Then he kisses me, and it's not gentle. It's claiming, possessive, devastating. A kiss that erases the woman I was and brands the woman I'm becoming.
His. Completely and irrevocably his.
And God help me, even through the fear and the anger and the tears, I kiss him back.
Because I have nothing left. Because he's taken everything.
Because some broken part of me wants this.
***
His bedroom is dark when he leads me inside, only the city lights filtering through the windows providing any illumination. My heart is racing, fear and anticipation warringinside me. I'm hyperaware of Nathan beside me, the heat of his body, the way his breathing matches mine.
"You're thinking too much." Nathan leans close, his lips brushing my ear. "I've been watching you walk around in this dress all day, wanting to tear it off you."
The blunt words send heat flooding through me. My thighs part without conscious decision, and I hear his sharp intake of breath.
"Nathan—"
"Shh." He turns me to face him, his hands gentle but firm on my shoulders. "You agreed to be mine. That means I get to show you exactly what I've been imagining for years."
He kisses me again, and I melt into it despite myself, my hands coming up to grip his shirt.
When he pulls back, his eyes are dark with desire. "Strip," he commands softly. "I want to see what's mine."
My hands shake as I reach for the hem of my dress, but I do it. I pull it over my head and let it fall to the floor. My bra and underwear follow until I'm standing before him completely naked, exposed in every way possible. I fight the urge to cover myself.
He circles me slowly, his gaze burning over every curve, every inch of skin. "Beautiful," he murmurs. "Even more perfect than I imagined."
He guides me to the bed, and I notice for the first time the silk restraints already attached to the headboard. My eyes widen.
"Lie down," he says. "Arms above your head."
"Nathan, I don't know if—"
"Trust me, Eve." His voice is gentle but implacable. "I'm not going to hurt you. But you need to learn what it means to surrender control."
I lie back on the silk sheets, my heart pounding as he takes my wrists and secures them to the restraints. Then he produces a black silk blindfold.
"Nathan—"
"Shh." He ties it over my eyes, plunging me into darkness. "Just feel, Eve. Stop thinking and just feel. I know what your body needs the most."
I hear him move away, hear the rustle of clothing being removed. Then the bed dips as he joins me, and I feel his hands on my ankles, spreading my legs, securing them as well until I'm completely helpless, splayed out for him.
"You ran from me," he says quietly, his fingers trailing up my inner thigh. "You fought me. You tried to resist what we both knew was inevitable. And now you're going to learn what happens when you defy me."
His touch is feather-light, ghosting over my skin but never quite giving me what I need. He traces patterns on my stomach, my ribs, the curve of my breasts—always close to where I'm aching but never quite touching.
"Please," I whisper.
"Please what?" His breath is hot against my ear.
"Touch me. Really touch me."
"Oh, I will," he promises. "But not yet. First, you're going to understand that your pleasure belongs to me now. You come when I allow it. Not before."
His mouth closes over my nipple, and I arch off the bed with a gasp. He sucks and teases until I'm writhing, desperate, and then he moves to the other breast. His hand slides between my legs, fingers stroking through my wetness but never entering, never giving me the pressure I need.
