Page 22 of Taken By Him

“It just fell over on its own?” I ask with a raised brow. “That’s an odd thing for a heavy book like this to do, don’t you think?”

She’s holding her ground. No matter how caught she is, she’s trying to find a way out. Since there’s no real harm done, I could just let her leave. Let her go hide back in her room. But I’m not a good guy. I never claimed to be, and I never will.

“Stand up, Kasia,” I say, snapping the book closed and shoving it back on the shelf.

“I’ll stay out of your damn office, Dominik,” she says and shoves out the chair, making a break for the door.

I stop her easily enough with one arm wrapped around her middle.

“Where you going, sweetheart?” I ask on a chuckle. “We’re just talking.” I pull her back to me.

“Dominik. Let me go,” she says, smacking my hands.

“No,” I say, holding her to me tighter and forcing her to walk across the room to the wall. With a shove, I pin her to the wall with one hand pressed between her shoulder blades.

“I hate you. I really fucking hate you,” she says, struggling to push back against me.

“That’s okay. But what’s not okay is snooping in my office and lying about it.” I move closer to her, pressing my chest against her back. My cock is steel hard and I can tell the moment she feels it pushed against her ass. She freezes. It’s only for a second, but it’s there.

“I was just...” She doesn’t even finish the lie.

“You want to know about me? About who I am?” I whisper in her ear. Fuck, she smells like vanilla and lilacs. It shouldn’t make a difference, but it makes my need for her become even greater. As much as I like the scent, I want my own on her. I want her to wear me like a brand.

“I know who you are.” She shoves back again. I’ll give her credit, she’s a fighter. “You’re a fucking monster.”

I grab hold of her braid and pull her head back until I’m able to look into those dark brown eyes.

“You think your father’s any different? You think any man he married you off to would be kinder? I haven’t touched you since you got here. A lesser man would have already taken what’s his.” I’m not sure why I say this. It’s not relevant, but somehow, I need her to know I’ve shown restraint. As much as I’ve wanted to sink myself between her thighs since seeing her bare ass that first night, I’ve held back. I vowed to myself I’d leave her untouched until we were married. But fuck if she isn’t making it hard to keep that promise.

Her struggles cease and she stares up at me, waiting for what comes next.

“I told you on the first night, I won’t tolerate disrespect. I don’t take it from my men, I won’t allow it in my house.” I press her head to the wall, not hard enough to hurt her. That’s not my goal. At least not for that part of her.

“Leave me alone. Just let me go upstairs.” She starts up again.

I grab hold of the buckle on my belt and with one hand undo it. The jangle of the buckle catches her attention, and she freezes.

“Dominik. Dominik, no!”

“Are you going to tell me the truth yet?” I ask, whipping the belt from the loops of my pants. “What were you looking for in here?”

Her hands are fisted against the wall, her fingers tucked tightly.

“I...nothing. I wasn’t looking for anything,” she says, sealing her fate. “Please,” she says the word so softly, it barely registers.

“I’ve given you plenty of chances to tell the truth.” I say, letting go of her back. “Pull up your dress,” I order.

She shakes her head but says nothing.

“If I have to do it for you, I will bind your hands and your feet, and you won’t get just a few licks of my belt. Now pick up your dress. I want your bare ass to taste the leather.”

After a moment, she rolls her shoulders back, stands straight and bunches the skirt of her dress up in her hands. The white bikini underwear is thin, it won’t offer any protection, but that’s not the point. With one hand I grab the elastic band and yank the material down to her knees. She shuffles forward a step from the force of my actions, but she rights herself quickly.

“Now lean forward.” I give her shoulder a gentle push. “Still don’t want to come clean? Still want to be a little liar?”

“I can’t,” she whispers.

“You can. Your loyalty is to me now, Kasia. Only to me,” I tell her, adjusting my stance. I don’t want the belt to wrap around her hip, only to strike her ass, so I wrap it around my hand until it’s the right length. The buckle is tucked in my palm.

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