I am Sloane Heart, and I fight my own battles.
I shake my head and pull back from his touch. I don’t want comfort. I don’t want a knight in shining armor.
I want fire.
My gaze drops.
His jeans are tight—painfullytight—struggling to contain an erection that clearly hasn’t had a moment’s peace since the end of the challenge.
I felt it earlier, when I was straddling him.
And seeing it now, so hard and ready for me, snaps something inside my brain.
I want to feel like a goddess.
I want to feel worshipped and used at the same time.
I want to be his only obsession, his only thought, his only breath.
“You don’t need to break anyone’s face,” I say, my voice low and steady, thick with intent—an intent that makes his eyes go wide. “You just need to wait right here. And don’t move.”
“What? Where are you going?”
I don’t answer.
I turn and slip into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.
I brace my hands on the sink, breathing hard.
I lift my gaze to the mirror.
A woman stares back at me—cheeks flushed, eyes glistening with furious lust, red lipstick slightly smudged.
You are Sloane Heart, I tell myself.
You’re the Queen of Hearts. And you’re going to take exactly what you want.
I strip out of my clothes quickly. The red dress puddles onto the floor in a useless pile of fabric.
I’m left wearing nothing but my red stilettos and the bodysuit.
The one Cohen bought.
And it looks like it was made for me. He actually has great taste.
The black lace is cool against my overheated skin but clings like a second layer. It’s sheer, obscene, perfect. The fabric cuts high at my hips, the little red bows are begging to be untied, and my nipples are hard and visible through the delicate mesh.
I look at myself in the mirror—and I don’t see a girl who was humiliated.
I see raw power.
I muss my hair, shaking it out over my shoulders in a blonde cascade.
Cohen is standing by the fireplace, hands tangled in his hair, his back to me. The tension in his shoulders is almost vibrating.
“Sloane, please, just talk to me. If you’re mad about—”
He turns.
