the counter with dual sinks behind me. He gripped the marble on either side of my hips, his body crowding mine.
“If you don’t, then I’ll shave it for you, Willow.” He drew his nose across my cheekbone to my ear. “I dare you to defy me, pet. Because I’ll very much enjoy punishing you for it.” He nipped my earlobe sharply before adding, “Now be a good girl and take a shower. I’ll bring you up some food after you’re done.”
Ryder pushed away from me with a smirk, picked up my clothes, and made a show of smelling them. “Mmm,” he murmured in approval, his eyes running over me for the thousandth time since we met. “I look forward to tasting you later, Willow.” He turned for the door, then paused with a single reminder tossed over his shoulder: “One week, pet. One week.”
My knees buckled as he left, my heart racing in my chest.
One week, I repeated to myself. Fuck.
Ryder
One Week Later
“Do I need to tell you what will happen if you try to run in the soon-to-be-renamed Silvano City?” I asked Willow after buckling her into the seat beside me on the jet.
I’d seen the glint of a plan flashing in her gaze all week while we’d trained. She was a natural with a gun, quickly picked up the sparring moves I’d taught her, and proved to have decent stamina in terms of running.
But besting me would never happen.
And I needed her to acknowledge that now.
I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes, mulling over my question. Finally, she conceded with a short “No.” Because she knew what I’d do to her if she tried to run, and it wouldn’t be enjoyable for either of us.
“Good,” I replied, settling into my seat and meeting Damien’s gaze across from me. He held a newspaper in his lap, his suit an exact replica of the one I’d chosen to wear today. Only, he’d paired his with a tie and I’d left my neck exposed.
“I like her dress,” I informed him, which was my version of a thank-you since he’d selected the wardrobe.
“I know.” He picked up the glass of whiskey beside him that the flight attendant had just dropped off, and took a long sip. “But she still doesn’t look the part.”
My brow furrowed. “She’s in a translucent black gown. Her hair is styled. She has on fuck-me heels. What more can we do?” My cock had saluted her the second she stepped out of her room thirty minutes ago, and it still lay semi-hard for her in my trousers. Because Willow in that dress was a damn tease. That I’d craved her all damn week hadn’t helped the issue.
However, I was sort of enjoying this drawn-out game between us. There were several times I’d scented her interest during our lessons, particularly when I had her pinned down on the ground after a sparring move.
She wanted me—of that, I had no doubt. I could take her right now and she’d submit, but I rather enjoyed the prospect of her begging me for it. And she wasn’t there yet.
“She’s too uptight,” Damien pointed out as the jet began to move. The pilot was an old friend—one of the few I trusted to transport me. He came over the intercom with an expected arrival time, then navigated us into position for takeoff.
I studied Willow as we began to ascend, noting her stiff shoulders and throbbing pulse. “Is this your first flight?” I asked her.
She nodded, her nails digging into the armrest.
I nodded. “See, she’s just nervous about traveling,” I told Damien, not worried. “She’ll calm down once we land.”
He gave me a look. “No, I mean she’s too uptight in general. Harem members fawn over their royals, all pleading for another taste. She barely touches you. The others will notice and wonder why, which is the exact opposite of what you want if she’s to be your little secret. Hell, you haven’t even marked her, Ryder.”
My jaw ticked as his statements registered. I didn’t have a lot of experience with the harem mentality, as that all came about during the political reformation of our society. But he had a point in terms of her reactions to me.
Despite Willow’s clear interest, I also sensed many moments of fear, which I thought might be brought on by her experience in the breeding camp. Except she told me she still couldn’t remember what happened during her time there. I suspected she never would with