He follows me the short distance to the front door, and while I’m trying to unlock it in the dark, I can feel him come up behind me. The air shifts, and electricity courses through my veins. He’s only inches away—not touching me—but so close I swear I can feel his heat through my jacket. My breathing shortens, and my body starts to tingle.

For a moment, I don’t move. I’m not entirely certain I can, and when he reaches out to touch me, all coherent thought flees my mind. Chas takes a half-step forward, closing the miniscule distance between us. His chest presses against my back, his arms circle around me as he plants his massive palms against my front door, and he dips forward. My eyes flutter shut as I feel him bury his face in my hair.

My heart’s thundering, and my mind is spinning. I feel his hand grab around my hip. His fingertips dig into my skin while he massages me, but only linger for a moment. Chas glides his hand up my body and across my chest, pulling me back against him tighter than before. I feel his grip around my throat. It’s not tight, or extreme in any regard. Instead, he’s simply holding my neck, feeling my pulse beating out of control beneath his touch. The possessive undertone of the action sends shudders tearing through my body.

His deep breathing in my ear makes my skin prickle. I can’t express how badly I want him.

“Open the door.”

His voice is borderline animalistic and more than enough to make me comply without hesitation. And somehow, his command clears my mind just enough for me to get the key into the lock and the door open within seconds.

No sooner are we both over the threshold than Chas spins me around and lifts me into his arms. He kicks the door shut behind him so hard I hear the windows rattle, but I don’t care. I don’t care about anything.