Page 58 of Survival

His arrogance wasstarting to piss me off.

“I’d call it love,” he said seriously, staring straight intomy eyes.

I was silent for amoment, shocked he even knew what the word was, but obviously, hehad no idea what it even meant.

“Wait, are you really … expecting me … to fall in love withyou? Because Stockholm Syndrome really isn’t mything.”

“You really underestimate my methods of persuasion, don’tyou?” he said with danger gleaming from hiseyes.

“And you underestimate my inner strength,” I saidconfidently.

His face grew intoa menacing gaze, and though it terrified me, I refused to backdown.

“I told you I was going to enjoy breaking you, Jaden. By thetime I’m through with you, I’ll be so deep in your mind, you won’tknow which way is up anymore. All you’ll be able to think about ispleasing me because it’s the only thing that will protect you frommy rage should you ever disobey me. And finally, when I have youtwisted so nicely around my fingers, everything will become secondnature and you won’t have to think about it anymore. You’ll be ableto anticipate my will and then you can live the happy life I wantfor you.”

God, I was sodisgusted by his words. All I wanted to do was shove his stupidfucking delirious head under the water until the bubblesstoppedbreaching.

“What you want is a goddamn robot with tits and a vagina. Now,let me go. You’ve officially ruined my mood … again,” I said tryingto pull myself from his hips. He laughed at me again and thenpulled me tighter to him, bringing me inches from hisface.

“I’ll let you go when I damn well please, whichwillbe never, bythe way,” he growled at me.

The lightningstrike of the thunderstorm approaching over the horizon and thethunder rolling along with it caught myattention.

“Darren,” I said, nodding my head over hisshoulder.

“What?” he snarled turning to lookbehindhim. Adisappointed sigh slipped from his nose as he turned back around.“Time to go.”

He kept a stronghold on me as he walked us back to shore until my feet couldfinally touch the ground without the water being over my head. Hecontinued to keep a firm grip on my hip, ushering me through thewater until we reached our blanket.

The wind waspicking up as we put the contents from our picnic back into thebasket. Darren picked up the blanket, shook the sand from it, andthen draped it over his shoulder. I picked up the basket, and hegrabbed the umbrella, folding it back up and leaning it against hisshoulder as well. He took my hand in his, and we walked back up tothe house.

Tension remainedaround us from our argument, or maybe it was just me since I knew Iwas the one not getting their way. When we got to the back patio,Darren leaned the umbrella and blanket over the side railing of thepatio and ushered me inside the house just as the rain began tofall.

We were stillsoaking wet from our swim, and I felt a little awkward standing inhis living room while I dripped water on hishardwoodfloor. Whyhadn’t we brought towels?

The airconditioning was starting to chill my skin as Darren took thebasket from my hands and set itona nearby table. He then looked over at meand noticed I was starting to shiver.

“Hmm …”he said, rubbing his chin. “I’ll give you three choices—hot tub,sauna, or shower.”

ChapterSeventeen

Admission

I raised myeyebrows in surprise at the vast amount of choices now laid out atmy feet, and I didn’t hesitate in case he decided to take themaway.

“Shower,” I said immediately. I needed to get this salt wateroff my skin before I became too itchy.

“Good choice,” he said. And then he stopped and looked at mefor a second. A grin slid across his face. “Wait here just onesecond.”

My brows furrowedas he took off into the parlor. He was gone for only a few secondsbut as I continued to shiver, my irritation grew. I wrapped my wetarms around my torso in a failed attempt to keep myself warm untilDarren finally came back, holding two large shot glasses and abottle of Jack Daniel’s.

“How about a shot of Jack to warm you up?” Hegrinned.

I liftedoneeyebrowat him,surprised he was offering me one of my favorite brands of whiskey,but then grew angry at the lack of towels I expected him to bringback.

“I thought you were bringing us some towels,” I said with agrimace.

“You won’t need a towel in a minute,” he replied as he pouredthe whiskey into the glasses and handed meone.