Page 36 of Bought By Santa

I know the exact moment my hellcat is done reading because she leaps off the chair and away from me like my touch is burning her. She spins around so fast the hair I only just managed to let go of, whips her in the face.

“What the fuck, Nicklas?” she screams like a banshee. “What. The. Actual. Fuck.”

Tilting my head to the side, I watch her. She’s trembling, her hands are balled, and her nostrils flare with every inhale. Her barely controlled anger makes me smile. That’s it, Kitten. Let it out, I silently beg.

Chapter 14

The Breeder

Istand there, my hands clenched into fists at my sides, the phone with the contract in my fierce grip. The audacity Nicklas has to present me with such terms—it’s not just insulting, it’s vile. My breath comes out in sharp, heated bursts, each exhale a silent scream against the injustice of it all.

“Is there a problem, Carolina?” Nicklas’ voice is infuriatingly calm, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me.

“Problem?” The word is a hiss through my teeth. “You think trapping me with this… this breeding contract is acceptable?” I can’t keep the tremor from my voice, anger and disbelief waging war within me.

The room seems to sway as I fight to control the shaking that takes over my body. Anger surges through my veins like wildfire, consuming any semblance of composure. I want to tear the contract to shreds, to throw it back in his face, but I know what’s at stake—my sister, my future, everything I’ve worked for.

“Well, you wanted a contract, and I obliged. This is for our mutual benefit.” His dark eyes are unyielding as he stares me down. “And now you know the seriousness of my world.”

Mutual benefit? What a cruel joke. There’s no benefit here for me, only chains disguised as clauses. His world—a world of shadows and cold-hearted deals—is swallowing me whole, and the thought chokes me with dread. “Benefit?” I spit the word out. “This isn’t a partnership; it’s ownership!”

Nicklas stands unmoved, his tattooed arms folded across his chest like steel bands. For a moment, I see the flash of something in his gaze—pride, possession? It only fuels my fury. “Ownership is a strong word,” he rebukes, his tone holding an edge of warning.

It’s fucking accurate, that’s what it is. My heart pounds against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat echoing my inner turmoil. Nicklas Knight is many things, but stupid isn’t one of them. He can’t possibly believe I’ll allow him to reduce me to a broodmare. Can he?

“Then find a better one,” I challenge, my body trembling, not just with anger now, but also with a fear I refuse to acknowledge. Fear that he might be too powerful to resist, fear that he’ll break more than just my will.

“Careful, Carolina. You’re not in a position to make demands,” he warns, his voice a low rumble that reverberates through the tension-laden air.

“Neither are you to make such vile propositions,” I counter, knowing full well the danger of provoking him. But I can’t help it—the flame of defiance burns too brightly, even against the tide of my own trepidation.

The air between us crackles with the intensity of our standoff. I’m acutely aware of every breath he takes, the way his nostrils vibrate slightly with barely suppressed irritation. He’s a predator, and I’ve just bared my throat to him. But I won’t back down—not when so much is on the line.

“Sign the contract, Carolina,” he commands, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“No,” I volley, shaking my head. “No way.”

“Carolina!”

“Nicklas,” I say, mirroring his tone. “What’s good for one is good for the other.”

“Meaning?”

Lifting my phone, I unlock it and point at the contract. “Everything I have to do, you do, too.”

He throws his head back and lets out a booming laugh. “You want to own my pleasure, Kitten? Is that it?”

Instead of letting him distract me, I shrug. “Among other things.”

Stretching, he steeples his fingers together behind his neck. “State your terms then, Carolina. Show me your claws.”

“You can only eat and drink the things you allow me to eat and drink,” I say dryly. When he doesn’t object, I grow bolder. “If I have to be available for your pleasure, you have to be available for mine. And—”

“Is that so?”

Ignoring his interruption, I carry on. “And I don’t like the exclusivity clause.” I keep my tone haughty and lift my chin.

His eyes darken until they’re almost black. “What’s your problem with that clause? Don’t tell me you want to fuck other men.” The way he says it makes it clear my answer better be no. “Because while you were on the phone with your sister, I killed the last man that watched what’s mine. And I’ll fucking kill every single person in Manhattan if that’s what it takes for you to understand you’re mine.”

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