Page 32 of Captive Prize

Instead, I used that energy and forced it toward anger and control.

Two could play his game, but I didn’t want to play his game.

I wanted to force him to play mine.

Throwing my head back, I let out a laugh.

A dark taunting laugh that sounded a little hysterical even to my own ears.

He sat back, his eyes widening, not expecting that.

Good. If I wanted to survive this, I needed to throw him off his stride.

“You expect me to spill my secrets just because you asked nicely?” I laughed again, then cocked my head and spoke slowly, using small words like I was talking to a child. “Just because you say please doesn’t mean I’m going to give you what you want.”

He shook his head, his dark curls falling in front of his face.

“I was hoping you’d make this easy,” he said. “But of course, you just had to be difficult.”

“Were you, really?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

He gave me another knee-weakening smirk. “You’re right. I wanted you to be difficult. It’s so much more fun for me if you fight.”

I opened my mouth to snap back, but he stood up to his full height and I couldn’t help but marvel at how big he was.

I had stood next to him, in front of him, and even had his body pressed against mine, and somehow his sheer size still caught me off guard.

His hand cupped my cheek and tilted my face up as he leaned down, hovering over me.

For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me.

My lips parted as I waited for the feel of his mouth devouring mine, but it stopped just a breath from touching me.

He was close enough that I could count the thick, dark lashes that framed his eyes as he looked into mine. “Last chance. Be my good girl, and I’ll… reward you. I can take away all your pain, all your stress, and protect you. All you have to do is tell me what I need to know. All you have to do is give in to me and I will give you the world.”

And just like that, I went from my heart racing and heat pooling in my core to dead cold.

Why couldn’t men understand?

I didn’t want his protection.

I didn’t need him to give me the world.

The world meant nothing if it was handed to me.

I wanted to take it for myself.

I leaned up, closing the distance between our lips even more. Now I could practically taste the dark spicy rum as it danced across my tongue, and I wanted more.

But I refused to be a little girl who just gave in to her wants on a whim.

I was a woman who was in control of her wants and desires.

There were more important things to fight for than a quick, meaningless fuck with this man.

“Go fuck yourself,” I said before collapsing back in the chair.

He stood to his full height and shook his head like he was disappointed in me.

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