Page 12 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

Six

Arianna

My return to consciousness was slow. The sheets I lay beneath were so warm and soft, I barely wanted to open my eyes. Cocooned in the duvet meant I didn’t have to think about where I was and what I’d done last night.

Sold yourself to the devil. Real smart.

I rubbed my face and opened my eyes. The room came into focus. Everything was a mixture of soft blues and whites. The delicacy of it was so at odds with what I knew of Zayn. The likelihood of him decorating his own house was zero to none. This was his spare room, so maybe whoever had decided on the décor had chosen a neutral, soft palette.

I sat up, my eyes darting to the end of the bed where a small pile of clothes with a folded piece of paper on top sat. He’d been in here and seen me sleeping. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of it. I’d been so deep in dreamland, he hadn’t disturbed me.

He’d warned me about obeying him last night. I didn’t think I should test his patience the first day I was here. Reaching out, I grabbed the paper and unfolded it. His handwriting was all loops and swirls, not like my incredibly messy scrawl. The note had instructions to get dressed and meet him in his study after I’d woken up. I didn’t think a man like him would have time to deal with me today, but I was mistaken.

Hauling myself up out of bed, I went into the bathroom and found he’d left me with a new toothbrush and toothpaste. I went about my business, then got dressed in the things he’d left me. The hoodie swamped me and smelt of him. I couldn’t imagine Zayn wearing this, but what the fuck did I even know about him? Nothing of substance.

My feet carried me downstairs when I was ready. I took in the house. It had clearly been modernised over the years. It was white walls with exposed, dark wooden floorboards. The stair runner was black and white and soft on my bare feet. I made my way down the hallway and into the second door on the right, finding a rather cosy room with a faux fireplace, two wingback chairs in front of it. There was a large desk in the corner. Zayn was sitting behind it, his head bowed, drawing my eyes to his dark hair as he stared at a computer on his desk.

The very first thing that struck me was the man had glasses on. I unconsciously rubbed my fingers along my thigh, trying not to squirm. There was no way in hell I could deny the sight of Zayn in those was something unexpected and ridiculously attractive.

He’s not attractive. He is NOT attractive to me.

“Good morning, Arianna.”

His voice made me stumble as I approached his desk. He hadn’t looked up from his laptop. I didn’t realise he knew I was there blatantly staring at him. I tucked my hands into the pocket of the hoodie and felt my cheeks heat.

“Morning… sir.”

The twitch of his mouth told me he was happy I’d called him that.

“Come here and kneel next to me.”

Kneel? The man wants me to fucking kneel.

I took a breath, trying not to give in to the urge to tell him there was no way in hell I was getting on my knees for him. Forcing my fingers to straighten and not curl into fists, I moved around his desk and lowered myself to my knees by his chair. I was not expecting him to reach out and stroke my hair like I was an obedient little pet.

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yes.”

He sat back in his chair, his hand still on my head as he stared down at me. Those dark eyes of his were emotionless. It unnerved me not being able to get a read on him. His hand travelled down my face before he brushed his thumb over my lip. I tried not to react to his touch even as my thighs pressed together. I reminded myself he wasn’t interested in me physically. He’d said so. And I wasn’t interested in him.

Liar.

“This is how I want you at all times unless I say otherwise… on your knees by my side.”

I swallowed back a retort at how fucked up the demand was. I could only be thankful he released me and set his hand on the arm of the chair, tapping his fingers on the leather. His touch made it harder for me to think straight.

“I’ll reiterate what I told you last night. You are to obey me without hesitation. Any deviations from the rules will result in punishment.”

“What are the rules? Other than obeying, kneeling at your feet and calling you sir.”

He smiled at my question. Then he leant forward, making sure I met his eyes.

“They’re very simple. You don’t talk to anyone else without my expressed permission. You don’t leave the house unless it is with me or Arlo, who you will meet properly soon. You don’t ask questions about my work, nor do you repeat anything you hear. If you want or need something, you ask, and I will provide it for you.” I didn’t think his eyes could get any darker, but they did. “You’re mine, Arianna. I’m the one who takes care of you now. No one else.”

My fingers did curl into fists this time, my nails digging into my palms. The intensity of this man had me trembling. This was the only way I could stem it, and even that wasn’t working. The absolute certainty and confidence in his voice was mesmerising.

He could tell his words affected me on a deep visceral level as he reached out and stroked my cheek. I’d never had anyone tell me they’d take care of me before. Not even my father. And I didn’t know I wanted it… until right now.

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