Chapter 22

Clayton leaned in to kiss Charisse. She jerked her head to the side to dodge him. "Mr. Ellis, stop!" He reeked of alcohol, the kind of stench that crawled over your skin and wouldn't let go. Charisse struggled hard, accidentally grabbing hold of his arm in the process. Without warning, Clayton slapped her across the face. The impact made her ears ring—half her face went numb on the spot. Clayton tightened his grip on her chin, forcing her to look up at him. His eyes were cold, face filled with irritation. "Move again, I dare you." Her left ear was buzzing so bad that his voice sounded like it was coming from far away. But his breath, his presence, was right there—overwhelming. There was no escaping the cold hard truth: this was Draycott's most feared man. No one dared cross him. When she froze up under his hand, Clayton took it as submission. "Finally getting smart?" he muttered. Charisse said nothing, just stared back at him. "Sorry," Clayton said, rubbing the top of her head like com