Bitter Vows (Crimson Falls 1)

“I… I can’t marry you,” she whimpers as my finger continues to taunt her. “I—I don’t want to be arm candy for an asshole who doesn’t love me.” A tear slips free from her long lashes, and as it trickles down her flushed cheek, I lap it up, tasting the salty emotion as it spills from her eyes.

“You’re not arm candy,” I tell her because it’s the truth. She’s so much more than that. “If you think for one moment I’m going to let you go, to walk out of my life…” I inhale a deep breath to keep calm. “Then you’re sorely mistaken. You are mine. I own you now, and you will submit to me. Perhaps not tonight, but soon.” I press down on her clit, sending her over the edge, and her keening cry is music to my ears.

I watch her ride the wave of her release for a long while before I step back, finally releasing her from the confines of my body. Scarlett straightens, her glassy eyes flicking to mine. Heat, confusion, and a hint of anger swirl in her gaze. But the shame that colors her cheeks has me wanting to see more of it in her expression.

“Why did you do that?” Her words are croaky, her body still shivering from the intensity of what just happened. My cock, on the other hand, feels like steel against my zipper. “Why?”

“Because I like to make pretty girls cry,” I respond. “And because you are mine. My little red. And nobody is going to take you away from me.”

She straightens her shoulders, tilting her chin in challenge as her eyes narrow. “What if I want to walk away from you?”

“Learn about your father’s transgressions before you make your choice. There are always a lesser of two evils in this world.” I shrug, shoving my hands in my pockets before I continue. “And your choice should come from knowing all the information.”

“Then tell me,” she pleads, tears filling her lashes, threatening to fall. She looks so beautiful on the verge of breaking down, and I want so badly to pin her to the wooden vanity and claim her, mark her as mine.

“Give me a week,” I request. “Should you feel the need to leave after, I’ll rethink the terms of the contract.”

Her eyes widen farther, those glossy orbs holding me hostage, and for a moment, I allow her to ponder what I’ve just said. Then she mouths, “A whole week?”

Nodding slowly, I focus on keeping my expression calm, collected, and not allowing the desire that’s burning its way through every inch of my body to show. She doesn’t need to know I’m on the verge of fucking her until she’s screaming the roof down. “While you’re in my house, you will not touch yourself. Every orgasm you have while you’re here, and trust me, there will be many, are mine to give you. I own you, Scarlett; it’s written on that contract.”

“You can’t own someone. If I’m not willing to give you something, you can’t take it,” she sasses, crossing her arms, but I don’t miss the tremble in her hands.

A smirk curls my lips, and I raise a dark brow at her in a challenge. If she thinks I’m a good man who won’t take what I want, then she’s mistaken.

“Right? You wouldn’t…” Her words filter into nothing, the silence deafening when she realizes I’m no gentleman.

Taking a step toward her, I notice her attempt at moving away, but she’s now pinned between me and the smooth wood of the vanity. She’s small, only reaching my chest, so she has to tip her head back to look me in the eye.

There’s a hint of fear, but it’s mingled with curiosity. When I close the distance between my mouth and hers, I notice desire dancing in her eyes, but the moment she blinks, it’s gone.

“Don’t underestimate me.” I keep my voice calm. My composure is hanging by a thread when her tongue darts out, wetting her plump lips. “When I sign a contract, when I agree to anything, I don’t break that promise. You will say your vows in a month, and when you sign your name, it will be Shaw, not Bardot. On your twenty-first birthday, you will be my wife.”

Another emotion dances across her expression before she asks, “And if I refuse?”

“There is no choice in the matter. Whatever you do, wherever you go, you are mine. And I take care of my belongings. Now, I want you to sleep. When the sun has risen on this day, we’ll talk more.” I step back, needing the space because I’m so close to ripping her clothes off and seeing what I now own. Turning on my heel, I make it to the door before I hear a soft whimper. She’s crying, but tears don’t afford her mercy. They only make my dick hard.