"I'm not up for the taking, Joseph, nor am I for sale. This is one transaction you aren't going to close, so you can exit the way you came in. I'll ask you to leave, once again," she said, speaking through clenched teeth.
"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.