The Bad Guy

by Celia Aaron

I’d heard about love at first sight, though I couldn’t claim that emotion. The need to possess her was what fired through my veins, not the sentimental nonsense of hearts and flowers.

I’d just seen him the previous weekend at the Lindstrom party. He’d taken me back to his apartment. When I’d told him I wasn’t ready to sleep together, he’d accepted it, though I could sense the tension underneath. We’d been dating for months, and he’d been more than patient, but I still didn’t know if it was time for the next step.

I’m so confused? I thought they’d talked about moving in together but on different timelines?

quadratic formula

don’t know. I just think maybe you and Link will benefit from being separated over Christmas.”

I’m not even sure why they’re together.

and like any well-trained dog, he knew the price for disobedience.

I’m not into animal abuse, or “heroes” who are.

“His sheep will be dead and gone before he can even get so much as an injunction against

I do not like assholes, to me they’re not sexy.

Jared Leto

Ewe

Heck, I’m twenty-four,

Ugh New Adult, one of my least favorites.

What little joy I’d found in my life usually came at the suffering of someone else.

I grinned and imagined how heartbroken he’d be in a few weeks when he received the report of her fatal accident in the Amazon.

Camille, but she didn’t sense the danger. Fear didn’t pass across her eyes, only confusion.

I cannot with these TSTL heroines.

“I’m close friends with Dr. Williams.” Only half a lie. I was well acquainted with Timothy, my servant who played Dr.

Then she pinned me with a sharp look. “Are you the reason I got invited to this expedition?” I smiled. “You could say that.” Her eyes brightened, her whole demeanor opening up to me. “That is so…oh my god…so generous of you!” She took my hand, her warmth flowing into me. I greedily accepted it, as if I were a vampire leeching away her life.

So dumb.

Her forehead wrinkled. “And I thought I got the spot on my own merit.”

I’d never kidnapped a woman before, but I’d sprung plenty of traps in my thirty-two years.

fear that welled in her was sweeter than anything I’d ever tasted. It filled me,

“Shhh.” I wrapped my palm around her throat, giving just enough pressure so she knew I was serious. She dug her nails into the back of my hand, so I squeezed harder until she stopped. “All you need to know is that you belong to me.”

“It’s already done. You’re on a month-long trip to the Amazon. Very little cell service, if any. No one will know you’re missing until you fail to show back up in January.”

leaned forward and licked the sadness from her, the salty taste a tease on my tongue. “You’re even beautiful when you cry.”

keeping steady pressure on her throat. I didn’t want to strangle her, not really, and I rather enjoyed the fight she put up. When she raked her nails across my cheek, I grinned and pressed my chest to her, pinning her as she struggled.

“Fuck, this is fun.” I tasted blood, the warm rush spilling over my lips and dripping onto her white coat.

I’m not into rape in romance and that’s where this is heading.

The sheet fell off me, and I realized my skin was bare.

“Did you take my clothes off?”

Without her consent it’s SA.

“Shh.” He clapped a hand over my mouth. “No one can hear you anyway.” His thick cock pressed into my thigh, but he made no other move, just restrained me as fear thundered through my being.

More SA.

“You can’t keep me here.” “I can. You haven’t noticed yet, but you’re wearing a stunning accessory. An anklet with a tracker. If you take it off, I’ll know. If you try to leave the house, I’ll know. This estate has been in my family for a hundred years. There are over five-hundred acres around the house. You won’t get far before I catch you and bring you back here, where you belong. You can’t escape. There are no phones, no internet, no one who will help you.”

Not my think. I don’t find absurd a dsecual assault with kidnapping sexy or romantic. This is why I stopped reading Celia Aaron years ago when she wrote Cloister.

“You aren’t going anywhere. Every night we’re together, you will sleep with me. And you’ll be naked.

He sighed. “This doesn’t have to be unpleasant for you.” I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Are you kidding?”

know you find me attractive.” I turned away and rested my head on my folded hands. “I did. Now? Not so much.”

“That’s not something that just disappears.” “It does when you kidnap someone.”

Once Dad was out of sight, I flopped back on my bed and counted my blessings that he hadn’t asked me about Colonel RedSpur, the neighbor’s “missing” pet rooster.

“Help me.” I sat up and clutched the sheet to my chest. “He’s keeping me prisoner here.” Timothy didn’t look at me. It was as if I’d never spoken.

“Did you hear me?” I raised my voice. “He’s keeping me against my will. Call the police!”

“I’ve already seen you naked, Camille.”

Yes, against her will.

A woman flashed across the mirror. I stopped, then blinked hard. It wasn’t a woman. It was me. “You dyed my hair?” I plucked up a lock of blonde hair and gaped at it.

Yuck

“But it was mine.” Seeing myself changed, transformed into his captive, broke a piece of my heart. I leaned on the vanity, trying to right myself in this strange new world.

“You had no right.” My vision blurred as more tears tried to force their way to the surface.

My knees went weak as I realized how serious this was, how serious he was. The blood drained from my face, and I couldn’t catch my breath. My hair, the clothes, all of it—he truly

“Please.” I pressed my cheek to his chest, his skin warm despite the coldness inside him. “Just let me go home.” He kissed the crown of my head. “You are home.”

None of this is romantic. The abusive and sexual assault between the MCs or more precisely by the main male character are why I stopped reading Celia Aaron previously.

On the spectrum of personality disorders, I was the most psychopathic person they’d ever counseled.

How is this going to be a romance when he’s a diagnosed psychopath? Literally part of scientific medical definition is no true emotion or emotional attachment.

Once we hit the landing, the marble floor felt cool beneath our feet,

This is poor first person POV, he can only know how his feet feel not her feet.,

“I suppose you won’t help me either?” Camille’s cutting tone had Rita looking at me, then back to Camille. “She won’t.” “Fine.” Camille ran a hand through her newly blonde locks. “Rita, be a dear and show me where the knives are.” “She’s already locked them away in a safe in the pantry.”

“This place is even bigger than I thought.” She trailed her fingers along the wainscoting. Her voice descended into bitterness. “But I suppose the size of the prison doesn’t matter. Just the bars.”

A guilded cage is still a cage.

I gestured to a brand new bookcase I had installed in the center of the room. “This is for you.”

Ripping off Disney’s BATB?! lol Get an original idea.

“I want a kiss.” He reached out and dragged his thumb along my lower lip. “A real one. And then you can keep the books.” “And if I say no?”

It’s not “real” if it’s coercion.