This was it.
I was doing this.
I could do this.
No more stealing money. No more laying in bed praying to fall asleep so I could ignore the hunger. No more sleeping in front of my door to keep any predators out.
No. I just needed to walk across the room, open the door, and give myself to one predator to save me from all the others.
I closed my eyes, pictured my future, and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, I released as much fear as I could and walked over.
With a trembling hand, I opened the door and froze at what greeted me on the other side.
The first thing my eyes collided with was a broad chest encased in a black cotton shirt and a black leather jacket. I slowly scanned up to a square jaw dusted with stubble, surrounding lips pinched closed. The bill of his black baseball cap covered his eyes. At least until he looked up, the heated emerald glaring down at me sucked all the air from my body, knocking me back a step.
He was beautiful—easily the most attractive man I’d ever seen, like a model. But the heat wasn’t all attraction. The heat mixed with an anger that couldn’t be hidden. An anger that made fear rise in me that not even my mask could cover.
His eyes scanned me from top to bottom and back up again. My first instinct was to slam the door in his face, lock it and pray for a miracle that he left. But I reminded myself of my future. I could do this. Steeling my spine, I gripped the door and held strong to sticking with the plan.
“M—Mr. E?” My voice hadn’t gotten the memo that we were strong. No, it stuttered out, giving away the tremors rattling my insides.
“Snow White.” His voice was soft but deep and somehow reached in my chest and squeezed my lungs tighter.
I held strong to the door and kept the entryway blocked like I’d be able to stop him. Fake it until you make it. “Do you have the money?”
His shoulders bunched before he leaned off to the left and grabbed a black duffel bag and held it out to me.
I stepped back and opened the door wider. “Come in.”
He walked into the room, towering over me even in my heels, taking up more space than he should. Like the aura around him filled any empty spot, not leaving enough for me. He dropped the bag by the table and looked around. I remained by the door and never turned my back on him. Holding my breath, I waited for him to turn and claim what he came for. Instead, he faced away from me, looking around the typical cheap motel.
If he had wanted better, then he should have paid himself.
He turned to face me and I took a few steps toward him away from my exit. Keeping my face neutral, I took him in. He was gorgeous like a rugged model, but I’d learned from a young age that looks could hide a monster inside. He may not be an overweight older man, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt me. I pulled my shoulders back, forcing confidence as I held his stare. It felt like a duel as we stood across from each other, each of us waiting to make the first move. But I was tired of waiting. I didn’t want to drag this out any longer.
Moving my eyes to his chest—avoiding the intensity in his eyes—I reached my hands to the straps of my dress and began working it down my arms. His body stiffened and I focused on the way his arms flexed against the leather and controlling my breathing. I focused on being grateful that he wasn’t an old man who would crush me under his weight. But despite his attractiveness, I couldn’t hide from the truth that he was emanating an air of danger. Like he was a man barely holding onto his control.
Tugging the dress past my breasts, I ignored the fear of what would become of me when that control snapped. I’d just hooked my thumbs in the material to begin tugging it down my hips when his words cracked like a whip in the quiet room.
“Stop.”
My body froze and I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. I took a chance at looking up and found his eyes closed, his jaw clenched and his nostrils flared over heavy breaths. None of it made sense. “W—what?” Seconds ticked by and his eyes stayed closed. My heart thundered and I felt more naked than I would have in nothing. I tugged the dress up to cover myself and held it to me like a shield.
“Are you fucking stupid?”
His words were low and growled like a restrained beast. They crept across the space between us and seeped into the cracks in my armor. Doubt pushed through my barriers, hurting me more than it should. Had I done something wrong?