What was I doing? I stepped away from her, letting her shoulders slump downwards as she stood panting, her back still pressed up against the wall.

There was nothing wrong with grabbing her, with showing her exactly who was in charge. But to do it for that long, my face so close to hers that I could have kissed her. That was a mistake. Her lips were almost irresistible close up and I needed to keep my urges in check if I was going to do this the right way. There would be plenty of time to take advantage of her body once she’d been broken. Not yet though, there was a procedure to follow.

I’d tested her in the pub and this tested her again. There was nothing stopping her from shoving her way past me. The door wasn’t locked. The chance to escape was there.

I hadn’t hurt her, merely shown her a flash of what I was capable of doing, just enough to make her think. I could see her mind whirling even as the fear washed over her face. She was trying to decide what to do next.

Her eyes were wild, darting from me to the door. Her chest heaved as I took a single step towards her. I liked how submissive she was already, the way she didn’t move, didn’t do anything, just waited for me to tell her what to do.

“Sign this,” I said, pulling the contract from my pocket.

“What is it?”

“An agreement between us. What happens during the next seven days is strictly between you and me, not to be shared with anyone else. You are to obey me for a full week, then at the end of our time together, you get your million. The rest is mere details.”

I passed her a pen with the contract. She looked like a lost little girl, holding both in the air, still waiting to be told what to do.

I sighed. “Lean it against the wall behind you.”

She spun round, placing the paper against the wall while I glanced down at her tight little ass, thinking how good it would look without those irritating clothes in the way. When she turned back round, she looked more scared than ever.

“Have you signed it?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“You can and you will.” I grabbed her shoulders again, pushing her back against the wall, feeling the heat of her fear as she gasped in surprise. “If you want your money, you’ll sign.”

Her face contorted, as if she was in pain. I was barely touching her, my fingers light on her shoulders, nothing keeping her in place but her own fear.

I stepped back slowly, still looking at her. No doubt she was in shock. An hour ago, she’d been drinking alone. Now she was trapped here with me. I felt a surge of power knowing that. I had her here in my empty house. Just her and me.

I could have done anything to her. I could tear her clothes off her and take her. I wasn’t an animal. I wasn’t going to do anything like that. My needs were far more subtle.

She looked ready to begin. She hadn’t even tried to move. “Sign,” I said, folding my arms. “Now.”

She tried to match my gaze but then she looked down at the paper, her whole body looking defeated. She turned away, leaning once more against the wall and signing the paper with a shaky hand. She turned back and I was shocked to find there was a flicker of a smile on her face. It was only there for the briefest of moments but there was no doubting it.

“Are you happy?” I asked, tapping my foot on the floor.

“No,” she said too quickly.

So that was how she wanted to play this. Already she was more interesting than any of the others had been. I’d had full on masochists begging me to punish them but that barely raised my heart rate. What got my blood pumping was her, this innocent woman with the contract dangling from her shaking hand.

“The rules are very simple,” I said, watching her eyes flick from me to the floor and back again. “I will tell you what to do for the next week. You will obey every command without question or hesitation. Is that clear?”

“I’m not sure,” she muttered.

“We have a contract,” I said, snatching the paper from her. “There are only two ways out of this situation. One will earn you a million pounds. The other gets you nothing. Do as I tell you and you will be rewarded handsomely in return. Or say the safe word and it all stops. You can just walk away.”

“What’s the safe word?”

“It’s in the contract.”

“I didn’t see it.”

“A complete stranger asks you to submit to him completely for a million pounds and you expect me to believe you didn’t even bother to read the contract?”

“You didn’t give me chance.”

“Don’t play games with me. You read it, I know you did.”

“I really didn’t.”

“Well, that’s not my fault now, is it?”

“Please-”

“I like that,” I said, interrupting her. I like the sound of you begging. Do it again.”

“Please, tell me the safe word at least. You have to do that.”

“I don’t have to do anything. You, on the other hand, have to do exactly what I say.”

She shook her head, a gesture of defiance that irritated me. “I don’t.”

“Yes,” I began, marching over to her, pushing her backwards,” you do.”

“Please,” she muttered, the word fading away to nothing.

“I’m a reasonable man,” I said, “not a monster. You strip for me now and I’ll tell you what the safe word is.”

“What? No, please not that.”

She was already trying to disobey me. She really was a feisty one, despite her appearance. I had to knock that on the head before she thought she could walk all over me. I put the contract back in my pocket before crossing to the door and leaning against it, facing her once more. “Strip.”

She shook her head. “Don’t make me.”

“I’m not making you. I’m not touching you. I’m giving you a command. You signed the contract. You are to do whatever I say and I say strip.”