Chapter 4
RIKU
I don’t wait for her to argue. I take her hand, lace my fingers through hers, and walk us straight out of my office. Maryam stiffens for a second, her free hand gripping the fabric of her dress like she’s debating fighting me on this. But she doesn’t let go. Doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t even try. And that’s how I know—she already belongs to me.
The estate is still buzzing with chaos, security on high alert after the stolen necklace incident, but none of it matters. The men will handle it. My only priority right now is getting this woman out of here. Somewhere private.
My car is already waiting out front, the sleek black Bugatti idling in the driveway. When we reach the steps, Maryam hesitates, her dark eyes flicking toward Nia and Tessa, who are standing near the terrace. Nia has her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, looking entirely too amused. Tessa is full-on grinning.
Maryam’s fingers twitch in my grip. “Maybe I should—”
“No.”
She whips her head back to me. “Excuse me?”
I turn to her, crowding her space, using my body to block out everything but me.
“You’re coming with me.” My voice drops, low and deliberate. “No interruptions. No second-guessing. No running back to your friends like they can talk you out of what’s already happening.”
Her lips part, and I see the battle playing out behind her eyes. She wants to argue. Wants to tell me off, shove me away, and march back to her comfort zone. But she also wants this. Wants me.
And when I lean in, brushing my lips against the shell of her ear, I hear the tiny, hitched breath that tells me I got her.
“Get in the car, Maryam.”
Her body shivers. Then, without a word, she slides into the passenger seat. Fuck, yeah.
* * *
MARYAM
What the hell am I doing? I should’ve pulled away. Should’ve told him no thanks and walked my ass back inside. But when Riku Watanabe tells you to get in his car, and his voice is that low, sexy growl, his scent, a mix of expensive cologne and pure male, his big-ass body radiating heat like he’s already inside you? Yeah. You listen.
I press my thighs together as he slides into the driver’s seat, his presence filling the entire car. The door shuts with a soft click, and then it’s just us.
His hand moves to the gearshift, but he doesn’t start the car. Instead, he turns to me, his dark eyes scanning every inch of my body like he’s committing it to memory. Like I’m his favorite thing to look at in the whole fucking world.
“What?” I say, my voice a little too raspy.
His fingers drum on the leather-wrapped wheel. “You’re nervous.”
I scoff. “I’m not nervous.”
He smirks. “You should be.”
A shiver runs down my spine. And before I can come up with a halfway decent comeback, he’s moving. The engine purrs to life, the soft hum filling the space between us as he pulls onto the long, winding road leading away from the estate. The city lights fade, replaced by the coastline. The silence between us is thick. Charged. I should say something. Fill this impossible space. But I don’t. My head is all over the place right now.
Riku drives with total control. One hand on the wheel, the other one resting on the console between us, his fingers so close to my thigh that my skin feels hot just from his proximity.
The speedometer climbs. Not reckless. But not exactly legal, either.
“I don’t even know where we’re going,” I murmur, finally breaking the silence.
He glances at me, eyes burning with desire. “Home.”
My pulse skips. His home. Not a hotel, neutral territory. But his space.
I swallow. “You do this a lot?”
Riku’s jaw flexes. “Do what?”
“Take women home after one look across a crowded room?”
His grip on the wheel tightens. Then, just when I think he won’t answer, he speaks.
“I don’t do this. Ever.”
I exhale slowly. Damn. And I don’t know why, but that makes something warm spread through my chest.
I look away, out the window, watching as we cut down the highway along the cliffs, the dark ocean stretching into forever.
I don’t do this. Ever. So why me? Why now?
* * *
RIKU
My house sits at the edge of the cliffs, isolated, secured, private. It’s built for a man like me—someone who doesn’t like people and values control. And tonight, it’s where I’m going to claim what’s mine.
I cut the engine, the sound of the ocean filling the space. Maryam stays in her seat, fingers curled into the hem of her dress like she’s still processing what’s happening. I let her. For exactly ten seconds. Then I reach across the console, brush my fingers under her chin, and tip her face to mine.
“You’re not running away from this.”
Her breath shudders. “I wasn’t planning to.”
Fuck. She’s going to kill me.
I get out, walk around, and open her door. She steps out, and I take her hand again, leading her inside. And the second the door shuts behind us, I cage her against it. No space. No hesitation. Just her soft curves against my hard body.
My mouth drops to her ear. “I’m done waiting, baby.”
She exhales sharply, her hands grabbing at my shirt.
Good. Because she’s not leaving until she knows exactly who she belongs to. And that starts right now.