microscopic thread.

Abigail's cold touch, combined with the faint scent of rosewater on her skin, snapped that thread instantly.

A low, animalistic growl ripped from his throat.

His hand shot out. His fingers clamped around Abigail's wrist like a steel vice.

Abigail gasped. The pain was sharp and immediate.

Before she could pull away, Josephus yanked her forward. His strength was terrifying.

She flew through the air and crashed onto the leather cushions.

The world spun out of control. In a fraction of a second, Josephus's massive, heavy body was on top of her, pinning her down.

The alcohol in Abigail's system evaporated, replaced by cold, blinding terror.

"Let me go!" she screamed. She thrashed wildly beneath him, her hands pushing against his rock-hard chest.

Josephus didn't hear her. The drug had completely hijacked his nervous system. All he felt was the agonizing heat in his blood and the soft, cool body beneath him that promised relief.

He buried his face in her neck. His breath was scalding hot against her skin. The heavy scent of cedar and pure male aggression suffocated her.

His large hands moved with brutal urgency. He grabbed the fabric of her black gown.

With one violent pull, the expensive silk tore down the middle.

The sound of ripping fabric echoed loudly in the dark room.

The cold leather of the sofa hit Abigail's bare back.

Panic consumed her. She swung her free hand and slapped him across the face with all the strength she had.

The sharp smack rang out.

Josephus froze. His head snapped to the side.

For one agonizing second, the red haze in his eyes cleared. He looked down at the terrified woman trembling beneath him. His chest heaved as he fought his own biology.

"Get... out," he ground out through his teeth. His voice was a harsh, agonizing rasp.

Abigail scrambled backward, desperate to escape.

But as she kicked her legs to push away, her knee jerked upward. It slammed directly into his groin.

It wasn't a hard hit, but the physical friction was the final trigger.

Josephus let out a sharp hiss. The brief window of clarity slammed shut.

His eyes went completely black.

He grabbed both of her wrists in one massive hand and slammed them above her head, pressing them deep into the leather.

His other hand gripped her jaw, holding her head perfectly still.

He crashed his mouth down onto hers.

It wasn't a kiss. It was a punishment. It was a desperate, violent claiming.

He tasted like expensive scotch and pure dominance.

Abigail couldn't breathe. Her lungs burned for oxygen. The crushing weight of his body made it impossible to move.

Her struggles grew weaker as the lack of air and the lingering alcohol made her limbs go numb.

His hand slid down her ribcage, burning a trail of fire across her skin.