Page 86 of Cruel Dominion

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” she interrupted. “Is there anything else you’re hiding from me now. Since I got home.”

Dodged that bullet. But I’d have to eat another one.

“All right. Yes. I had my PI look into you as soon as you were back in town.”

She didn’t look surprised, more vindicated than anything. Like I was confirming something for her she already knew and judged.

“Your dad did a pretty good job erasing every trace of you from existence after you left. For years, I had no idea where you were. If you were even alive. We only got a few leads on where you were after you were already on your way back.”

“You really had no right to invade my privacy like that.”

“I know for a fact that you would have done the same thing if you had the money and our roles were reversed,” I said and her eyes narrowed. “You were just as curious about me as I was about you. I know you kept up with me online. Searching for me, looking at my pictures.”

Her jaw dropped.

There it was. My other dirty little secret.

“How could you possibly know…”

I saw the moment it dawned on her and lifted my chin in the face of her icy glare.

“You hacked into my phone, didn’t you? Into my search history?”

Her cheeks turned an absolutely delicious shade of pink.

“Yes,” I replied simply. “I could also mirror the screen and when it was necessary, I listened to your live audio.”

She looked like she couldn’t decide whether to laugh or scream. Blinking like an owl. Opening and closing her mouth like some kind of adorable amphibian.

She wasn’t surprised I had an investigator looking into her past, but she was shocked at this?

I didn’t see all that much difference.

“When…necessary?”

I pressed my lips together. Touché.

“Okay. Not always when necessary.”

She backed away another step, almost tripping on the coffee table. I lurched to catch her but she gave me a look that could’ve curdled dairy and I sat back down. For now.

“What the actual fuck, Carter?”

I steepled my fingers, pressing them to my lips to sigh against them.

“I’m a possessive man, Anna,” I said, drinking in every inch of her.

She shivered at the attention, betraying her misplaced rage.

“You’re so fucked up,” she said, almost to herself as she shook her head.

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

I pushed to my feet and slowly closed the gap between us, not stopping until I was inches away and her calves were pressed into the edge of the coffee table.

“I’m not ashamed of what I am or what I want, Anna. I know I can be controlling and overpowering. I want things from you that are definitely fucked up. It’s because I want all of you.”

I ran my thumb over her lower lip, and her breath hitched.

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