Scratch that previous statement, Annie thought to herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. This is the last place I want to be. On Jericho’s arm at some charity function. She wasn’t entirely displeased with how she looked, however. In fact, the more she stared, the more she realized that she was quite pretty. The gown he had gifted her somehow fit her exquisitely. She wasn’t quite sure how he knew her size but he didn’t seem like the type of person to rifle through her clothes. However, she could imagine someone else doing it on his behalf.

Not that that mattered anyway.

The gown was a silver, strapless dress that gave her small breasts actual cleavage. It was an A-line gown that bunched between her breasts and swept all the way down to the floor like she was some Greek goddess. The material clung to her waist, to her hips, until the skirt flared out just so and trailed behind her in a small train. On her feet were a matching pair of strappy high heels. She was like a small little rain cloud.

Her hair was pulled into a sleek bun at the base of her head, leaving her center part in line. Two long strands of hair framed her face and curled just underneath her chin. She wore minimal jewelry, her simple silver ring on her right pinky and chandelier earrings that matched the color of the dress and caused her neck to look even longer than it typically was. Her eyes were smoky, her eyelashes long, but her lips were a subtle pink, and she wore no blush. She felt vulnerable, exposed, and she was certain the minute she stepped outside, her skin would erupt with goosebumps. But if this was what it took to get a share of her house, she would do it.

When she walked down the wooden stairs, Annie was able to catch sight of Jericho before he saw her. He looked beautiful in a haunting sort of way. He was wearing a black and white tuxedo, probably custom made to fit his frame perfectly. He was fiddling with his cufflinks which revealed how vulnerable he could be, and something inside of her wanted to help him. Which made no sense since she had promised herself she intended to loathe Jericho until her last breath for taking advantage of her brother’s stupidity and forcing her into this less than desirable predicament.

At that moment, she stepped on the third stair from the bottom. It squeaked loudly, causing Jericho to snap his head up, temporarily forgetting his struggle with the cufflink. He openly stared at her, his eyebrows pushed high into his hairline, his mouth making a slight ‘o’ of surprise, emphasizing his sharp cheekbones. He had no qualms with staring at her like she was something he couldn’t quite look away from.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered slowly, more to him than to her.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she felt her cheeks turn pink under his stare but not from the flattery. She didn’t know how to react to someone being so forward with his desire for her.

“You cannot possibly be real,” he continued when she met his eyes and stood next to him.

Annie giggled despite herself. She immediately regretted the action but couldn’t take it back. Nor could she force the stupid grin off of her face if she tried.

His grin transformed into a full-fledged smile. “I think that’s the first time I’ve made you blush because of a compliment,” he pointed out. “Or heard you giggle. It’s a beautiful sound. You should do it more often.”

Without warning, he reached out and curled one strand of blonde hair behind her ear, leaving her look unbalanced. He let his fingers trail over her ear and across her jawline and rested on the point of her chin. Her entire body sprouted out with goosebumps even though her home was permeated with heat thanks to Jericho’s relaxed attitude about the energy bill, and she knew it had to do with his touch. He had soft fingers, the kind that never had to work in their entire life. Surprisingly enough, Annie wasn’t resentful of this fact. It wasn’t his fault he had been born into money.

“You know,” he said. His sparkle disappeared from his eyes as his gaze dropped to her collarbone and darkened. It turned to a dull green as he continued to stare and there was something in that gaze that caused Annie to shudder. She swallowed, her throat completely dry. “We could be late. I could take you back to your room and worship your body. We might not even make it out of bed for the next seventy-two hours.”

Annie felt her pink complexion turn red. “You haven’t even taken me out on a date yet,” she mumbled without realizing what she had said.

His brows pushed up in surprise and he smiled. “Would you like me to?” he asked, tilting his head at that awkward angle.

“I-“ Annie clenched her teeth together before looking away. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

“You are… exquisite,” he told her. He brought up his finger from her chin so it rested on her bottom lip. “I could just… eat you up.”

Annie felt little shocks of electricity sent to her pelvis and her inner walls were starting to get wet. She clenched her teeth together to keep from making any telling noises that would reveal that she very possibly desired the man in front of her.

“You know,” he said, finally dropping his head and taking a step back from her, giving her space where she could finally breathe again. “You are unlike any girl I’ve ever met before.”

“Maybe because I’m a woman,” she said before she could stop herself.

His smile turned into an amused smirk. “Maybe,” he agreed with a nod. “Are you ready to go?”

Annie nodded once. “Yes,” she agreed.

He offered her his arm. “Then let’s go,” he commanded gently.

She looked at it, not quite sure what to do except take his arm like they were from the fifties and were going on their first date.

She took his arm and slid her arm through it. It was surprisingly sturdy and she squeezed his arm just to give herself something to cling to. He opened the front door to their house - her house, she had to remind herself - and the bitter cold air hit her like a wall of bricks. She immediately tensed up and buried her face into his arm unintentionally. Perhaps it would have been a romantic gesture if they had been a couple but she had been doing it to attempt to garner any kind of warmth since her dress was thin and she didn't have a jacket that matched.

"The car's waiting and heated," Jericho assured her as he walked her out. He turned and locked the door even though one of his security guards was stationed inside just to keep an eye on the house. 

Annie picked her eyes up and looked out across the driveway. There, waiting for them, was a sleek black Mercedes town car, the driver leaning against the side of the car with the back door open. The car was running; grey exhaust painted the black canvas. She let Jericho lead her to the car and it took everything in her not to sprint to the car. The minute she was tucked safely inside, leaning against the beige leather seats and strapping herself in with a seatbelt, she finally relaxed. It really was heated and she was grateful for it. 

"You buckled in?" Jericho asked, quirking an amused brow. He wasn't asking to be sure, he was asking because it seemed odd that she would wear a seatbelt in the first place.

Annie shrugged her shoulders, smoothing out the wrinkles in the skirt of her dress and looking out the window. The leather pressed into her skin, smooth and soft.  Her shoulders were relaxed and her muscles eased down.

"Safety first," she quipped with a small smile.

His eyes narrowed in on her lips and lingered. Her cheeks turned pink at the stare and she hoped he would write it off as her being cold to warm so suddenly. However, she had a feeling that he might know that his stare was doing things to her body, causing her to react in such a way, and she didn't like it. She didn't like that it was happening at all and she didn't like that he knew it. The silence in the car was surprisingly comfortable and her eyes looked out. It was supposed to pour at any second. The grey clouds looked so dark and full, that any little thing might cause them to burst.

"It looks like rain," he pointed out, staring out his window. It was like he could read her mind. Maybe he could.

The ride was smooth until they hit the city, then traffic began to pile up. Annie glanced over at Jericho, who didn't seem perturbed the tardiness the two had incurred. Then again, if this was something he was throwing, he could show up at any moment and it would be okay. She shook her head slightly; she couldn't imagine having that sort of power, truth be told.

Annie placed her hand on the leather seat between her and Jericho. If she didn’t remove it from her lap, she was certain her beautiful gown would be wrinkled and ruined before they even arrived at the gala. Her other hand she firmly placed under her thigh to refrain from even tempting her to fiddle with the soft material.

“What’s this gala about, exactly?” Annie asked, turning to look at him. She was still caught dumbfounded by how beautiful he was, his big pale green eyes and those sharp cheekbones doing things to the inside of her body she forced herself to ignore. “You never really told me what to expect.”

“Oh,” he said. “A domestic abuse charity I’ve been donating to for the past few years. It came to my attention because one of my employees told me about the ordeal his sister was going through and how this shelter saved her life. I looked into it and they really are one of the best places for women. It amazes me that no one really knows about it except those who need the help – and that’s the way they want it. You can’t have an abuser finding out where the shelter is, right? So I assist with funding, helping with the housing, that sort of thing.”

“And you got involved because of an employee?” Annie murmured, somewhat surprised.

Jericho nodded. “Of course,” he said. “Every few months, I like to check in to see what’s going on in their lives, make sure everything is okay, and if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“But only as long as they pay you back,” she said, letting the unanswered question linger.

“I wouldn’t be a good businessman if I just gave everything away,” he told her, the corner of his lips curling up into a gentle smirk. “But I am open to payment. Perhaps they can provide me with something of value I want that isn’t exactly monetary.”

Annie cut him a look. “Do you think that’s fair?” she asked. “Aren’t you kind of preying on your employees, offering them a deal they really can’t refuse and then taking something in return?”

“It’s a give and take,” Jericho said, shifting in his seat so he could give her his full attention. “I ask how they’re doing. I’ve conditioned them to trust me. I earn that trust. I offer them a solution to their problem. They offer me something in return.”

“I think you take advantage of them,” she told him. As per usual, she wasn’t able to look away from those eyes even if she wanted to. “You find those who need help and you use your position of power in order to get what you want. It’s a way for you to remind people just how wealthy and powerful you are.”

“You think so?” he asked with a smirk.

Annie shrugged. At that moment, something jolted her system. When she looked down, she saw that his pinky finger began to trace patterns against the back of her hand.

She knew she should pull away. She knew she didn’t have to have him touch her in such a simplistically intimate way but… But the feeling was nice. And she liked it. She didn’t want to pull away. So she pretended she couldn’t feel it even though her entire body was on edge in the best way due to his touch on her body. She hadn’t thought he could still affect her in this way, even after a week. She thought she would be able to come down from her high of living with Seattle’s most eligible bachelor and possible organized crime leader, but it would seem that that was not the case. Not when her body reacted this way to a mere caress.

They rode the short distance in comfortable silence. By the time they reached the Seattle Divine, a ritzy luxury hotel, there was a long line of town cars spilling out of the valet portion, waiting to turn in their cars and head inside. From where Annie was, she could make out velvet red ropes, creating a boundary on either side of the valet drop-off where media had their cameras and recorders, ready to capture a picture of whatever celebrity stepped out. Annie suddenly started feeling nervous.

“What’s wrong?” Jericho asked, his eyes genuinely filled with concern. His thumb went up and down on the inside of her wrist, trying to console her.

“I don’t think I’m comfortable with the pictures,” she said. “You do realize people are going to start writing about us, right? Are you okay with that? Is it really smart for your image?”

Jericho looked amused with her concern, but not where he was writing her off. Instead, he let her finish her ramble, patiently watching her and continuously caressing the inside of her wrist.

“If you don’t want to take pictures, we don’t have to take pictures,” he told her once she finished. “If they write about us, that’s fine. I don’t particularly care one way or the other. However, I can understand that you might be concerned, especially considering I’ve dealt with this nearly my whole life while you haven’t. And, your final question makes no sense to me because you are the most beautiful woman I have ever encountered and the thought that being in the same vicinity as you could potentially hurt my public image is mind-boggling.”

Annie shook his head. “You’re crazy,” she murmured.

The corner of his lips turned up. “And what makes you say that?” he asked.

“What comes out of your mouth doesn’t seem real,” she told him honestly.

“Do you like it?” he asked, his tone curious.

Annie shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not sure what to make of it,” she told him, catching his eye. “I suppose I’ve been conditioned to where if someone is nice to me, it must mean they want something.”

Jericho tilted his head to the side, seeming pensive more than anything. “I suppose I do as well,” he said. “I just like being around you.”

Annie felt herself blush and she looked away but she didn’t pull her hand away from him. She was silent the rest of the way in line, as was he, and by the time they reached the front, Jericho turned back to her. “I’m going to step out,” he told her, “and I’ll tell the media not to take any pictures.”

“No,” Annie said. “It’s okay. I…” She picked her eyes up off the clean carpet and gave him a smile. “I don’t mind.”

He smiled brilliantly at this, which was enough for Annie’s heart to flutter.

When the door on Jericho’s side opened up, Jericho stepped outside. Annie had to squint; the cameras were already flashing, and when they saw him turn to look inside, they started getting excited at the prospect that Jericho was actually with someone. Which made no sense to Annie. They were going to be sorely disappointed, considering she was just some accountant. Not a movie star or a supermodel. She could sing a bit, but only in the car with the windows rolled up and she was alone.

Yet there was something in the way he looked at her, like she was the sun and the stars and the moon all wrapped into one. It made her feel confident in who she was and special. It made her feel desired and adored. And, though she didn’t exactly like Jericho, she did like the feeling he gave her. And perhaps that meant something.

When he reached for her hand, she gave it to him. Before the paparazzi could even see her, they were shouting questions at them: who was she? How old was she? Were they lovers? Were they dating? Were they together? Jericho smiled a big smile without responding as he eased Annie out of the car.

“Don’t answer if you don’t feel comfortable,” he whispered to her. “Just put a smile on your face and they’ll be more concerned about taking pictures than anything else.”

“Sit still, look pretty,” Annie murmured as she stood. Her body pressed into Jericho’s due to the fact that he didn’t step back to give her a comfortable amount of space. If he just stepped forward, he would be kissing her.

This seemed to please the photographers because they snapped their pictures furiously.

“Never,” Jericho whispered, serious. “You say whatever you want. You are not just a pretty face, Ms. Brennan. You are more than that.”

“Annie,” Annie said after swallowing. “You can call me Annie.”

His eyes sparkled at that but he made no comment. He didn’t need to. She knew he appreciated it. He kept her hand in his, and she let him. He led her to where the small red carpet began. It was no Hollywood premiere, but it was enough to make her feel like some sort of celebrity.

“They’re going to take pictures of us now,” Jericho said, leaning in and whispering in her ears. To the outside world, it seemed as though the two were sharing an intimate moment, but really, he was calling out to her practical side, which she appreciated. “We’ll pose for a moment or two, and then head inside.”

To be honest, the pictures weren't as bad as they could have been. She stood next to Jericho, who still held onto her hand and she gripped it like a vice. She put a small smile on her face and cocked her head but she had no idea what angle was best and how to hold herself the right way to make sure the photographers captured her best side. All she knew was that she had to roll her shoulders back so it didn't look like she was slouching, which required more confidence than she currently felt.

More questions were shot at Jericho about who she was. It should have bothered Annie a lot more because they completely disregarded her as unimportant and inconsequential. However, she was more than happy to field those questions to Jericho and let him handle them in the way he deemed was best. Annie had no idea what to say and considering she didn't even know what they were besides roommates, she opted to keep her mouth shut.

She hoped the cameras didn't make her out to be a frigid bitch.

After a long moment, Jericho gently tugged on her hand, indicating that they would be heading inside now. He never led her, however. Instead, he made sure that they walked side by side, equals rather than him taking over and leading her where he wanted to go. She was not an afterthought.

More cameras flashed and she blinked, not used to the overabundance of pictures. She was certain they caught her making faces and scrunching her eyes. He would definitely regret bringing her here, after the first pictures were released.

When they walked inside, Jericho was greeted politely by hotel staff. Annie's eyes were drawn to the gorgeous decorations that littered the ten-floor hotel. White lights danced across each banister and the lights were dimmed low. It was just after Christmas so wreaths and holly still hung on the banisters. 

"Are you ready?" Jericho asked in a low voice.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied honestly.

He smiled in return, squeezing her hand and running his thumb across her knuckles.

--

The night was more fun than Annie ever expected it to be. Jericho was a lovely date, much better than she expected him to be. He was sweet and attentive and was always asking if she needed anything or if she was okay. More than that, it was easy to discern that he actually meant it. Like, he wasn't the sort of guy that would ask unless he cared. He always found a way to keep one hand on her body, whether he was holding her hand or placing one hand on her back or squeezing her shoulder. It surprised her how much at ease she felt with him to the point where she didn't even flinch anymore when he touched her. She was used to it and she was okay with it, which meant her guard was dropping around him and that scared her more than anything.

Because Jericho was a guy she could fall in love with and she barely knew him. She didn't understand this whatsoever. All of her previous boyfriends had been friends first. There was a comfort there. But Jericho was definitely not her friend but she had never been attracted to anyone before the way she was to Jericho.

A few hours into the night, Jericho led her up to the third floor where there was an empty conference room.

"I have a meeting with potential buyers," he told her, his palm cupping her cheek, his thumb resting just below her ear. "Would you mind waiting just outside? I shouldn't take more than a few minutes to finalize everything."

Annie nodded. "I can just wait downstairs," she told him. "I don't want to intrude."

"The last thing you're doing is intruding," he told her. "No, I want you here, close to me. I'll check on you in five minutes if things take longer than normal."

"I'm not a child, Jericho," she told him.

"I know you're not," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving them a gentle squeeze. "And I'm not questioning your abilities to take care of yourself. But it's important to me that you're close by because I'm a selfish man and it would make me feel better if I knew you were around. It's important that nothing happens to you."

She tilted her head to the side, looking at him with careful eyes. "What could possibly happen to me?" she asked. "We're in a public place. People know I came with you."

For the briefest of seconds, Jericho's eyes flashed darkly. Then, the color returned to its typical pale green color. "I am a very powerful man," he murmured. "And I say that without the arrogance that statement typically comes with. As such, people would try to hurt me no matter what. And they know it would hurt me if they got to you. I don't trust anyone here except you. I'm asking you to please stick around just in case. Can you do this for me?"

Annie nodded her head. "Okay," she said.

He smiled at her. "Okay," he agreed.

Before she realized what was happening, he leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. He let his lips linger on her forehead and she felt a shudder slide down her spine. There was something in his touch, in his kiss, that made her think there was more to him and more to his affection than a sweet, genuine guy. There was a dark side to him, one that manifested in his business and possibly in physical affection. 

When he finally took a step back, Annie felt her cheeks turn pink. He smiled and kissed her cheek one last time, almost as though he was saying thank you for her understanding, and disappeared in the conference room. Two bodyguards shut the door behind him, leaving Annie alone.

She pressed her lips together and glanced around the empty banister. A part of her wanted to press her ear up against the door to listen in on their conversation, to learn about this side of him she didn't know, but she found it in herself to refrain.

It definitely wouldn’t look good if she was caught. Perhaps he would find it amusing or let her get away with something like that, but if his potential buyer did? She was supposed to be representing him and she had a feeling they wouldn’t appreciate their secret conversation being listened to by someone as innocuous as Jericho’s date, especially considering he tended to change dates every week or so.

Instead, she decided to slowly walk down the long hallway of rooms, looking at the pieces of art that hung on the wall rather than look over a banister to see the lobby of the hotel from so high. She wasn’t exactly afraid of heights but that didn’t mean she wanted to look down. The artwork was typical for a hotel – the majority of them were pretty stock paintings that probably came with the frame. They all had hues of white or red, keeping with the theme of the hotel.

“Hey, pretty thing,” a voice said. She nearly jumped and turned, only to find a somewhat familiar man looking at her with hungry eyes and a feral grin. “What’s your name?”

Annie pressed her lips together, unsure how she should respond. She knew she had seen this man downstairs. Since he was up here the same time Jericho was, there was a good chance he belonged with the potential buyer, which meant he had seen her with Jericho. A shiver slid down her spine. It was different from Jericho shivers because those were full-body and left her heart pounding with anticipation, with the hope of something more, something deeper. But this one, this one made her entire body seize up. It was a warning, a warning that said this was the last person to be alone with. She needed to head back to the conference room. Maybe Jericho’s meeting was over anyway. Maybe he was looking for her.

As such, she decided not to respond at all. Instead, she slowly started heading back in the direction of the conference room. It seemed only paces away when she left but now it felt like there was an entire football field between her and her point of destination, with a linebacker coming from the right to prevent her even more from getting to him.

“Ah, come on, sweets,” he said with a smile. “Don’t be like that. I just want to talk.”

There was something inside of her that told her he did not just want to talk but she didn’t say anything. No point in prolonging the situation when all she wanted to do was return to the conference room and bang on the wall, regardless of whether the meeting was over or not.

“I’m not up for talking at the minute,” Annie said before she could stop herself. She probably shouldn’t have responded at all, she knew that, but the words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. She turned the corner only to nearly run into the broad chest of the stranger trying to get a conversation out of her.

“She speaks,” he joked, his thin lips curling into a small smirk.

“She does,” she muttered, taking a step back, and then a second. “I’m sorry, I’m meeting Jericho. Excuse me.”

“No you ain’t,” he said, not moving one inch and giving her a look that said he knew exactly what she was trying to do and didn’t buy it. “He’s still in a meeting and if he’s disturbed at all, you’re going to be in big trouble,” he said. “See, he’s meeting with my boss, pretty thing. And my boss ain’t the type to entertain the beauties. He don’t even have a date to this thing. Wanna know why? Because he’s not about distractions. He keeps his head focused. Not me, though. When he’s in the meeting, I can go meet pretty things like you.”

Annie forced a smile, her hands wrapped tightly behind her back. “I’m sure those pretty things are just waiting to meet you,” she said. She knew fighting would get her nowhere. She hoped being nice, even if it was obviously forced, would get her away from this.

“Maybe,” he agreed. “But why meet those pretty things when I have one right in front of me?”

It was the smile that made her snap. It was slow and lecherous, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes but slid down her spine like a slug. She bolted, running down a secluded hallway meant just for employees. There were no rooms around. Maybe if she could get to the staircase, she could get down and get lost in the crowd. Or at least the women’s restroom.

She heard him laugh behind her. “I do love the chase,” he said to himself, and then she heard footsteps rushing to catch up to her.

Shit. She wasn’t going to make it. She knew it the minute she realized he was chasing her. The guy was tall and built. She wasn’t sure if he was quick but his long legs would probably catch up to her within a few strides.

The door to the stairway. If she could just get to that…

He lunged for her, knocking her down. They landed on her hipbone and she cried out. He laughed as she struggled underneath him.

“No need to fight anymore,” he told her.

“Don’t you know who I came here with?” she asked in a strained voice. “Jericho is going to be so pissed.”

“You think I give a shit about Jericho?” he asked. “You think Jericho is going to stop me? By the time he finds you, we’ll be long gone. Oh, don’t worry, pretty thing. I ain’t gonna kill you, but I will take your body out for a drive.”

“No,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’m telling you no. Get off of me.”

She struggled underneath him, grunting and groaning. “Ain’t no one gonna hear you,” he said. “Struggle all you want. It makes it more fun.”

And then, he stopped. Annie had no idea what had happened but the man’s face was suddenly ashen. Blood was everywhere.

“Annie!”

And there was Jericho, holding a gun with a silencer attached to it. His pale green eyes were dark, a cold look that haunted his features. He was furious. He ran over to her, pushing the man off of her body so he rolled over, lifeless.

Jericho had killed him, shot him straight through the temple of his head.

“Come on,” he said, helping her up. “Let’s get you home and cleaned up.”