Page 60 of Obsession (Dark Revenge)
"Is this really necessary?" I inquired.
"It won't be once you're back in your cage, so you might as well savor this," he pointed out.
He had a point. Being tied to him was much more preferable than being confined in the cage. That was one thing I didn't miss. However, when Jared lay down, he maneuvered me so that he could throw his cuffed arm around me, holding me close.
"Must we cuddle?" I grumbled.
"It's not cuddling, it's trapping," he corrected.
"It feels like cuddling, and it's very inappropriate for two people who hate each other," I remarked.
I turned my head away, only to catch a small smile playing on his lips. It was evident that he found my discomfort amusing, and that knowledge made me certain he had no intention of releasing me. I groaned softly, shifted away from him again, and attempted to close my eyes. But I felt him draw nearer.
"This way, they can't take you away from me," he whispered.
My entire body tensed. Did he believe me? As I stole another glance at him, I noticed that his eyes were closed, and I understood that he had no intention of addressing my question. Nevertheless, his words sent my heart racing, and I did my best to ignore it as I closed my eyes once more.
The following day, Jared had me watch him during his training session. Not much had been said between us that morning. He appeared to still be processing the information I had shared. He instructed me to prepare a light breakfast before changing his attire, and together, we headed to the private gym. Initially, he had been wearing a t-shirt, but once he hopped on the treadmill, he discarded it, hanging it over the side of the machine. He maintained a steady pace, yet there was something about him that hinted at much greater speed and strength than he let on.
It made me wonder if that was the reason he could train with his recent injuries. But did he not feel any pain? And how did he manage to look so appealing while sweating? I chastised myself, forcibly tearing my gaze away from the sight. But it felt as if my eyes had a mind of their own, constantly returning to Jared andhis glistening back. The way his muscles rippled as his arms and body moved in harmony to maintain balance was simply awe-inspiring. I closely scrutinized every inch of his back, scarcely noticing the scars. All I could focus on was the graceful motion of his body, and it ignited a growing heat in my pussy.
This was not appropriate, I told myself. I shouldn't be ogling Jared like this. I had indeed hit a new low, hadn't I? But before I could scold myself further, Jared halted the treadmill and reached for his water bottle from its holder. Leaning against the treadmill's side, he sipped slowly. His training had tightened the muscles in his abdomen, and I watched as a fine layer of sweat glistened on his skin.
Unconsciously, I licked my lips, only to realize my own actions and forcibly put an end to them. A droplet of water trickled from the corner of his mouth, and everything seemed to move in slow motion as he lowered the bottle and wiped his chin with his hand.
God, you're such an asshole, I thought to myself as I watched Jared. He suddenly turned toward me, abruptly snapping me out of my trance. He approached me, apparently unaware of the way I had been fixated on him. I maintained eye contact, focusing solely on the one part of him that didn't reduce me to a pitiful, desperate state at that moment.
As he stood in front of me on the bench where I was seated, he set his water bottle down beside me and reached for a towel to wipe his face and chest. Then he crouched down in front of me. My eyes trailed down his body, and I had to exert considerable effort to prevent them from wandering too far south, while my teeth bit into my lower lip. I couldn't help but notice a tiny droplet of sweat making its way down toward his training shorts, and it held my attention.
"Alison!" Jared called out, breaking through my daze.
"Huh?" I snapped my focus back to his eyes, not even realizing he had been speaking to me.
"Did you hear what I just said?" he asked.
"Um..." The embarrassment was overwhelming. I lowered my gaze and shook my head.
He sighed in disappointment, but I could see that mischievous glint in his eyes, as he was well aware of the reason for my distraction. It felt incredibly unfair. Why couldn't he be bad in bed? Why did he so quickly master the art of making me come? He labeled me a master manipulator, yet he didn't even have to speak to condition me.
“We’ll be leaving soon,” he informed me.
“Where to?”
“Back. I don’t want to spend the last week with you here.”
“Why not? You can just bring more of your torture devices.”
“I designed that blue room especially for you,” he pointed out, smiling.
“Build a new one!”
“Your contract expires before I can,” he reminded me, and I sighed, crossing my arms.
“Is it safe?” I asked.
“It’s safe enough.”
“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.”
