Flora’s hand trembled nervously at her side while a thin layer of sweat beaded on her forehead.
She was afraid but didn’t regret standing her ground.
Concerned for her mom, Flora tried to make a break for it, but how could she slip away after poking the bear?
Dylan nonchalantly shook his arm, and the stunning woman next to him grudgingly released him.
Dylan pulled his blue sports car up to Flora, and before she knew what hit her, he yanked her into the car, tossing her inside.
The pricey sports car spun on a dime, found its bearings, and tore off into the endless night.
Flora finally got her balance, but she didn’t have time to buckle up before being thrown from side to side.
The car tore through the city lights like a bat out of hell and onto the freeway.
Wind lashed at her face, cutting to the bone as she yelled, “I want out!”
At 100, 200, and 300 mph, Dylan’s eyes gleamed with a hunger for the chase.
After a curve in the road, he cranked the wheel, the car barreling onto a straightaway. He slammed the brakes, sending the car into a drift before screeching to a halt on a lonely mountain road.
Cold sweat trickled down Flora’s temples, her stomach in knots. She tried to open the car door, her face ashen.
As she turned, her shoulder was shoved down with force, the seat reclining.
Dylan straddled her waist, his knees pinning her arms, “You know where we are?”
On a late autumn night with winter’s bite in the air, Flora shivered in her skimpy clothes. She squirmed and looked him dead in the eye, yelling, “No!”
“Don’t sweat it, this place is dead quiet and deserted. Even if I offed you here, no one would find you.”
Flora didn’t know if it was the cold or the fear that made her break out in goosebumps, “You said you weren’t into using force.”
“Heh,” the man snickered lightly, his face still red and puffy, “Turns out, using force is the biggest rush.”
Flora looked away, her heart pounding, “My mom, did you bring her to Desire?”
“Yup.” Dylan didn’t sugarcoat it. “It’d be a crying shame if she didn’t catch that wild side of yours.”
Dylan leaned in, itching to see Flora’s fuming face. Instead, she clenched her jaw and said flatly, “People drop like flies every day. Why not you? I can’t wait to see you burn in hell!”
Dylan just grinned, unfazed. As he closed the gap between them, his weight bore down on Flora, causing her pain, but he paid her cries no mind, “The women I want, I either win or wreck.”
Flora scowled as the man’s fingertip traced her collarbone, the heat of his touch searing her skin as it moved downward to linger at the center of her top, “How’re you gonna make up for that slap today?”
She shut her eyes, “Just hit me.”
“I don’t hit women.”
“Then let me go. I wanna go home.”
Dylan straightened up, smirking, and eased off a bit, but he still kept a hold on Flora. “I’ll let you go, but you’re getting out of the car later.”
With a flick of his finger, he snagged the edge of her top and effortlessly ripped the flimsy fabric.
“Ah—” Flora covered her chest with her hands, afraid her torn top would reveal too much.
But after her initial cry, she gazed out the window, her face blank once her embarrassment had passed.
Dylan eyed her, seeing she was biting back her anger.
He grinned, intrigued by what kind of girl she was, and just how much she could take.
Dylan slid back to the driver’s seat and hit the gas, the car cruising forward.
Not far off, a roaring bonfire lit up the mountaintop. A bunch of off-road vehicles were parked haphazardly nearby. Dylan steered the blue sports car around the bonfire, slowing down as he got closer.
“Mr. Bowles,” someone said as he spotted Dylan right away.
Dylan slammed the brakes, and Flora saw men gathering outside the window. She hugged herself tight and sunk lower in her seat.
“Get out.” At that moment, Dylan unlocked the doors, lounging back against the seat.
“Hey, this one’s a real knockout!”
“Ha! Dressed like that, Mr. Bowles, what’re you playing at?”
Crass jeers from the men outside filled Flora’s ears. One of them even let go of his buddy to get closer to the window. Flora scooted closer to Dylan.
He just watched coldly, leaning away from her towards the other side of the car. “If you wanna go home, get out now!”
“Drive… drive on.” She could see the men’s intentions, and she knew that stepping out of the car at this moment might get her swallowed whole.
But Dylan ignored her. “The best thing about being on a deserted mountain is that nobody’s gonna bother you no matter what you do.”
A hand reached through the window, landing on Flora’s leg and giving it a squeeze.
She shrieked in fear, kicking at him with her high-heeled leg, but the man outside grabbed her ankle. “Hey, come check this out, guys…”
“Ha-ha-ha—”
“Let go of me—let go!”
A stranger’s hand slid up her leather boot, and Flora’s face flushed deep red. She knew only Dylan could save her now.
Dylan rested his head on his left hand, tapping the steering wheel rhythmically with his right. He grinned, enjoying a feisty Flora with some spirit, but his patience had its limits.
“I’m sorry,” Flora was desperate.
“What?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Flora’s voice was sharp, and she sprawled across the passenger seat.
Dylan smirked, then floored it. The intrusive hands outside were flung off as the car roared to life.
Flora huddled by the window, her face ghostly pale.
This time, the car cruised smoothly. When the scenery outside became familiar, Flora finally looked up. “Where are we going?”
Her voice was barely a whisper, completely drained but still anxious.
The man silently smiled. “Taking you home.”
Only then did her anxiety subside. “Stop here, I’ll grab a cab home.”
Dylan’s eyes swept over her, full of mischief. “You looking for trouble?”
Flora hesitated, then finally gave him an address. The car smoothly pulled up at an old apartment building. Once it stopped, she couldn’t wait any longer, and reached for the door handle, ready to push it open.
“Wait a sec!” Dylan stopped her with a quick move. “Well… Letting you go home just like this make me feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick.”
