Chapter 5: Dominated

I tilted my head, letting my eyes lock with his, letting him feel the heat and the power that flowed from me effortlessly. His grip tightened, but I smiled, keeping my voice light and playful.

"Tell me, Mr. Crimson," I purred, my fingers tracing a soft circle on his chest, "how could anyone compare to me? You can’t even remember what’s in front of you, can you?"

His gaze faltered, and I could see the flicker of confusion in his eyes, the moment where he tried to place me—who I was. But he wouldn’t. I made sure of that.

“Unique,” I whispered, my lips brushing near his ear. "There’s no one like me. I’m a force of nature. So how can you possibly see anyone in me when I’m already everything?”

Thorne stiffened slightly, his breath catching as I leaned in closer, savoring the tension between us. He was close to unraveling, desperate to find something he recognized, but I wouldn’t let him. No, I wasn’t about to let him claim this moment. This was mine.

His hand slid lower on my back, pressing me closer to him, but I didn't flinch. I welcomed the contact, knowing it only made him more entangled in the game I was playing. His scent, the warmth of his body—it was all too easy for him to get lost in it.

“You think you know someone, Mr. Crimson?" I continued, my voice laced with a bite now, my gaze steady on his. "You think you see me? No. No one sees me. They just want to. You can barely handle what’s in front of you, so how could you ever remember someone in me?"

I moved my fingers up his collar, letting them rest on his neck for just a moment, watching his chest rise and fall in time with the pulsing beat of the music. His breath was shallow now, his desire palpable, but I wasn’t done.

“I’m not someone you remember," I said, my voice dropping lower, softer, seductive. "I’m someone who marks you”

“I wonder,” Thorne mused, his fingers tracing the curve of my back, pulling me a little closer as we continued to move to the music, “how many men have tried to win your attention, Nora? How many have failed?”

The question came with the same self-assured arrogance that oozed from him, but this time, I felt no rush to answer him, no need to rise to the bait. I could almost sense him trying to break through the carefully constructed wall I’d put up around myself. But I wouldn’t let him.

“I’ve never needed anyone to win my attention,” I said evenly, my gaze steady, unwavering. “And no one has failed, because no one’s even tried.”

His hand tightened again, but I didn’t flinch. Instead, I tilted my head slightly, giving him the barest of smiles, just enough to let him know I wasn’t impressed.

Thorne Crimson might think he had the power, but he was still hunting, still trying to figure me out, and that was the one thing I had over him. I wasn’t the prey anymore. I was the hunter.

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, “You’re a puzzle, Nora. And I’m going to solve you.”

“I love it,” I seductively smile.

As I pulled away from Thorne, I felt the need to recalibrate, to shift gears. The proximity to him—his scent, the heat of his touch—was starting to mess with my composure, reminding me of the past I had buried so deeply. I needed space, a moment to breathe. I needed to stay calm.

I excused myself with a half-smile, offering a flirtatious, casual wave over my shoulder. "I’ll be right back," I said, my voice smooth, undisturbed. He was still watching me with that burning curiosity, but I didn’t give him a chance to say anything more.

As I made my way to the counter  bar, I could feel the weight of his gaze on my back, like a phantom touch that made my skin prickle with annoyance. Damn him. Damn his fucking face. He was still the same—charming, dangerous, calculating. He hadn’t changed at all, even though I had.

I leaned against the polished marble bar, ordering a glass of wine with deliberate ease. As the bartender prepared my drink, I closed my eyes for a second, letting the smooth music wash over me, the beat a reminder of why I was here. I wasn’t here to play the seductress for Thorne’s pleasure. I wasn’t here for his games. I had a purpose, and that purpose was to make him pay for everything he’d done, for the things he thought he could get away with.

This wasn’t just about revenge. It was about justice.

I inhaled deeply, the cool air of the bar grounding me. The wine would help calm the flare of anger rising within me. I needed evidence, I needed leverage, and Thorne Crimson would provide it. But I had to be careful. He was dangerous, and as much as I could manipulate him, I couldn’t let him see through me.

Not yet. Not ever.

I took a sip from my glass, savoring the quiet bite of the wine, letting it wash the tension from my shoulders. In the reflection of the polished surface of the bar, I saw Thorne’s figure standing across the room, his dark eyes still following me like an animal tracking its prey.

He couldn’t know who I really was. He couldn’t.

I could feel the adrenaline pulsing through my veins, but I needed to remain unaffected. The last thing I could afford was to let him see my anger or my fear.

I leaned back slightly, my eyes catching Thorne’s again, but this time, there was no flicker of recognition, no attempt to peel away the layers I’d carefully constructed. Just the same confident, hungry look, as if I were another conquest, another pretty face for him to crack open.

He wouldn’t. I wasn’t like the others.

A smile played on my lips as I took another sip of wine. The game was far from over, and I would be the one who called the shots.

I turned away from the bar, my gaze never leaving him as I walked back to where he stood, feeling the quiet confidence ripple through me with each step. When I reached him, I didn’t wait for him to speak. Instead, I took a deliberate breath and let my voice drop into that low, playful tone that had worked so well on him before.

"You look lost, Mr. Crimson," I said, my words just on the edge of teasing, but with a sharpness underneath. "Perhaps you’ve forgotten your place."

Thorne smirked, his hand lifting as though to reach for me, but I stepped just out of reach, ensuring I remained the one in control.

His voice dropped, the edge of authority sharpening his words. “I want you, Nora. And I don’t take no for an answer.”