He didn't say her name and he didn't need to. One look at him was enough to silence the entire world around her.
His jaw was locked. His eyes, black with envy, flicked to the man and then back to her like she was the only person in existence.
"Excuse me," the man started politely.
Rain didn't even acknowledge him.
Instead, he leaned forward—just close enough for Daisy to feel his breath on her ear, yet far enough that it looked completely innocent to anyone watching.
"Enjoying yourself?" he asked quietly.
The tone wasn't gentle.
It wasn't amused.
It was controlled... dangerously controlled, like a storm barely leashed.
"I was just talking," Daisy replied, forcing a nervous smile.
Rain's eyes narrowed. "Talking."
A single word. Flat, quiet. Yet it carried everything—accusation, jealousy, possession, and a frustration too sharp to hide
The man tried again. "We were discussing the—"
Rain cut him off without looking at him.
"I wasn't talking to you."
He stepped closer—not touching her, yet somehow claiming the space around her anyway.
"You disappear from the ballroom," Rain said, his voice low enough only she could hear, "and I find you smiling at a stranger like he earned it."
The man beside them shuffled awkwardly.
"I should... probably give you two a moment."
Rain didn't look away from Daisy until the man had left.
Only then did he speak—even quieter, even more dangerous.
"And if one more person looks at you the way he did," Rain said, voice dark and low while pulling Daisy dangerously close by her waist, "I'll lose the little control I have left."
Her breath caught.
She should have stepped away.
Should have pushed him back.
Should have said he was being ridiculous.
But she didn't. Because deep in her, something dark unfurled. She liked the way he looked at her like he could burn the world down for touching her. She liked being the reason he lost control.
Daisy swallowed hard. "Mr. Rain… I know I've done bizarre things. The drunk call. Making you sleep next to me. I crossed lines. And I'm sorry for that."
She searched his eyes, confused. "But the way you're behaving now… it's giving me mixed vibes."
Rain didn't look away.
Didn't even blink.
"Good," he said quietly.
Her heart stopped. "Good?"
"Yes," he whispered, tightening his hold just slightly, not enough for others to notice, but enough for her to feel it.
"You should feel mixed vibes around me."
The danger wasn't in his tone.
It was in how calm he was.
He leaned forward, lips brushing the shell of her ear without touching it.
"Because I don't want you to mistake me for infatuation," he murmured. "I need you to understand that when it comes to you… my eyes always follow what you do."
The truth hit her like a jolt.
Her pulse hammered in her throat. "But why?" she whispered.
Rain didn't hesitate.
"One part of me wants to walk away and never look back… because that's the logical thing to do. Because I'm your client."
His hand slid from her waist and rested on the curve of her lower back, a quiet possessive claim that no one else seemed to notice.
"But the other part of me…"
His eyes dipped to her lips for a single burning second before returning to her gaze.
"…doesn't want to stop."