"Please... someone help me..." Tessa’s voice broke as she screamed, but the room swallowed every sound and left her completely alone.

Nathan stopped. His cold eyes traced over her trembling body, his face unreadable. "You need to change," he said casually. "Or you’ll catch a cold."

Tessa covered herself with shaking hands, trying to hide her body, barely clad in her underwear, from the way Nathan’s stare seemed to strip her bare. She was still sitting on the edge of the sink, breathless and shaken. "I can change on my own!" she snapped, trying to sound strong.

Nathan only took a step back. Then, without warning, he started unbuttoning his soaked shirt. One by one, every piece of clothing came off until there was nothing left between them.

He was completely naked in front of her, and despite herself, Tessa’s eyes darted to his erection. Nathan noticed.

A towel suddenly landed on her head. "If you get sick, I’m not taking care of you. Deal with the meds and recovery yourself," he said coldly, rubbing the towel against her wet hair.

His voice was harsh and arrogant, the total opposite of the gentle care in his actions.

Tessa said nothing, letting him dry her hair even as heat crawled up her face.

He walked out of the bathroom for a moment, then came back holding something. "Put this on," he said, handing her a black nightgown.

She grabbed it with one hand, still clinging to the towel wrapped around her body with the other.

"Go outside," she told him, trying to make him leave. But Nathan suddenly yanked the towel away.

"Nathan!" she yelped, panicking as she tried to cover herself with the nightgown. The problem was, she’d already taken off her wet underwear earlier.

"Come on, Tess. It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before," he said with a satisfied grin.

Her cheeks burned, and she knew her face was probably as red as a pomegranate. She stepped back instinctively until her back hit the wall, but Nathan kept walking toward her until the distance between them was almost gone.

"Why are you so tense? You’re shaking," Nathan murmured, trapping her as he traced his fingertips along her arm. The touch felt like fire against her cold skin.

His movements were gentle, as if he was calming a scared kitten that couldn’t decide whether to run or scratch. That was exactly how Tessa felt.

"I’m cold, that’s why I’m shaking," she said quickly. "And it was different before... before we were married. You could see me naked then. But now we’re not..."

"You’re still mine," Nathan cut her off sharply. His voice hit like a hammer. "And because of that, I have the right to look at what’s mine."

Tessa forced herself to meet his eyes. He wasn’t wrong. She was his. Ever since she signed that contract, she’d known he could do whatever he wanted with her. But being this close to him, this bare, and letting the memory of his hands and lips crawl back into her mind felt like torture.

He was prying open a Pandora’s box she had sealed shut.

Tessa wasn’t ready to face the truth about what they once were or what they were now.

Nathan’s fingers wrapped tightly around her wrists. Slowly, he pulled her hands away from her body, and the nightgown that had been her only shield slipped to the floor. She stood there with nothing left to hide behind. Neither of them was wearing a single piece of clothing now.

Nathan’s gaze devoured every inch of her body, like he was carving every curve into his memory.

"Looks like you’ve taken good care of what’s always been mine," he whispered as he lowered his face to her neck. He stopped right where he knew her skin was the most sensitive.

His warm breath made her shiver. She knew he was trying to provoke her, but her tongue felt heavy and useless. Her mind forgot how to form words.

His lips moved lower, to her collarbone. He didn’t touch her, just let his breath brush against her thin skin, and her heart pounded even harder. Then he went on, following the shape of her body, gliding past the space between her breasts that now felt heavy and hypersensitive.

Tessa sucked in a deep breath and swallowed hard. She needed to say something, anything, but she was afraid her voice would shake and humiliate her.

Nathan kept lowering himself until he was kneeling in front of her, the tip of his nose brushing against her flat stomach, his hands still gripping her wrists firmly, refusing to let go. His lips were now only a few millimeters away from the place that made her blood rush.

She bit her lip as memories crashed into her. She knew exactly what he could do. How he used to make her lose control with just his tongue. Every movement he’d once made as her husband had been the definition of sin and desire.

Nathan looked up at her from where he knelt, a faint, triumphant smile on his lips. He looked like a man who had just won something precious.

In the blink of an eye, he was back on his feet. His eyes flashed as they locked with hers.

"Here, princess," he said, holding out the nightgown that had fallen to the floor. His mocking tone was unmistakable.

Tessa hadn’t even realized when he picked it up. She knew he was pretending that was why he knelt, but they both knew the truth. That hadn’t been his reason at all. Nathan was testing her, provoking her, and she hated him for succeeding.

Her cheeks burned hotter. Once again, she felt like a naive teenager waiting for even the smallest touch from him.

"I really hate you," she growled, snatching the nightgown from his hand.

Nathan chuckled. "You sound disappointed," he teased. "What were you expecting?"

"Nothing! Now get out!" She shoved him as hard as she could, forcing him out of the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Thankfully, it was the only door in this part of the house with a lock, so she twisted it right away. She wasn’t taking any chances in case Nathan decided to barge back in and start provoking her again.

A soft knock came from the other side. "Not yet, princess. Be patient," he said, his laugh grating against her nerves.

"You can’t blame him entirely, Tessa. This is your fault too... for being too weak." Her own voice echoed in her head.

"I need to be stronger," she whispered to herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She swore she wouldn’t fall into the trap of desire he always set for her. Not this time.