“Are you sure that’s the answer you want to go with?”
 
 “Lorenzo, people are staring,” Lily chastises, but I don’t look up. I don’t give a flying fuck. The only thing I care about is this pipsqueak moving his sorry ass away from Lily immediately.
 
 Suddenly, the seriousness of his situation seems to hit him, and he stands up, avoiding eye contact with Lily, and leaves entirely.
 
 She huffs as I take his seat.
 
 “Looks like we have a lovers' quarrel here,” the comedian awkwardly says, drawing the attention of the room back to the stage. For anyone who continues to stare, I scowl in their direction, and they’re quick to look away.
 
 “You can’t be serious,” Lily bites out as she flops back into her chair, arms folded over her chest. “You don’t own me.”
 
 “I’m in charge of your safety,” I snap, fucking furious at the fact that she’d even entertain some fucker like that.
 
 “That guy was completely harmless. You’re being obnoxious. If I want to bring a guy home?—”
 
 “You will not be bringing any man anywhere.”
 
 “I can?—”
 
 “No.”
 
 She throws her hands up in the air, and I can sense those closest to us are listening more to our conversation than the comedian's final bit.
 
 My temple pulses, and my jaw grinds as I steal a glance at the gorgeous woman beside me, who is biting her bottom lip into a shade of red and oozing with pure rage.
 
 I’ve never had to deal with someone like Lily before. Everyone listens to my commands, but she has to fight me everystep of the way. I can’t train her or force her into obedience like I do the hounds, and the longer this bratty attitude persists, the more difficult my life and the mission become.
 
 She’s lucky I don’t bend her over my fucking knee right here and now, and spank the brat out of her. My cock twitches, and I internally groan, wanting to readjust myself.
 
 Of course, I’m attracted to the little vixen, but she’s completely off-limits.
 
 Then again, if I don’t fuck her, but just simply force her into submission, isn’t that a form of training as well?
 
 My jaw tightens painfully hard.
 
 No.
 
 Off. Limits.
 
 My gaze narrows on her phone screen as she scrolls through what appears to be some kind of dating app.Absolutely fucking not.
 
 I pluck the phone out of her hand.
 
 “Hey!” she whisper-shouts.
 
 “You wanted to be a brat and come in to watch some comedy show because you thought it’d make me uncomfortable? Well then, enjoy the show, Sunshine.”
 
 “So now theft is part of your crime list as well?” she seethes through her teeth.
 
 I level her with a glare, my cock twitching uncomfortably at the thought of all the ways I can stop that little mouth of hers from running. I have to stop myself from trailing my thumb along her bottom lip.
 
 I look away, infuriated to acknowledge that resisting Lily Taylor is my personal hell, and that if I act on it, I’m done for.
 
 But one thing is certain: She’s going to have to be trained on how this little arrangement between us is going to work.
 
 12
 
 LILY