I sat in the warm water for longer than I should have. My skin had already started to wrinkle, but I made no move to get out.

His voice still echoed in my head.

“Go. Bathe. I want you soft and clean when I finally taste you.”

A shiver slid down my spine, though the water was still hot.

It wasn’t fear. At least not the kind I was used to. It was something darker. Something that pooled in my stomach, twisted in my chest, and flushed hot under my skin.

I hated that I was reacting this way.

This man… this creature… had bought me like an object. Like...