Mine.
For now.
NINETEEN
JAKE
Ipaced the wooden floorboards of my room. The air had grown thick with worry. Sarah sat on the edge of my bed, drawing nervous circles on the luxurious cream covers with a finger.
I’d told her I wanted to talk to her after dinner, but so far I’d failed to find the right words. I swallowed hard, trying to erase my dry mouth.
But there was no way I could back out. I needed to please Drew. Needed him to be happy with me.
‘I need to tell you something,’ I said. I had to force the words past the solid lump in my throat.
She blinked up at me, her brows furrowing with concern.
‘What is it? You’re scaring me.’
I raked a hand through my hair. ‘I’ve been getting lessons from Drew.’
‘What lessons?’ Her fingers stilled, and I ceased my pacing, my stomach doing flip-flops.Now or never.
‘In how to dominate you.’
She blinked, her eyes narrowing. ‘You’ve been letting Drew meddle with us?’
‘To helpus.’
Her lips parted. Her sharp inhale was audible.
‘You did it for us? You know I didn’t like him?’
‘Didn’t?’ I questioned, something in her voice snagging my attention. The past tense of the word made me freeze.
‘Don’t,’ she corrected, shifting on the bed.
‘I love you,’ I said, kneeling in front of her, my chest tightening. ‘All I wanted was to make you happy. To give you everything you deserve.’
‘Do you really think it could work?’ She gathered my hands in hers.
‘He hasalreadyhelped. And everything I’ve done so far… it was still me. Not him.’
Her voice wavered. ‘So what now? He keeps feeding you lines, and then you come back and parrot it like an experiment?’
I shook my head.
‘No. He says it’s time for the next step. Drew wants us to do it together.In person. He wantsme to see what I’m missing. How to do it properly.’
She choked on her response. Panic filled me as I waited for her to respond.
She didn’t.
‘He asked me to bring you to the library. Tonight. To strip you naked and have you crawl in on your knees and submit. To show me what it is you crave. To help me be the man you need.’
‘What if he fucks me, Jake?’ Her voice cracked. ‘What then? Will you be able to look at me the same way ever again?’
I cupped her face and swallowed hard. ‘What if he fuckedme? Would you look at me the same?’
