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I turned sharply toward him. “And if I say no?”

“Then I won’t force you.” He held my gaze. “But I’ll ask you to reconsider.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you alive.”

I looked away.

“Because you want heirs,” I muttered. “And five years.”

His gaze flashed with something sardonic.

“Among many other things.” A whisper of darkness laced through his voice as he cupped my chin. “You owe me, and I intend to collect. In order to do that, I need you to be healthy.” The rasp of his voice raised goose bumps on my arms, and I sucked in a breath as his lips skimmed up my neck. “Physically and mentally.”

I shivered.

“For five years, you’re all I thought about. You’re mine, and no pills or addiction will get in my way, Sienna.”

I swallowed. “That sounds very… wrong.”

He stepped closer, his cologne wrapping around me as he pulled me against his chest. I should have pushed him away, but suddenly, my brain was in a fog filled with desire.

He ran a thumb across my bottom lip and my lips parted.

“Tell me you’ll talk to Dr. Freud or another therapist,” he demanded. “At least once.”

“Okay,” I breathed under his possessive gaze while my body shivered in anticipation. “After the wedding.”

“Good girl,” he murmured against my lips, and warmth instantly ran to my face.

I always knew that I’d do anything—right or wrong—for this man.

TWENTY-SIX

SIENNA

The Past

I’m in.

The adrenaline rush that came from fooling the bouncer at the front door never ceased to amaze me. Neither did my complete inability to learn from my mistakes.

I ascended the narrow staircase of Velvet Desire. The club was owned by the Callahan family and had earned a reputation for catering to the city’s underbelly.

It was rumored to be the most exclusive—or most depraved—club in New York City. A notorious club where people went when they wanted to forget their names, their inhibitions, or occasionally both.

I’d been banned from it. In fact, I’d been banned from every club associated with the Callahan name.

And no, it wasn’t a ban that would eventually be forgotten.

Tyran Callahan had made it personal after he almost caved in to this fizzling attraction brewing between us.

I was so damn close to breaking his walls and he knew it.

However, I failed, and the last time I’d shown up at his club, I’d barely made it to the front steps before the bouncer had planted himself in front of me and told me to turn around.

I asked him why, and he told me that Tyran had given him clear instructions to keep me away from him. I was flattered and hurt at the same time. That man gave me so many confusing signals.