Page 69 of Stranger to Love

“It was the only bag I had.”

“And you have been a good girl for the last ten minutes. Very obedient.” Her lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile that made my heart slam against my ribs. “You deserve a reward, Alex.”

Before I could even catch my breath, she unbuckled her belt, reached across me, and snatched my backpack off the floorboards.

She unzipped it, rummaging through my things with practiced ease before casually tossing my joggers and sleep shirt into the back seat. My jaw dropped as she pulled out my small toiletries bag, unzipping it just enough to peer inside. A low, amused "Cute" escaped her lips as she set it on the console.

She reached back into my bag, hauled out my plain cotton knickers and vest top, and threw those into the back, too. Satisfied, she picked up the toiletries bag and slid it back into the main compartment before zipping the nearly empty backpack shut with absolute finality.

“We won’t be needing these,” she stated, her gaze ruthless. “You packed like you were planning on escaping. I’m making sure you stay.”

The sheer, dominant finality of it made my head spin. She was systematically stripping away every ounce of my control.

“Come on, darling. We have a long night ahead of us, and I am done with driving.”

She stepped out of the car, her heels clicking against the concrete as she swept around to open my door. I climbed out, clutching my practically useless backpack. Did she seriously have me pack this just so she could put on a show?

Fuck me. That was a total power move.

I followed her inside, the heavy click of the lock behind us sealing us in. As she hung her trench coat in the grand built-in wardrobe by the front door, I slipped off my shoes. She lined her heels up neatly alongside the rest of her footwear before turning her attention to me. Wordlessly, I handed over my jacket and shoes, taking the brief nod she offered toward the kitchen as my cue.

I moved like a fucking obedient puppy.

Clutching my empty bag, I wandered into the low-lit kitchen and hoisted myself onto a stool at the island. I took a few deep, steadying breaths to quiet my racing heart, but every precise, calculated movement she made felt like a direct assault on my remaining composure.

I didn't even hear her approach before her breath warm against my ear sent a shiver straight down my spine. “Did you know that seminars and lectures are canceled on Monday?” she whispered softly.

“They are?” I started to turn my head to look at her, but her fingers caught my chin, firmly nudging my face back forward.

“They are. Which means we, my darling, have much more time than we anticipated.”

She pressed her body flush against my back, reaching around to undo the top buttons of my shirt—just enough to leave my cleavage fully exposed. The trail of her finger across my bared skin was agonisingly slow.

“You’ve worked a full shift, and it’s late,” she murmured into the side of my neck. “You need sleep. I’ll be here in the morning.”

A groan of pure disappointment slipped out of my throat before I could stop it.

She chuckled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head before lacing her fingers through mine. “Come on.”

She led me up to the guest room. A black silk nightgown was laid out neatly on the mattress.

“For you to sleep in,” she instructed gently. “My room is across the hallway if you need me.”

I nodded, but the frustration inside me finally boiled over. I couldn’t just go to sleep—I needed something from her.

Closing the distance between us before she could react, I caught her completely off guard, grabbing the front of her shirt and dragging her down into a fierce, frantic kiss. Before she had the chance to reclaim control, my hand darted to the back of her head, unclasping her hair clip and tossing it onto the bed. Her thick, dark hair tumbled free over her shoulders, and I immediately tangled my fingers into the heavy locks, deepening the bite of the kiss and dragging my tongue across her lower lip until she gave in and opened up for me.

I broke away just enough to murmur against her jaw, “Sit.”

A slow, knowing smirk spread across her lips. She didn't argue. She simply turned and sank onto the edge of the large guest bed.

I scrambled up after her, straddling her lap, my knees digging into the mattress on either side of her strong thighs. A deep moan escaped me as her hands slid up my outer thighs, firmly cupping my arse to lift and settle me securely against her crotch. The heat through our clothes was agonisingly perfect.

I dragged my mouth away from hers, burying my face in her neck, biting and sucking hard just behind her ear. I wanted to mark her exactly the way she had marked me. Dr. Carter threw her head back, offering me better access, her breaths hitching.

My fingers fumbled frantically with the silk buttons of her wine-red shirt, desperate for skin-to-skin contact. But just as I cleared the first button, her hand snapped up, clamping tightly around my wrist.

“Enough, Alex.”