His Contract Bride, His Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 6: Closer Than Ever

The mansion was quiet, but it felt alive with Dominic’s presence. I had tried to focus on the day’s tasks, but everything kept pulling me toward him. Every shadow, every soft creak of the floor, felt like a reminder that he was near.

I was in the sitting room, reviewing documents, when the sound of footsteps made me tense. He didn’t knock. He never knocked. He just appeared, like a shadow materializing from nowhere.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said softly, but there was a dangerous edge beneath the calm.

“I’m… focused,” I replied quickly, though my heartbeat betrayed me.

He circled around me slowly, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him. “Focused or fearful?” he asked, his voice low, teasing. “Which is it?”

I swallowed hard, unable to answer. Fear? Desire? Both? I wasn’t sure anymore.

He stopped behind me, his hand brushing against the back of my chair. The contact was light but electrifying. “You’re mine, Aria,” he whispered, his voice almost a growl. “Every thought, every move, belongs to me now. And you will learn that very quickly.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine. “I’m not… I can’t…”

“You can,” he interrupted, leaning closer, so close that I could feel the warmth of his body behind me. “And you will. Because I won’t allow anything else. You are mine, and I will teach you what that means.”

My hands clenched in my lap, my chest tight with anticipation and something else I wasn’t ready to name. He had a way of making the air between us crackle with tension, every word, every gesture leaving me on edge.

He moved around the chair, circling me like a predator studying its prey. “Do you feel it?” he asked. “The pull between us? The tension? That’s just the beginning. Belonging to me is not optional, Aria. You feel it, even if you try to deny it.”

“Yes,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“Good,” he said, his lips curving into a dangerous smile. “Because resisting me will only make it harder for you.”

The words sent a thrill through me, confusing and intoxicating. I wanted to resist, to push back, to maintain some semblance of control—but every nerve in my body screamed otherwise.

He leaned closer, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. The touch was soft, teasing, and it made my heart race. “Tomorrow,” he murmured, “we continue. And I promise, you will understand completely what it means to be mine.”

My stomach twisted at the implication, at the promise in his words. Every moment with him was a test, a lesson, a warning. And yet, it drew me closer, even as I told myself I had to resist.

He stepped back slowly, leaving me alone, though his presence still lingered like a shadow. I tried to focus on the documents in front of me, but it was impossible. Every thought was consumed by him—by his control, his obsession, the way he made me feel both terrified and alive.

By nightfall, I was exhausted, mentally and emotionally drained. I retreated to my room, trying to steady my racing heartbeat. But I knew he was watching, always watching. And somewhere deep down, I realized I wanted him to.

Because Dominic Voss didn’t just want me as his wife. He wanted to own me, control me, shape me. And the dangerous, intoxicating pull he had over me was growing stronger every single day.

I didn’t know how I was going to survive this—or if I even wanted to.