A servant comes into the dining room and places a plate in front of each of us.

" Eggplant florentine with braised chicken and asparagus," the servant announces.

" Looks delicious," we say in unison as I stare down at my plate smiling. I was starving.

" Do you need anything else?" The servant says after he finishes pouring us both a glass of red wine.

"No," Alexander replies.

I start cutting the chicken while the server leaves the room. I bring the fork to my mouth and take a bite.

" Omg! This is amazing," I say with a mouth full of chicken. I understand that my mannerisms are considered unladylike but honestly, I don't care.

" Look at me."

Alexander's resting hand on the table becomes a tight fist. There's that angry side of him again. The one that frightens me.

I look up at him, saying nothing. I hold steady with my glare, giving him the same one that's he's giving me.

" I don't like this game."

" What game?" I questioned playing dumb.

" I don't like seeing you pretend that the spanking didn't happen."

I put down my fork and give him my full attention. " What do you want me to say?"

" For starters, I want to know how you felt about it. If you liked it. If you hated it. If you plan to be so obedient in the future that I don't get the chance to do it again."

His hand advances and his long fingers curl around my hand. " I hope not. I loved spanking you."

I didn't doubt him for a second. I know he's telling the truth that his palm is eager to meet my ass again.

There's something terribly wrong with him. I see a sinisterness behind his eyes. A warning of the darkness that resides within those beautiful blue eyes. Like a dark angel, his outer beauty hides the malice beneath the surface.

I know that reddening my cheeks isn't the only that he wants to do to me. No, it's only the beginning.

To protect myself I lied.

" No. No, I didn't I like the spanking," I  replied, averting my gaze.

He takes his hand away.

" Violet," when he said my name it was laced with harshness, disappointment.  " I will allow you this one opportunity to lie to me. In the future, if you lie again, I promise you will not enjoy the consequences."

Somehow despite the underlying threat, I remain calm. I take a drink of my wine and look at him over my glass. I sit it back down. I may not appear nervous, but I'm dying inside. I hope he can't see through my false bravado.

I narrowed my eyes. " How do you know I'm lying? Isn't it possible that I didn't like my ass being struck?"

Alexander turns up his wine glass and drinks half the wine in it before locking his eyes on mine. Making me super comfortable, which I'm certain is part of his plan.

He smirks as his eyes roam over my body. " Your body doesn't lie. Look at your nipples, they're hard."

I glanced down. They were.

" Your eyes, they're not a pale blue anymore, but a deep stormy gray. I'd say you liked the spanking more than you thought and you can't wait for me to do it again."

I narrowed my eyes. He wasn't wrong. I liked it. I liked when he told me to bend over and place my palms on the table. And that spanking. The tingles I felt in my groin when his hand came down firmly on each cheek. The small liquid I felt between my legs for him.

Christ almighty.

The intense physical response to him is unbelievable and annoying. I want to be turned off by him. I want to be disgusted because he's a vampire. But I'm not.

This can't be normal. To be aroused by a man who bought me at a slave auction and is my sworn enemy isn't the least bit rational.

I glance at him. He returns eating casually like we're not discussing whether I liked the punishment or not.

" Do you want to know the truth? Yes! I enjoyed it. I felt... something. Happy now?" I say. My breasts were rising and falling beneath the elegant dress, the material chafed my sensitive nipples.

He puts down his fork and stops eating. " The only way I'll receive great satisfaction is when you'll submit to me. When you hand over full control to me. Then in return, I'll give you passion and pleasure. Satisfaction and fulfillment. And the deepest connection you could possibly experience with another person because eventually, you'll put all your trust in me."

All those things that he listed I think that most happy couples would list those exact things as what is important in a healthy relationship.

Pfft.

Men will say anything.

" I will not submit to you. Ever," I say with venom. Submitting.  I hated that word.

A one-sided grin spreads across his face. And damn if it isn't hot. He looks like a cocky model on the cover of a magazine.

" I love your resistance. It'll make it even sweeter when I collar you for the first time."

Collar me? I am no one's pet.

" You're crazy if you ever think that I will allow a male chauvinist to have power over me," I challenged.

" You feel that way now but the desire will grow over time. You'll want to please me and eventually do anything to ensure that."

This man is delusional.

" We'll see."

" No. You'll see."

I open my mouth to reply but he lifts a finger in the air, silencing me.

" Enough." There was power behind his voice.

" You're not eating," he noted.

" This conversation has stolen my appetite."

He smiles. " Mine as well besides I'm in the mood for a different flavor."

My body stiffened. " And what flavor is that?"

He licked his lips. "You."