Page 14 of Candy Cane Chains

She moves closer, until she's standing between my knees. I catch her wrist, tugging her down to sit across my lap. She's light, delicate - like a bird that might take flight at any moment. But she doesn't. Instead, she leans into me, her body softening against mine.

My lips brush her ear, feeling her shiver. "You're mine now." The words come out in a whisper, but they carry the weight of a promise.

She swallows hard - I can see the movement in her throat, watch that little crescent moon birthmark dance with the motion. But she doesn't pull away. Doesn't fight.

Her hand rests on my chest, fingers splayed across my shirt. The vanilla scent of her skin mingles with the pine from the Christmas tree. She turns her face toward mine, those amber eyes wide but steady. The fear is still there, but something else too - acceptance, maybe. Or surrender.

I tighten my grip on her waist, anchoring her to me. "Say it," I demand softly.

"I'm yours," she whispers, the words barely audible over the hum of the heating system.

My other hand finds her chin, tilting her face up. "Again."

"I'm yours," she repeats, stronger this time.

I swipe my thumb along her jaw. "And you're going to be very good for me, aren't you?" She nods emphatically, and a smile pulls at my lips. "That's right."

I pull her mouth to mine, kissing her deeply, and when I pull away, she's grinning wide. Happiness is written all over her features, glad that I have approved.

Fuck, she is so perfect for me.

7

IVY

Isit in the living room, flipping through a magazine as I count his footsteps. Julian has just left to go to his office, and I wait as he goes down the hall. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three- The heavy oak door clicks shut.

I've taken the time to learn the layout of the apartment. I can't let this guy keep me locked up here - even if my traitorous body doesn't get why. I've been eating up all his attention, all his praise, the way he lays claim to his body.

But the moments that I'm alone, I remind myself that I cannot just stay here. I'm trapped. A prisoner. I have a life outside of this and while I might be enjoying the Christmas wonderland I've been trapped in, it's not real. Julian is dangerous, and I have to remember that.

I have to get out of here.

The service entrance beckons from the end of the hallway, a siren song of freedom. My heels are already in my hand, stockinged feet silent against the marble floors as I creep toward my escape route.

Sweat beads at my temples. The security panel by the door glows an eerie green, taunting me. I punch in the code Imemorized from watching the staff—2-4-7-9. The light flashes red.

"Shit." My hands shake as I try again. Red. Again. Red.

"The code changes every morning at six." Julian's voice slides over me like ice water. "But you already knew that, didn't you, Ivy?"

I freeze, unable to turn around. Unable to face him. His presence fills the narrow hallway, crushing the air from my lungs.

"Look at me."

My body betrays me, pivoting before my brain can protest. Julian leans against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. His expression is blank—terrifyingly blank—but disappointment radiates from him in waves that make my knees weak.

"I had such high hopes for you." He pushes off the wall, each deliberate step toward me echoing in my bones. "I thought you wanted to please me. To be the girl I expect."

"I-" The word catches in my throat as he crosses to where I stand and towers over me, close enough that his cologne floods my senses.

"Do you know what happens to people who disappoint me, sweet girl?"

His finger traces my jawline, the touch so gentle it makes me shiver. But his eyes - those impossible ice-blue eyes - they promise something else entirely. Something that makes my heart slam against my ribs like it's trying to escape.

I should have known better. Should have realized he'd be three steps ahead. The service entrance was too obvious, too easy. And now I'm trapped between the devil and his locked door, with nothing but my thundering pulse and the weight of his disappointment pressing down on me like a physical thing.

Julian's finger lingers on my jaw, his touch feather-light but searing. "Disobedience has consequences, Ivy." His voice is low,even. A statement of fact, not a threat. "And I always punish those who disappoint me."

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