The next morning, she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened the night before. Disgust curled in her stomach—not at him, but at her own body for the way it had responded to his touch. She wanted to hate him more, to drown the lingering heat in cold defiance. But deep down, she couldn't deny the truth—she craved the way he touched her, the way he marked her as his. A part of her, no matter how much she resisted, belonged to him.
She had tried to ignore him after that night at his penthouse. She had told herself that the attraction she felt was a byproduct of his dominance, a consequence of the way he controlled every room he entered, every person in his life.
But the truth was, it was much more than that.
He had *marked* her. In ways she hadn't fully understood yet, he had taken something from her, something that hadn't existed until he made her aware of it—the need to submit, to feel the overwhelming heat of his touch.
And when he touched her, when he spoke to her with that low, dark voice, it made her forget the rest of the world.
---
It was late. Ana was just finishing a glass of wine in her apartment when she heard the sharp knock at her door.
Her pulse leapt before she could even register the sound. She had known. She had *known* he'd come for her again.
She opened the door, her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. Hayden stood there, his expression unreadable, his tailored suit as sharp as ever. His eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that felt like a promise—this time she had no choice but to accept.
"You've been avoiding me," he said, his voice a velvet threat wrapped in amusement.
"Care to tell me why, sweetheart?" He tilted his head, eyes sharp. "Or is it that you enjoy the thrill of being chased?"
He stepped in, close enough for her to feel his heat. "Because if that's what you want… I'll chase you. Again and again. Until you beg me to catch you, princess."
"I haven't been avoiding you, and neither i have a desire for being chased by you so stop dreaming, she said, her words coming out a little too breathlessly for her liking.
He stepped closer, his presence engulfing her as his gaze traced over her face. She tried to stand her ground, but he made it so difficult.
"You've been avoiding yourself," he said, his voice suddenly softer, but no less intense. "You're lying to me. Lying to yourself."
Ana felt her heart race as he slowly entered the apartment, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He didn't wait for an invitation; he never did.
He stepped toward her, and she took an instinctive step back, but the coolness of the wall stopped her. Hayden was a predator, and she was trapped in his lair.
"I haven't changed my mind," she said, trying to sound firm, but the way he was looking at her made it impossible to ignore the truth—the undeniable truth that part of her wanted this. Wanted *him*.
Hayden reached up and brushed his thumb along her jawline, his fingers warm against her cold skin. "I never asked you to change your mind. I just asked you to stop pretending."
Her breath hitched, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. She was torn between wanting to scream at him to leave and wanting to pull him closer.
"Stop pretending you don't want me," he whispered, his lips now just inches from her ear. His breath fanned over her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. "Because I can see it. In your eyes. In the way you look at me. You want it."
Ana's hands trembled, but she forced them to stay at her sides, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing how badly he affected her. "You don't know anything about me."
"I know enough," he murmured, and his lips brushed against her earlobe, his voice dropping even lower. "I know what you need."
Her chest tightened. She couldn't breathe. His words hit her like a drug, a dangerous, intoxicating promise she couldn't ignore.
Before she could say anything, his lips were on hers. Soft at first, a mere brush against her mouth. But as the seconds ticked by, the kiss deepened, growing hungrier, more desperate.
Ana gasped when his hand slid around her waist, pulling her against him. She could feel the heat of his body through their clothes, the hard press of his chest against hers, and it made her knees feel weak.
She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let her. His hand gripped her chin, tilting her head back as his lips moved to her neck, his hot breath sending shivers through her entire body.
"Tell me you don't want this," he rasped, his lips brushing the delicate skin of her throat. "Tell me you don't want me to touch you like this."
Ana was speechless. Her body had already betrayed her, responding to him in ways she couldn't control. Her fingers curled into his shirt, pulling him closer, not willing to admit how much she wanted him.
"I don't need to tell you," she whispered, voice trembling. "You already know."
Hayden chuckled, the sound dark and knowing. "Exactly."
He stepped back slightly, his hands trailing down her body until they landed on her hips. He paused, his eyes searching hers. "You know what I want from you, Ana. You know what this is."
She swallowed hard, her heart thudding in her chest. "I'm not like the others," she said, though even she didn't believe it anymore.
He smirked. "I'm not interested in the others. I'm interested in you."
Then his lips were on hers again, but this time it wasn't just a kiss—it was a demand, a claim. The way he kissed her made it clear he wouldn't stop until he had everything.
Her hands were no longer by her sides. She was touching him now, feeling the hard planes of his chest, the muscles beneath his shirt, pulling him closer as if she couldn't get enough. Every kiss felt like it was tearing her apart and putting her back together all at once.
And when he broke the kiss, she felt a sense of loss—a hollow ache—that only made her want more.
"Come with me," he said, his voice rough, as he took her hand and led her toward the bedroom. His grip was firm, demanding.
Ana didn't stop him.
She couldn't.
Because deep down, she knew she wanted this. Wanted him. Even if it was going to destroy her.
Hayden led Ana into the bedroom, his grip on her hand unyielding. She stumbled after him, her heart racing, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts.
He pushed her onto the bed, looming over her with a predatory glint in his eyes. "You can't resist me," he growled, his voice thick with desire. "You want this as much as I do."
Ana shook her head, even as her body arched up towards him. "No," she whispered, but it sounded weak, unconvincing even to her own ears.
Hayden chuckled, low and dark. "Liar."
His hand slid up her thigh, pushing her skirt out of the way. Ana gasped as his fingers brushed against her panties, already damp with her arousal.
"You're so wet for me," he murmured, his thumb rubbing slow circles over her clit through the thin fabric. "Your body knows what it wants, even if your mind is still trying to fight it."
Ana bit her lip, trying to stifle a moan as he continued his torturous teasing. "Hayden, please," she whimpered, not even sure what she was begging for.
He smirked. "Please what, sweetheart? Tell me what you need."
His fingers pushed her panties aside, slipping into her slick folds. Ana cried out, her hips bucking up to meet his hand.
"Fuck," Hayden groaned, his fingers pumping in and out of her. "You're so tight. So perfect."
Ana could feel herself climbing higher and higher, the pressure building inside her until it was almost too much to bear.
"Hayden," she panted, her nails raking down his back. "I'm close. Don't stop."
He chuckled darkly. "I wouldn't dream of it."
His thumb found her clit, rubbing tight circles as he drove two fingers deep inside her. With a final thrust and a flick of his thumb, Ana came undone, her orgasm crashing over her like a tidal wave.
"Hayden!" she screamed, her walls clamping down around his fingers as she rode out the intense waves of pleasure.
But he wasn't done with her yet. Before she could catch her breath, he was stripping off his clothes, revealing his hard, muscular body.
Ana's eyes widened as he crawled over her, settling between her legs. She could feel his hard length pressing against her core, and it made her shiver with anticipation.
"I'm going to fuck you now," he said, his voice rough with desire. "I'm going to make you mine."
Ana knew she should protest, should push him away. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she found herself wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him closer.
"Please," she whimpered, even as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "Please don't do this."
But her words were a lie, and they both knew it. Because as much as she tried to resist, she wanted this. She wanted him.
Hayden's lips crashed against hers in a bruising kiss as he thrust into her with one swift motion. Ana cried out at the sudden intrusion, but it quickly turned into a moan as he started to move.
"Yes," she gasped, arching up to meet his thrusts. "Fuck me harder. Make me yours."
Hayden groaned, setting a punishing pace. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, mixing with their moans and cries of pleasure.
"You're mine," he growled, his hand gripping her hip hard enough to leave bruises. "Say it."
"I'm yours," Ana panted, lost in the intensity of the moment. "I'm yours, Hayden. Always."
And it was true. In that moment, with him moving inside her, claiming her, owning her—she belonged to him. Completely and utterly.
Hayden's hand slid between their bodies, finding her clit and rubbing tight circles. "Come for me," he commanded, his voice rough with desire. "Let me feel you come on my cock."
With a final thrust and a flick of his thumb, Ana did just that. Her orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave, her walls clamping down around him as she screamed his name.
Hayden followed close behind, spilling himself deep inside her with a guttural groan. They stayed like that for a long moment, both trembling in the aftermath of their intense lovemaking.
As they came down from their high, Hayden pulled out and tucked himself back into his pants. He looked down at Ana, sprawled out on the bed in the aftermath of their passion.
"See?" he said, his voice low and possessive. "I told you you'd surrender to me. And now you have."
Ana looked up at him with hazy eyes, a satisfied smile playing on her lips even as tears streaked down her face. "I always was yours, Hayden. You just had to show me what it meant to truly submit."
But deep down, she knew that this wasn't just about submission. This was about so much more. It was about the way he made her feel—powerful and powerless all at once. It was about the way he saw through her defenses, peeling back the layers until he reached the very core of her being.
And even though she knew it was dangerous, knew that getting too close to him could only end in heartbreak—she couldn't bring herself to pull away.
Because in that moment, with his eyes locked on hers and his hand still resting on her hip—she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.
She felt alive.