The air in Mariella’s small, cramped room was instantly thick and heavy, a volatile mix of adrenaline and desperate, trapped desire.
Paul’s expression was gone, replaced by a singular, dangerous focus. He leaned closer, his voice a low, gravelly whisper that sent shivers down her spine. “I can be quiet.” He paused, his dark eyes fixed on her mouth. “Though I can’t promise you will be.”
His arms wrapped around her, pulling her against the hard wall of his chest. He was massive, yet moved with surgical grace.
“Wait,” Mariella breathed, the word muffled as his lips attacked her throat. Her mind, seizing on the crucial detail, recognized the danger: “The bed, it squeaks. The springs will alert the entire apartment.”
Paul immediately froze, his eyes scanning the space before returning to he
