Chapter 5
Ryan drove the car at full speed and stopped directly in front of a shopping mall.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and thanked him politely. “Thanks for helping me out, Ryan. I’ll just get a cab from here.”
He pressed me back into the seat, his body hovering over me, his voice low and deep. “Trying to escape? Natalie, haven’t I taught you to consider all possible outcomes before doing something? You think a simple ‘thank you‘ is enough to brush me off?”
I shrank back slightly. “Then, how do you want me to thank you?”
He lowered his gaze and wiped the corner of my mouth. “I personally mentored you–shouldn’t you already know the answer?”
As I remained silent, the air inside the confined space grew warm without me realizing it. I looked at him, letting go of my inner
hesitation. At worst, I’d just have to pay him back with my own body. Resolutely, I leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Ryan was first stunned, then a storm brewed in his eyes. His expression unreadable, he asked,
“Why did you kiss me?”
I bit my lip and answered softly, “To thank you.”
“Heh.” He let out a cold laugh before cupping my face in one hand and pressing a deep, overwhelming kiss onto me. “Natalie,
you’re really asking for trouble.”
After what felt like forever, he pulled me–flushed and breathless–into a store. Only then did I realize it wasn’t what I had
imagined.
“Take off that hideous wedding dress.”
