Contracted Obsession

Chapter 5: Penthouse Rules

The elevator doors opened directly into the penthouse, and I stepped out like I was walking into a trap lined with marble and glass.

Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around the entire space, showing the glittering city sprawled far below like it belonged to Nash. Soft lighting glowed from hidden panels. Everything smelled expensive — leather, faint wood polish, and that same dark cologne that seemed to cling to him.

Nash followed me inside, shrugging off his suit jacket and tossing it over the back of a massive sectional couch. His white shirt stretched across his shoulders as he moved.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said, rolling up his sleeves again. The silver scar on his forearm caught the light. “You’ll be here a while.”

I stayed near the elevator, arms crossed tight over my chest. My wet clothes were starting to chill against my skin. “I need to call Mia. Now.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket, tapped the screen a couple times, then held it out to me. “Already done. She’s safe. My men moved her to a secure location twenty minutes ago. She thinks it’s a surprise upgrade from the university.”

I snatched the phone and hit redial on the last call. Mia’s voice came through after one ring, sleepy but calm.

“Ava? What the hell? These guys showed up with new keys and said you arranged a better dorm or something. Is everything okay?”

Relief hit me so hard my knees almost buckled. “Yeah… it’s handled. Just stay put and don’t go anywhere alone. I’ll explain later. Love you.”

I hung up and handed the phone back.

Nash was watching me the whole time, leaning against the kitchen island with a glass of something amber in his hand. He took a slow sip, eyes never leaving my face.

“Good girl,” he murmured.

The words sent an unwanted spark through me. I hated how easily he said it. Like he’d already started testing how far I’d bend.

“I’m not your dog,” I shot back, stepping farther into the room despite myself. The plush rug felt too soft under my muddy sneakers. “You cleared the debt. Fine. But I’m not playing house here while you—”

“While I what?” He set the glass down and straightened. In three unhurried steps he closed the distance between us. “While I keep you alive? While I make sure Voss doesn’t finish what your father started?”

My breath caught. “What do you know about my father?”

Nash tilted his head, studying me like he could see every c***k I tried to hide. He reached out and caught the edge of my damp jacket, tugging it gently off my shoulders. I let him. The cold fabric hit the floor with a wet slap.

“I know he borrowed money he couldn’t repay,” he said quietly, voice dropping lower. “I know he dug into things he shouldn’t have. And I know the night he died, he was supposed to deliver something to me.”

He stepped even closer. I could feel the heat coming off his body now, cutting through the chill on my skin. His fingers brushed my arm as he spoke, light but deliberate.

“You have that something on the USB in your pocket, don’t you, Ava?”

I didn’t deny it. Couldn’t. My heart was beating too loud.

Nash’s hand slid up, not grabbing, just resting against the side of my neck where my pulse jumped under his palm. His thumb traced a slow line along my jaw.

“Give it to me,” he said softly. It wasn’t really a request.

I stared up at him, inches away. His eyes were so dark they swallowed the light. There was no anger, no rush — just that terrifying calm, like he already knew I’d hand it over eventually. Like he was enjoying the wait.

My fingers trembled as I reached into my pocket and pulled out the drive. I held it between us.

He didn’t take it right away. Instead, he leaned in until his lips were close to my ear.

“You’re going to learn the rules here,” he whispered, breath warm against my skin. “Rule one: You don’t hide things from me. Rule two: When I say you’re mine to protect, you don’t argue. And rule three…”

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes again. That faint, dangerous curve touched his mouth.

“You don’t run. Because if you do, I’ll find you. And next time, I won’t be this gentle.”

He plucked the USB from my fingers, but he didn’t step away. His body stayed pressed close, trapping me against the back of the couch without even touching it.

Heat flooded my face. I wanted to push him. I wanted to slap that controlled expression off his face.

Instead, I whispered, “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Nash’s gaze dropped to my lips for a long second. When he answered, his voice was rougher than before.

“More than I should.”

The silence stretched, thick and electric.

Then his phone buzzed sharply on the island.

He glanced at it once. His jaw tightened.

“Voss just sent a message,” he said, finally stepping back. The loss of his warmth hit me harder than it should have. “He wants a meeting. Tomorrow night. And he wants you there as collateral.”

My stomach dropped.

Nash slipped the USB into his own pocket and looked at me with those unreadable eyes.

“Get some sleep, Ava. You’re going to need it.”

He turned toward the hallway that led deeper into the penthouse, but paused at the entrance.

“Oh, and one more thing,” he added without turning around. “The guest room is the second door on the left. Try not to pick the lock. The security system alerts me the second anyone touches a window.”

Then he disappeared down the hall, leaving me standing there with my heart racing and the ghost of his touch still burning on my skin.

I was safe.

For now.

But every instinct screamed that I had just traded one cage for another — and the man holding the key had no intention of letting me go.