Stepping through the gate, I march up to the front door and straight into the house, not pausing as I make my way to the kitchen and pull a bottle of water from the refrigerator. I suppose technically, it’s not mine to drink, but I figure the least the assholes I’m living with can do is buy drinks and snacks, I am their prisoner after all.

Drinking thirstily, I gulp down the cold liquid between pants. I ran a little over ten miles and my muscles are fatigued in the way that makes me smile even though I’m coated in sweat and panting.

One of my buds is pulled from my ear and I startle, spinning around to glare at Sebastian. “Hey.”

“You run ten miles every morning?”

“Sometimes at night too.”

“You never used to run.”

“I never did a lot of things until you invaded my life.”

“Why are you pretending that I was such a fucking monster?” he demands.

Tipping my head back, I close my eyes and inhale, attempting to calm my flaring anger. “You can keep me here, you can control my life again, you can force me to sleep in your bed and have sex with you, but you don’t get to know what’s going on in here.” I tap at my temple.

His hand wraps around my neck, gripping me tightly as he backs me against the refrigerator, the glass cold against my heated skin. My heart is racing and it’s not through fear, or at least it’s not all fear that’s making my skin tremble and my nipples pebble. Firm lips find mine and he plunders my mouth, not touching me anywhere else other than the palm around my throat and his lips on mine.

I should fight, knee him in the balls or claw at his hold around my throat, but instead I melt into him, kissing him back as I tangle my fingers in his shirt and wrap my legs around his hips, grinding my sore pussy against his hard dick.

A moan of protest falls from my lips when he pulls away, ending the kiss.

“Looks like I’m forcing you, doesn’t it, little bird? It’s time to stop pretending I’m the bad guy when you want me as much as I do you.”

“Enjoying sex isn’t the same as wanting you,” I rasp.

“You’ll learn to love me the way I love you, and if I have to do that through orgasms, well that works for me. You’re mine and I’ll make you love me, make you want me, make you need me. Go shower and get ready for class, I’m not in until later so Clay’s going to take you.”

“I’m not a child, I don’t need a fucking babysitter.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me you won’t run if I let you go out on your own.”

Lifting my gaze, I try to make myself seem honest and calm, but the truth is we both know I’d be gone the moment I got a chance, and he’s smiling before I’ve even opened my mouth.