My shoulders roll. My chest swells. “You think I’m a god?” Then she is my temptress. My defiant, little temptress.

Ava snorts and turns away, and I move in behind her, crowding her with my godly body as she stares at me in the reflection of the mirror.

I’m so fucking hard for her. “I don’t mind being your god.”

“Why is my stuff here?”

“I collected it from Kate’s earlier. I thought you could stay here for a few days.”

“Do I get a say?”

I thrust my groin forward, and she inhales sharply, her eyes sparkling. “Do you ever?”

Her head shakes mildly, her body alive, throbbing, glowing back at me through the mirror. I have her. But still, I will drag this out. It might kill me, but she needs to comprehend the sheer depth of our needs. I need her to comply. She needs me all over her. “Get yourself ready, lady. I’m taking you out. Where would you like to go?” I give her backside a swift slap, and she jolts forward.

“I get to choose?”

“I have to let you have your way some of the time.” I’m not a complete control freak. And besides, I need her in a good mood today. “So, what would you like to do?”

“Let’s go to Camden.”

Camden? I inwardly groan. I’d rather pull my own teeth out, but for the sake of peace and because I’m fair . . . “Okay.” I can make Camden work. I flash her another smile and hop in the shower, singing to myself as I wash my hair. I can feel her staring at me incredulously, probably still wondering where the raging bull is, and perhaps wondering why I’ve not dragged her in here.

She only has to beg.

But she remains on the other side of the glass, and I can sense her getting more and more worked up. Good. I step out, pull a towel off the rail, and dry myself slowly, ignoring her unmoving form before me. “All yours,” I say, dropping the towel and passing her, feeling her eyes following my naked back to the sink. I smile to myself. Perhaps now she knows what it felt like all that time she denied me. Granted, I’m punishing myself too, but I’ve never known a greater satisfaction than this. Feeling her want, seeing her tenacity. But she won’t just crack. She’ll break clean in two for me, and then the power will be mine again.

I grab my shaver and trim down my stubble, brush my teeth, and leave Ava still standing outside the shower waiting for me to indulge her.