Chapter 4

An arm slipped around my waist from behind.

Elias tugged me back onto his lap.

I turned and found him staring at me.

"Back when you mistook me for Silas, did you really think my body looked that good?"

I looped my arms around his neck and grinned.

"Oh, yes. You're much better built than your brother. I don't look too bad myself. Want to see how well we fit together in bed?"

His gaze darkened. His arm tightened around my waist as his thumb slowly brushed over my skin.

Before I could react, he leaned in and kissed me.

Heat rushed between us, sending a shiver down my spine.

The sound of our kisses filled the room.

I secretly hoped we were about to put the dining table to good use.

But just when things were getting interesting, Elias pulled away and stood up.

"Next time. I need to shower now. Enjoy your dinner."

Seriously?

I was so annoyed I laughed.

Can this man even perform in bed?

My gaze drifted downward. Then my eyes widened.

Oh. Apparently, that wasn't the problem.

His erection was impossible to miss.

Elias disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me frustrated, confused, and suddenly too annoyed to finish dinner.

I forced down a few bites. It was getting late, so I decided to shower too.

There were plenty of bathrooms in the villa.

That was when I noticed the nightgown I'd left on my bed was missing.

After searching everywhere, I knocked on Elias's bathroom door.

"Have you seen my nightgown?"

He'd been in there for at least half an hour.

Over the sound of running water, I heard a low, muffled groan. A second later, the rush of water suddenly grew louder.

"No."

I had no choice but to wear something else.

The smell of breakfast woke me the next morning.

I wandered into the living room yawning and found the table already set.

Elias came out of the kitchen shirtless, wearing only pants and an apron. He carried the last plate of sandwiches to the table.

My eyes lit up as I openly admired his chest and lean waist.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he quickly looked away.

"Sit down and eat."

He's obviously trying to tempt me, yet he won't let me have him. What game is he playing?

Fine. I'll wait him out. I'm not getting worked up again just for him to leave me hanging halfway through.

The familiar food brought back memories of all the meals I'd made him bring me years ago.

I had actually missed his cooking.

To show my approval, I ate everything.

When I turned all my attention to breakfast, disappointment flashed across Elias's face. He quickly finished his food and got up to change.

I called him back. "You really didn't see my nightgown or my panties?"

That morning, I'd also noticed that the panties I'd hung by the door were gone.

He went still.

"One of the seams came loose, so I threw it away."

"You did what? That was my favorite! Who gave you the right to throw away my clothes? And what about my panties?"

They were brand-new. There was no way anything had come loose.

He wouldn't look at me, and his ears turned redder by the second.

Suddenly, it all clicked.

"Those were ruined too? Did you do something to them?"

He looked exactly like a guilty man waiting to be sentenced.

"I'll buy you more. If you don't like the other styles, I'll replace them with the exact same ones."

I gave him a knowing smile.

"What did you use them for? Target practice?"

His face turned bright red. He grabbed his shirt and jacket from the couch and hurriedly put them on.

"I'm running late. I have to get to the office."

Tsk.

Who was he trying to fool? He'd strutted around half-naked all morning, then stolen my clothes to do God knows what with them.

Men really did love playing hard to get.

That afternoon, the order I'd placed arrived.

The box contained every piece in the latest collection, along with dozens of extras Elias had picked out himself.

I went through them one by one. His taste was surprisingly good.

I picked the two sheerest ones, took a photo, and sent it to him.

Elias replied almost immediately. "What's wrong? Don't you like them?"

"Nothing's wrong. I want your opinion. Which one looks better?"

The typing indicator stayed on the screen for a full minute.

I could practically see Elias squirming at his desk.

I burst out laughing.

"The one in your left hand."

So he liked lace.

I called him on video and held up the skimpy men's costume that had come with the order.

I put on my sweetest voice. "I'll wear the one you picked tonight. You can wear this and entertain me. It's been a long time. I've missed the view."

He immediately hung up and went offline, snapping me out of both my fantasy and my memories.

Excuse me?

What kind of attitude is that?! Now I'm pissed.

My thoughts drifted back to high school.

When Elias's foster mother fell ill, he couldn't afford her medical bills. I happened to pass by and offered him a loan.

But I wasn't running a charity. In return, he had to do whatever I asked.

By my senior year, I was already an adult and under a lot of stress. I took our arrangement further and stopped making him run trivial errands.

Instead, I made him come to my house, take off his shirt, and put on a collar and chain for me.

I held the other end of the chain and watched pain break through his calm expression as the chain tightened around his throat.

With a soft laugh, I asked, "Do you hate me? Do you regret taking the loan?"

His lips parted.

"No. I... endure it gladly."

I slapped him across the face.

"Did you forget what I taught you? No more fancy words."

He blinked hard.

"Thank you for the reward, my queen."

"Good boy."

Damn...

I pressed a hand to my forehead in frustration.

When I'd first seen him again after all those years, I'd been shocked and, admittedly, a little nervous.

But then I remembered the shy, beautiful boy he'd once been and how tempting I'd found him.

Still, I had principles. I was dating Silas, so I'd pushed those thoughts aside and left them there.

I slapped my palm against the table.

Enough. I'm done waiting. Tonight, I'm making Elias mine!

"Entertain you? You two certainly know how to have fun."

A familiar voice suddenly cut into my thoughts.

I turned. Silas stood in the doorway, his expression icy.