YES MASTER

Never While I'm Breathing

JUSTIN’S POV

Jayla began to plead the second my two men entered the room.

The sound of her voice did something to me. It wasn’t loud at first, just broken and desperate, trembling as fear flooded her expression.

The look on her face was pure terror, raw and unfiltered, and it hit me harder than I expected. My chest tightened painfully as tears spilled from her eyes, one after the other, soaking into the sheets beneath her.

For a brief, dangerous moment, all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and tell her everything would be alright. I wanted to erase that fear, to take it back and replace it with reassurance.

But she still had to be taught a lesson.

I reached for the leather restraints in the case in front of me, my fingers stiff as I wrapped them around my palm. I ordered my men to untie her wrists and turn her over so she was face down on the bed.

The moment they touched her, Jayla’s cries grew louder, her body shaking violently as she resisted even though she was powerless to stop them.

“Please, please, please,” she sobbed. “I will never do that again. I won’t disobey you again, I promise I’m sorry. Please don’t let them hurt me.”

Her words sliced straight through me.

I frowned down at her quivering body, every sob tightening something in my chest.

I had no intention of letting anyone hurt her. Never that.

But the way she trembled, the way her shoulders shook as she cried, made it feel like I already had.

Her sobs broke into desperate, gasping cries as her arms and feet were bound securely to the bedposts.

Each sound felt like a punishment of its own, my heart tightening further with every tear she shed.

Once they were finished, I signaled for my men to leave the room.

The door closed behind them, and the silence that followed was heavy.

I sat down on the bed beside her, hesitating for only a second before gently placing my hand at the nape of her neck.

Slowly, I began to rub downward to her back in small, soothing circles, careful and controlled.

“Shhh,” I murmured softly. “It’s going to be okay. Just calm yourself a little.”

Her breathing didn’t stop shaking immediately, but it began to slow. Each breath came less frantic than the last, though her cries still hitched in her throat.

“I thought,” she whispered brokenly, “I thought you were going to let them take advantage of me.”

Her voice dropped so low it almost disappeared.

I brushed her hair back from her tear stained face, my movements gentle.

“You thought I was going to let them what?” I asked quietly, concern threading my voice despite myself.

She sobbed again, her shoulders tensing beneath my hand.

“Tell me,” I said, firmer now. “Tell me what you thought I was going to have them do to you, Jayla.”

She flinched slightly at the frustration that slipped into my tone.

I softened instantly. “Please tell me,” I urged.

Her body relaxed just a fraction as she spoke, the words barely audible. “I thought you were going to have them r**e me.”

The moment the word left her mouth, she broke completely. Her sobs came louder and harder, her body shaking beneath the weight of her fear.

I went still.

My mind blanked for a second, my chest tightening painfully. The thought of someone else touching her like that, of her believing I was capable of allowing something so vile, nearly broke me.

The anger that surged through me wasn’t directed at her. It was directed at the idea itself.

Without hesitation, I quickly unbound her hands and feet.

I pulled her tightly against my chest, wrapping my arms around her as if I could shield her from the world.

“Never,” I said fiercely. “Never will I ever allow that. Not while I’m alive.”

I kissed her forehead gently, holding her closer. “I will never let anyone hurt you like that.”

Her body slowly relaxed into mine, her small hands gripping the front of my shirt as if anchoring herself to me. I continued to hold her, my heart pounding as her sobs softened into quiet sniffles.

I pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead again and brushed her hair back from her face. “Never,” I whispered, kissing her cheek softly.

She looked up at me, her eyes locked onto mine as we sat in a fragile, quiet silence.

I continued to rub her back in slow circles, grounding her, keeping her calm.

I knew I had a bad reputation. I knew how people saw me. But the fact that she truly believed I could let someone violate her like that hurt more than I was willing to admit. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

I loved her.

I had fallen in love with her the first time I saw her, and no force on earth or hell would ever make me allow someone else to touch her in that way.

Never.

JAYLA’S POV

My head rested against his chest as I looked up into his gorgeous eyes.

I could tell immediately that what I had said had hurt him deeply. His jaw was tense, his gaze distant as if he were replaying my words in his mind. What I did not understand was why that realization made my chest ache.

Why did I care?

Looking at his hurt expression made my heart flutter in a way that confused me. Slowly, I reached up and gently cupped his cheek, pulling him out of his thoughts. His eyes focused on me again, softening instantly.

He smiled warmly and took my hand, pressing a gentle kiss to my palm. “Never,” he whispered, kissing it again.

There was something about the way he said it.

The dominance in his voice, the absolute certainty. In that exact moment, I knew he meant it. I knew he would never let anyone hurt me.

I placed my hands on his shoulders and lifted myself so I was straddling his lap.

The look on his face was priceless. He looked genuinely stunned, like he had no idea what to do next.

I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into the crook of his neck. “Do you promise me that?” I asked softly.

I felt his arms tighten around me instantly. “Yes, princess,” he murmured. “I promise I will never let anyone hurt you again. Not while I’m still breathing.”

I pulled back and smiled at him, studying his handsome, perfect face.

At that point, I was fighting the overwhelming urge to taste his lips. My fingers traced his jaw slowly as I leaned in closer, my heart racing.

I did not hesitate. I brushed my lips gently against his.

If this was what he wanted from me, I was willing to give it. As long as he kept me safe, I would give him everything.