Isabella’s POV
Isabella sat behind her desk, the cold glow of the computer screen reflecting off her tired eyes. She had no clue what time it was anymore-everything blurred into a series of late nights, long meetings, and the constant tension that gnawed at her. Her thoughts kept drifting to him, to Alex. The man who owned her, body and soul, even when he wasn’t physically present. The contract that tethered her to him wasn’t just written on paper-it was written on her very skin, in every command, in every unspoken demand he placed on her.
She hated him sometimes.
But that didn’t stop her from craving him.
The office was quiet, almost too quiet. The kind of silence that screamed at you to notice something. Her phone buzzed on the desk, the vibration shaking her from her thoughts. She picked it up without checking the screen, already knowing who it would be.
“Where are you, Isabella?” Alex’s voice growled through the phone. It was like velvet laced with steel-smooth, but deadly. “You didn’t think you could escape me, did you?”
She clenched her teeth, her heart racing. “I’m working. What do you want?”
“Stop pretending you’re busy with work, darling. I know exactly what you’re doing,” he said, his tone mocking but laced with something darker. “Come home now. You owe me something.”
A shiver ran through her body. She fought the urge to get lost in the feelings his voice stirred. Her mouth went dry. “I… I’m not coming home yet.”
“Don’t test me, Isabella,” he warned, his words sharp like a whip. “You’re mine, and I will remind you of that in person.”
She could hear the smirk in his voice. He knew exactly what that did to her. The words he spoke were always laced with a threat, but there was a promise in them too-a promise of pleasure, pain, and everything in between.
Her fingers trembled as she hung up, the phone slipping from her hand onto the desk. She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the rush of heat pooling between her thighs. His presence, even in his absence, was undeniable. The power he wielded over her was both intoxicating and terrifying.
The door to her office clicked open without warning, and her breath hitched. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was. The air shifted, thickened. It was him.
“Alex,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
He didn’t speak immediately, letting his presence fill the room. She felt him move closer, heard the soft rustle of his suit as he neared her desk. His scent, all wood and leather, wrapped around her, pulling her deeper into his orbit. Her pulse quickened in response to the tension between them, her skin burning under his gaze.
“Isabella,” he said, his voice low and commanding. He didn’t need to ask permission to take what he wanted. He never did. “Stand up.”
Her body obeyed before her mind could catch up. She rose to her feet, her legs shaky, the sudden movement a sharp contrast to the controlled calm she had tried to maintain. The power dynamic between them had shifted the moment he entered the room. She could feel the weight of his eyes on her, watching, waiting for her to break.
He stepped in front of her, close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off his body. His hand brushed her cheek, and she couldn’t stop herself from leaning into his touch. The smoothness of his skin against hers felt like fire and ice at the same time. His thumb traced her lips, a silent command to remain still.
“You belong to me,” he muttered, his voice rough, almost tender. But there was no mistaking the dominance in his words. “And you’ll always be mine, no matter how far you try to run.”
She swallowed, her throat tight. “I’m not trying to run, Alex,” she said, the words coming out softer than she intended. “I just need… a moment. A break.”
His eyes darkened, his grip tightening around her wrist. “You think I’ll let you take a break from *us*?” He chuckled darkly. “You have no idea how much control I have over you, do you?”
She bit her lip, fighting the urge to beg him to stop. Every part of her wanted to give in, to let him take her, to lose herself in the chaos of their relationship. But part of her still fought against it-fought against the idea that she was *his* in every sense of the word.
“I’m not your toy, Alex,” she said, her voice stronger now, more defiant. “I’m not here to just satisfy your whims.”
He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear. “No? Then why are you standing here, letting me touch you?” His lips curled into a smile that sent a jolt of fear-and excitement-through her. “You like this, don’t you? You like when I take control.”
Isabella’s breath caught in her throat, and she found herself nodding before she could stop it. “Yes,” she admitted, the word falling from her lips in a soft, almost shameful whisper. “I like it. But that doesn’t mean I’m yours to break.”
A flash of anger crossed his face, but it was gone before she could register it. His hand slid down her arm, gripping her wrist again, this time with a warning. “You are mine, Isabella,” he growled. “And you will never forget that again.”
Before she could respond, he yanked her toward him, his lips crashing down on hers in a fierce, possessive kiss. His mouth devoured hers, taking everything, leaving nothing behind. She kissed him back, her hands grasping at his shirt, pulling him closer. There was no space between them now. No boundaries. Just the intoxicating, dangerous pull that had always existed between them.
When he finally pulled back, she gasped for air, her body trembling with the intensity of the kiss. His hands were still on her, holding her steady as he looked down at her with that same dark, knowing gaze.
“You’ll come with me, Isabella,” he said, his voice rough with desire. “And you’ll never question where you belong again.”
She wanted to fight. She wanted to say no. But the way he looked at her-the way his hands touched her-made her body betray her. She nodded, helpless against the power he held over her.
But as they left the office, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to change. And no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she needed him more than she ever wanted to admit.