I had no doubt she hated me for kidnapping her. I could see how conflicted she was about wanting me when I was her captor. But the thought of her enjoying this push-and-pull and challenge between us excited me.

“It would be pointless for me to lie and say that I didn’t enjoy that.” She lowered her gaze to eye my dick. It lay glistening from our cum as it stuck to my thigh. When she sighed, I held in a growl of desire. Just her looking at me like that threatened to make me hard again. I’djustcome so intensely that I’d almost blacked out over her back, yet I already lusted for her again.

“I’m not complaining,” she admitted wryly.

I smiled again, worried she could be putting a spell on me, lazy and honest like this, just talking.

“But being here like this is my worst fear realized.”

“Explain.”

She arched one brow. “Wouldyouwant to be someone’s captive?”

“I hated it.”

She blinked.

“You’ve been captured before?”

I nodded. “A rival family kidnapped me and tortured me for three nights before I killed them all and escaped.”

Her throat flexed with a smile, but I had to give her credit for not looking away. Her stubbornness to face me seemed like a tiny step toward her acknowledging I was a ruthless, dangerous man. And still, she was staying cool.

“Have you been threatened by someone before?” I asked her. Sure, no one wanted to be kidnapped. That was a given. But she seemed especially antsy about it. “Has someone else tried to take you captive?”

She smirked. “I already told you about that.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you haven’t really talked at all since you’ve been here.” Goading her about beating her out of that silence was too fun.

“At first, I did,” she argued. “That first night before you locked me in here like a caged animal.”

When she didn’t elaborate, I waited her out with an expectant stare. And won.

“I told you about how Lenny almost forced me into that van, when the Mafia men were taking dancers.”

I nodded, brushing her hair back from her face. She didn’t flinch or try to shy away, and I was glad that she was getting used to my touch. Soon, she’d crave it.

“I don’t like the idea of being controlled by you,” she added.

Too late for that.She was mine, and I would control her and keep her. Her purpose would be to act as my mistress and give me a child, but I didn’t have the desire to hover and lord over her like some bastard owner.

Sequestering her in my room forever wasn’t a feasible option. It wasn’t my goal, either. I only needed to knock her up to secure her staying here as a kept woman, but I would need to draw the parameters for her freedom within the house. I hadn’t given it enough thought yet, too busy with this temporary leadership over the family. I had no time to babysit her myself. And the idea of delegating a soldier to watch over her didn’t appeal either because she was mine, no one else’s.

“I don’t like the idea of being controlled by any man.”

“Has that happened to you before?” I asked.

“Yes.” She frowned. “And no.”

“How?”

She shifted to put both of her hands beneath her face, and it emphasized her breasts smushing together. Keeping myself in check was proving difficult, but I didn’t want to lose this moment.

When she didn’t reply, I caught on quickly to the fact that she would not offer any further information unless I directly asked her a specific question. While that was kind of a pain in the ass, I would rather have her open up to me of her own accord. I understood that she had to be feeling vulnerable, and I reminded myself to keep a considerable pace with her.

Before she could reply, I gestured for her to get up with me. Enough time had to have passed by now for my cum to take. I hoped.

Instead of lounging with our juices drying on our skin, I took her hand and led her to the bathroom so we could clean up. Once we were under the hot spray of water, close together as I washed her first, I was pleased with how receptive she was of my taking care of her. I was pleased that she didn’t try to hide or flee.