Chapter 96

The kiss was fire—scalding, furious, possessive. He kissed like a man trying to brand his name into my very soul. His fingers tightened around my jaw before slowly trailing down my neck, stopping just above the collar of my shirt. My heart pounded as I recalled that night when he had almost strangled me, fear twisting my gut. He pulled back, just enough to let me breathe. His eyes, dark and heavy with desire, burned through me. I could see it in the way he looked at me—the craving, the fury, the ache to own every part of me. "On your knees." He took a step back and pointed to the rug near the bed. I sank down slowly, the thick silence around us pressing in. I watched him through the mask. Every movement, every sound, every breath he took—everything became magnified. "Hands behind you." I obeyed, heart thundering. His drawer opened with a soft click, then came the sound of rope sliding across leather. The silk bound my wrists gently but securely. He wasn't rushing. He wanted me to feel