Tangled love

“Control and Submission”

Control and Submission

The sound of heels clicking against the polished floors echoed in the silence of the penthouse, and yet, it felt like it was too loud — a constant reminder of the cage she was trapped in. Selena stood by the window, watching the world stretch beneath her, the city lights blinking like distant stars. But there was no real freedom to be found in the sprawling skyline. No escape from the man who had become her prison.

Alec’s presence filled the room, heavy and undeniable. She didn’t need to turn around to know he was there. She could feel him. The power in his every movement. The weight of his gaze, even from across the room.

His voice was calm, almost lazy, but she knew better than to mistake it for anything but control. “You’re early,” he said, his tone drifting through the silence like a whispered command.

Selena’s fingers gripped the edge of the windowsill, the sharpness of the marble biting into her skin. She didn’t turn to face him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he affected her.

“I’m not here to play by your rules, Alec,” she replied, her voice low but steady.

“Good,” Alec responded, his voice thick with something darker than amusement. “Because I don’t want you to play by my rules. I want you to break. I want you to fight me.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, the weight of his words settling over her. She’d heard it in his voice before, that dangerous undercurrent of desire, of dominance. He didn’t just want her compliance; he wanted to see her struggle. To see her bend and twist beneath his control.

But Selena wasn’t a puppet. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. Not yet.

The sound of his footsteps grew louder as he crossed the room, coming closer. She could hear the faint rustle of fabric, the soft exhale of his breath, as he stopped behind her. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. She didn’t need to look to know his eyes were on her, studying her, analyzing her every move.

Without a word, his fingers brushed lightly across her shoulder, and Selena tensed, a shiver running down her spine. The touch was light, almost tender — but she knew the underlying message. It was control disguised as affection.

His hand slid down her arm, slowly, deliberately, until his fingers curled around her wrist, his grip tightening ever so slightly.

“Look at me, Selena,” he commanded, his voice low, insistent.

Selena’s chest tightened, and for a brief moment, she hesitated. But then, with a practiced motion, she turned to face him. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes met his. Alec’s expression was unreadable, but there was something dangerous lurking behind his gaze. Something that made her heart race.

His grip on her wrist didn’t loosen. Instead, he pulled her toward him, his hand firm and unyielding.

“You’re not going to fight me today,” he said, his voice cold but with an edge of something darker. “You’re going to do exactly as I tell you.”

Selena swallowed hard, her defiance still burning inside of her, but it felt like a distant thing. She could feel the overwhelming pressure of his presence, his control, seeping into every corner of the room.

Alec moved closer, until his body was nearly pressed against hers. She could feel the heat of him, the undeniable power he radiated. He was a force, impossible to ignore. And as much as she hated it, Selena could feel herself responding to him — not just physically, but emotionally. She was tangled in his web, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t find the strength to break free.

“You think you’re in control,” Alec murmured, his voice dark and low, “but you’re not. You never were. You belong to me now, Selena. And when I say jump, you’ll jump. When I say bend, you’ll bend.”

Her breath hitched as his hand slid up her arm, his fingers trailing across her skin like fire. She tried to step back, but his grip tightened, holding her in place.

“Don’t fight me,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. “You know you can’t win.”

His words were like a command, a demand, and Selena hated how true they felt. She could feel the tension building inside of her, a mix of anger and something else. Something dangerous.

She pulled her wrist out of his grip, and for a moment, their eyes locked. Selena felt the charge in the air between them, the simmering intensity that could explode at any moment.

“I’m not your property, Alec,” she spat, her voice shaky but fierce. “You don’t own me.”

His smile was slow, cruel, and full of something that made her skin prickle with both fear and something else she couldn’t name.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he murmured, stepping closer, until his chest nearly touched hers. “I don’t need to own you. I already do. The moment you walked into my life, you became mine. And deep down, you know it. You just won’t admit it yet.”

Selena’s breath came in shallow gasps. Every word he said made her want to fight him, to push him away. But there was a part of her — a dangerous part of her — that couldn’t help but acknowledge the truth in his words. She was trapped. She was bound by invisible chains, and the harder she fought, the tighter they became.

“I’ll never be yours,” she said, her voice raw with defiance. But even as the words left her mouth, she knew they didn’t ring true. Not entirely.

Alec’s hand cupped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. His fingers were cold, but his touch was possessive, demanding. “Keep telling yourself that,” he said softly. “Maybe one day you’ll believe it.”

He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “But not today. Today, you’ll be mine. Every inch of you.”

Selena’s heart hammered in her chest as he kissed her, the pressure of his lips overwhelming, stealing her breath. His kiss was hard, unrelenting, a reminder of just how little control she had over this situation.

She pushed against his chest, but his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer, trapping her in his embrace. His mouth moved against hers with an intensity that left her gasping for air, her body betraying her as it responded to him.

When he finally pulled back, Selena was breathless, her heart pounding in her ears. She stared up at him, trying to hold onto the last remnants of her defiance, but it was slipping away, piece by piece.

“You’ll learn to trust me,” Alec said softly, his voice a dark promise. “But not yet. For now, you’ll follow my lead. You’ll play the part. And when I say it’s time… you’ll be ready.”

Selena’s mind raced as she pulled away from him, her fingers trembling at her sides. “I’ll never be ready for this,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Alec’s eyes glinted with something dark, something he’d always known was beneath the surface. “You already are. You just don’t know it yet.”

He took a step back, his gaze never leaving hers. The game had only just begun, and Selena realized, with a bitter twist in her stomach, that she was already losing.

⸻

Later that evening, as the penthouse grew silent, Selena lay in the massive bed that had once felt like an oasis of escape. But now, it felt like a prison.

She could hear Alec moving through the rooms, his presence always just a step away. He was always watching, always waiting for her to slip. But she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

She couldn’t.

Not yet.