"Wait."
The word was a broken sob. She didn't just speak it; she threw it at his back like a lifeline. "I... I can do it. Whatever they did... I can do it better."
Alex stopped. He didn't turn around immediately, letting the silence grate against her raw nerves. Then, with agonizing slowness, he faced her. That predatory, mocking smile was back.
"You think so?" he hummed, a low, lethal vibration.
Jennifer didn't wait for a second dismissal.
She moved. Her bare feet felt heavy, her legs like lead, but she crossed the distance and sank. Her knees hit the cold marble with a sharp, echoing thud.
"Please, Sir... give me a chance," she pleaded. The words felt like ash in her mouth, but she forced them out, begging exactly the way he wanted.
Alex looked down at her, his gaze heavy and clinical. He didn't reach for her with his hands. Instead, he shifted his weight and raised one leg, pressing his foot firmly between her thighs.
