"No!" She jerked her head up, tears spilling hot and fast. "I didn't! I never even touched the damn phone! It was Mom... she must've told him..."
"Sofia?" I latched onto the slip. "How the fuck would your mom know your plans? Unless you spilled."
"I didn't!" She was frantic now, words tumbling. "I just mentioned wanting to get out, stretch my legs. I never thought..."
"Noelle, make it believable. A mom just 'happens' to tip off her daughter's ex about her day?"
"He's not my ex!" It came out a shout. "We never... there was nothing! Ever!"
I scooped up a photo—his meaty hand clamped on her arm, bodies damn near glued.
"Then explain this."
She stared at it, eyes swimming. "He wanted to get me out... said he'd save me, take me away. But I said no! I fought him off the whole time, Kholod—I told him to back off! You gotta believe me..."
"Believing you means buying that 'no' required getting that close? Letting him manhandle you like that? Looking all fired up and flushed?"
"I was pissed! Telling him not to be an idiot!" She was rambling, reaching for me, desperate. "Kholod, please, just listen..."
I swatted her hand away, the fury in my chest roaring to life. "Shut it. I'm done with your lies."
I unbuckled my belt, the heavy croc leather whispering through the loops. The buckle clinked, dull and final.
Her eyes locked on it—pure terror flooding in. She scrambled back till her legs hit the bedframe, voice breaking. "Kholod... what are you doing? Don't... don't hit me..."
Hit her? Like some street thug with a temper? Nah. That was too cheap for what she deserved.
I snagged her wrists, looped the belt tight around 'em, and lashed her to the brass bedpost. Cold metal bit into her skin.
She thrashed, pointless—like a moth in a web, just tangling deeper.
"Kholod... please... let me explain..." Desperation choked her words.
I leaned in close, noses brushing, breaths clashing—hers shaky, mine a frozen storm. "You need to remember who owns you."
Tears streaked her cheeks, soaking the pillow.
But in my head? One thought hammered away.
I'd erase every trace of anyone else on her.
She was mine.
Only mine.
I ripped her silk nightgown open with a savage yank, the fabric tearing like a scream in the quiet room. Threads snapped and fluttered to the floor, exposing her pale skin to the flickering firelight. Noelle turned her face away in humiliation, tears sliding silently down her cheeks, but I wasn't having that. I grabbed her chin, forcing her head back, making her eyes meet mine. "Look at me," I growled,my voice low and dangerous. "Watch how I claim you, how I mark your body and soul with my brand. You're mine, Noelle. Every goddamn inch."
She whimpered, her bound hands straining against the leather belt tied to the bedpost, but I didn't give her a second to breathe. My mouth crashed down on hers, bruising, demanding, my tongue forcing its way in like I owned her—which I fucking did. Her body arched under me, half resistance, half something darker that made my blood boil hotter than hell. I trailed rough kisses down her neck, nipping at her collarbone, feeling her pulse hammer against my lips like a war drum. Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps, and I could smell her fear mixed with that faint, intoxicating scent that was all her—sweet, floral, and utterly addictive.
The fire in me built, uncontrollable, a raging inferno that demanded release. I lowered my head, my gaze locking on the trembling peak of her breast. It was perfect, pink and begging for my attention, heaving with every shaky inhale. I leaned in, gentle at first, like a kiss, my lips closing around that sensitive bud, sucking softly, my tongue flicking over it in slow, deliberate circles. She let out a moan she couldn't hold back, her body betraying her completely, hips twitching involuntarily against mine. That sound—it drove me wild, a raw, needy whimper that sent a jolt straight to my cock. The moment I felt her quiver under my touch, her nipple hardening in my mouth, my eyes darkened with primal hunger. I opened my mouth wider and bit down hard on the tender flesh just beside the tip, my teeth sinking into her soft skin like it was mine to ruin.
Noelle screamed, a sharp, piercing cry that echoed off the walls, raw and desperate. Her body bowed up violently, arching like a bowstring pulled taut, straining against the belt that yanked her back down with a merciless snap. I didn't let go, biting deeper, savoring the way her flesh gave under my teeth until the metallic tang of blood filled my mouth, sweet and rusty, a coppery rush that made my dick throb. Finally, I pulled back, licking my lips clean, watching the red imprint bloom on her breast like a fresh brand, angry and vivid against her pale skin. I leaned in close, my breath hot against her ear,my voice a low, menacing whisper. "Remember this lesson, Noelle? Now you've got my mark on you. It's permanent. You'll never wash it away, no matter how hard you try."
She collapsed against the mattress, her chest heaving in uneven gasps, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, like she'd checked out entirely, her spirit shattered into a thousand pieces. But then she shifted, turning her head slowly, those brown eyes fixing on me with an icy, almost eerie calm that sent a chill down my spine. Her lips curved into the faintest smirk, a ghost of a challenge, like she was mocking me silently. Like she was saying, Is that all you've got, Kholod Morozov? Your punishment ends here? Just a bite and some empty threats?
That look—it pissed me off to no end, but damn if it didn't make me laugh, a dark, bitter sound that rumbled from my chest like thunder. This woman, so fucking defiant, even now, even after everything. It ignited something feral in me, a beast that clawed its way to the surface. I surged forward, grabbing her thighs with bruising force and prying them apart, pinning them down with my weight so she couldn't move an inch. "You think that's it?" I snarled, my face inches from hers, my breath mingling with her tear-stained one. "Let me show you what my real punishment looks like, you insolent little thing."
My hand slid between her legs, fingers brushing her core, feeling the heat radiating from her. She was warm, but not wet enough—not slick and ready like I wanted her to be, begging for it. I smirked, rubbing her slowly, teasing the folds with deliberate strokes, parting them to expose her fully. "Look at you, all tied up and still acting tough. But your body's honest, isn't it? Gonna get you dripping for me, you little tease. Feel that? That's me owning this pretty pussy." I dipped a finger inside, curling it just right, pumping in and out while my thumb circled her clit in tight, insistent loops. "Come on, Noelle, get wet for your husband. You know you want this cock—admit it, you dirty girl. Imagine how good it'll feel when I stretch you wide, filling you up until you can't think straight." She ignored me, biting her lip hard, refusing to react, her eyes defiant, but I could feel herstarting to slicken under my touch, her body betraying her stubborn pride. Stubborn as hell, but it only made me harder.
