Meadow’s POV:


    My face had gotten flushed to the point where I could practically feel the heat radiating from my pores.


    “I came here because I want to watch you pleasure yourself, Meadow. It’s barely enough watching through a damn blurry screen.”


    “That’s an invasion of my privacy!” I gasped, and this time he let me turn around to face him. I pushed hard against his chest. “How dare you? How dare you watch me without my permission like a fucking


    creep?!”


    Fury spread across my chest like wildfire. ric had been watching me. He ignored me, treated me like I didn’t exist, controlled me, and then had the audacity to watch me in the pool.


    The tips of my ears grew hot–I wasn’t sure if it was just the anger or something else.


    Yes, I wasing up here to take my mind off things. But sometimes, I just let myself feel. Let myself think about him and the things he could be doing to me, and then I came to the thoughts of him.


    But he was never supposed to know.


    I tried to push against his chest again but he caught both hands with one of his and yanked me into him,


    chest to chest, so close that I could feel the heat rolling off his body. “I don’t watch you without permission, Meadow,<i>” </i>he murmured, eyes locked on mine. “I don’t need permission. You are mine.”


    “I’m not yours,” I spat, although my voice wasn’t as steady as I meant it to be.


    ric’s mouth curved in a slow, dangerous smirk. He let go of one wrist just to trail his thumb over the


    diamond on my finger.


    “This says you are. The papers you signed say you are. And the way youe with my name on your lips


    even when I’m not here? That fucking seals it, baby.”


    My breath hitched.


    “But you know what I like best about watching?” He released my hand and his thumb brushed my bottom lip, forcing it to part, while I just stood there like a doll, waiting to be used. “The cameras don’t catch sound. I don’t have to hear you to know how you sound when you break for me. I know your body. I own


    it.”


    A shiver ran down my spine, and my breath wasing out in short pants. “I don’t-”


    “Show me,” he murmured, cutting me off.


    Before I could ask what the hell he meant by that, ric’s palm pressed against my shoulder and he stepped forward, forcing me to stumble straight off the edge of the pool–and into it.


    The cold water swallowed mepletely. I shot back up, gasping for air as my hair stuck to my face.” You fucking-” I didn’t even know how to finish that sentence. What to call him. What the hell I wanted to


    say<b>. </b>


    ric crouched at the edge, his forearms casually resting on his knees. His gaze was dark, hungry.


    “You crave my attention so much I can practically smell your sweet arousal, Meadow. And right now, you’re going to show me exactly how you make yourselfe inside of this pool.”


    My stomach twisted. I pushed the hair away from my face, shivering. “You’re insane,” I bit out, even though he wasn’t wrong about me being soaking wet. I wanted to do what he asked.


    I wanted to.


    But he didn’t get to be cold and dismissive and thene back to demand things whenever he felt like it.


    “Far from it. I’m patient,” he corrected. “And I’ve been patient for far too long.” His head tilted slightly.”


    You know what I want. Give it to me.”


    I let out a humorlessugh. “You’ve lost your damn mind if you think-”


    “If I think you’ll obey?” His voice was low,ced with lust. “Baby, I’ve seen you do it every night without


    me asking.” Heat crept up my neck. “And now, I want it here. In my presence. Where I can touch you if I


    decide to.”


    Anger spread across my chest. I was already painfully turned on, and all his words did was spur me on.


    Denying it was making it worse, but I wasn’t ready to stop.


    <b>“</b>You’re delusional, ric,” I breathed. “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m not your fuckingpdog-<b>” </b>


    “No. You’re my wife,” he cut in smoothly, lips curving in a dark smirk. “Take off the top.”


    Heat prickled my skin despite the cool water. “No,” I retorted.


    ric’s smirk deepened, like he was waiting for that reply. “Fine. Then I’ll take it off for you.”


    He was in the water before I could even blink, ck shirt clinging to his chest and shoulders, making him look even bigger. More solid.


    My heart mmed against my ribcage.


    There was no escape. He was on me in three strokes, one hand curling around the back of my neck, the other running down my spine until I shivered against him. “This is thest time I am asking nicely,


    Meadow. Show me how you make yourselfe. Right here, while I watch.”


    <b>My </b>skin was buzzing. “I said no,” I hissed. I had never been this defiant, but I guess my stubborn streak


    had to evolve one way or another, didn’t <b>it</b>?


    ric’s eyes shed. Not with anger but with mocking amusement. “You also said you weren’t mine,” he muttered, thumb grazing my nape. “But we both know how bad of a liar you are, Meadow. You’re letting me hold you.” His hand on my lower back drifted lower. “Melting into my touch. Letting me decide


    whether you sink…” He yed with the strings of my bikini bottom. “…or float.”


    “Take it off, Meadow,” he repeated, his gaze dropping to my chest. ric could easily pull on the strings of the top, but he didn’t.


    He was giving me the chance to do it myself.


    I lifted my chin, my jaw clenching hard. “And what if I don’t?”


    He leaned in, lips brushing the shell of my ear. “Then I’ll strip you, finger you until you’re shaking, and


    make you beg me to stop. But you won’t voice it out, because you’ll like it too much to even form a


    coherent sentence.”


    I swallowed as a traitorous throb started low in my belly and moved straight to my core.


    <b>‘</b>Just give in, Meadow,<i>‘ </i>something in the back of my mind said. ‘Give in. Show him.‘


    “ric…”


    He cut me off with a low chuckle. “I can see the war going on in your eyes, baby. Your mouth says no.


    Your body, however…” he cupped my ass. “…says please. Which one do you want me to believe?”


    My thighs clenched under the water. I hated that he noticed.


    ric’s other hand slid from my neck to my jaw, tilting my face up to his. “Look at me,” he ordered.


    I did, feeling my resolve weaken.


    “Good girl,” he rasped. Now, take off your top, Meadow.”


    It was like I was a robot and he had the controls. I couldn’t help the way my hand reached for the strings


    of my top, and then pulled on it.


    It started to float away after I let it go, leaving me in only the bottom.


    Pride danced in his eyes. <b>“</b>I want your hand down the bottom now. Slow. Let me watch you ruin yourself,


    Meadow.”