"You had time to dress when I wasn't here. Now," I all but dare her, "you'll have to do it with me here. Don't tell me I intimidate you," I smirk at her.
Incensed, she mutters something under her breath before she starts slipping her straps off her shoulders.
With her back to me, she keeps her robe on her shoulders as she slides the gown off her body, quickly grabbing the black cocktail dress and putting it on.
I watch amused as she struggles to dress, her attempts clumsy as she tries her best to avoid showing me her naked body. As if it wasn't just a while ago that she'd tried to entice me with it.
I hold off a laugh as I realize this must be another one of her tricks— this time she's simply playing the shy maiden.
When the dress covers her breasts, she finally drops the robe so she can slip the straps over her arms, all the while trying to preserve her modesty.
"You might as well help," she calls out in a flippant tone, presenting me with her back and pointing to the half done zipper.
"Come here," I command her, my voice harsher than intended.
As my eyes feast on her form—especially the way her dress flatters her curves—I can't help but become increasingly annoyed with myself.
She does as told, placing herself in front of me, waiting.
And as I bring my hand up, my fingers on the zipper, my thumb makes contact with her bare skin. The effect is immediate as goosebumps appear all over, her breath a harsh sound that seems to clog the air.
I step closer, her scent invading my nostrils as I feel the tension in her shoulders—the way she's not unaffected by my proximity. One more step, and her enchanting backside would make direct contact with the raging erection I'm currently fighting to control.
Slowly pulling up the zipper, I let the back of my palm linger over her beckoning skin—the gesture half for me and half for her. The allure is simply too strong to resist. And for someone with plenty of experience with addiction… I'd say I'm heading on a path of no return.
Her breath hitches at the contact, and my cock jerks in my pants at her throaty sound, arousal building inside of me at the mere thought of being this close to her.
Infuriating. Maddening. Intoxicating.
All words I'd use to describe her effect on me. How is it possible to want to throttle her and fuck her at the same time? The paradox never fails to mystify me.
Fuck, but I'd been hard from the moment I'd gotten a peek at her naked throat, that one image enough to sear itself on my retina.
Once more, I'm faced with the unnatural way my body reacts to her. I may rationalize it as a purely physical reaction, but I find it hard to grasp the dichotomy—how can my body crave her when my mind loathes the very idea of her?
Even more appalling is the realization that Taehyung had been right. Since I'd gotten my first glimpse of Y/n, my quest for my brother had taken a backseat. I'd become completely obsessed with making her pay, that I hadn't stopped to assess how this one fixation was interfering with my other plans.
I'd come to New York with the express goal of getting rid of the pest that is my brother once and for all. Instead, all I've managed so far has been getting distracted by a slip of a woman who seems bent on ruining every shred of self-control I have remaining.
Fuck. Me.
This needs to stop. I need to get a fucking grip on myself.
"You know," I start in a smooth tone, needing to rile her up and dispel this cozy atmosphere, "once I'm your husband I'll be sliding this down."
As if burned, she jumps out of my arms, her expression feral as she turns those fiery eyes towards me.
"Only if you're into necrophilia," she scoffs at me, putting some distance between us. "Since I'd sooner be dead than let you touch me," she hisses.
Ah, the familiar dynamic is back, and while my cock is still hard as granite in my pants, I can relax a little since the odds of any accidental and uncharacteristic touching have finally decreased.
I shrug, moving towards the door.
From the corner of my eye I note the scandalized look that takes over her face.
A few low curses, and she eventually follows me out.