The sound was low, as if from a distance. But it put her on high alert.
She knew, without turning…he was watching her.
His slick gaze caressed her form, obsessively following every dip, every curve, and each of her breaths and hitches. Leaving no part of her body untouched by his gleaming eyes. The guard never said a word, but his hungry breaths echoed across the room, luridly describing how much she’d captivated him.
His smile spread in the most perverse way.
Ana tried to cover herself up, scrambling around for anything–a blanket–a scarf. But there was nothing there. Only the hot puffs of his breath coated her body as he loomed over her. Reaching for her–
Why so shy, sweetheart?
No.
No.
No.
Please–
Help!
Gasping for breath, Ana jerked upright, her fingers clawing at the desk.
Oh, God.
Fuck.
Reality filtered back in pieces, with her chest expanding and contracting violently.
A nightmare. It was only a nightmare.
She brushed back her hair with unsteady hands before patting her breast, double-checking that she was fully clothed. One hand crept up to her cheek, where she could feel the imprint of the design on which she’d fallen asleep. Its checkered pattern had pressed into her skin, leaving behind soft grooves.
Everything in her felt raw and exposed. Spooked. The dream was nothing new, but the sensation of being watched was so visceral, she could not shake it off.
It was almost as if he was still here.
She shivered.
Creak.
A sound came from the bed, and she tensed. Everything in her quieted as her hand stretched over the fabric scissors on her desk. It wasn’t just her nightmare. Someone was here, in the room. Watching her.
As the roaring in her ears grew, she heard him, quiet and firm.
“It’s me.”
Shocked, her fingers unfurled, dropping the scissors with a loud clang. Ana whirled around in her chair–and found him there.
Her husband.
He sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with his hands resting on his long, lean thighs. Shadows fell over his face, revealing black eyes that watched her with unnerving focus.
Pleasure and surprise bloomed within her as she gaped.
Gio.
Gio.