Chapter Six

"P-E-R-V-E-R-T-E-D," I spelled out, my voice trembling with rage as I stared directly into those dark blue eyes. I forced every single letter out from behind my teeth like a weapon. "Perverted. That is exactly what you are."

Christian didn't flinch. Instead, a slow, dangerous grin spread across his handsome face. He took a deep, deliberate breath, his gaze dropping to my lips before rising back to mine, heavy and unmoving.

"Good girl," he whispered, his deep voice carrying a lazy, teasing weight that sent an unwelcome shiver straight down my spine. "Ten out of ten, Snow. You really are a fast learner."

Before he could say another word or lean in any closer, I snapped. I reached out, grabbed the edge of the heavy wooden door, and slammed it shut right in his face.

The loud thud echoed sharply through the quiet hallway. I immediately threw the deadbolt, twisting the lock until it clicked firmly into place.

I leaned my back against the solid wood, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. My hands were trembling, and my skin felt burning hot where his presence had just cornered me. On the other side of the door, there was a brief moment of total silence. Then, I heard a low, dark chuckle rumble through the wood before his footsteps slowly faded down the carpeted hall.

He is completely unhinged, I thought, pressing my palms against my face.

I walked backward into the massive bedroom, looking around at the luxury that was supposed to feel like a dream come true. Instead, it felt like a golden cage. I threw my backpack onto the floor and collapsed onto the king-sized bed, burying my face in the plush pillows.

I had fully intended to get up, find my pajamas, and take a long, scalding shower to wash off the grime of the airport and the suffocating memory of Christian’s touch. My body felt heavy, coated in a layer of travel dust and nervous sweat.

But the moment my head remained pressed against the plush, oversized pillows, the sheer exhaustion of the day caught up to me.

Between packing up my entire life in Utah, enduring a five-hour flight, dealing with my mother’s frantic energy, and being completely blindsided by a towering, blue-eyed nightmare who happened to be my new stepbrother, my brain was completely fried.

I closed my eyes for just a second, telling myself I would get up in a minute. Just a minute to let my heart stop hammering against my ribs.

The mattress beneath me was softer than anything I had ever felt, sinking slightly under my weight like a warm cloud. The distant, quiet hum of the mansion's central heating acted like a low lullaby, slowly replacing the loud, chaotic echo of Christian’s dark chuckle in my ears.

Before I could even roll over to kick off my sneakers, my limbs turned entirely to lead. The boundary between my furious, racing thoughts and the heavy pull of sleep completely blurred.

I didn't hear the wind rustling through the cypress trees outside, and I didn't think about the freshman party waiting for me tomorrow. I just drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep, completely unconscious in my clothes.

When I finally opened my eyes, the bright morning sun was pouring through the huge arched windows, illuminating the entire room. I glanced at the digital clock on the sleek nightstand. It was 10:00 AM.

God, I really needed that sleep. My body felt slightly less heavy, though the memories of last night instantly flooded my brain, bringing back a familiar tightness in my chest.

Before I could even fully stretch, a soft, polite knock sounded at my door. I climbed out of bed, smoothing down my wrinkled clothes, and unlocked it. One of the maids stood there, pushing a luggage rack with the rest of my suitcases.

"Good morning, Miss Hattie," she said warmly. "Do you need any help with unpacking your belongings?"

"Good morning. No, thank you, there's really no need," I replied with a grateful smile. "I can handle it from here."

She bowed her head politely, and I closed the door, locking it out of pure habit. I wasn't ready to face the house or my mother yet, so I decided to do a little arranging before taking a bath or going downstairs for breakfast.

I unzipped my backpack, pulling out my favorite novels and my fresh college prep notebooks, stacking them neatly on the desk. I also pulled open one of the suitcases to pick out a simple outfit for the morning.

Once everything was set, I headed into the attached bathroom to take a nice, long shower. The bathroom was absolutely enormous—marble from floor to ceiling with a glass-enclosed shower that looked more like a luxury spa.

The hot water felt incredible against my skin, and I completely got lost in the steam, letting the rushing water wash away the exhaustion of Utah and the lingering stress of yesterday.

After what felt like thirty minutes, I turned off the faucet. The bathroom was thick with white steam.

As I stepped out of the glass enclosure, I realized I had completely forgotten to grab a towel from the rack across the room. I hesitated, but then shrugged it off. It didn't matter. I was entirely alone in my locked bedroom anyway, so I didn't really need it right this second.

I pushed the bathroom door open and stepped out into the cool air of my bedroom, dripping wet.

My breath caught instantly in my throat. Every muscle in my body froze solid.

Christian was sitting casually in the armchair by my desk. His long legs were crossed at the ankle, and he was completely at home, holding one of the paperbacks I had just unpacked. And this book wasn't like any ordinary school book. It was an erotic novel.

Before I could even scream or run back into the bathroom, Christian slowly turned the page. He didn't lift his eyes immediately. Instead, his deep, smooth voice rumbled through the quiet room, reading the text out loud with a slow, deliberate cadence:

"I hate you," he read, his voice dripping with dark amusement. "She huffs, tightening around me. 'Do you want to cum?' 'I hate you!' 'Do. You. Want. To. Cum?' 'Yes,' she sobs. 'Make me cum.' 'Who is going to bring you to orgasm?' 'You.' 'Who?' 'Alex.' 'Who, Molly?' 'My daddy!!' she shouts, eyes closing."

Christian finally closed the book with a soft, dramatic thud.

Slowly, intentionally, his deadly sea-blue eyes rose from the cover and landed squarely on me. His gaze was unmoving, scanning completely through the damp space between us, taking in every single inch of my naked body.