Chapter 40

-Alison-

I knew the pictures and videos Jared had of me now held no power. Warren would be working fast, seeking revenge for what I had done, but it was hard to care when I had Jared's undivided attention all morning and in the shower.

At breakfast, he worked alongside me instead of expecting me to serve him. It was intriguing to suddenly find ourselves on a different level. A level I had always longed for, even if he refused to remove the collar, having stolen the key and tucked it into his pocket before I could reach it. Nonetheless, I sensed a shift between us.

As we chatted and prepared food to cook, then settled at the dining table, I marveled at the sight of him eating breakfast with me in my own home. While he was focused on his meal, I stole a moment to gaze at him, allowing my imagination to run wild.

I envisioned a life where I had married him instead of Warren, where this was our home. However, my gaze drifted to the silver band around his finger, and I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh, lowering the glass of water I had been holding. Sensing my mood, he turned to me, a look of confusion crossing his features.

"Are you all right?" he inquired.

"Well, I'm still collared, and I don't know if you plan to leave with the key," I admitted.

"I might just," he teased, leaning back in his seat.

I extended my hand, prompting him to glance at it with a puzzled expression before he took it and intertwined his fingers with mine. Our hands rested on the table, though that wasn't what I had intended by my gesture.

"Jared?" I spoke up.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"I was motioning for you to give me the key."

He realized his oversight, yet his hand remained clasped with mine. Instead of withdrawing, he offered a small smile, and I returned the gesture.

"Later," he vowed.

"Later?" I echoed.

"You have me for the day, and I want to continue to see your pretty neck collared," he informed me, his sultry voice sending a wave of heat through my body.

"You promise you'll give it to me later?" I pressed.

"I promise."

"You know I don't trust that, right? I've already been burned trusting you once," I pointed out.

"The collar only comes out to play when you and I are together," he assured.

"Oh, so I do get to live my life still?"

"Unless you just want to stay in this house, waiting for me all day."

I shook my head, still smiling, and noticed he still hadn't let go of my hand.

"While it wouldn't be the worst fate, I do like my job," I admitted. "And hopefully, I get to keep it despite my mother's threats."

"We'll handle her."

"The recording will keep her in check," I reassured him, and he nodded, his grip tightening on my hand, causing my smile to widen.

"So, what do you want to do today?" I asked, noticing his eyes filling with heat instantly.

"We did that all morning!" I reminded him. "My pussy could use a break."

"I thought we agreed my slut was always ready for me."

"When I was bound by a contract," I reminded him.

"There might not be a piece of paper between us anymore, but that doesn't change much, does it?" he pointed out, and I knew he was right. Paper or not, I had signed myself over to him.

"Maybe I should spend my time doing damage control," I suggested, sidestepping his question, fully aware of the implications of answering it. I would likely find myself naked in mere seconds.

"Is that how you want to spend the rest of the day with me?" he inquired as I rose from my seat, carrying my half-eaten food to the kitchen.

As I stood at the sink, rinsing off the plate and setting it aside, I pondered our options for the day. Glancing over my shoulder, I realized the possibilities were endless. Jared was right there, ready to be seized, and his smile hinted that he knew I was contemplating all the things we could do—this time, as something closer to equals.

"You wouldn't have brought your motorcycle here, right?" I asked.

"You didn't enjoy the last ride," he reminded me.

"I... I lied," I confessed, leaning against the counter behind me with a nervous smile.

"You enjoyed it?"

"I did. At least the middle and last parts. The first part was terrifying," I admitted, eliciting a chuckle from him.

He shook his head slightly. "I didn't bring it, but I'll remember it for next time."

"Next time?" I repeated, my breath catching in my throat.

"Didn't we agree? You can't leave me," he reminded me.

"I don't plan to, but I know you've been trying to keep your distance. Maybe you wanted to give that another shot."

"I've already accepted my fate."

"Right, being stuck with me," I retorted.

"It's how I feel, but I can either make the best of it or fight something I obviously need professional help with, maybe even a straightjacket," he pointed out.

"Are you saying it's that hard to stay away that they'd need to lock you down?" I queried.

His eyes darkened in a way that answered my question, causing my heart to quicken with the notion of Jared being so consumed by his need to see me, control me, and find solace in me.

"You must really be furious with yourself," I teased, observing his glare as he rose from his chair, approaching me until he stood directly in front of me. His hands landed on the counter on either side of me.

"I have been, but battling something I clearly can't rid myself of will only fuel my fury. I might as well find a way to turn it all around because, as we both know, you're the one waiting for me. I still have responsibilities. I still have a marriage. You're the one who's waiting," he reminded me, a sting piercing my heart as I realized I had rendered myself a more pitiable mess by giving myself so entirely to Jared without a second thought.

"Maybe I should consider dating again, just to amuse myself with something else," I mused.

A low growl emanated from him before he seized my collar, pulling my body closer to his, and my hands instinctively landed on his stomach, relishing the sensation of him.

"We've already discussed this, Alison. You can't swap me out for someone else, or even attempt to," he snapped.

"It's just ironic that you say I'm the one waiting for you, yet you still won't allow me to be with someone else," I remarked, a hint of bitterness lacing my words.

"You're right. I won't let you."

"Why?" I pressed, and he sighed, appearing defeated by his own conflicting emotions.

"You know why."

"Because it might alter my feelings toward you? It might make me want to cease seeing you? Shift my complete focus away from you?" I inquired.

"Right now, I'm your every thought, but that could change," he pointed out.

"It hasn't so far."

"And have you truly loved any of the men you've been with?" he challenged.

"I loved Warren."

"Not truly, and we both know it. He was convenient, and you forced those feelings. But that doesn't mean that if you were to venture out, no longer determined to please your mother or someone else, you might not find someone you could genuinely love. Someone who checks all the boxes, makes you feel content and safe. Then how would you feel about me?" he posed the question, his gaze probing.

"I..." I hesitated, grappling with his words.

"Obsessions are a powerful force, Alison, but they are also fragile. If you were to redirect that profound love toward someone else, you would leave me," he explained, revealing a vulnerability that lingered within him, an important part of the foundation that shaped him.

"So I don't have a choice? It's you or nothing?" I sought clarification.

"No, it's me," he corrected. "There is no ‘nothing'. There is no ‘someone else.' It's me."

"Or?" I persisted.

"No ‘or'," he growled.

"But there has to be an ‘or',"

"No," he insisted. "It's me, and you know it."

I blinked rapidly, uncertain of my response. While I had always convinced myself that there was only Jared, what if I grew weary of being just an option, someone he visited whenever he pleased, akin to all those affairs Warren had, with women waiting for his attention? I knew he could see the uncertainty in my eyes, and Jared, perceptive as ever, lifted me onto the counter, his hand resting on my inner thigh, where he had marked me.

"Only me," he whispered before capturing my lips in a kiss.