Drying my hair roughly with a towel, I went to the door between our rooms and turned the key in the lock on my side. Lucia sat on her bed, her hair wet from a shower, dressed in a pair of shorts and a silk tank, her knees tucked against her chest, a letter opener in her hand held like a knife. The look on her face told me of her shock to see me enter from this door. I locked the door behind me and pocketed the keys.

Her eyes raked over me, from the top of my wet head to my bare feet. I wore only a pair of jeans, wanting her to see what she was up against. I stood a foot taller than her and outweighed her by probably seventy-five pounds. I wouldn’t hurt her, but I wasn’t above a little intimidation. It would be good for her to learn her place and learn it fast.

When I stepped toward her, she got up on her knees in the middle of the bed and pointed the letter opener at me.

“Put that down.”

She shook her head. “What are you going to do?”

I stalked closer. “I said put it down.” I didn’t give her a choice this time. Instead, when she scrambled backward on the bed, I placed one knee on top of it and caught her wrist, dragging her down on her belly until I relieved her of her weapon, tossing it away. I released her. She climbed back up on her knees and glared at me.

“Get undressed, Lucia.”

“No.”

“Come on. I’ve seen it all before. You showed me last night, remember?”

She jumped off the other side of the bed. I liked this. Always liked cat and mouse.

“Go away, Salvatore.”

“Strip, Lucia.”

She’d cornered herself by now, but I gave her space to bolt, just because I didn’t like the game to end too quickly. She ducked under my arm and did just as I knew she would. I turned, watching her try the door.

“Leave me alone!”

“Where are you going to go?” I asked, following her as she ran to retrieve the letter opener. I have to admit, she was faster than I thought, but I caught her around the middle and squeezed her wrist, taking the weapon from her a second time.

“Please leave me alone. Please.”

“What would be the fun in that?”

“I hate you! I hate you!”

With her back to me, she shoved against me, but I had her locked in my embrace. She was trapped. We both knew it. “I’ll tell you how this is going to go. I’m going to release you, and you’re going to do as you’re told and strip. Once you’re naked, I’ll take it from there.”

“I’m sorry, okay?”