Page 14

The maid didn’t do my laundry again.

Sighing, I stare at the mound of clothes piling up in the corner of my room, a chaotic mix of crumpled shirts, jeans, workout gear and jerseys.

It’s not like I don’t pay her well enough, but lately it seems like she’s either slacking off, or ignoring the things I need done. I run a hand through my hair in frustration, mentally adding this to the growing list of annoyances.

Laundry was the last thing I wanted to deal with after today’s mess. Shaking my head, I make a note to have a word with her later.

For now, I strip off my sweater and shirt and toss it onto the pile, my jeans joining soon after. I ignore my continuously buzzing phone on my nightstand and head straight for the shower.

Turning on the water, I stand under the warm spray, letting it wash the tension off my body. The heat loosens my muscles, but my mind remains restless, racing…

Rhea…

Everything about her draws me in, her defiance, her stubbornness… It irritated and intrigued me at the same time, triggering a need to control, to dominate, protect and nurture–something I’d never wanted with a woman before.

As the water cascades over me, I close my eyes, trying to make sense of it all. There’s something raw about her, something untamed, and there’s no fucking way on God’s green earth she is going to say no to me. No fucking way.

Control and dominance come naturally to me, but with her, it’s more than that. I want to protect her, even if she doesn’t want it. I want her to need me, to submit but still fight back. I run a hand through my hair, the heat of the shower doing nothing to calm the storm inside.

I take my dick in my hand and start stroking, the base of my spine tingling as I think about her lips and her pretty rejection.

I grin, knowing soon enough I’ll be fucking that beautiful face.

I can picture it. Her on her knees before me in this exact tub.

The water spraying her eyes as she stares up at me, taking my dick like a good fucking girl.

I don’t know if I want to come down her throat or all over her face.

I groan as my fingers trace over my tip with the conditioner, imagining it’s her smooth lips. She has no idea the hold she had over me, how she could have me on my knees, just for a taste of her.

She can’t know.

I picture Rhea on her knees, her wild gaze melting into a soft, needy look as she sticks her tongue out, waiting for my cum. I work my dick harder as the hot water pours over my body.

What I would give to have her…right now.

I try to push out the creeping thoughts, the Reaper’s veiled threats–the consequences looming over my head–and try to focus on her. She is going to be mine.

That thought was enough to push me over the edge. Moaning her name, I shoot my release all over the shower tiles, the intensity almost making my knees buckle. What a waste.

When Rhea is mine, I’d make sure to never waste it again. I’ll make sure her hips are up, allowing my cum to crawl deep inside her where it can’t escape.

My balls tingle at the fucking thought.

The water runs hotter, but it can’t burn away the pull I feel. The deal I offered her… I meant it. She needs protection, and I can give it to her. But it’s not just about keeping her safe—it’s about keeping her close, keeping her mine.

She has been anxious since that night, and it shows.

The usual spark in her eyes is dimmed, replaced by a shadow of worry she can’t quite shake.

Every time I see her, I notice the way her fingers fidget, how she glances over her shoulder like she was waiting for something to go wrong.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why—after what happened, she has every reason to be on edge.

The weight of her secret must be eating her alive, and she has no one to turn to. No one except me, which is why she was following me. Well, she won’t have me if she doesn’t accept my offer.

And that’s exactly what I’m counting on.

There’s no way she’s going to say no.

I step out of the shower, drying myself off with a towel, but my mind stays fixated on Rhea.

She’s desperate, scared, and trapped in a corner—exactly where I need her to be.

The thought sends a pulse of satisfaction through me.

She thinks she has options, that she can figure a way out of this mess on her own, but eventually, she’ll realize the truth.

She needs me.

She’s too proud, too stubborn to give in this easily. But she will. She has no choice. I know her well enough now. She’s probably pacing somewhere, her mind spinning with how to get out of the deal without caving to me.

Good luck with that, Dove.

I towel off quickly and grab my phone, scrolling through the unanswered texts and missed calls. Most from Ezra, some from Noah, and Brody. Even Coach.

None from Rhea, of course.

Absently, I click open the social media app, tapping on her profile as I have many times before.

A slow grin spreads across my face as I take in her posts again…

the mundane pictures and comments that are almost seared into my brain.

Stopping at a picture of her smiling in front of the metallic statue by the students center, my mind skips back to our little confrontation.

Fuck! The way she had stood up to me today, her voice shaking with anger but still holding steady—it only made me want her more. That defiance, that fire… She’s not like the others. She’ll fight, resist, but eventually, she’ll give in.

The memory of her words, the way her eyes sparked with fury, plays on a loop in my head. She’ll crack. It’s just a matter of time. The anticipation of her finally accepting the deal—accepting me—is what fuels me now.

I want to hear her admit it. That she needs me to keep her secret safe. That without me, everything unravels. And when she does, she’ll be mine. Completely.