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Instead of digging in, he kept looking at me. Egor always infected my space with his disgusting touch. Carter could do it with just a look. An intense and deep gaze that made my skin prickle and form bumps.
I ignored him, pretending his penetrating stare didn’t affect me as much as it really did.
He finally turned to his food and started eating. Even when he was hunched forward over his food, his stomach was still rigid with his tight abs. His tanned skin was firm everywhere, covering thick and powerful muscles. He cut into his food and took a bite. “Tastes as good as it looks.”
“Thank you.”
“I wonder if you taste as good as you look.”
I refused to look at him, telling myself this would be my last night with him. Even if a part of me wanted to stay here, to have a comfortable life cooking and cleaning, I couldn’t stay. I had a life waiting for me.
“Hopefully, I won’t have to wonder for long.”
I took a bite and chewed. “You know what I think?”
“Tell me.” He drank his scotch. “I find that smart mouth as appealing as the rest of you.”
I brushed off his words, annoyed with myself that I found his asshole comments charming. “I think you only want me because you can’t have me. I’m just an object, a prize. Another notch on your belt. I’m something you can collect, something that can boost your ego. Since I don’t want you, it shakes your confidence. Now getting between my legs is a matter of pride. Why else won’t you force me? Because it’s a game to you. The point doesn’t count if you cheat.”
Instead of being angry about what I said, he released a quiet chuckle. “Your rejection doesn’t shake my confidence. And your rejection doesn’t make me want you more. Regardless of your attraction to me, you’ve suffered a great deal. Why would any woman who’s experienced those things want to spread her legs ever again? No, the reason I want you is simply because I want you, because I admire your fire, your bravery, and your endurance. From head to toe, I find you beautiful. From the scars on your back to your perfectly soft lips, I think you’re a very desirable woman. Trust me, I’m not the kind of man who goes for women in this situation. I may pay for sex from time to time, but that’s only because whores are kinkier. I never thought I would be attracted to someone like you, when I’ve bedded all kinds of women—from virgins who wanted me to be their first, to women who wanted me to fuck them in the ass. You don’t fit my palate at all. I’ve never been into slaves. But that doesn’t change anything. I want you, Mia.”
I believed every word he said because his actions proved it. He wouldn’t respect my rights otherwise. But there was something missing from his explanation. “I’m not a slave. I’m a prisoner—big difference. And if you don’t like prisoners, why did you buy me?”
He turned back to his scotch and took a long drink. “I already answered you.”
“Just to piss off someone?” I asked incredulously. “Sounds like more work than it’s worth.”
“I don’t know about that… I get to look at your every day.” He picked up his fork and started to eat again. “You cook for me. You clean for me. And I think I’m going to start having you wear lingerie while you do all those things.”
“I’m not wearing lingerie.”
His authoritative gaze turned back to me. “Pick your battles, sweetheart. Because you won’t win them all.”
The threat was clear, and I knew he would make good on his word if I pushed him. If I wanted to keep my legs closed, I would have to comply in other ways. My temper naturally flared, but I kept it reined in, knowing it was better to remain silent.
He went back to eating, his eyes turning to the TV.
I hoped the hostility for the evening had departed. A few hours after he was asleep, I would make my move. I would cut out the tracker from my ankle, turn off the alarm, and take off in one of his cars.
I would be free.
So I shut my mouth and ate my dinner in silence.
I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen before I went to bed. Carter walked up the stairs before me, so I slipped the knife into the back pocket of my jeans and covered the handle with my shirt. I walked up the stairs a moment later, seeing his bedroom closed at the end of the hall.
I walked into mine and shut the door behind me.
I’d done it.
I pulled out the knife and slipped it under the sheets of my bed. There was no lock on my bedroom door, not from the inside. So I quickly stashed the knife away just in case Carter came back to say anything else.
