But considering his history with Jonathan, he probably came by a lot in the past. The King mansion isn’t a strange place to him.

“Jonathan never opened up to Alicia. In his mind, it was unnecessary to worry her, and although he thought he was protecting her, he was only sealing himself off. The fact that he shows his emotions freely to you is, as I said, interesting.”

“He opened up to you too in the past, no?”

“Not by choice. I bugged him for it and I usually ended up getting cursed.”

An involuntary smile grazes my lips, imagining one of their bickering scenes. “I’m glad he had you.”

And I mean it. Ethan has the ability to deal with emotions, unlike Jonathan who purposefully keeps them in a vault.

“I’m the one who’s glad you are here, Aurora.”

“You’ll be less glad when I drown you in the pool.”

Both of us freeze at Jonathan’s strong voice. My hand gripping the cup trembles and I try to steady it to no avail.

Planning this was one thing, but having it become reality is entirely different.

He steps beside me, all tall and powerful in his sharp black suit. Tingles erupt all over my skin from just seeing him. Will there ever be a day when I don’t get tangled up by his presence?

“Jonathan.” Ethan smiles. “Always a pleasure to hear your threats.”

“Get out of my property.”

“I’m afraid I can’t. I’m Aurora’s guest.”

Jonathan’s jaw clenches, but he doesn’t look at me. Shit. If even this tactic doesn’t work, I’m completely lost here.

I stand in a frail attempt to dissipate the tension. One moment I’m up, the next, Jonathan wraps a hand around my throat and slams his mouth to mine.

A gasp leaves me, but he swallows the sound and everything I had to say. His lips claim mine in a possessive kiss that leaves me with no breaths, thoughts, or balance. There’s no use in trying to keep up with the powerful strokes of his tongue. They’re too fast and dominant for me to reciprocate.

A feeble whimper is the evidence of my surrender as I freely give the reins over to him. Jonathan devours me in the most passionate, deep kiss he’s ever given me.

I still can’t breathe by the time his lips leave my mouth. My nerve endings tingle on my skin with the need for more.

Jonathan doesn’t release my throat, holding it firmly but not painfully. His harsh voice is directed at Ethan as he speaks, “Aurora and I aren’t accepting guests. You know where the door is.”

I don’t get to focus on Ethan’s expression, or the fact that Jonathan has just claimed me in front of him. My whole being is focused on Jonathan’s skin on mine, the fact that he’s touching me, kissing me. It’s been only a week, but it’s felt like a decade.

Being so used to his touch, only for it to be abruptly taken away, is the worst type of torture he could’ve inflicted on me.

Jonathan releases my throat and clutches me by the waist. He practically drags me by his side to the lounge area and slams the French balcony’s doors closed.

As soon as we’re out of Ethan’s view, he backs me against the wall, his fingers finding my throat again.

I stare up at him, my vision invaded with his sheer savage presence and the storm brewing in his metal gaze.

“Do you want to be fucked in front of Ethan, Aurora? Is that it?”

“What? No.”

“Then what the fuck was that show all about? Your guest? Your fucking guest?” Gone is the Jonathan who ignored me with a calm expression. Right now, he seems on the verge of burning everything in his path and leaving ashes behind.

Why the hell am I excited for that?

Even though his hold has me hostage, I manage, “He’s my friend.”

“Fuck that. He’s not your friend. He’s not your anything.”

“Why?”

He narrows his eyes. “Are you doing this on purpose, wild one? Is it because you know that Ethan and I are attracted to the same types of women?”

I haven’t thought about that, but since he mentioned it, his reaction makes sense now.

“This is your final warning. Provoke me with Ethan or any other man again, and I’ll fuck you in front of them. After I kill them, of course, because no one gets to see you naked but me.”

I swallow because I have no doubt he’d do it. Jonathan doesn’t have limits like everyone else. His moral compass is screwed in more ways than one.

And I know this is my chance to finally get a rise out of him after such a long time of the silent treatment.

“Why would you care?” I lift my chin. “You pretended I didn’t even exist this past week.”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

“W-what? What I want?”

“You want out, no? You’re only thinking about the deal and how soon you can leave, remember?”

I bite my lower lip. “I was only asking.”

“Only asking?”

“Forget it.”

“I can’t forget it.” His fingers trace my lower lip and it parts involuntarily. “Here’s the thing, Aurora. You won’t leave.”

“I won’t?”

“There’s no way in fuck I’m letting you go.”

My chest flutters. “But the agreement —”

“Fuck the agreement. What do you want?”

“I…if I want to go, will you let me?” I guess that’s what I really want to know. I need the confirmation that Jonathan respects my need to have my own choice, that he won’t force his opinions on me because of his control freak nature.

While I can’t get enough of him, I’m neither his property nor his toy. I want to be his equal.

His expression remains the same, hard as granite and unreadable. His tone is calm, composed. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know.”

We stare at each other for a beat too long, our breaths mingling. His woodsy scent fills my nostrils and creeps under my skin. His whole presence winds imaginary fingers around my heart.

Only Jonathan has the ability to reach into my ribcage and barge through as if he were always meant to be there.

He lifts me up, and I squeal as he drops me on the edge of the sofa. The leather creaks underneath me as my breasts meet the surface and my knees land on the floor.

Jonathan kneels behind me, bunches my skirt up to my arse, and yanks my underwear down, letting them fall to my knees.

The sound of his belt buckle comes from behind me as he thrusts two fingers inside me in one go.

A loud moan leaves my lips and I muffle it against the cool leather. A wave rushes through me with supersonic speed. Maybe it’s because it’s been a long time without his maddening touch, but the moment he slaps my arse, I come.

Just the slightest stimuli and I’m on the edge.

“You don’t know? You should know, wild one. The answer should come easily to you.” His voice is hard, but there’s something else underneath that I can’t put my finger on.

His cock slips between my arse cheeks and I tense. Despite all the preparations and the toys, Jonathan is big — more like, huge. There’s always a delicious sting of pain whenever he fucks me. Imagining that size in my arse causes uncontrollable shivers to break out on my skin.