“You asked to see me?” I said, halting before his table, my voice smooth and clean.
“I did,” he replied with the same tone. “Sit.”
I didn’t say a word, only crossed my arms, a quiet gesture that hinted at my refusal to obey.
His brows rose by a whisper, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, “Suit yourself.”
“Why am I here?” I demanded, trying to act tough so he wouldn’t see how vulnerable I was.
“Watch your tone,milaya,” he said, his voice low and even. “You’re my wife; I can summon you whenever I want, with or without a reason, and you are obligated to come.”
I locked my jaw, eyes narrowing at him. “Is this why you called for me, so you could remind me that I’m just another piece of property you own? Is that it?”
His lips twisted into a sly grin.
“It’s all about power and control with you, isn’t it?” I scoffed then leaned in, my hands resting on his polished mahogany table. “You can control everything about my life,Roman…but you can’t have me.” The words came out like a challenge, slow but daring.
A part of me needed a reaction from him. I wanted to see what he’d do to prove me wrong, how far he’d go. Deep down, I craved something, something I dared not name, and the only way to get it was to push him.
“I can’t have you?” he asked, his husky voice stirring buried emotions within me.
I swallowed hard when he rose to his feet, his eyes never leaving mine. I watched him walk around his desk and quietly approached me with slow, deliberate strides.
The intoxicating scent of his cologne fanned the fire within me. The closer he drew, the harder it became to catch my breath.
He halted in front of me and whispered in my face, his fresh breath warm against my skin. “In case you haven’t noticed, I already do.”
I glared at him, using my frown to mask this unwanted desire swelling within me. I hated myself for being drawn to a man who saw me as nothing but an object he owned. I shouldn’t be attracted to such a person, yet I couldn’t help it.
The sight of those muscles rippling underneath the fabric of his suit caught my eye and stole my breath. I wondered how great his masculine body looked under those clothes. And little by little, I began to picture him naked.
Fuck, no. I shouldn’t be thinking of this.
Deep down, though, I entertained those illicit thoughts because I was enjoying them and how they made me feel.
Go. Get out of here now before you do something you’ll regret later,a faint voice murmured in my head.
If you leave now, you might not get what you want,said another voice.
As the voices argued in my head, I noticed the glint of longing in Roman’s eyes. It was faint, but I caught it flickering beneath the surface. Did this mean that he found me attractive too?
The silence between us lingered, and with every passing second, my anticipation grew. We didn’t have to be geniuses to see that the atmosphere was charged with something darker. Roman’s gaze fanned the fire I was struggling to put out—and the more I tried to quench it, the more it burned.
“If you don’t have anything important to say to me, then I’ll just take my leave,” I said, turning around, ready to walk away.
My breath caught in my throat when he grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me to him. A soft gasp escaped my lips as my body collided with his torso.
“Fresh lipstick,” he whispered, his eyes tracing the gentle curve of my mouth.
He noticed.
My heart skipped a beat, unsure how to feel about it—glad my efforts paid off or embarrassed by that smug smirk on his lips.
“I didn’t wear it for you,” the words fell from my mouth, almost defensively.
He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, his boner teasing my thighs. “Are you sure about that?”
I felt his erection grazing seductively against me, slow and subtle—and just like that, I began losing my composure. “Let go of me, Roman,” I said, my voice low and shaky.
