Page 87 of Cruel Dominion

“I want to consume your every thought. I want to know exactly where you are, always. I want to ruin you for anyone else, and make you come so hard, your memories of anyone before me are wiped from that beautiful mind. I want to tie you to me in every way humanly possible.”

I let my hand fall down her chest, to her stomach.

I could feel her pulse tap-tapping against my hand. Speeding like a runaway train. “Can you accept that, Anna? Can you accept all of me?”

When I moved to brush my thumb over her hip, she smacked it away.

“Don’t touch me.”

I removed my hand, but didn’t dare take another step away. If she wanted space from me, she was going to have to take it herself.

After a second, she scoffed, giving me a half-hearted shove before going to get her bag from the kitchen. “I’m going home.”

She stormed down the hall, digging her phone from her purse, presumably to call for a ride.

I got ahead of her, planting myself between her and the door. “You’re not going anywhere right now, Anna.”

Not until I got the call from Paulson saying he caught the bastards that came into town to get my girl. Maybe not even then.

“Yes, I am. Move.”

She shifted right, and I blocked her path again.

“You can’t just do things like this! You can’t just hack my phone and look into my past and listen to my private conversations and check my fucking search history. It’s fucked. Ugh, this is so fucked, just move.”

Anna feigned left and then darted right, ducking under the arm I threw out to stop her, but I used that arm to curl around her waist instead, hauling her back.

She let out a frustrated scream, fighting out of my grip to turn the full force of her fury on me. “I’m going.”

This time, when she pivoted to continue down the hall, I didn’t stop her.

“Lyle, initiate lockdown.”

Anna stopped dead in her tracks, twisting her head to me with shock and confusion all over her face, but just until the electronic voice of my smarthome’s AI replied.

“Initiating lockdown.”

Her eyes went round as saucers.

She bolted for the door, but the metallic sounds of locks engaging on every exit in the villa echoed like fifty hammers striking iron. Then came the whir of the emergency shutters coming down over the windows. I had to admit, it was impressive if a little dramatic.

I hadn’t needed to use this little feature since buying the place, but a glorious satisfaction came over me as the house sealed itself from anything and everything that could hurt my little siren.

Anna pulled on the door handle, fighting with the locking mechanism.

“Shall I alert the authorities, Mr. Cole?” Lyle, the AI controlling the house asked and Anna stopped fighting with the door, looking up at the ceiling like she was trying to find the source of the voice, her chest heaving.

“That won’t be necessary, Lyle.”

“Lyle!” Anna shouted. “Lyle, open the front door.”

Lyle didn’t reply.

“It’s coded to my voice, Anna. You aren’t leaving until I say you’re leaving.”

21

ANNA

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