Gwen I obeyed. I lay back against his pillows, still breathless, lips swollen and shiny with spit. My chest rose and fell too fast. Cedric stayed on his knees between my spread legs for a long moment, just looking at me. The way his eyes moved over my body felt almost clinical — slow, thorough, like he was deciding exactly how he wanted to take apart the spoiled princess who had forced her way into his bed. Heat crawled up my neck under that stare. He reached down and wrapped one hand around my throat. Not hard enough to cut off air, but firm enough that I felt the control in it. His thumb pressed lightly against my pulse, feeling it jump. The pressure made my stomach flutter. “You think sending money means you own this?” he asked quietly, almost gently. The softness in his voice made

