Shattered Control
1206 Words
I stood there shaking among the broken pieces of the crystal vase, my chest rising and falling fast.
Arjun took some slow steps toward me, his dark eyes locked on mine like he wanted to devour me and punish me at the same time. The pieces of the broken glass crushed under his shoes, but he didn’t even look down. His jaw was tight, hands clenched at his sides like he was fighting hard not to grab me.
The office suddenly felt way too small.
My heart was pounding like crazy. I should’ve been scared shitless. Instead, my body was heating up in all the wrong ways…my n*****s getting tight, a deep ache building between my legs, my skin tingling like it was waiting for his touch.
“Don’t come any closer,” I said, trying to sound tough even though my voice came out shaky. I lifted my chin anyway.
He didn’t stop. He kept walking until he was right in front of me, so close I had to tilt my head back to look at him. That dark, spicy smell of his hit me again, making my head spin.
“You just smashed something that costs more than your whole apartment, Elena,” he said, his voice low and rough. “And you’re standing here looking at me like you want me to break you next.” My breath caught. “You’re crazy.”
One of his hands moved up slowly, hovering near my waist without touching. His eyes got darker.
“Your eyes are wide. You’re breathing fast. And if I put my hand between your legs right now, I know exactly how wet I’d find you.”
Heat rushed to my face. He was right. I was soaked. My panties were already ruined, and it pissed me off how easily my body reacted to him.
I shoved his chest hard. It felt like pushing a brick wall. “Touch me and I’ll scream this whole house down.”
Arjun caught both my wrists in one big hand and pinned them to his chest. Not hurting me, but I couldn’t pull away. His other hand came up and tilted my chin up with two fingers so I had to look straight into his eyes.
“Scream all you want,” he whispered, his warm breath against my lips. “Nobody’s coming. This is my house. Right now, you’re mine to handle however I want.”
My heart was beating so loud I could hear it in my ears. I was angry, scared, and so turned on that it made me hate myself. I wanted to knee him and run. But part of me also wanted him to kiss me so bad. I hated myself more than I hated him.
“Let me go,” I hissed.
He held me there for a long moment, staring at my mouth like he was fighting himself. I felt the tension in his body, the way his grip tightened just a little. For a second I thought he was really going to do something…kiss me or throw me on the desk or both.
Then he let go and stepped back, his face going cold again.
“Get out of my office,” he said flatly. “Dinner’s at eight in the main dining room. Be there. If you’re not, I’ll come get you myself.”
He turned and walked out, leaving me standing there with my legs weak and my mind all over the place.
The rest of the afternoon was hell. I stayed in my room, pacing and trying to calm down. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt his fingers on my chin and heard that rough voice. My body stayed restless and aching. By the time eight o’clock came, I was a nervous wreck.
A guard took me downstairs to the dining room.
The room was huge and fancy, with a long shiny table, fancy lights, and big windows. Arjun was already sitting at the head of the table. But he wasn’t alone.
Another man sat to his right, the same man he had ordered to chase after me yesterday. He gave me a small nod when I walked in, but didn’t smile. He looked like the quiet type who noticed everything and said very little.
“His name is Ryan. I'm sure you recognize him.” Arjun said as he turned to look at him and then to me. I just looked between the both of them and said nothing.
“Sit,” Arjun said, pointing to the chair on his left.
I sat down stiffly.
The food smelled good – steak, vegetables, warm bread, but I wasn’t really hungry. Ryan ate quietly, not saying much, but his presence made the table feel even more tense. Like he was there to watch everything.
We ate in silence for a while. The only sounds were forks and knives. I could feel both of them looking at me. Finally, I couldn’t hold it in.
“So this is how it is?” I said, looking straight at Arjun. “You dress me up, feed me good food, lock me in this fancy prison and think I’ll just stop fighting? Is that your plan?”
Arjun took a slow sip of wine and watched me over the glass. “You talk a lot for someone who’s lucky to still be breathing.”
“Lucky?” I laughed, but it sounded bitter. “Lucky to be your prisoner? Lucky that you're ruining my life just because I mistakenly saw something I shouldn’t have?”
Ryan stayed quiet, but I noticed him glance between us. Arjun set his glass down. “Keep testing me, Elena, and you’ll find out real quick what kind of man I am.”
I pushed my plate away, anger rising fast. “I already know what kind of man you are. A cold, controlling asshole who thinks he can own people because he has money and guns.”
Something dark flashed in Arjun’s eyes. He stood up and walked around the table until he was standing right next to me, looking down at me. My heart started racing again.
He leaned down, one hand on the back of my chair, his mouth close to my ear. “Keep pushing me like this,” he whispered, voice rough and low, “and I’ll bend you over this table, pull those jeans down, and f**k the attitude right out of you until the only thing you can say is my name.” My stomach flipped hard. Heat flooded between my legs again. I was getting wet just from his words.
I turned my head so our faces were inches apart. “Try it,” I whispered back, my voice shaking with anger and something else. “I dare you.”
Arjun’s eyes burned. His hand moved to the back of my neck, holding me there. The tension between us felt like it could explode any second. Ryan was still sitting there quietly, but I could feel him watching us.
My lips parted. My breathing was all messed up. I was seconds away from either slapping him hard or pulling him down to kiss me.
- Writer
