Her gaze never left mine as I stopped in front of her.
For the longest moment, nothing moved.
The world stopped, the sea stopped, the wind stopped.
We stopped.
Her.
Me.
Two paths opened up. A fork in my destiny that became as visible as any true journey. Signs even blazed with deliberate destinations.
Turn left and accept kindness and this girl could be my ever after. She was my equal in every way. Smaller and younger, fragile and fearless, I could taste the eventuality between us.
The relationship. The bond. The forever.
But turn right and choose ruthlessness and I would ruin any chance of happiness. I would remain who I’d become. Untouchable and all-powerful, sovereign and safe.
My heart pounded as Eleanor licked her lips to speak. To destroy me.
I had a single second to choose.
A fraction of a life to make the worst or best choice of my existence.
My hand lashed out, fisting in her hair.
To kiss her or to ruin her.
I don’t know.
My tongue longed to taste, my cock begged to take, every part of me shook to claim her.
It fucking terrified me.
Our mingling energy electrocuted me.
Our connection screwed up my heart.
So…I chose the right path. I turned my back on the left.
With a surge of strength, I added pressure where I held her hair, buckling her legs, sending her kneeling into the grass.
Her eyes widened, looking up as I loomed over her, keeping her pinned, ensuring she crumpled in servitude. “I knew you’d have to try at least once to know the boundaries of your cage.”
She gulped as I wrapped my fist tighter in her hair, bringing her up until she teetered on her knees. “I only did what any—”
“What any creature would do in captivity.” I nodded. “I know.”
“Then why are you angry?”
“Angry?” I kept tightening my fingers in her strands, tugging at her scalp. I wanted to break her apart. To shatter her into pieces so she was no longer a threat. “I’m not angry.”
She scoffed, wincing as I held her. “Your temper is a visible thing, Sully.”
“Don’t.” I shoved a finger in her face. “You lost all liberties to call me that.”
“Just like I’ve lost the liberty of my freedom?”
“Precisely.” Eyeing up her bikini, I untangled my hand from her hair and undid the bows on her hips. “You own nothing. Not even your right to decency.” My quick decision to strip her came from both a punishing and protective mindset. I scanned her body with desire and clinical inspection. No blood. No obvious injury. “Are you hurt?”
“Don’t—” She scrambled to keep the scrap of material together, but I swatted her hands away.
“Obey me.” Reaching between her legs, I yanked the lycra from her thighs and tossed it to the side.
She glowered but answered my previous question, even though I’d stripped her. “No, I’m not hurt.” Her pussy remained hidden, thanks to her kneeling position, but it didn’t stop my mouth from watering with excruciating need. “I’m thirsty and tired but not hurt.”
“What happened?”
“Why do you care?” Planting her hands over the V of her thighs, she hissed, “What are you going to do to me?”
I swallowed a wash of fury. Her well-being was my concern, and she’d thrown that in my face. She’d stolen a kayak, most likely capsized in the storm, then exposed herself to the elements. I was fully within my right to be pissed. “Your lesson will come soon enough.”
“Will I still be breathing after it?” Her eyes blazed with rebellion but also regret.
“Depends how teachable you are. How sorry you are.”
“I’m not sorry that I ran. I’m sorry that I failed.”
“And that is why I’ll ensure you’ll learn your lesson exceedingly well.” I had my methods to curb unruly goddesses. I had a room back on my island where all troublemakers went. Most only lasted a night. Eleanor…she’d be subjected to a week.
A week of imprisonment and intense education on required behaviour.
I would personally see to her demotion from a woman who defied me to a possession who accepted her place.
Tears sprang to her grey eyes but she didn’t stop me when I reached under the mass of her hair to undo the bow at her nape then brush aside the seaweed weaved in her strands to undo the one in the centre of her spine.
Her true lesson would have to wait until we returned home, but here…alone…I couldn’t keep my goddamn hands off her. No Calvin to stop me. No goddesses to watch. Just pure and utter freedom to bruise what was