“It is … or it will be once I find out who’s plotting against me.” He ran his hands from her shoulders, down her arms until he could interlock their fingers together. “They have no idea what they’re up against.”
“And if they win?”
He chuckled. “They can try to take you from me, but I’ll never allow it. I won’t be threatened by any man, Ashley. And I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty.”
Not only was he ready to take on any threat, he knew things about the group of traitors, and their next moves. He’d use the information to his advantage and slowly root them out. It wouldn’t be long until he knew exactly who’d infected his perfect little world.
“I keep wondering why I’m still here. I mean, shouldn’t I be afraid of you, too? Don’t you want the same thing as other men? Money, power, legacy?”
“The government is broken, Ashley. It’s struggling to gain any foothold in this shitfest, so it’ll promise the world for a woman like you. You represent hope, a future—both things lacking in the world. They’ll use you like a pawn.” He took a breath. “Look around you. What good is money anymore? What can it buy? I don’t need money or power … legacy, that’s something else.”
She gasped when he stepped forward.
“Do you think men want me for money or for my body?”
“Both.”
“Not you, though.” She reached up and fiddled with the button at his collar. “You just like to have me around like some kind of collectible toy. I think you like having something that everyone else wants.”
He smirked, unfastening a few buttons on his shirt. “You’re intuitive.”
Ashley shrugged.
“But don’t mistake my obsession. I do want something more from you.”
She dragged one finger along the bare skin where his shirt had parted. A crackle of thunder echoed in the distance. “Tell me what you want from me.”
Draven groaned. “I want the legacy. You can give me that.”
“So, you want my body.”
“Yes, I fucking want your body, but unlike other men, I want the woman, too.”
“Really?” She narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “There’s nothing special about me beyond this band. I’m not unlike other women.” She held up her wrist. He leaned over and kissed it, making her breath catch in her throat.
“You’re wrong, little Ashley. You’re very unlike other women. And I’ve been using more self-control the past many weeks than you can imagine.”
“Why not just take what you want? You’re the king of this castle, after all.”
“You’re right. I could have already filled you with my seed. My progeny would be growing inside your womb.”
“You’ve barely touched me.”
“I told you I can be a patient man. The world may be a cold place now, but I still hold out hope that one day you can love me.”
****
Love?
She didn’t expect a man like Draven to consider anything beyond power and desire. And she never expected to experience what she read about in the romance novels. It seemed the notion of love disappeared once survival took over people’s basic values. It was a black and white world, void of color. There was no room for love and devotion when thoughts were focused on meeting their basic needs. The world was a scary place, and now Draven had changed everything with those few words.
Ashley realized she hadn’t said a thing. Her thoughts were scattered, so many possibilities filling her head. Could she love Draven? Could she not?
For all her complaining, she savored being sheltered and coddled. It felt like a weight off her shoulders to be able to forget about foraging and safety, and enjoy the simple things. Draven made all that possible.
He’d made her fertility band a blessing rather than a curse.
And she was tired of him holding back. How could a grown man sleep with her every night and keep so much self-control? She was starting to get a complex. Ashley had convinced herself he was using her for her womb, and one day he’d force himself on her. To hear talk of love and commitment tossed her expectations out the window.
Was he attracted to her? Or did her extra pounds turn him off?
Draven was hard and chiseled. She’d seen him working his body, the sweat glistening on his back as he did pull-ups in the archway every morning before he showered. Every day she spent with him made her more desperate for his attention. Yes, he talked to her, fed her, and spent time with her around the property, but she needed more.
She wanted him to look at her like a man full of hunger.
She wanted him to take without asking.
To claim her.
To fuck her.
You’re such a freak, Ashley. You’ve been alone too long.
Luanna would be ashamed of her. Her friend refused to rely on a man and continually tried to convince her to leave the compound. Recently, Luanna had been pushing the idea more, saying they’d overstayed their welcome and it was no longer safe.
Ashley didn’t listen because she didn’t want to leave. What awaited her beyond the walls? Rape, starvation, harsh elements, and certain death before long. Why survive when they could live in Draven’s kingdom? Being a fertile without protection meant she’d always have a target on her back, always be hunted by the worst of the worst looking to cash out or use her for their own sick pleasure.
“Have you ever loved a woman?” she finally asked.
He stared at her, his eyes turning black as the light was slowly snuffed from the room. The clouds blocked out the remnants of the sun, creating a foreboding atmosphere. All she could feel was lust.
“I never had time for it before the virus. After things changed, it never entered my mind. I’ve lived here, building and protecting, only focused on keeping out the worst and trying to hold onto the little humanity I had left.”
“Love and survival aren’t a very good mix,” she said.
“No, you’re wrong. These times put love to the test. It’s finding it that’s difficult.”
She swallowed hard.
“With you, little one, I can see myself losing my head … and my heart.” He cupped her cheek with one rough hand, and she instinctively closed her eyes and rested against this touch.
“I’m afraid to believe you.”
“I could have taken everything from you, stripped you of your virginity without consent, or never opened my gates to you and your friend. But I’ve housed and cared for you for weeks in hopes you’d see my sincerity.”
The last thing she wanted to do was push him away or appear ungrateful. He was right. Things could have gone so differently in other circumstances.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You have no idea. Before I came here, I’d lost all hope. Every day was a like a waking nightmare, and I kept praying the virus had been a figment of my imagination.”
“You’re appreciative.” His words were clipped. “But you’re not interested in a relationship with me.”
“I never said that. Trust isn’t something I’ve learned to hand over easily. And I may not have experience with men, but I’m here because I want to be.”
He appeared to mull her words over in his mind. “You need more time.”