Beckham pulled up at his studio. He stepped out of the car and opened my door—and I didn’t shift. I remained stoic as he leaned down, the weight of the world suddenly pressing on my shoulders.This was so wrong on so many levels. Beckham was not a sane, rational man, and I needed to stop falling for his antics—his sadistic, dominant, untamed antics.
“Flower…” he said, his tone sound more like a sensual purr.
I shook my head. “You’re starting to have too much control over me. I can’t… I can’t do this. I need to go home.”
His eyes darkened. I jumped as I felt his hand on my inner thigh, and I looked up at him and bit my lip.
“Beckham, stop…” I whispered as he slowly rubbed his hand up and down my thigh. A blush came to my neck, and I felt overwhelmed by his touch.
“My little flower… I think you want to come inside.”
I shook my head, my hands shaking as I grabbed his wrist to stop him.
“I don’t.” My breath wavered.
He hummed as he squeezed my thigh. “You may not think you do… but I know you do. I could choose to respect your wishes. I could listen and do my best to stop, but—” He leaned down and kissed my neck softly as I let out a small moan, my skin feeling hot as my legs clenched around his hand unintentionally.
“It’s just so hard to stay away… you and I both know that,” he muttered, kissing my ear—and as I worried I would, I immediately folded.
He knew he had control over me, but I couldn’t let it go on forever. I knew I should’ve stayed away, but it was growing more difficult by the day. His lips against my skin was too addicting, his touch had me aching. If I didn’t get far enough, I wouldn’t survive this torment much longer without some kind of relief.
“L-Last one, Beckham. After this, we—we can’t, okay?”
I watched as one of his sinister smiles grew on his face as he pulled away. “Of course, Flower.”
This was a game to him—a sick, twisted game. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him. I knew he wasn’t telling the truth, yet I found myself grabbing his hand, allowing him to help me out of the car.
“Good girl,” he whispered.
I bit my lip as I walked ahead of him into his studio.
Upon entering, I was met with a different setup than before. A cream blanket was laid on the floor, as well as a folded knit one beside it with white roses scattered beautifully.
He came up behind me, his ritual of breathing me in sending warmth down my spine. I tensed, suddenly aware of the lingering trace of my earlier yoga session. I didn’t smell bad, but I knew I carried the faint scent of sweat and exertion, something Gavin never favored. He wasn’t rude about it, just… particular.
“Fucking hell, you smell so fucking good,” Beckham murmured, brushing my hair over my shoulder.
Not wanting to give a reaction, I stepped away, clearing my throat. He didn’t follow, just stood there, eyes dark with irritation at the space I’d put between us.
I turned to face him, resisting the urge to wrap my arms around myself, to shield against his penetrating gaze. But his eyes held me still, pinning me in place.
“You know the drill, Flower.”
I swallowed, breath hitching as he towered over me, saying the word that hadownedme since our first session.
“Strip.”
Chapter twelve
Rosenna
Onceagain,Isubjectedmyself to the mercy of the man painting my portrait.
Why was I taking such a risk? Why did I put my marriage on the line simply to prove a point to my husband? Why was I growing more comfortable daily with a man who didn‘t care whether he was ruining my life?
As I lay on my side, I closed my eyes and held the knit blanket against my chest as Beckham fixed my hair the way he wanted it. I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder, only to see him hovering over me, his muscles on full display, his jaw clenching in concentration, his eyes focusing on every detail. He looked into my eyes for a moment, and I turned back as I let him finish.
“Have you ever… painted another woman before?” I asked after a beat of silence, trying to gauge where he was mentally. I bit my lip as he placed a hand on my hip to keep me still and continued fixing my hair and the petals that were arranged around me.
