soft flannel shirt. Rafael unfastened all the buttons before helping her into the garment. “I do not wish you to become ill. While I prefer to see your body, I want to protect you from a chill more.”
She tried to stand completely still, but his fingers slid gently against her skin as he fit each button carefully into the correct buttonhole. His touch made her shiver as she remembered the caresses he’d lavished on her body. “Do I ever get to touch you?” she dared to ask. “May I kiss you?”
He smiled at her as he finished the last button. “We will kiss when you have proven your loyalty to me. Touching, we will enjoy long before our lips meet. A kiss is special.”
Bewildered by his response, Mia followed him silently when he took her hand. Padding barefoot through the large house, the young woman caught glimpses of staff members working. Rafael continued through the house until he came to a closed doorway. Pulling keys from his pocket, the man, once again wearing a crisp dress shirt, unlocked the door and pulled her inside. Once inside, he locked the door to seal them inside.
Mia looked around the large office space, trying to figure out what specifically this obviously successful businessman did. A massive bank of screens dominated one wall. Without giving her time to take everything in, Rafael tugged her over to an oversized wooden desk. As they moved behind it, Mia noticed a large cushiony mat to the right of the office chair on the floor.
“Take a seat, Mia. You will need to entertain yourself. There is a variety of office supplies in the bottom drawer. Help yourself to the paper, pens, markers. Do not get off your mat without permission. Do not interrupt me with something frivolous,” he warned, meeting her eyes to make sure she understood.
When she nodded hesitantly, he pointed to the mat before sitting down in the large office chair and powering on his computer. Mia sunk to the mat on the floor and lay quietly on her side. Her mouth pursed and twisted to the side as she tried to decide how she felt about sitting on the floor at his feet. She didn’t think she liked it too much.
Opening her mouth to say something snarky, Mia heard him speak in fluent Mandarin Chinese. When a lyrical voice spoke back in the same Eastern language, Mia snapped her mouth closed and listened intently. She’d had a teacher in elementary school who knew a bit of Mandarin and had delighted in sharing small bits of the language with the students in Mia’s class.
Recognizing the sounds and rhythm of the language, she struggled to follow his conversation. Unsuccessful at doing anything more than picking out a very few familiar words, Mia tried to recall the small amount of information he had shared with her during their online conversations. Rafael had easily focused each interaction on her, and she had basked in his attention without asking a flurry of questions.
When that conversation ended, Mia started to comment on his language ability. “I didn’t know you spoke…”
Her words cut out as Rafael’s hand lifted and drifted casually below the surface of the desk as he began another conversation. When his fingers curved around her shoulder to tighten warningly, Mia closed her mouth with a snap.
Sitting there hidden from the view of whoever Rafael spoke with, Mia’s anger multiplied. The more she thought about being a hidden embarrassment, the more steam built up inside her. Finally, she exploded. Pulling open the bottom drawer that he’d filled with busywork for her, Mia slammed it shut, making as much noise as possible.
Without pausing in his conversation, Rafael grabbed the back of her still-damp hair and lifted his hand up. The pain brought tears to her eyes as she stood to attempt to get close enough to his hand to ease the pull on her scalp. The conversation continued between him and the businessman on the screen. Rafael trapped her between the desk and his chair and began unbuttoning the soft, warm shirt wrapped around her nude body.
Mia looked with panic over her shoulder at the man who was watching. She hissed, “Rafael. Rafael. Stop. I’m sorry. I lost my temper.”
The businessman’s hands never hesitated. Soon, he pushed the garment over her shoulders. Mia tried to stop him or free herself, but Rafael was too strong. He overpowered her with ease. Before he pushed his chair back, Rafael hooked one polished leather