Page 48 of His By Contract

She hesitated, her eyes catching on a lit office in a nearby building. The possibility, however remote, of being seen sent her pulse racing. Yet she remained in place, understanding that this vulnerability, this edge of risk, was part of her punishment.

Georgia’s pulse spiked as his image appeared in the glass, a ghost of control made real and undeniable in the light. His suit-clad form towered over her naked body, the contrast between them stark and deliberate. The city lights painted shadows across his features, but his eyes remained sharp, focused entirely on her.

“Twenty-four hours.” His voice carried the weight of judgment. “You’ll remain as you are now, within these walls.”

Georgia’s stomach dropped. The coolness radiating from the glass brushed her heated skin as she processed his words. Her fingers twitched with the instinct to cover herself, but she kept her arms at her sides.

“The staff will be dismissed.” Adrian’s hand brushed her shoulder, light enough to make her shiver. “But you will join me for meals. Both breakfast and dinner. Just like this.”

The flush crept up her neck, spreading across her chest as his meaning sank in. Her reflection showed every reaction she couldn’t hide: the widening of her eyes, the tremor in her lips, the way her skin reddened with embarrassment.

His fingertips drifted down her arm, making her skin prickle with awareness of her nakedness. “Consider it motivation to be more… forthcoming in the future.”

Georgia watched their reflections, seeing how vulnerable she looked beside him. The knowledge that she’d spend hours this way, naked while he remained clothed, struck her with the full force of his control. Every minute would remind her of his power, of her place in his world.

Her reflection betrayed her rising color, the way her pulse jumped beneath her skin. The city continued to sparkle beyond the glass, indifferent to her predicament, while Adrian’s shadow loomed behind her, a silent guarantee of the exquisite torment to come.

Adrian’s hand settled on Georgia’s bare shoulder, his touch burning against her exposed skin. “Tell me why you’re being disciplined.”

Georgia’s throat tightened. Pride warred with the knowledge that her actions had crossed a line. The city lights blurred before her as she forced the words out. “I met with Vaughn alone. I didn’t tell you about his invitation or my plans.” Her voice grew stronger. “I put myself at risk. If something had gone wrong, you wouldn’t have known where I was.”

“And?” Adrian’s fingers tightened fractionally.

“I endangered everything you’ve built.” The glass felt cool against her heated skin. “One wrong move and Vaughn could have used me against you.”

Adrian shifted closer, his breath ghosting across her neck. “Did he touch you?” The question carried a razor’s edge beneath its controlled surface.

Georgia’s pulse jumped. “He put his hand on my knee when he offered me the scotch. He touched me there again later—when he explained his plan.”

The muscle in Adrian’s jaw clenched, visible in their reflection. His eyes had turned to ice. “What else?”

“Nothing else.” Georgia kept her voice steady. “But he talked about our marriage.”

“Tell me exactly what he said.” Each word fell like stone between them.

“He called our marriage a contract of convenience,” Georgia watched Adrian’s expression darken as she spoke. “Said you only saw me as another asset, something to control until you tired of me.”

Adrian’s fingers traced down her arm, possessive and warning all at once. “And?”

“He implied you were manipulating everything about my life,” Georgia’s skin prickled under his touch, her voice softening. “That my career, my success—none of it was mine. That it was all you pulling strings.”

Adrian stepped closer, his chest nearly touching her back. The tension radiated from his body, wrapping around her like a physical force. His reflection loomed over hers, dark and commanding against the city lights beyond the glass.

His fingers caught her chin, gentle but unyielding as he tilted her face up. A shiver ran through her as their eyes met in the window’s reflection, the intensity of his gaze holding her captive.

“I trust your loyalty,” Adrian’s voice carried a dangerous edge. “But your actions today put everything at risk—including you. That’s something I won’t accept.”

He moved around her in a slow circle, his gaze raking over every inch of exposed skin. Georgia felt stripped bare under his scrutiny, not just physically, but emotionally. Each pass he made heightened her awareness of her vulnerability.

“You’re not an asset to be managed.” His words carried a possessive heat that made her shiver. “You’re far more valuable than that. When you put yourself in danger, when you hide things from me—” He paused, his jaw tightening. “I protect what’s mine, Georgia. And you belong to me.”

His fingers brushed through her hair, sweeping it back from her shoulder. The gesture felt intimate, claiming. “Tomorrow, you’ll spend the day like this. No clothes, no barriers between us. Every moment will remind you of who you belong to, of the trust you need to place in me.”

A quiet gasp slipped from her lips as his touch sank in, not just to her skin but to something deeper. This wasn’t just about punishment or control; it was about connection, about breaking down the walls between them. His possessiveness spoke ofsomething deeper than ownership, something that made her heart race and her skin flush with heat.

“Stay.” Adrian’s voice cut through the silence, quiet but unyielding. “Remain exactly where you are. Consider the weight of your choices.”

Georgia’s skin prickled in the cool air, her reflection stark against the dark glass. The city stretched endlessly before her, countless windows filled with countless lives, while she stood frozen in place, stripped bare in more ways than one.

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