That might be the most appealing part of her. She’s from my world. If I told her I couldn’t bear to count how many people I’ve killed, though I could draw every one of their faces, that wouldn’t scare her. Would she understand if I said I want to take the business straight? Ish. I think she would. Maybe one of those companies that tests your security. I can see her by my side as we build something better.
I’m not going to let her go. She’s mine, but doesn’t know that yet. I lie next to her and stroke her skin idly, as though I’m not obsessed with her. And that’s when I hear it.
“Cleo.”
“How did you know I’m awake?” Her voice is sweet and still throaty with sleep.
“Your breathing. I heard it change.”
She heaves a sigh. “I’ll have to work on not exhaling so loudly. Nearly got me killed last night.”
I shake my head. “Last night it was your scent that gave you away. Like lemon meringue.”
“I thought you were asleep,” she murmurs.
“I don’t sleep much. Too many things to do.” I smooth my hands over her side and she arches into my touch.
Yes. This.
Then her body tenses. “How do you know my name?”
My hand stills. Then slips over her abdomen and tightens. I knew this moment would come. The depth of my obsession for Cleo was never going to stay hidden forever. I just thought it would be secret for a little longer. “Because I searched for you, Cleo. One evening wasn’t enough. I searched. I neglected my work, I let people off. I’ve barely slept for six months without you, Cinderella.”
“But…” She shifts and before I can stop myself I grip her close to me, then I realise she’s trying to turn over, towards me. I allow her. “Ian, I nearly killed you.”
“My bonnie, bonnie lass. I know.” I take in her black hair, spread across my pillow. Plush pink lips. A little swollen maybe, from taking my cock. Blue eyes. I’ve never seen anything as lovely as her. And she’s peeved. My dangerous love. She’s like a furious kitten. Yes, she has claws that will slice me open, but she is impossible to take seriously because my heart swells with affection that she’s so cute. And mine.
“In the photos.” She pushes my shoulder and I obediently roll onto my back, taking her with me. She sits up, straddling me. “You had a beard. And it said you were shorter. Ian, I didn’t recognise you. I nearly shot you from across the room.”
“Risk worth taking.” I shrug although someone is going to get disposed of for planting the old photos with the Whitlocks and not being able to judge height. “You didn’t shoot, and now I have you.”
“Ian!” She slaps my bare chest and I swear she’s enjoying repeating my name, like I’ve said her name over and over as I’ve jerked off in the last couple of months. “Be serious!”
I just laugh and catch her hand, lacing our fingers. We fit perfectly. Her little hand notches into my bigger one. Being with her is like a strategy happening exactly as I designed.
She takes me in and seems a little unsure. “What do we do now? Since I’m your captive.”
“We have breakfast. Plan our life together. Then I take your virginity.” And it’s just a guess from how she responded last night, like everything was fresh and new, but it’s accurate because her eyes open wide and she bites her lip, and nods.
I smirk. Speechless at last. I will be her first and only.
I grab her up into my arms, squeezing her bottom as I stand and carry her to the wardrobe. I slide her down my chest and wrap her in one of my white shirts. She rolls up the sleeves and buttons the front as I dress. I tuck her into my side and she fits perfectly under my arm as we walk down the grand staircase.
In the kitchen I push Cleo onto a sofa and make coffee, lacing hers with milk and sugar. Then I cook breakfast. Toasted oats cooked with lashings of cream. Honey, chopped dates, and crunchy seeds on top.
She chatters, examining everything, passing her fingers over ornaments, and pointing out flaws in my security. I admit I left half my alarms off deliberately to be sure she got in and she tells me off like we’ve already been married for a decade.
I love it. I adore her.
“This is so good.” She gives me a running dialogue of what parts of the breakfast she likes. I listen and fuck I adore her vibrancy. I probably should be ashamed of being crazy about a girl half my age, but I don’t care. I’m gone for my lass. My cock is solid just looking at her.
“About the plan,” I say once we’re on our second cup of coffee, comfortable as if we’ve been doing this for years.
She opens her mouth and I put my finger over her pink lips, silencing her.
“I want your utter capitulation. Every part of your surrender. I will own every part of you, body and soul, and the only compensation you’ll have is to own me too.” Hardly a fair exchange. Her sparkling beauty and innocence for my scarred, embattled self. That and an obscene amount of money. She’ll never want for anything.
“I will provide endless pleasure. I’ll make you come so hard and thoroughly, you’ll be ruined for any other man.” I’m not above playing dirty. I’ll make her body my own. “I need you to be irrefutably mine. So much so, it cannot be denied by anyone that you belong to me.”
