Falling for the Villain

Relief hit my senses, not realizing that I needed to hear the words that Donovan didn’t know Troy was with me. He didn’t leave me alone with this sick bastard, and it was the reassurance I needed to think that I was different.

I wasn’t just his slave.

His pet.

He did care about me.

“She didn’t feel good, so she sent me to meet your pet instead. Why? Is that a problem?”

“I can handle it from here.” He nodded toward the doors, dismissing him. “You can go.”

Troy leaned forward and kissed my head. “Till next time, little one.”

Donovan didn’t move an inch, nor did he show any emotion. Despite me grimacing the instant I felt Troy’s mouth on my scalp.

Right when he left, Donovan looked ready to burn the world down if need be.

For me?

“I’m sorry, Master.”

His eyes now connected with mine. “What are you apologizing for?”

“For Troy.”

He was in my face before I got his name out, grabbing my arm so I couldn’t stumble back. “You don’t ever apologize for that son of a bitch. Do you understand me?”

I nodded, bowing my head.

“Look at me.”

I lifted my eyes, emotions in turmoil as I waited.

“That shouldn’t be what you’re apologizing for.”

My eyes widened.

Of course, he would already know. The guards probably called him the second they followed me into my family’s neighborhood.

“What do you think…” His voice soothed my soul, the way it caressed over me like silk. Yes, I would crawl back to him even if I could walk. It was about the feeling of looking up at him in adoration and worship, about knowing who you served.

My king.

Mine.

Master.

“…Your punishment should be?”

“W-what?” My head whipped back, nearly colliding with his chin. “For what?”

His eyes flashed. “For being tempted.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “But I didn’t get out of the car.”

“But you thought about it,” he whispered in my ear from behind me, bracing my body with one arm while tugging my hair into a ponytail with the other. “Didn’t you? Didn’t you imagine and fantasize what would happen if you went home?”

“I am home,” I responded quickly.

He jerked me against him. His arousal so present that a moan escaped my lips as he rubbed himself against my ass. “That’s right,” he growled. “I am your fucking home. I’ll kill you before I let you forget it, so what is your punishment, pet?”

“I don’t … I don’t know.” My mind was blank.

I couldn’t even think of a proper punishment with him holding me like that, bracing me, keeping me safe when all day I’d felt fear.

“I’ll decide then, yes?” he finally countered after a few heartbeats. “On your knees.”

When I didn’t move fast enough, he forced me to the hard ground, and my knees were the first thing to hit the floor. He didn’t waver, basically tearing my clothes from my body until I was completely naked and staring up at him with only my collar.

His dark eyes stilled and then roamed across my skin, over and over again like a predatory caress. “Stay.”

“What?” I asked.

“Stay,” he repeated. “Until I’m ready for you, stay.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I remained naked on my knees. Waiting for my master, waiting for my keeper, waiting to be released—and hating that the entire time, arousal dripped from every last inch of me.

For him.

For us.

For when the time came that he’d feed me one morsel of his touch, his taste, his scent. He was my jailor—me his prisoner—begging to be forgotten rather than set free because I could only be with my captor in my dreams.

Donovan

I knew there was a reason I put bodyguards on her. Not to keep her safe. No to keep her mine. It had nothing to do with actual safety but the fear of losing her to her own family—even to mine. When I saw her stop, I wondered if she would actually do it. Be able to leave me.

I had my answer in seconds.

I knew she was getting bored, and the time had come to proceed with the next steps of our relationship. If she wanted to work, I could grant her that. Her job would give her the illusion that she was being useful for something other than my pleasure and pain.

The nerve of that prick really did make me want to shoot him in between the eyes. I fantasized about it while I sped the entire drive to the property. Fully aware he wouldn’t hurt her, he wasn’t that fucking stupid. What he wanted to do was scare her, and by the look on her face when I arrived, he’d succeeded in doing so.

As soon as she saw me, her expression screamed it all. It shouted: own me, protect me, mark me—make him go away. I couldn’t give that to her without punishment first for disobeying my orders, although I wanted to.