Uncovering You 2: Submission by Scarlett Edwards Page A

release schedule of s sequel coming out every twenty days. You don’t need to worry about that. But, on a personal level... having everything blow up like this has really hampered my enthusiasm.)

Chapter One
    (Present day. Two weeks into stay.)

    I feel his presence before he speaks.
    “Well, well. Look at you.”
    Stonehart’s voice is unmistakable. Raspy like the rustle of dry leaves, yet as strong as the most powerful gale on Olympus.
    My back stiffens as I hear the clap-clap of loafers advancing on the marble floor.
    “Presentable,” he muses. I keep my eyes fixed on the column straight ahead. “Cleaned up. Though…” A pause. It takes all of my willpower not to turn my head. “…Disappointingly haggard,” he concludes.
    My hands curl into angry fists. That’s a low blow.
    I haven’t seen myself in the mirror for weeks. But I can imagine how I must look. My entire body feels frail, stripped of the feminine curves it once possessed. I can see the sinewy muscles of my forearms move when I turn my wrist. I can feel the impression of my ribs when I slide my hand beneath my breasts. I am a walking skeleton, deprived of food, warmth, and human contact like some forgotten doll in the attic. All because of him .
    And the bastard has the gall to call me haggard ?
    I turn in a rage, prepared to unleash a thousand obscenities that have been building in my mind the entire time I’ve been kept prisoner—and stop short when I find him a hair’s breadth away.
    Jeremy Stonehart is exactly the man I remember.
    His melanite eyes regard me with a piercing intensity. Finely-trimmed stubble covering his cheeks gives prominence to his striking jaw and angular cheekbones. His wavy hair is loosely styled to casual perfection. Not a single strand is out of place.
    His two-piece, silk Armani suit is tailored to his body like a second skin. The waist is trim, the shoulders wide and high . I’d forgotten how tall he is. The last time I saw him, I was wearing heels. Now, with him in his shoes and me barefoot, Stonehart towers above me like a malicious mountain.
    “Chin up, now,” he whispers. His finger trails a line up my neck. “Shoulders back. Atta girl. You want to look strong, yes?”
    He sneers. “I know all about appearances, Lilly .” The way he emphasizes my name makes me feel dirty, somehow. “And I know how little good they will do you.”
    He breaks away. I almost fall forward, whether from impulse or instinct, I don’t know. Then, I remember the collar around my neck.
    I look down at the floor and realize I’m right at the edge of my boundary. I stagger back, desperate to avoid the electric shock. My heart pounds like a drum.
    Stonehart notices. He looks at me, then down at the floor, and then… smiles.
    “Lilly,” he says. “You needn’t fear. The moment you signed the contract, you were afforded certain privileges.” He takes out his phone and glances at the ceiling. “Look.”
    One swipe of his finger turns off all the lights. I can still see him, outlined by the light of his screen. He taps the phone, and a strange, deep purple light I’ve never seen here before fills the room.
    Stonehart slips the phone back into his pocket. The ultra-violet light makes the white of his teeth and eyes the only thing visible when he speaks. It makes him look like an unearthly apparition.
    “Look at the floor, Lilly. Do you see anything unusual?”
    I swallow before answering. “No.”
    “You don’t?” He sounds confused. Then he hits the side of his head as if just remembering. “Ah! Of course.”
    A malicious smile reveals those shining white teeth as Stonehart turns his phone back on. He does something I cannot see, and suddenly a thin red circle rushes in toward me along the floor. It stops right at the edge of my boundary.
    “Do you know what that is, Lilly?”
    His tone makes the blood drain from my face. I do not. But, it’s not hard to guess. I shake my head, refusing to answer.
    “Come now,”