his touch

Alexander’s rough hands brushed a few strands of hair from Anna’s face and tucked them behind her ears after pinning her against the wall. He leaned in, his breath warm and feather-light against her ear, sending a sharp rush of adrenaline through her. Her heartbeat quickened. “What if I loved you the way you want to be loved, Anna?” he asked, his voice low and hoarse. If she had not known him better, she might have mistaken him for a gentleman. But there was nothing gentle about Alexander Corner. He was the ruthless beast of Port Harcourt City, a man whose name alone stirred fear in the hearts of those who knew him. “What do you want from me, Alexander?” Anna managed to ask, avoiding his gaze. He only smiled and tilted her chin upward. “Do you find me ugly?” he asked, looking straight into her eyes. There was longing in them—raw, undeniable longing—but none of it made this right. It would never be right, no matter how she tried to reason with herself. “You know what you’re doing is wrong, Mr. Corner,” she said, forcing politeness into her trembling voice. Instead of answering, he kissed her. For one fragile moment, she lost herself in it. Her eyes fluttered shut as his hunger poured into the silence between them. “You want me the same way I want you,” he murmured after pulling away. “Why are you so afraid of taking a bold step, Anna?” Her eyes remained closed, as though refusing to look at him might somehow restore her senses. “What longing? What are you talking about? Mr. Corner, please behave yourself,” she stammered, turning to leave. But before she could get away, he caught her and pulled her back. Her back collided with his chest. She felt the hard, rapid beat of his heart, and worse, the unmistakable tension of his body pressed against her through the thin barrier of their clothes. She stiffened, eyes flying open. This was temptation in its most dangerous form—one she had never wanted to face. She moved away from him at once, just as the door opened. “Alexander? What brings you to my house?” Henry asked with an easy smile as he stepped inside. Alexander turned calmly. Henry was his best friend, his brother in everything but blood. They had grown up together. “I was passing by, so I decided to stop in and say hello,” Alexander said, glancing at Henry as though nothing unusual had happened. Then his gaze shifted to Anna. “You have such a lovely, sweet wife. She made sure I wasn’t bored.” Anna’s fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress, and she lowered her head in embarrassment. The words unsettled her more than they should have. “Anna isn’t my wife yet,” Henry said lightly. “We’re not married.” He looked at her with a teasing smile. “Didn’t you tell him we haven’t gotten our certificate yet?” Anna forced a faint smile, though Henry’s words sat strangely with her. Marriage had never seemed urgent to him. She was his girlfriend, yes, and he liked keeping her close, but whether he truly intended to marry her was something she had long stopped trying to understand. He liked that she was quiet, timid, unassuming. At least, that was what she had always believed. Still, she knew he often found her silence excessive. “Mr. Corner, we’re not married yet,” Anna said quickly. “I’m only his girlfriend.” Henry smiled at Alexander. This was only the third time he had seen him since his return to the country, and perhaps he had come to make up for lost time. “Not married yet?” Alexander asked, his eyes returning to Anna with unsettling ease. “So when is the wedding?” “We haven’t decided yet,” Henry replied. Then, as if sensing something in Alexander’s tone he did not like, Henry shifted the conversation. “And what about you, buddy? When are you getting married?” Alexander leaned back slightly, a faint smile touching his mouth. “I have someone in mind,” he said. Anna felt his gaze before she dared meet it. “She isn’t just beautiful,” he continued. “She’s sweet. Lovely.” Anna’s smile froze. She did not need anyone to tell her who he meant. Henry laughed. “Anyone who catches your attention must be exceptional.” “You’re lucky,” he added. Alexander only chuckled. “She isn’t mine yet,” he said. “She belongs to someone else. But I’m willing to wait until she’s ready to be mine.” His words landed like a threat wrapped in patience. Anna looked at him despite herself. “And if she marries the other man? What then?” Henry turned to her, mildly surprised by the question. It was a fair one. If the woman chose the man she was already with, then Alexander would be waiting for nothing. But Alexander did not look concerned. “I don’t think they’ll make it that far,” he said casually. Henry laughed. “And what makes you so sure?” Alexander’s expression did not change. “I just know,” he said. “The man doesn’t deserve her. Only I can make her feel cherished—like the queen she is—if she would only let me.” He looked at Anna as he said it, too directly, too often. Too much. The weight of his attention was becoming impossible to ignore. “You have a beautiful girlfriend,” Alexander said to Henry as he rose from the couch. Under normal circumstances, the compliment might have sounded harmless. It did not sound harmless now. “On another day, we should sit together properly—all three of us,” Alexander added. He gave Anna one last look before heading for the door. Only after he left did she let out the breath she had been holding. She had been suffocating beneath the intensity of his gaze. Henry turned to her with a smile, as though nothing at all had passed beneath the surface. “We have an important event to attend,” he said, handing her the bag he had brought in. Then, without another word, he walked toward the bedroom. Anna stood still for a moment, clutching the bag in silence.