Chapter 28

Natalie felt her body tingle with energy and bravado in response to Ace's disguised threat. Some primal part of her seemed to relish the opportunity to fight back against his cruelty. "Is that so?" she said, striving to keep her voice steady. "Well, I think it's about time you got a taste of having your control challenged for once." She leaned further over the desk, revealing Ace's flared nostrils as her defiance struck a chord. "Do you want to attempt breaking me, Hawthorne? Have at it. But I can assure you that you will not appreciate the process. His jaw tightened almost subtly. "We'll see about that." Then, before Natalie could understand the movement, Ace's palm darted out and clamped vice-like around her wrist. She let out a shocked gasp as he yanked her forward, her torso smashing into the desk edge with bone-rattling power. "Get one thing through that pretty little head of yours," he growled, his face mere inches from hers. Natalie could feel the fire in his words and smell th