Page 69 of The Owner's Temptation

I hear the allure in it and stretch my neck to one side, alleviating some of the pressure within me as it cracks twice.

Mateo takes her hand and brings it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to her knuckles. She smiles coyly, the perfect Companion, her act flawless.

I motion Mateo toward the fucking door and he goes.

Sienna moves to stand at the side of my desk, composed, waiting silently, her posture impeccable. Mateo spares her one last lingering glance before shaking my hand and I shut the door firmly behind him.

I pause, staring at the wood grain of the closed door, attempting to regain some semblance of self-control. I flex my fingers slowly, the impulse to spank her—to teach her exactly who’s in charge—so intense it borders on painful.

"Well?" Her voice breaks the silence, curious but edged with something else—impatience, maybe. "How did I do?"

I turn slowly, my gaze sharp, unyielding. Her confidence falters, just slightly, under my scrutiny.

"Turn around." My tone is cold, clipped. "Hands on the desk."

She blinks rapidly, shock giving way to irritation. "Excuse me?"

It grates on my nerves, that defiant spark. Every part of me wants to bend her over my desk, strip away that stubborn attitude.

"Turn around," I repeat, voice lethal in its softness. "Hands on the desk."

I watch as a flush spreads across her cheeks, her breathing quickening as realization sets in. Her pupils dilate, betraying the surge of desire she tries to conceal.

Good.

Let her feel the danger of her own game.

Slowly, deliberately, she obeys—though her compliance is minimal. Her fingers barely touch the edge of the desk, her legs pressed tightly together.

That won’t do.

I step close, just behind her, feeling the warmth radiating from her skin. I run both hands down her shoulders, over her arms, all the way down to her wrists, feeling her shudder beneath my touch.

Without hesitation, I adjust her stance, spreading her palms flat against the wood, pushing them farther apart until she’s exactly where I want her.

“Why did he change his mind, Sienna?” My voice is a dangerous murmur against her ear.

She visibly trembles, her breath hitching audibly. “I—I don’t know,” she whispers, nearly breathless.

Lies. And we both know it.

I nudge her feet wider apart with my own, the sudden movement drawing a gasp from her lips.

“I think you do know.” My hands slide deliberately down the length of her spine, savoring the subtle way she arches into my touch. The silent defiance of that movement alone deserves punishment.

But not yet.

Grasping her hips firmly, I pull her back, aligning her body precisely how I want it, every curve pressed intimately against me. She inhales sharply, the sound going straight to my cock, threatening my already tenuous control.

"Tell me," I demand softly, my voice edged with the promise of retribution. "Why did he reconsider?"

She swallows audibly, her voice a heated whisper. “Because he saw something he wanted."

My fingers tighten possessively, satisfaction burning fiercely in my chest. “Exactly. And do you know why he couldn’t have it?”

She hesitates, breathing heavily, desire and defiance warring within her. “Why?”

I lean closer, my lips brushing her hair. "Because it already belongs to me.”

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