Page 29 of Surrender to Me

“What is it?” His green eyes were luminescent, seeing everything, even the subtle change in my expression. There was a glimmer there that I knew was hiding a part of himself, like he was holding a torch at the end of a dark tunnel, filled with tortures that only he could dismantle. It made me sad.

“Poppy said I can’t satisfy you,” I said. I held back tears and took a deep breath. “She said you could tear me in two, that I won’t satisfy your needs. That you made it so she couldn’t sit for weeks.” The words escaped my mouth like fire licking the sides of a house. Owen’s gaze didn’t budge. He waited a moment, and then he spoke.

“It’s been a long time since I was with Poppy,” he said. Relief surged through me like the changing tides; I wanted to relax, but I could feel the catch to what he was about to say. “I never lied to you, Riley. I enjoy seeing women at their worst, knowing that I pushed them there.” He locked eyes with me as if to brace me for the next words. “I like seeing you like that, Riley.”

An involuntary shiver erupted through me at those words. The thought that he wanted to hurt me like that made the alarm bells in my head ring, warning me to get out now. But something made me stay.

“I’m willing to compromise when it comes to our living arrangements, but the sadism,” he said, and he pulled me in closer, his hand wrapped in my hair. “That part of me won’t scare you away, will it, Riley? You want to embrace the darkness as badly as I do.” His breath on my neck made me shiver again, and I wanted him to bite me as hard as he could, so I could see what he could and would do to me. Maybe I did like the pain.

“I need time to think about this.” Owen nodded. “Can I give you my answer after the review?” I still needed to see what my position was in the Foundation, even if I decided to leave anyway.

“I expect your response in two weeks then.”

“There’s quite some time to kill before then,” I smiled, “you know, when I’m not salvaging what’s left of my sculptures.”

Owen grinned. “Come to Surrender tonight,” he said.

And I nodded because I knew he was going to lead me through the darkness, hand in hand. Even if there was no light at the end of the tunnel, I knew he would be with me. And so I wasn’t afraid.

Well, maybe I was a little afraid.