Page 20 of Bought and Enjoyed

I turned to face Lucas, my breath catching at the intensity in his gaze. His blue eyes had darkened, filled with a hunger that both thrilled and terrified me. My resolve of a moment before, to submit, wavered. I knew some of what this man expected, the same thing Martin had expected—the thing I had agreed to by accepting his offer.Fucking.My body thrummed with arousal, even as nerves fluttered in my stomach.

Just submit, I told myself.Let him take control.

But as I opened my mouth to speak—to offer myself to him, perhaps—Lucas’ expression suddenly changed. The warmth I’d glimpsed earlier vanished, replaced by a cold, almost cruel smile that made my blood run cold.

“Tell me, Alice,” he said, his voice stern, a sonic match for his terrifying face, “did you enjoy yourself last night?”

I blinked in confusion. “Last night? I’m not sure what you?—”

“Oh, I think you do,” he interrupted, his blue eyes boring into mine. “You see, the Selecta Arrangements app is quite… thorough in its communication with Platinum Elite members like me. I received a notification informing me that you were engaging in some rather self-indulgent activities.”

My blood ran cold as understanding dawned. No. It couldn’t be.

“What do you mean?” I whispered, though I already knew the answer.

Lucas’ lips curved into a predatory smile. “I mean, my dear, that I was alerted when you began touching yourself. And I was given the opportunity to watch.”

Shame and horror flooded through me. I felt my face flame scarlet as I remembered my fevered imaginings, my fingersworking desperately between my thighs as I pictured Lucas spanking me.

“That’s… that’s impossible,” I stammered. “How could you possibly?—”

“Observe?” Lucas said coolly. He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. Suddenly, the lights in my apartment dimmed. A panel slid open in the wall, revealing a hidden screen that flickered to life.

I stared at the screen in abject horror, my mind reeling as I watched myself writhing on the bed, lost in the throes of self-pleasure. The footage was grainy but unmistakable. My face burned with humiliation as I realized Lucas had seen everything—my most private, intimate moments laid bare.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head in denial. “This can’t be real. How is this possible?”

Lucas stepped closer, his imposing presence filling my senses. “Oh, it’s very real,ma chère. The Selecta Arrangements program is quite thorough in monitoring its associates. For your protection, of course, as well as my pleasure.”

CHAPTER 9

Alice

Lucas’ tone sounded casual, almost amused, which only intensified my mortification. I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling exposed despite being fully clothed.

“But… but that’s a violation of privacy!” I protested weakly.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Is it? You agreed to the terms when you signed up, Alice. Perhaps you should have looked more closely at what you signed.”

My chest filled with fury at myself. Whathadn’tI agreed to, I wondered suddenly, with a thrill of fear.

“Now then,” Lucas continued, the stern edge in his voice taking on an even harsher tone. “We need to discuss your behavior. From this moment on, touching yourself without permission is strictly forbidden for you, as my fuck toy.”

My body’s reaction to this sudden descent into coarseness and brutality took me utterly by surprise. I felt my knees literallywobble as between my legs I clenched so hard that a whimper escaped my lips. My jaw went slack and I stared at Lucas, my eyes undoubtedly bulging with the intensity of my attempt to disbelieve what he had just said.

I remembered with a mounting blush that I had felt myself respond in something like this fashion to Martin’s less skillful use of degradation. Something like this: at the same time, nothing like this, because for a moment I really thought I would swoon and sink to the floor.

Lucas’ eyes narrowed as he watched the emotions play across my face. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of concern in those icy blue depths. But then his expression hardened once more, and he stepped toward me with predatory grace.

“You’re trembling,ma chère,” he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. “Are you afraid? Or simply overwhelmed by the realization of what you’ve become?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. My mind reeled, unable to process the rapid shifts in his demeanor. Just moments ago, we had been engaged in stimulating conversation about medieval history. Now Lucas stood before me, radiating dominance and raw sexuality.

He moved closer still, backing me up against the wall. I could feel the heat of his body, smell the intoxicating blend of his cologne and something uniquely male. My breath came in short, ragged gasps as I tilted my head back to meet his gaze.

“You signed yourself over to me, Alice,” Lucas growled, his breath hot against my ear. “Your body, your pleasure—they belong to me now. And I intend to claim what’s mine.”

Before I could react, Lucas’ strong arms encircled me. One hand tangled in my hair, gripping tightly as he pulled my head back. The other pressed against the small of my back, crushing me against his muscular chest.

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