Page 25 of Taken Online

“Good weird?” I asked.

Asher hesitated. “Yeah and… no. He kind of made me feel like a loser. But also like a person?”

He coughed, clearly uncomfortable. His cheeks flushed.

Bambi.

God, even now, I could feel my heart beat faster. I still hated his boyfriend. But maybe a little less.

Asher is still mine. And I’ll make sure he feels like a person with me too. A perfect person. Because he is perfect.

“I see. Did your task get in the way of connecting with him more?”

He shook his head. “Not really.”

What does that mean?

I didn’t want to pry too hard. Not yet. I couldn’t risk seeming possessive.

He leaned back into the couch, and I imagined him smiling up at some faceless guy. Letting him in. Telling him about the task. Maybe giving him instructions.

Don’t let me come, okay?

My watch vibrated. I checked the time.

No.

Asher recognized the buzz, and before I could stop him, he pulled off the blindfold.

No, no, no.

I needed more time.

Or maybe this was for the best. I wasn’t thinking rationally. I needed to get the hardwire reinstalled.

I needed to see who this man was. Who he let touch one of my holes.

“Okay, Asher. Time’s up.” My voice came out rougher than intended. My hands were shaking, but I doubted he noticed.

“Next task: I want you to create some distance from your boyfriend. Just for a short while. I’m trying to gauge your personal dependency on him.”

It was bullshit. Did it sound believable?

I just didn’t want him near that man until I found out who he was.

“Is that necessary?” Asher frowned. “I mean… what does that have to do—”

“You’ve displayed behavioral patterns that may suggest potential reliance on sexual interaction for emotional grounding. I need to assess your stability in isolation.”

He looked a bit defeated.

So I reached out, gently cupping his cheek.

He froze. His brown eyes widened, pupils blown. His lips parted slightly.

“You’ll do great. And if you need more… professional support, message me instead, okay?”

My voice softened. He needed to feel like I cared. Because I did.

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