“Invite me in.”

The seductive purr in his voice was meant to melt her from the inside out. He was well practiced in his acquisition of women. The way his voice deepened on the word in as his eyes glanced down her body. The way he was stripping her of her clothes, letting her know he could remember every detail of her.

She felt naked, though she was perfectly covered. Her body responded as it had done so many times previously. She wanted to invite him in. She wanted to forget her heartbreak, forget the rules, forget her iron will and just feel… feel desire, love, passion. She wanted to feel needed.

She almost uttered the invitation, before she snapped out of her trance.

As he took a step forward, she quickly blocked him, knowing if he came through those doors, she’d been too vulnerable, too easy to seduce.

“I’m not sure what this visit has been about, but I can’t say it’s been pleasant, Joseph. Again, I repeat my invitation for you to exit my building. You’re not coming in, not tonight, tomorrow, or a week from now. Please step back so I can shut my door.”

“Are you afraid of me, Katherine?” Her eyes widened at the challenge in his eyes. “No. No, I don’t think you are. I think you’re afraid of yourself. I think you want me. Maybe even more than I want you, though I don’t see how that’s possible. Do you not trust yourself to be alone with me?”

The smirk on his face told her he’d read her telling body like a sign language expert. She was afraid. Terrified, in fact.

He leaned back against the doorjamb, thankfully not forcing the issue, and just pushing her aside. She knew it was a power of wills. He knew he could get inside. He weighed twice as much as she did, and easily towered over her by a foot. He didn’t want to power his way in, though. He wanted her submission to his will.

He could keep on wanting!

“Aren’t you worried about your neighbor’s eavesdropping on our little conversation. You always were concerned with what others thought of you. I’d say they’d probably pull out the popcorn and grab a chair if they could hear our little talk in the hall.”

It was a threat. She had no doubt about it. He was promising her he’d get louder. But she knew he wouldn’t do it. He had a reputation to protect. His image was splattered on magazines on at least a monthly basis. She was a nobody.

She crossed her arms and glared. She just had to stand firm. Ignore his empty threats.

He shifted, clearing her door, and she quickly started to shut it in his face. Before it could latch, his hand shot out, and she knew to struggle would be useless. He weighed a solid two-hundred pounds, if not a bit more, of nothing but solid muscle.

She had no chance in a physical challenge against him. Heck, she barely had a chance in a mental battle. He was far more sophisticated than her and he really knew how to play all the games she’d avoided her entire life.

“Ah, Katherine, you realize I’m not some pesky fly you can shoo away, right? When have I ever let the word no deter me? I came here to see you and talk privately. Have you ever known me not to get whatever I pursued?” he asked with full authority – total confidence.

She shook at the power in his eyes. She didn’t know how she could win this battle. Why keep fighting?

She knew why.

He wanted to have a quick roll in the sack, while she needed to hold onto her sanity. If she caved to him, she’d lose a lot more than if he just walked away. He could take the hit on his pride. She absolutely couldn’t take the hit on her heart.

“This isn’t a battle, Joseph. I’m sorry if I’ve thrown down an imaginary gauntlet, or accidentally challenged you. You win, okay? You get the points for one-upmanship. Now, leave like a gentleman, and we can possibly talk later, maybe do coffee,” she pled.

She was willing to meet him in a public place if it got him off her doorstep. She’d be prepared by then, armed. Not out of sorts and shocked at seeing him for the first time after all these years.

He looked into her eyes, his face softening for a moment and she thought she’d finally convinced him. Then his eyes narrowed, just slightly at the corners, and his shoulders stiffened. He wasn’t done – not even close.

“It looks like we’re doing this the hard way. Just remember that I’ve warned you. I always get what I want, and right now I want privacy with you.”

He turned and walked away from her door. She shut it to just a crack and peeked out. If he stepped back, she could quickly slam it, but she didn’t trust what he was up to. There were elderly people who lived in her complex, and kids, a lot of kids.

She knew he wouldn’t bring harm to any of them, but that’s all she knew. Maybe he really didn’t care if the news stations camped out on her doorstep, but she sure as heck didn’t want that.

He walked about twenty feet from her door, right in the middle of the floor. She held her breath. What was he doing?

He turned, looking straight through the crack of her door, right into her eyes. Then winked.

He threw his head back and hollered.

“Katherine! Where are you, Katherine?”

His shouts rang like a shotgun through the narrow halls, echoing off the doors. Before she could figure out his intentions, doors started opening. She opened hers wider, as she watched her neighbors step into the hallway.

He was causing a scene.

He knew how she felt about public fighting. It had always disgusted her. She’d told him that responsible adults could wait until they got home before yelling at each other.

He turned, as if spotting her for the first time, and staggered over. What was he doing? He weaved up the hallway. He was acting… acting drunk.

Oh my gosh!

“Katherine, there you are. I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to talk to the other girl. You left so suddenly, but you know you’re my only one,” he slurred.

He was going to get his way. She was seething as she stepped closer to him. Her fear of public displays was greater than her fear of being alone with him.

“It’s okay, Joseph. Come inside and we’ll talk,” she said through clenched teeth. “It’s all right, everyone. You can go back inside now,” she told her neighbors, who were looking at the scene like they’d just bought tickets to the newest Hollywood premier.

“I didn’t kiss her. Really. She kissed me. I want you – only you,” he said in a falsely moaning voice.

Katherine heard her sixty-four year old neighbor gasp. Her face flamed as the humiliation got worse. What was he trying to do to her? She knew he’d take it to any level to win, but this was going too far.

“Really, he’s not feeling well. I’m so sorry about this,” she apologized. “Come with me now, Joseph,” she growled as she grabbed his hand and tugged him toward her open door. She had to get him inside before he said anything else, especially something that would make her have to move from the apartments, even the city, for that matter.

“You forgive me then, baby? I need you,” he cried, his words still slurred as he went from obnoxious to pathetic.

She was seriously thinking about murder. A life in prison couldn’t be worse than the humiliation she was feeling at that moment.

“Of course, Joseph. Now come inside!”

“Ah, baby, I’ll rock your world,” he gasped as he flashed a lopsided grin and added another stagger for effect.

She heard the couple in 5B laugh at the display. She sent them a glare, and the woman winked at her. Katherine was thrilled her misery was entertainment for her neighbors.

She got to her door and pulled on him, but he leaned against the frame, his sharp eyes looking right into hers, the neighbors unable to see he was anything but drunk.

“Are you sure you want me to come inside?” he mocked her.

“Yes, please, Joseph. It would please me greatly if you’d just get in here,” she whispered in a deadly voice.

“Ah, you’re so good to me,” he slurred as he leaned toward her. She held her hand against his chest, stopping his lips from touching hers by only a couple inches.

“Round one goes to you, okay? Can you stop humiliating me and just come inside,” she demanded, hoping her voice was low enough not to carry to her neighbors.

“Yeah, baby, I’ll do the striptease for you,” he said loudly. She was going to kill him. No doubt about it.

She kicked him hard in the shin, hoping it caused him to stagger for real this time. When he winced, she shoved him through the door and slammed it shut.

She stood two feet away, steam practically shooting out of her ears. She couldn’t ever remember being so angry. He’d straightened with his back to the door, not even looking like her kick had affected him in the least, though her own foot was throbbing. There was no way she’d admit it, though.

He seemed to know, as he knew everything else. With a quick movement, he was at her side and lifting her into his arms.

“I warned you, by any means necessary,” he said as he carried her to the couch.

“How dare you. Are you trying to ruin my life? Will that make you happy? Because you’re doing one hell of a fine job of it. I won’t be able to look into any of their eyes again. They think, not only am I some pathetic loser, but that I abuse you, too.”

She balled her hand up and punched him in the chest, not affecting him in the least. Now her foot and hand hurt. He sat on the couch with her on his lap.

She struggled against him for a moment before figuring out it was useless. When she felt his arousal pressing into her hip, she knew she’d lost.

She met his eyes to find intense desire darkening their depths.

She was in trouble. Deep, deep trouble.

He closed the small gap between them, his lips taking hers. Anger, frustration, and pure need mixed as his tongue delved into her mouth, claiming her as his as if no time had passed.

She grabbed his hair, intending to push him away, stop the seduction. But when his hand gripped her bare leg, desire shot through her, and she started falling into an abyss of pleasure. She couldn’t fight him. It was impossible.

His kiss turned from angry passion, to tender seduction and she was gone. Her body melted against his, and she caved. She’d lost the second he’d shown up at her door, so what was the use of fighting it anymore?

“I could have saved a lot of arguing had I just kissed you immediately. Your body knows what it wants. It’s your mind that’s trying to confuse you. We’re meant to be together,” he gasped before all talking ended and he kissed her again.

She didn’t know how it happened, but soon she was lying on the couch with him stretched out above her. It felt right. Everything was perfect. Just one night, she promised herself.

Just as his hand was reaching for the tie on her robe, the doorbell rang. Katherine tried to acknowledge it, but she couldn’t think past the haze of desire swarming her.

It rang again and suddenly Joseph was standing, several inappropriate words leaving his mouth. He stomped to the door and yanked it open.

It took Katherine several moments to realize she was spread out on the couch while he was opening her front door.

“Is…Katherine home?” a voice asked. She tensed as she sat up.