Chapter Ten
Mason
I wait until London has finished signing the last line before I allow myself to believe it. After two weeks of pining away like a schoolboy, she’s finally mine. I wanted her. Now I’ll have her. Just like everything else.
I did worry that I only wanted her because I couldn’t have her. I worried that the thrill would dim once she was mine.
But the thrill of the chase wasn’t the only thing sustaining my fascination with London. Though I’m disappointed that money could tempt even a woman like her, I understand it. The stakes are high for her, and she’ll do anything to save what she cares about. I admire her ambition.
Hell, it makes me like her even.
It also makes me wonder about the woman lurking beneath the surface, the one I will draw out of her.
You have no idea what you just signed up for, little kitten. I’ve got all kinds of plans for you, and you are going to love them.
Now that the chase is over, there is plenty of room for ideas and excitement about what I’ll do next. I wonder how she’ll react to everything I want to do to her. I wonder how I’ll test her, and how she’ll respond.
As she puts down the pen, I walk over to her. She shirks my gaze, and it’s cute how she fears me. It’s even more compelling to watch her pretend she doesn’t fear me.
It makes me want her even more.
How she wound up with a child like her boyfriend is beyond me.
London deserves a man who can challenge her, who will drive her to the furthest reaches of ecstasy before drawing her back in. Someone who will show her just how alluring the darkness is.
I’m almost giddy at the prospect of being the one to show her.
“Stand,” I tell her.
She hesitates. Soon, she’ll learn to do as I say without hesitation. She’s new, though, so I’ll give her time.
Finally, she stands. I walk toward her, and she holds her ground. I move closer and take her chin in my hand.
She doesn’t protest, and it’s amazing to be this close to her. It’s thrilling. I can finally do all the things I’ve imagined.
I move closer. I need to taste her and see if it’s like what I imagined. I lower my lips onto hers, slow and sensual at first.
She tastes sweet. Her lips are plump and perfect. Her scent mixes with it, something smooth and compelling like vanilla mixed with strawberries.
It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to take her right there.
Because I want to savor it.
I want her to beg for me, desperately, and she isn’t there yet.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone who made my blood pound this way.
Before I can further indulge myself, she pushes me away. Do I sense some reluctance? For a moment, it seemed like she wanted the kiss.
“Why would you do that?” She moves away from me and toward the safety of the bookcases. “I have a boyfriend.”
She’s unaware of what’s coming, which is fine. I’ll delight in seeing her change as she comes to the revelation. I’ll enjoy watching it hit her slowly. “I already told you that as long as you work for me, you don’t.”
She looks shocked as I move closer to her. She is so vulnerable, so confused, so innocent. It’s almost more than I can bear. I harden at the thought.
I want to consume her.
Until I erase all memories of that boy and banish them to the farthest reaches of the earth.
I need her to forget that he’s ever touched her or tasted her.
When I’m done, London will be thoroughly mine.
“I have a boyfriend right now,” she repeats. “You can’t kiss me until I end things with him.”
I move in like a hunter, place my arm on the bookcase behind her, and leverage my body over hers. I glare down, delighting in the beautiful array of emotions on her face.
“Boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife,” I whisper into her ear. “None of that matters to me. I want you. You’re mine.”
Her eyes widen, and I want her even more. Is it possible for someone to be sexier each time I look at them? What about her makes me lust so intensely?
I don’t need to understand it because I’ve got her for at least a year. Maybe that will be all it takes to satisfy this craving.
“You can’t honestly believe that.” She looks at me in horror. “You must care at least a little.”
I laugh at her innocence. Why would she think I care about anything?
She’s caught off guard by my laughter, and I grab her chin again. I look her right in those doe eyes and see a shift within her. She’s starting to see it. Maybe with this understanding, we can move toward where I want to be with her.
“Read the fucking room.” My growl causes her to tremble.
“You think your boyfriend will protect you? If my men come in and burn your house down, what will he do? If I break your father’s legs, will he come after me?
Don’t lie to me and tell me you honestly think he’ll do something.
Why then, should I care that you have a boyfriend? ”
I give her time to think about this and watch as she’s overcome by helplessness. She needs to know that I’m telling the truth, and I see the shift. She knows there’s nothing her boyfriend can do for her now.
“Goldie, I take what I want,” I assure her. “No one can stop me. I know you can sense it. If I want you, you’re mine. And I want you, London. Nothing, not even whatever ridiculous delusions of love and loyalty you have, will get in the way of that.”
At that, I kiss her again. This time, I press my body against hers in a display of dominance. She’s all mine, and I indulge in her taste and scent. It’s everything I’ve dreamed of and more.
I feel her melt into me. Her body loosens. She wants me; I sense it. Her fight is dying and…
She pushes me away.
I can’t believe it.
She pushes me away so forcefully that I take an involuntary step back. A burst of anger and frustration erupts within me as I stare at her, her body still pressed up against the bookshelf.
Can’t she tell that fighting me is useless?
I can almost see her heart pounding.
“I have a boyfriend,” she repeats. My fucking God, I’m so tired of hearing about it. “I love him with my whole heart, and he loves me, too. What we have between us is special and irreplaceable. I would never trade him for you.”
I laugh though I’m not amused. I want her. I deserve her. I bought her.
Yet she remains out of reach, and I’m not sure what to do to change her mind. I will figure out a way.
I take a deep breath. There’s no need to get so rattled. She will be mine; I know that. I just have to be patient, and for her, I don’t mind.
I’m willing to do a lot to get what I want, but I will not force myself on her.
London will come to me willingly.
I’ll make sure of it, and even though she’s fighting it now, I can see in her eyes she knows it’s a losing battle.
Her boyfriend’s days are numbered.
“I admire that,” I admit. “I respect your loyalty. You’re the first girl who has ever held their own for this long against me.”
“I doubt that’s true,” she scoffs.
I’m being entirely honest. It usually doesn’t take long to get any woman I want. Other relationships they’re in don’t matter: If I want them, I have them. Very few can resist me.
I like the thrill. It’s part of the chase that faded once I got her. My lust for her has increased as I’ve talked to her, and I appreciate the fight she’s putting up. Everything about her is just so intoxicating.
“I knew you were different,” I admit, “from the moment I met you. I can respect that.”
She looks surprised at my words. What? Did she think I was going to rape her? I chuckle. I can be cruel sometimes, but never in that way.
“I don’t enjoy fucking women who don’t want to be fucked,” I continue.
“As much as I love control and love a woman bending to my will, that’s too far.
I’ll wait because I know I won’t have to for long.
One day soon, you’ll beg me to fuck you.
And I will, sweetheart. I’ll fuck you better than your boyfriend ever could.
Soon, you’ll forget all about him because you’ll be so intoxicated by me. ”
“That will never happen,” she snaps, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. “I would never betray the love of my life. I will never even want to touch you.”
I shrug. “It’s only a matter of time. You can cling to your old life if you’d like. I’m sure that it brings you comfort. But your old life is gone, and the sooner you accept that, the better.”
I can sense her resistance. It’s not just in her words; it’s part of who she is. She will hold onto it dearly. But in time, she’ll submit to me. This banter between us will only make it that much sweeter when she does.
“Come on,” I say. “Let me show you around the House of Payne.”
She pales at that, and I chuckle. “That’s our last name,” I explain.
She gives me a tight nod.
I can already sense her fear, and I don’t want to make that worse. I need her to ease into the idea that this is her new reality, because there is no going back.
Not anymore.
Not even after a year.
No one has ever been able to pay off their debt and remain on the outskirts, undeterred by the darkness.
London has a lot more fight than I gave her credit for, but I doubt even she can resist.
With a smile, I lead her from the library and into the rest of the home.
The house is decorated with gold and silver in each room, with gems pressed into every surface. The main color scheme is black and white, which makes the dashes of rich colors like red and purple seem all the more eye-grabbing and elegant.
“It might help you to know the members of the family,” I explain, as I lead her by the room with the white grand piano, an expensive fountain with exotic fish, priceless paintings on the wall, marble statues, and furniture imported from the fine craftsmen of India.