Bound to Obey

Jaxon's POV

"That reminds me" I began, " You will start your pet duties tonight when you come to my house."

I watched Riley’s face shift from disbelief to something close to panic the moment I told him about tonight. 

“A car will be sent to your place this evening,” I repeated, drawing out each word slowly, watching his reaction with all satisfaction. “I expect you to be ready.”

Riley looked like he might faint. 

He swallowed sliver, his gaze darting away as if he could somehow will himself out of this situation if he just ignored it hard enough. 

“Tonight?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper. 

His shock was amusing, but I could also see something else in his eyes—a hint of defiance trying to break through the fear. And just as quickly, it vanished.

“Yes, tonight,” I confirmed, raising an eyebrow. “Surely you didn’t think we’d waste time. Or is your memory already failing you?” I folded my hands, enjoying every word. “There was a rule in there about obedience, wasn’t there?”

Riley’s lips pressed into a thin line, and I could see the anger in his eyes before he managed to suppress it. 

There it was—my favorite spark of rebellion. 

As tempting as it was to snuff it out, I also enjoyed watching him try and fail to stand up to me. 

It was like witnessing a slow fall, inevitable and predictable, yet endlessly satisfying.

Still, he gave a stiff nod. 

“Fine,” he murmured.

“Excellent,” I replied. “And remember, Riley, I don’t want any complaints. You agreed to this, after all.”

A flicker of hesitation crossed his face before he forced himself to straighten, meeting my gaze with a hint of that defiance returning. 

“Understood,” he muttered, though I could tell he was barely holding it together.

Satisfied, I leaned back, allowing a small smirk to slip onto my face. 

“Now, you should get back to work. I have a company to run, after all, and I can’t have my employees slacking.”

Riley looked ready to leave, but he hesitated at the doorway, turning back with a furrow in his brow. 

“Wait,” he said, his tone firm despite his obvious discomfort. “This... isn’t fair.”

I blinked, momentarily taken aback by his unexpected resistance. 

“Fair?” I repeated, a faint laugh bubbling up at the absurdity. “What exactly do you mean by fair, Riley?”

He looked away, clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words. 

“If this arrangement is supposed to be...” he trailed off, choosing his words carefully, “mutually beneficial, then I think I should get a few... terms of my own.”

Terms? Now that was bold. And entirely unexpected. 

I felt a chuckle slip past my lips before I could stop myself. 

The idea of Riley, trying to wrestle even a shred of control in this situation, was almost endearing.

“Terms?” I echoed, amusement obvious in my tone. “Well, isn’t that precious.” I leaned forward, folding my hands on my desk. “Alright, go ahead. Let’s hear these so-called terms of yours.”

Riley swallowed, visibly bracing himself. 

“First, we don’t... do anything in the office,” he said, his voice wavering just slightly. “Or anywhere public.”

Interesting. 

Clearly, he still had a sense of self-preservation buried somewhere beneath that anger.

“Nothing in the office,” I agreed aloud, tapping a finger against my lips thoughtfully. “And nothing in public.” I let my gaze linger on him, watching as he shifted under my scrutiny. “Fine. Continue.”

He glanced away for a moment, as though gathering his thoughts. 

“And... I don’t want you doing anything that might actually harm me. I get that you’re...” he paused, obviously choosing his words carefully, “intense, but I don’t want any lasting damage.”

I bit back a laugh. 

He really was trying to establish boundaries, as if he thought this arrangement could be shaped to his comfort. 

Adorable, really. But I allowed it, merely because I enjoyed seeing him try. 

“No lasting damage,” I agreed smoothly. “Anything else?”

“And... don’t just summon me whenever you feel like it. Think twice before calling me at all hours of the night.”

This time, I didn’t even try to hide my amusement. 

“Is that so? You’d like me to be considerate of your... schedule?”

“Yes,” he replied, his tone sharpening as he met my gaze, clearly determined to hold onto the last shred of control he could muster. “If we’re doing this, it has to be... reasonable.”

I let out a small laugh, unable to contain it any longer. 

“Very well, Riley,” I said. “No calls in the middle of the night unless absolutely necessary. Anything else? Perhaps you’d like a vacation package to go along with it?”

The sarcasm in my voice was unmistakable, but Riley merely shook his head, his expression resolute. 

“No, that’s it,” he muttered, clearly straining to keep his voice steady.

“Then we’re done here,” I said, dismissing him with a casual wave. “You may return to your work.”

Without another word, Riley turned on his heel, his face set in a tight expression as he walked out of my office. 

I watched him go, allowing myself a small smile. 

The satisfaction thrummed through me, a heady sense of control settling deep in my bones. 

Riley was mine to play with now, whether he liked it or not. 

He could fight it, resist it, but ultimately, he had no choice. And that, perhaps, was the sweetest part of it all.

I pushed myself up from my chair, moving to the window where I had a clear view of the office floor below. 

Riley had returned to his desk, his expression carefully calm as he engaged in casual conversation with Chloe, the woman he seemed particularly close to. 

I could see his shoulders relax slightly, his smile returning as she made some offhand comment. 

He was putting on a brave face, trying to act as though nothing had happened.

But I knew better. Beneath that façade, he was conflicted, uncertain, a tangled mess of emotions he didn’t know how to unravel. 

And tonight, I would enjoy watching him unravel even more.

This arrangement was going to be far more entertaining than I’d originally anticipated.