Chapter 4

It was 2:00 AM. The massive Levine Estate was dead silent. Only a few dim wall sconces lit the second-floor hallway.

Aracely pushed the heavy cleaning cart. She walked softly. She ran the quiet vacuum over the thick Persian rug.

She glanced at the closed doors of the study. A thin line of light spilled out from underneath. The dangerous man inside was still awake.

Sweat beaded on Aracely's forehead. Her lower back ached from bending over for hours. But she didn't dare stop.

Inside the study, Brennen had been awake for forty-eight hours straight. His nerves were snapping one by one.

His eyes were bloodshot. He ripped his tie off completely. He paced the room like a caged beast.

His throat closed up. He couldn't breathe. He yanked the study door open to get some air.

The door swung wide. The air in the hallway shifted. The sweet, clean scent of gardenia hit him right in the face.

Brennen's vision was blurry. He only saw a slender back pushing a cart a few feet away.

The extreme sleep deprivation cut his logic completely. His body took over.

He stumbled forward. He lunged at her back like a dying man reaching for water.

Aracely heard the heavy footsteps. She spun around in terror. Before she could see his face, a massive force slammed into her.

Brennen pinned her hard against the cold wall. His arms locked around her waist like steel bands.

Aracely opened her mouth to scream. Brennen's hot, calloused hand clamped over her lips.

He buried his face deep into her neck. He inhaled the scent off her skin. He breathed her in like a drug addict.

The miracle happened again. The explosive pain in his head washed away instantly.

Brennen let out a low groan of pure relief. His hard muscles relaxed. He dropped his entire body weight onto Aracely.

Aracely couldn't breathe under his weight. She struggled wildly. She pushed her hands hard against his chest.

Brennen felt his prey fighting back. His arms tightened instinctively. One of his hands slid down her waist and slipped under the rough fabric of her uniform.

The contrast between the cheap cloth and her silky skin confused him for a second. But the hunger swallowed the confusion.

Aracely squeezed her eyes shut. She thought her identity was going to be exposed right here in the hallway.

Brennen lowered his lips to kiss her neck.

A guest room door further down the hall suddenly flew open, the brass handle clicking loudly in the quiet night. Evelyn walked out, having heard the muffled commotion. She wore a sheer red lace lingerie set, her makeup perfectly touched up in anticipation of being summoned. She was holding a glass of warm milk.

She saw the two bodies tangled against the wall. Her eyes went wide. A piercing scream ripped from her throat.

The scream hit Brennen like a bucket of ice water. He snapped out of his daze.

He opened his eyes. He looked down. He was holding the ugly maid with the hideous scar.

Intense self-hatred and nausea hit him at the same time. Brennen shoved Aracely away like she was on fire.

Aracely lost her balance. She crashed into the cleaning cart. Her elbow slammed into the metal edge. She hissed in pain.

Evelyn stomped over in her heels. She raised her hand to slap Aracely. "You cheap slut! Trying to seduce the master!"

"Stop!" Brennen roared. His face was pale. He looked at his own shaking hands. He couldn't believe he had just forced himself onto a monster.

He turned around, walked back into his study, and slammed the door so hard the walls shook.