Page 28 of Captive Vows
He chuckled, and I could’ve sworn Luka almost smiled.
Seated at the table as the plates were taken away, Luka and I stayed put.
“You do remember that I own you,” he said, breaking the silence.
I sighed, resting my chin in my hand, my elbow on the table.
Like I could forget.
“I could sell you at any second.”
Uh-huh.
“I could give you to someone else and let them put up with you.”
I blinked.You think that hasn’t crossed my mind?
Moving so quickly that I couldn’t be prepared, he startled me by gripping the corner of my chair and shifting it suddenly. The feet scraped on the floor. My hair whipped into my face. I’d been seated to his right, my chair perpendicular to his. Now, with his jerky movement, I was leaning forward, nearly nose-to-nose with him.
I held my breath. I locked down, too tense to dare to exhale as I focused on his heated stare.
“Nothing to say to that?” he asked in a low, gruff growl.
I licked my lips, hating how I stared at his.
He wouldn’t beat me at this game. He wouldn’t make me break. I would get out of here, and I would do so without defeat.
Another long stare-down tormented me. He didn’t push, he didn’t demand. Only watching me like this, so close and in a bubble of our own, he tested me.
What?
What is it?
What do you see? What do you want to see in me? You say you own me but you don’t. You never will. Why can’t you just give up and let me go?
Getting sucked into his orbit would be the stupidest thing I could do. That was why I resisted, why I fought. It was why I stubbornly protested how my body reacted. In my mind, I could be strong and stand up to him. I could carry on without talking to him. But under his dark, hungry gaze, I reacted.
My nipples stiffened.
An ache blossomed and spread from between my legs.
And this illogical and nonsensical need to close the distance between us just so I could feel him was shredding my patience.
“Or…” He leaned in to grab the armrests of my chair to drag me closer yet. “Are you getting used to howIput up with you?”
Lifting my head, I met his gaze and scowled.
No.
You won’t win.
You won’t break me.
No matter wh?—
“Come.” He stood, almost chilling me with the absence of his body so close to me. He hadn’t touched me, not really, but just being this near him, I felt all the warmth emanating from his big body.
On his feet, he straightened his jacket and extended his hand toward me.
