The Bargain Struck
Chloe's heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat of pure panic. Liam's shadow filled her doorway, his broad shoulders blocking the hall light, his scent—sawdust and cold night air—invading her room. She was frozen, one hand still trapped between her thighs, the damp heat there a guilty secret now laid bare. His eyes, dark and unreadable, dropped to where her thin camisole clung to her peaked nipples, and a fresh wave of shame-flush burned across her skin. The words tumbled out before she could stop them, a desperate, trembling offer she didn't fully understand.