Chapter 3
Seeing me lost in a daze, Ryan cupped my cheek, tilted my chin up, and kissed me hard.
"Because if you do, I can't help but want to take you right here," he murmured against my lips.
I was just about to speak when he moved, thrusting his hips forward, sending waves of pleasure crashing through me.
"Tame me, mistress," Ryan murmured.
He guided my hand, slowly pressing it against the 18K gold collar at his throat.
"If you want to turn a lion into your kitty, the first thing you should do is grab this leash and never let go," he said.
I had a cat when I was a kid, but that cat was so proud and aloof, it never paid me any mind.
Lacey always said I was too gentle, so even little animals couldn't resist bullying me.
But Ryan didn't see it that way.
He was a fierce tiger and I was a mere woman.
And when I lured him in, I fastened a bowtie collar around his neck.
That was not all. I wanted him to please Lacey too.
Ever since Lacey and I were kids, Dad never held back when it came to punishing us.
When Lacey came upstairs, the red handprint on her face was impossible to miss.
I was scared, my tears falling endlessly down my cheek. But Lacey pulled a candy out of her pocket.
"Why are you crying? Worst case, we'll just go back near the college and set up a coffee stand. We won't starve," she said.
Furthermore, she warned me, "Corrine, I know what you're thinking. I'm your sister, and as long as I'm alive, nobody can force you to do anything.
"Ryan is trying to force you out! That creep. How dare he go after you.
"If we crash and burn, we'll do it together. It's just business, right? I've been broke before. I'm not scared at all."
When Dad and I got into that car accident, my parents signed the papers to give up on my treatment.
Lacey wouldn't have it. She dropped out of high school, worked any job she could find, scraped together every last bill and coin, and saved my life.
My heart ached.
I never shied away from tough times.
But my parents were used to living the high life. If we ever had to go back to struggling, they'd lose their minds.
The red handprint on Lacey's face showed that Dad didn't give a damn about the daughter who carried the family on her back.
They acted like we owed them, like we should be taking care of them.
*****
After thinking it over, I decided to meet up with Ryan.
The moment I saw him, I yanked him in by the collar and kissed him hard.
Ryan went stiff as a board.
The first time we had sex hurt like hell for me.
I never would've guessed that a guy who always acted all tough could have lips this soft.
My teeth got in the way, and I ended up biting Ryan, making him wince.
His big hands locked around my waist and he took charge.
I felt like I was caught up in a wild wolf's frenzy.
After a long moment, he finally came back to his senses, pushed me away, and gave me a playful look.
"Are you trying to get fresh with me?" Ryan asked.
"No, I'm just kissing you," I replied.
He let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Do you know who I am?"
I nodded. "Ryan Weaver."
He was the kind of guy one couldn't forget, even if I wasn't the smartest.
He paused, momentarily stunned.
His fingertips pressed gently to my forehead, glided down my nose, brushed over my lips, and lingered at my chest.
"Besides my name, what else do you want to know about me?" Ryan asked.
His actions and his words didn't match up at all. I couldn't take it.
"So, you're some kind of ladies' man, huh? Flirting with girls like it's no big deal," I shot back.
Ryan let out a hearty laugh. "No way! There's no one else but you."
I gave him a hard, searching stare.
He couldn't handle my scrutiny, so he used his strength to bulldoze right over me.
He picked me up and hauled me straight into the car.
"You brought your ID, right?" he asked.
I nodded, totally clueless.
"Alright then. To prove I'm not messing around, let's go get hitched for real at city hall," he declared.
I was shocked.
All I could see was his impossibly handsome face, looking all sly.
"If we get married, then it's not messing around, is it?" Ryan said.
The driver shot us a meaningful glance and kept the ride smooth and fast.
Ryan stayed silent the whole ride.
His phone kept ringing, but he kept hanging up.
I was bored, so I ran my fingers over his eyebrows.
As I brushed aside the stray hairs on his forehead, I asked, "You're so hot. Are you running a fever?
"You were burning up that day, and now you're still..."
The driver held back a cough and raised the partition between us.
Ryan pulled my hand away from his forehead and squeezed it tight in his.
"Shh!" He leaned down to my ear, his voice low. "I'm hot."
Despite it being spring, I was feeling hot too.
I pushed him away, refusing to fall for his tricks, and decided to turtle up to stay out of trouble.
Eventually, I ended up dozing off.
Drifting in and out of sleep, I caught snippets of conversation, including stuff like family alliances, win-win deals, lunatics, and being disowned.
I was confused, but it wasn't like I could change Ryan's mind once he was set on something.
Everything was a blur when we registered our marriage. I honestly couldn't remember a single word of the vows.
But what really stuck with me was the way Ryan wouldn't take no for an answer, not giving me a chance to object.
Night came, and Ryan made sure I couldn't run.
The marriage license sat right there on the nightstand.
He leaned over me, our bodies molding perfectly together.
His hot breath fanned against my ear.
His voice was low and teasing. "Meow. Mistress, from now on, you're the only one who gets to hold my leash."
I was in such a daze that everything felt hazy and unreal.
He just couldn't get enough, coming at me again and again. No matter how I tried, I couldn't get him off me.
Without thinking, my whole body went rigid. "Ryan!"
He trembled violently, his gaze turning icy and stormy.
"Seriously, what kind of cat are you? You're so heavy. Get off. I can't breathe!" I gasped.