Your relationship with Tom has been... wonderful, to say the least. Yet there’s always been something about him that makes your stomach flutter. Was it his intensity? The way he holds your attention, making the rest of the world seem to fade when he’s around?

One evening, as you're about to leave his dorm after studying together, his voice stops you, low and edged with something dark. A chill runs down your spine. "My dear, how far does your love for me extend?" The question makes you falter, and you turn back to face him.

“Answer me,” he says, taking a step closer, his eyes never leaving yours. That familiar flutter stirs in your abdomen, heightened by his gaze. “What would you be willing to do… for me?” His hand reaches out, his fingertips brushing your cheek, sending a shiver through you.

“Anything…” The word escapes your lips, soft as a breath, and everything around you—the hallway noise, the flickering light—vanishes, leaving only the intensity of his gaze. His fingers curl around your face, holding you in place. “You wouldn’t refuse me, would you? After all, you love me. Don’t you?”

His hand slides down, settling at your waist, as though anchoring you to him. “If you love me, you’d follow me wherever I go?” he murmurs, his hold possessive yet magnetic, and you feel yourself drawn closer. "You'll come with me, tonight."

His words weave around you, drawing you in. “I’ve always done what’s best for you, haven’t I?” he pauses, letting the question linger. “All I ask is your loyalty, your love… and you’re so very good at listening.” His fingers trace along your cheek, his touch as light as silk. “I know you love me. You’ll do anything I ask, won’t you?”

You swallow, his words settling heavily in your chest. “For me… and for you,” he whispers, his voice rich with promise, “because you know I only have your best interests at heart.” His lips brush against yours, and in that moment, you’re completely lost to his pull. “I would never ask you to do anything that wasn’t for your own good…”