Page 62 of Bound By Her

Kaydon Baciu was one of the most peculiar individuals she had ever met.

She wasn’t sure what shocked her more—that he felt comfortable enough to say that to her…

Or that he thought she was capable of it.

She knew what the families called her.

Ice Queen.

A fitting name. She had never taken a lover. She trained male sex slaves as currency, her reputation in the underworld built on discipline and control.

The kind of woman thatdidn’tcare.

Kaydon stepped toward her, slow and deliberate, the weight of his presence filling the space between them.

Adria’s pulse jumped.

Her fingers twitched toward her wristwatch. The cool metal against her skin was a silent promise—one press, and Eric would be there.

Kaydonnoticed.

He stopped.

Didn’t smirk. Didn’t tease. Just leaned against the wall instead, arms crossing lazily over his broad chest.

His sharp eyes flicked down to her watch before lifting back to hers, his mouth curving in amusement.

“You’re supposed to be the big bad wolf,” he mused, voice low, smooth as sin.

The air thickened between them.

“But I haven’t seen any huffing and puffing.”

Adria’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t just flirting. He was baiting her.

Her fingers itched. She wanted to command him to kneel. Wanted to run her fingers through his hair. Feel his muscles tense as she trailed her nails along his torso. But she wasn’t doing what she wanted to do. Not with the stakes this high. She was following Eric’s program. And for now, she was sticking to it.

“Eric will be watching today. Bryson needs to do his own chores, understood?” she said.

Disappointment flashed on his face. But when she didn’t give him more, he said, “Sure thing, boss.”

“This is stupid,” Seth said, throwing his king across the room. “Why do you keep making me do this?”

“Pick it up,” Adria said, her tone hard.

Seth eyed her. His gaze leaving little to the imagination. He hated her.

“You think beating me in chess proves anything?”

Adria repeated, “Pick it up, or Iwillprove something to you.”

Seth’s chair scraped against the floor as he moved from the table, getting the king.

He deliberately set the chess piece on the table and accompanied it with a low bow of his head.

“Just so there aren’t any misunderstandings of what I want you toprove,” he said with a sarcastic flourish.

Things were moving painfully slow.

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