Chapter 52: Aria's Submission and Selene's Emotional Hold
Aria woke with a choked gasp, her fingers tangled in the sheets and her thighs clenched tight. Her breath hitched. Her entire body was flushed, damp, trembling. The scent of her arousal hung in the air like fog, heavy and humid and impossible to ignore.
Her heart galloped.
Selene's name was still on her lips—whispered, no, moaned into the quiet morning air like a prayer or a curse. She didn't even know which.
She was soaked.
No — drenched.
Her thighs were sticky, the sheets underneath her ruined. She lifted one hand to her lips and felt the tremble in her fingers. Her breath came in shallow pulls as heat crawled up her neck and settled across her cheeks.
That dream.
God.
What the hell was that?
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to unsee it, to unfeel it, but it lived under her skin now. Every nerve tingled with the memory. She'd been collared. Naked. On her knees in Selene's bedroom, her wrists bound in soft silk as Selene towered above her like sin in heels.
She hadn't even been allowed to speak.
Just kneel.
Just whimper.
Just ache.
Selene had teased her with the most devastating patience — praise like poison, denial like worship. One word — "good girl" — and Aria had cried out in the dream, not from pain, not from touch, but from sheer, agonizing need.
And then Selene had touched her.
Not with hands.
Not even with toys.
Just her tongue.
One slow, deliberate lick.
Aria had shattered in her sleep. Loudly. Her body had seized and moaned, and her back had arched, and she had cried out into the dark with no shame, no restraint, only Selene's name ripped from her throat like a vow.
She buried her face into the pillow and groaned. The heat between her legs hadn't faded. If anything, it pulsed stronger. Worse. Her body still thought she was dreaming. Her skin still hummed from phantom touches. Her nipples throbbed, aching beneath the thin shirt she didn't remember wearing to bed.
What was wrong with her?
Had Selene really done this to her?
Not even touching her — just existing, just being near — and still she couldn't breathe without thinking about her.
Aria sat up, too quickly, biting back a gasp as her legs trembled. She flung the sheets aside and winced at the evidence — slick, ruined fabric and an unmistakable ache that curled low in her belly.
"Cold shower," she muttered to herself. "Cold, frigid, Arctic shower."
She stumbled to the bathroom, turned the water to freezing, and stepped under the spray with a hiss. The water stung, but it didn't help. Her body still wanted. Still throbbed. Still remembered.
She braced her hands against the tile wall, exhaling in ragged breaths as the images returned.
Selene kneeling on the bed, unhurried, eyes glittering with that cold intensity that made Aria feel exposed and owned.
"You don't get to come until I say," Selene had whispered in the dream.
Aria had nodded. Obeyed. Moaned for permission like it was oxygen.
She clenched her thighs now, breathless, humiliated.
Stop it.
Stop it.
Her hand drifted downward.
She yanked it away.
Selene would know. Somehow, she'd know.
She said she belonged to her now.
Only come when told.
Only touch herself if allowed.
And the idea of disobeying — it wasn't just guilt she felt.
It was thrill.
And fear.
And something darker.
Would Selene see it in her eyes? In the way her voice trembled when she spoke? Would she taste it on her breath if they kissed — if they ever kissed?
God, they hadn't even kissed properly.
Not once.
Not a single, real kiss.
And still, Aria dreamed about sobbing into her mouth from pleasure.
She pressed her forehead to the cold tile and let the water bite.
She didn't come.
But it was close.
Too close.
She shut the water off, panting, and wrapped herself in a towel that clung too much to her sensitive skin. Even fabric was too much. Her whole body felt raw.
She dressed slowly. A thin shirt. No bra. The smallest pair of underwear she could bear to wear. She didn't even try with pants. Just curled up in the sheets again, fresh ones this time, her legs drawn tight to her chest.
She stared at the ceiling, dazed.
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
She had imagined her first real relationship — her first kiss — as soft. Gentle. With slow music playing in the background and laughter between bites of dessert. She hadn't expected to feel caged and adored in equal measure. Hadn't expected Selene's voice to replace her heartbeat.
And yet — here she was.
Selene hadn't touched her — not really. Not like the dream.
But Aria felt it anyway.
She felt it everywhere.
Her mind spun in circles. Her body kept reliving it. Her lips were still swollen from moaning into her pillow. Her inner thighs still trembled when she shifted.
Selene didn't need to touch her to claim her.
She already had.
And Aria had let her.
Hell — she wanted her to.
That was the most terrifying part.
She wanted Selene's control. Wanted to give her everything. Not because she was weak. But because something about Selene's presence carved her open and rewrote her insides.
She wanted to be hers.
A knock made her jolt.
She sat bolt upright, eyes wide.
"Aria," Selene's voice came through the door, calm and warm. "Breakfast."
Aria's entire body seized.
Oh god.
She knew.
She had to know.
The way her voice had wrapped around her name — low, amused, dangerous. Aria swallowed and scrambled to find her voice.
"Coming!" she called, her voice embarrassingly high.
Silence followed.
She exhaled.
Okay. Breathe.
She got up slowly, robe over her thin shirt, and padded barefoot to the mirror.
She looked wrecked.
Her lips were pink, parted. Her pupils still too wide. There was a dazed flush to her cheeks that wouldn't go away.
She looked like someone who'd just been—
Nope. Don't say it.
She adjusted the robe and tried to look normal. Innocent. Like she hadn't just woken up moaning Selene's name.
Her fingers hovered over the doorknob.
Her voice was barely a whisper. "I'll be good."
She didn't even know if she meant for breakfast… or everything else.
But it was too late either way.
Selene had her.
And part of her didn't want to be free.
When she stepped into the hall, Selene was already waiting at the foot of the stairs, dressed in black — sleeves rolled up, hair tied loosely at the nape of her neck. Aria's breath caught.
Of course she looked perfect.
Selene turned slightly, gaze flicking up. Her eyes lingered on Aria for a second too long. Cool. Curious. Knowing.
"Sleep well?" she asked, voice just a little too smooth.
Aria nearly tripped on the stair.
She cleared her throat. "Yeah. Fine. Normal. Totally average."
"Mm." Selene's mouth quirked. "You look… flushed."
"Hot shower."
"Hot?" A single brow lifted. "I thought you preferred cold ones."
Aria swore under her breath.
Selene smiled, slow and devastating.
She knew.
Of course she knew.
Aria crossed her arms over her chest, pretending not to squirm. "You're not funny."
"I wasn't trying to be." Selene tilted her head. "You're the one blushing. I haven't even said anything… yet."
Aria shot her a look. "Selene."
"Yes, little one?"
Her knees nearly buckled.
She looked away. "Stop calling me that."
"You moaned it in your sleep."
Aria nearly dropped the plate in her hands.
Selene stepped closer, casually brushing her fingers along Aria's waist as she passed to grab silverware. "You said please. Said my name. More than once."
"I was dreaming."
"I know." Her voice dipped. "Would you like me to make it come true?"
Aria stared at her, throat dry.
Selene leaned in, not touching, just close enough to feel.
"I can be patient. But I won't be gentle."
Aria swallowed hard, her voice barely audible. "I know."
Selene brushed a strand of hair from her face, knuckles grazing her cheek. "Good girl."
Aria nearly whimpered.
Selene stepped back like nothing had happened, pouring coffee with maddening calm.
Aria sank into the chair, face burning, thighs trembling under the robe.
Breakfast wasn't going to help.
Not with Selene watching her like that.
Not with her own body betraying her.
Selene handed her a cup of coffee, fingers brushing her own, and Aria jumped like she'd been shocked.
Selene smirked.
Aria glared at her and whispered, "You're evil."
Selene bent low to her ear, breath brushing her skin. "You love it."
Aria did.
God help her.
She did.
And now she couldn't pretend otherwise.
Not after that dream.
Not after that look.
Not after this morning.
Selene didn't need to touch her.
She already owned her.
And Aria was starting to crave the leash.