It was that scumbag who stole her innocence!
Upon seeing him again, Lily's face drained of all color, her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists hanging rigidly at her sides.
He had come for her, just as she feared.
The prey Ethan Blackwood had set his sights on could never escape from the grasp of his rapacious clutches.
She had cried out repeatedly that she would report him for rape, and yet here she was, obediently delivering herself to the wolf's den.
Ethan allowed the corner of his mouth to curl into a victorious sneer as his gaze raked over her body with an undisguised carnal appraisal. Her long raven tresses were bound into a practical ponytail, the powder blue button-down knotted at her slim waist, taut denim jeans hugging her shapely legs, and sensible running shoes adorning her feet - clearly she had come prepared to flee if necessary.
How cautious of her.
Did the gullible girl truly think that her modest clothing and shoes would keep him from devouring her?
"Whether you're digestible or not is a question of my capabilities, not yours. Just ensure the headlines announce LinnCorp's merger with Blackwood Enterprises by tomorrow. That's all for now, I have other matters to attend to." With that curt dismissal, Ethan removed his bluetooth earpiece and shoved open the car door, stalking toward her with predatory entitlement.
"Don't come any closer!" Lily reacted on instinct, backpedaling away from his advance.
"Then I fail to see the purpose behind you gracing me with your presence," he scoffed derisively. Before the stunned eyes of the doorman, Ethan easily scooped up Lily's slender frame and slung her over his shoulder in one smooth, domineering motion before tossing her into the backseat of the idling luxury sedan.
The arrogant, high-handed actions seemed to flow together seamlessly, each more appalling than the last.
"You bastard! Let me out of this car right now!" Lily struggled to sit upright in the rear cabin, hands fumbling for the door latch in her desperation to escape.
But Ethan leaned his powerful torso through the open door, pinning it closed as he loomed over her, his expression a mixture of dark promise and depravity, his voice a seductive purr of soul-less menace, "Be a good girl and do as you're told, and I'll give you the video...otherwise..."
He left the vile insinuation hanging ominously unfinished in the air between them.
But his unspeakable meaning could not have been more lucidly conveyed.
With no recourse, Lily could only sit upright and deathly pale, her shoulders slumping in surrender. She could not afford to forget her objective today - she had to recover that video at any cost, no matter how much it sickened her soul.
Satisfied with her compliance, Ethan returned to the driver's seat and started the engine. Glancing at her in the rearview, he saw she was sitting rigidly proper, back painfully straight, knees pressed together with her hands loosely fisted atop them in a picture of childlike obedience. A crossbody bag hung askance on her trim frame - the very embodiment of an innocent schoolgirl.
He could not deny his appreciation for her facial features, not necessarily because of striking beauty, but rather a clarity and freshness that could only be described as...comfortable to his eyes. It was a naturally alluring quality the likes of which those jaded starlets like Natalie could never hope to artificially cultivate after years of clawing their way through the insipid entertainment world's sordid
underbelly.
After a lengthy pause spent appraisingly studying her in the reflection, Ethan gave a mocking chuckle, "To a man like me, skirts and jeans are merely the difference between removing them quickly...or slowly."