Page 33 of Captive Prize

I refused to acknowledge the pang of regret that echoed in my chest.

He didn’t back away.

Instead, he pushed a little closer.

His hands hovered at his belt, unmoving.

He wasn’t rushing.

He wanted me to think about it.

To anticipate it.

To wonder—was this about power, about pain, or about something else entirely?

He held my gaze.

Then, deliberately, he unhooked the belt buckle with a soft metallicclink.

One loop at a time, he slid the belt free from his slacks, the leather whispering with each slow tug.

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t have to.

The sound alone was a threat.

Finally, he held the belt loosely in one hand, letting it dangle between us.

“I wanted to be nice to you,printsessa.”

My heart raced as I swallowed around the fear I desperately tried to hide.

My breath hitched, and the cold steel on my ankles felt tighter.

He wasn’t rushing.

He wanted me to think about it. To wonder.

Was it punishment? A threat? Or something worse?

“Don’t do me any favors,” I said with more bravery than I felt.

“Fine. If you want to act like a brat, I have no problem punishing you like one.”

CHAPTER 10

ROMAN

With one quick movement, I looped the leather belt around her throat and pulled it tight.

Not tight enough that she couldn’t breathe, but I wanted to make sure she was reminded of who exactly was in charge.

I kept getting the strangest impression that she thought she was.

It was kind of cute, in the same way a kitten hissing at you was cute.

She fought; of course she fought.

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