“Get. Up.” His order is issued in that authoritative voice that makes me shudder. But at the same time, it fuels my own ire.

“No.”

“Mercedes,” he warns. “Do not test me. I can promise you won’t like the outcome.”

“Just leave me alone!” I yell over my shoulder, the words dying off as I catch a glimpse of him.

He’s standing there in a pair of riding breeches, boots, and a shirt that’s hanging open to reveal his bare chest, glistening with the sheen of an early morning workout. I try to swallow the knot in my throat as my eyes unintentionally move over his muscular frame. I always knew Judge was strong. It’s not a detail you can miss in his well-tailored suits. But knowing it is an entirely different beast than bearing witness to the broad expanse of his shoulders and the cut abs with that dark patch of hair that disappears beneath his waistband.

Oh, God. I can’t look at him like this. Judge has always been my older brother’s arrogant best friend. The type you tolerate because you have to. This feels wrong. All wrong. And I don’t know why I’m still staring at him, or why I feel a rush of heat spreading down my neck and chest.

If I had to guess, it would be because I’ve never seen a man in this state of undress. Pathetic, I know. But rules are rules. Even when I was dating Jackson, I never once saw so much as a glimpse of his chest. I wasn’t prepared for this, and I have no idea where I’m supposed to look, or what I’m supposed to do.

“Mercedes,” Judge clips my name out with all the sharp delicacy he can muster.

My eyes move to his, and it’s a mistake. Because I can see the fire in them. He’s noticed me staring. He’s noticed the flush moving over my skin. This can’t be real. Not with Judge. He’s never looked at me the way he’s looking at me right now. Like he’s about to crawl out of his skin and… devour me.

“Get up.” His voice is rougher now. “I’m not going to ask again.”

I stare at him, unable to speak. Unable to even formulate a thought. There’s a tension between us I don’t want to acknowledge. I think it’s always been there, simmering quietly beneath the surface. I always thought it was a mutual hatred, but right now, it feels like something else. Something that’s about to reach a boiling point.

“You have a way of getting what you want in life, little monster.” He steps forward with determination, and I spot something in his hand.