Chased by My Possessive Ex (Dylan) novel Chapter 33

DYLAN

My stomach growled again, loud enough to echo in the quiet room.

I scowled down at it, as if sheer willpower would silence it. I’d been holed up here for hours, refusing to leave since Hunter dragged me in and locked the door behind us. Not that the door was still locked, it’s just that he’s preventing me from leaving the premises.

I glanced toward the small table near the corner. The tray of food the maid had left for lunch still sat there, untouched and cold. My stomach let out another loud grumble as if to say, You idiot. Just eat.

I sighed, finally caving, and dragged my feet toward it.

But before I could take a single bite, the door creaked open.

I froze. My eyes widened in panic, and I immediately put the food back on the plate and spun on my heel before I darted back to bed, sitting stiffly on the edge and staring at the opposite wall. Ignoring him.

His presence filled the room without him even saying a word. I didn’t need to look to know it was him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him walk toward the untouched food. He stood there for a second, as if confirming it with his own eyes.

“You didn’t touch your food,” he said softly, his voice calm. Too calm.

I rolled my eyes before turning to face him. “I’d rather starve myself to death than stay here,” I said, my tone sharp and defiant.

He didn’t react. Not to the words. Not to the venom in them. His dark eyes simply watched me, steady and unreadable, like he was peeling back layers without needing to touch me.

I stood, instinctively backing away when he took a step forward.

He stopped–just a few inches from me. Close enough for me to feel the heat radiating off his body. Close enough to make my breath hitch.

Then, without a word, he lifted a paper bag between us and held it out.

“Wear this,” he said, his tone firm but low as he held out the paper bag toward me. “We’re going out for dinner.”

I blinked, completely caught off guard. “What?”

His expression didn’t even twitch. “I said we’re going out.”

I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, lifting my chin in defiance. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

A slow, dangerous smile crept across his face. One that should’ve come with a warning. “I wasn’t asking, little

10:33 Thu, Dec 25 M…

Chapter 33

dove.”

And then, before I could protest or even take a step back, he closed the distance between us in a heartbeat. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and the next thing I knew, the room flipped upside down.

“Hunter!” I gasped, my voice full of outrage as I found myself dangling over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. A very angry sack of potatoes. “Stop manhandling me, you brute!”

93

“I gave you a choice,” he said casually, like we were discussing the weather. “You chose stubbornness. So now I choose force.”

I kicked my legs uselessly in the air, pounding a fist against his back, but he didn’t even flinch. His grip was steady, almost gentle if I wasn’t so full of pride and irritation.

It didn’t take long before he carried me into the bathroom. He bent just enough to set me back on my feet, but before I could catch my breath-

“Do you want me to take your clothes off?” He said, his voice dropping into something wicked and low, laced with teasing heat.

My face burned instantly. “No!” I shoved at his chest, palms flat against the hard wall of muscle. “Get out,

now!”

He chuckled softly, amused by my reaction, and didn’t budge right away. His gaze flicked down my body, slow and deliberate, then back up to meet my eyes.

“Be ready in ten,” he said, finally stepping back. “Or I’m coming back in to help.”

“Hunter!”

Too late. He was already walking out the door, his laughter echoing behind him as I slammed the bathroom door shut with a frustrated growl.

I pressed my back to the door, heart racing and face hot. I glanced down at the paper bag still clutched in my hand.

Inside, I found a soft, elegant dress in emerald color. I’m surprised to know that he knows my size.

I stared at the dress for a few more seconds, biting the inside of my cheek. Part of me wanted to throw it straight into the trash just to prove a point. But the other part–the part that was tired, hungry, and still a little shaken from everything that had happened.

I huffed out a breath, shaking my head as I changed out of my wrinkled clothes. The dress slid over my skin like silk and hugged me in all the right places. The second I saw myself in the mirror, I almost didn’t recognize the girl staring back.

With a quiet grumble, I brushed my hair and freshened up, adding a hint of gloss to my lips, refusing to let him see how flustered I still felt. I might be dressed like I was going on a date, but I was still mad. Furious, even. This didn’t make up for anything.

When I finally stepped out of the bathroom, he was waiting.

10:33 Thu, Dec 25 M…

Chapter 33

Hunter stood by the door, freshly showered and dressed in a black button–down that clung to his frame in all the right ways. His hair was damp, pushed back from his face, and he looked unfairly good for someone who had thrown me over his shoulder like a barbarian just minutes ago.

His eyes moved over me, slow and deliberate. “You look perfect,” he said quietly.

I rolled my eyes, walking past him. “Don’t get all soft on me now.”

He smirked, the confident Hunter returning with ease. “Don’t tempt me, little dove.”

We walked side by side through the hallway and out into the night. The air was crisp, stars already beginning to shine overhead. His car waited by the curb, black and sleek. He opened the door for me, and for a second, it felt oddly normal.

Like we were just two people going on a regular dinner date.

Like he wasn’t the dangerously unpredictable man who’d locked me in a room a few hours ago.

When we reached the car waiting outside, he opened the door for me.

With a sigh, I slid inside, and he shut the door behind me.

The drive was quiet. Too quiet. I kept stealing glances at him from the corner of my eye, watching the way his fingers gripped the steering wheel and how his jaw tightened and relaxed like he was holding something back.

We arrived at a quiet, hidden–away restaurant by the hillside. Soft music drifted through the air, and warm lights twinkled from above. It was romantic.

“This doesn’t feel like punishment,” I muttered as we were seated at a small corner table, tucked away from view.

“Who said I’m punishing you?” he said simply.

I blinked again, unsure of what to say. He was being gentle. And it was throwing me off completely.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, unable to help myself.

His eyes met mine. “Because I can,” he casually replied before he guided me through the entrance of the restaurant, his hand grazing the small of my back. I stiffened slightly at the contact, but I didn’t move away.

The place was dimly lit and cozy with a touch of elegance. The kind of restaurant where conversations were held in soft murmurs and secrets were shared over candlelight.

But whatever quiet magic was in the air quickly shattered when I heard a familiar laugh.

My body tensed before my eyes even found her.

Sarah.

Seated at a table near the window, looking effortlessly gorgeous in a sleek gold dress, her fingers wrapped around a wine glass as if she owned the world. And right next to her-

10:33 Thu, Dec 25 M…

Chapter 33

Beckett.

His presence was as striking as ever, all clean–cut and composed, though his jaw ticked the moment his eyes landed on me and then on Hunter, walking so close beside me.

“Oh my God,” Sarah’s voice rang out, sweet and sharp. “What a surprise!”

1 froze as she stood, her smile a little too wide to be genuine. Beckett followed her lead, slower, quieter, eyes locked on mine like he was trying to read something behind my expression.

Hunter’s posture shifted–subtle, but unmistakable. One hand slid into his pocket, the other resting protectively on the small of my back again. It was as if he was sending a message that I am his.

“Well, well,” Sarah said, eyes flicking between the two of us. “Didn’t know this place did double dates.”

“We’re not-” I started, but she was already waving to the waiter.

“You two should join us!” She chirped, as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb in the middle of the room. “Right, Beckett?”

Beckett said nothing. He was still staring at me.

Hunter didn’t move. I could feel the heat rolling off him, something sharp and territorial.

“Thanks, but-” he began, but I stepped forward.

“It’s fine. We’ll sit.” I said it before I could stop myself. I didn’t know if it was out of defiance or curiosity. Maybe a little of both.

Hunter looked down at me with dark eyes. I don’t want to assume anything, but I can see him turning green out of jealousy.

I offered him a tight smile. “You said dinner. Let’s eat.”

He didn’t argue, but his jaw was tight as we followed Sarah and Beckett back to the table. It was a round booth -cozy, intimate, and far too close for comfort.

Sarah sat on one end and immediately patted the seat beside her for Hunter. “Come and sit here, Hunter,” she offered.

I raised my eyebrow watching her visibly flirting with my man while Beckett was sitting beside her.

Did I just claim Hunter as my man?

I was somehow scared that Hunter would take the seat Sarah offered. But I was quickly relieved when Hunter pulled a chair for me and allowed me to sit first.

The tension could have sliced through steel.

“So,” Sarah said, swirling her wine as she leaned in just enough to make her interest look casual–though the gleam in her eyes was anything but. Her gaze was fixed on me like a cat playing with its prey. “Is he…?”

10:33 Thu, Dec 25 M…

Chapter 33

She left the question hanging in the air, the implication as sharp as the edge of her smile.

Before I could speak, I felt a gentle pressure under the table. Hunter’s hand brushed against mine, his fingers warm and sure. Quiet. But powerful, in the way only he could be without saying a word.

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. His jaw was tight, his expression unreadable.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify