She was already out, standing beside her bed. The white robe she wore clung to the damp warmth of her skin, the belt tied but not tight. The fabric settled softly against her curves, her wet hair catching the light.
A single droplet traced a slow path down the side of her neck before disappearing into the collar of her robe.
I stepped forward, unable to take my eyes off her, a flutter rising in my chest. She braced herself as I closed the distance between us, her gaze darting to the floor.
“Now what?” she asked when I was close enough, her voice barely above a whisper.
I halted in front of her, watching her steel herself for my response. I reached for the bedside table, set the empty glass on it, then faced her again.
“It’s our wedding night,” I replied, watching her closely. “I believe you know what couples do on their wedding night.”
She went silent, unable to meet my gaze for some reason. Ellie was tense and guarded, but uncertainty was etched on her face. The fire in her eyes seemed to have fizzled out, and she wasn’t as defiant as before.
She looked helpless. Defeated. Vulnerable.
A part of me didn’t like that. I preferred the fiercer version of her.
She finally raised her head, managing to look right at me. “What’re you waiting for?”
A pause.
She added, “I’m yours now, am I not?”
“You are.”
“Once again, you got what you wanted,” she whispered. “You must be really proud of yourself.”
Her words stung in ways they shouldn’t, but I kept a straight face. She flinched as I reached out and pulled her closer, my hands on her waist. She didn’t resist, didn’t push me away.
In that proximity, her breasts were soft against my chest, her head tilted upward. Her eyes bore into mine for the next few seconds as the silence stretched. Tension hung in the air, and I could almost hear the sound of her racing heart.
Her lips trembled as they had earlier on the altar, and her breath hitched. She wasn’t ready. And I wasn’t about to force her.
“You think so lowly of me,milaya,” I whispered, my fingers brushing against her wet hair.
Her gaze was unwavering, her lips still quivering subtly.
“Perhaps with time, you’ll learn to see me differently.” My eyes discreetly traced the perfect curve of her mouth, feeling her shudder beneath my grip.
Her breath was warm against my skin, her chest heaving slowly. The look in her eyes and her lack of resistance told me she was willing to surrender her body. But I wasn’t willing to take what she wasn’t ready to give.
I let go and pulled back. Not far. Just enough to see her flushed face and unfocused eyes. She blinked, releasing a quiet sigh that seemed an awful lot like relief.
“Don’t worry,” I said, a smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth. “I won’t take you until you beg for it.”
She hesitated. “And what if I don’t beg for it?”
I leaned in, whispering in her ear, “Don’t overestimate your strength…Ellie.” I paused slightly as I straightened again.
She said nothing.
Quietly, I walked away, leaving her standing there alone. It took everything in me to exercise that much restraint tonight. But for how long was I going to keep this up?
How long until I lost control?
Chapter 13 – Ellie
The wedding happened, and I couldn’t stop it. He legally secured what he wanted: me. I signed the papers binding me to my kidnapper, my oppressor, the man who ruined my present and stole my future.
