


My pupils dilate. “Is that—”
“A collar, for a filthy pet,” he says, biting his lip.
“But …” I mutter.
“You didn’t think I’d let you get off that easily, did you?”
He approaches me with the collar and goes to one knee as he wraps it around my neck and locks it into place before I can even raise a finger. I scratch at it and tug it away as he attaches the chain.
He tips up my chin. “Don’t fight it.”
Then he gets up, still holding the chain. I’m like a dog on a leash … and the dirty grin on his face makes me want to bite his face.
My nostrils flare. “How long does this thing stay on?”
“As long as I want it to,” he replies. “As long as it takes for you to learn your lesson.”
“What lesson?”
“That you don’t get to turn away from me. That you don’t run away from a man like me. That you don’t … go and fall for another man’s charms.” There’s a hint of betrayal glimmering in his eyes.



