THE DEVIL'S CONCUBINE

SUBMISSION AND SOVEREIGNTY

"And if I say no?" I countered, my pride flaring up. "What if I pack my bags, close this studio, and walk away from everything?"

A low chuckle echoed through the receiver, It wasn't the sound of a man who was worried; it was the sound of a predator who had already mapped out every escape route.

"Walk away to where, Veekie?" he asked softly. "Every major textile supplier in the country answers to logistics chains I influence. Every high-end runway you dream of showcasing your designs on has my board members sitting in the VIP section. I told you before you made mistake entering my office. You brought yourself into my world, and I don't let go of what's mine."

He had me completely cornered. The audacity of his possessiveness was infuriating, yet a thrill was pooling deep in my stomach. No one had ever gone to these lengths for me. No one had ever been this consumed by me.

"A car is waiting downstairs," Josh commanded, his tone shifting back to authority. "The driver will bring you back to my penthouse. We're going to establish the ground rules of our new arrangement, face to face."

"And if I refuse to get in the car?"

"Then I'll come down there and put you in it myself," he said, the promise in his voice heavy and absolute. "The clock is ticking, Veekie. Don't keep me waiting."

The line went dead.

I pulled the phone away from my ear, my heart beating fast against my ribs. I looked down at the emerald-green silk dress clinging to my body, then at the empty street below where a black sedan with tinted windows was idling quietly by the curb.

He wasn't bluffing. I had a choice to make, and both paths led straight to him.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing the private foyer of Josh’s penthouse. My heels clicked against the marble as I stepped out, my hands tightly holding the small clutch bag I had brought with me. The emerald-green silk swished around my legs, a constant reminder of the man who had orchestrated this entire night.

Two glass doors stood open, leading into a sprawling living room that overlooked the entire city. The space was minimalist, cold, and dripping in unimaginable wealth.

Josh was waiting for me.

He had shed his suit jacket, wearing only a black shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up his forearms. He didn't have a drink in his hand this time. He was just standing there, hands tucked casually into his trouser pockets, watching me approach with a gaze so intense it felt physical.

"You're five minutes late," he said,

"The traffic was bad," I lied, stopping a few feet away from him. I refused to let him know that I had spent those five minutes sitting in the back of his car, trying to stop my hands from shaking. "And I don't appreciate being summoned like a dog, Josh."

Josh took a slow step forward, his eyes tracking down the front of the green dress, appreciating how the silk hugged my waist before rising back to meet my eyes.

"You aren't a dog, Veekie. You're a rare creature that finally found its way into the right cage," he murmured, stopping just inches away from me. The scent of his expensive cologne mixed with the faint metallic tang of wealth filled my senses, "You look spectacular."

"Is that why you did all this?" I demanded, tilting my chin up to look him dead in the eye, refusing to back down. "To control me? To prove you can buy out my suppliers and threaten my clients?"

"I don't threaten. I execute," Josh corrected softly. He reached out, his hand wrapping firmly around the back of my neck, his thumb resting right against my racing pulse. "And those men weren't your clients. They were vultures waiting for you to get desperate enough to fall into their laps. I simply removed the garbage from your path."

"And replaced it with yourself," I breathed out,

"Exactly." His fingers tightened slightly, tilting my head back just enough to force me to look at him. His eyes were dark, stormy, and completely consumed possessiveness. "From tonight, Cross Enterprises handles your funding. You want the best fabric? It’ll ship from Italy tomorrow. You want a bigger studio? My real estate team is already looking at spaces in Victoria Island. But in return, your loyalty belongs to me. No other men. No distractions. You are mine, Veekie."

My breath hitched. The sheer scale of what he was offering and demanding was overwhelming. He was offering me the dream I had spent years sweating over, but it came with a heavy gold chain around my neck.

"And what if I break your rules?" I whispered, my heart hammering so hard I was sure he could feel it.

Josh’s lips curved into a slow, wicked smile that sent a thrill of pure terror and desire straight to my stomach.

"Try it," he whispered, his face dipping low until his lips brushed against my ear, his breath making me shiver. "And find out exactly how cruel I can get when someone touches what belongs to me.”

The threat in his voice hung in the air. I should have pulled away. I should have twisted out of his grip, slapped his pface, and walked right back into that elevator. But my legs felt like lead, and the terrifying intensity in Josh's eyes was keeping me completely rooted to the spot.

He slowly moved his hand from the back of my neck, his fingers trailing down my jawline before hooking under my chin, forcing me to keep looking up at him.

"You haven't answered me, Veekie," he murmured, his thumb rubbing across my lower lip. "Are you going to be a good girl and accept my terms, or am I going to have to make an example out of you?"

"You're completely insane," I whispered, the words trembling past my lips. "You think you can just buy my life? I spent years sweating in that studio, dealing with difficult clients, building my name from scratch. I am not some trophy you get to lock away in a penthouse."

"I don't want a trophy," Josh countered, his eyes darkening as he leaned in closer, his chest pressing against mine until I could feel the hard, steady thumping of his heart. "Trophies are useless. I want a partner who dominates her field the way I dominate mine. I'm not taking away your name, Veekie. I'm putting the entire weight of Cross Enterprises behind it. But the exclusive rights to the woman behind the brand? Those belong to me."

He slid his other hand down to my waist, and pulled me against his hips.

"Say it," he commanded, his voice dropping to a harsh, possessive growl near my ear. "Tell me you're mine."

The toxic mix of anger, ambition, and overwhelming desire was suffocating me. He was offering me the world on a silver platter, but he was demanding my entire soul in exchange. I looked into his eyes, seeing the ruthless predator who had systematically destroyed all my options in a single afternoon, and a wild, reckless wave of surrender washed over me.

"I'm yours, Josh," I breathed out, the submission tasting like sweet poison on my tongue. "But don't think for a second that makes me weak."

Josh’s wicked smile returned, full of triumph. "I'd never mistake you for weak, little bird. That's exactly why I wanted you."

Before I could breathe, his mouth came down on mine, hard and demanding, sealing the contract we had just written in the dark.