Mastered by her Captor(10)
Time passed as she lay there. She found herself dozing off, then waking again. Wondering when he would return. She wondered if she should thrash at the chains. Do something to draw him back into the room.
But what if he didn’t come back even then?
She sighed. She was his captive. If she thrashed, he probably wouldn’t come back, letting her act out her role.
What she really wanted to know was whether this time together had changed his view on continuing a relationship with her.
* * *
Erik watched her on the webcam. There were several cameras in the room giving different views. He was watching the stream from the one above her on the ceiling.
She looked so uncertain. So lost.
She’d been in there for two hours—having slept for half that time. He knew he should go and bring her out. But he just wanted to watch her.
He heard the timer ding. The premade lasagna he’d put in the oven was ready. He closed the webcam window and pushed himself to his feet.
Although he would prefer to leave her there at a safe distance where he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her... to make love to her again... she would be hungry and thirsty, and she’d need to stretch her legs.
And he needed to move forward.
He pulled the lasagna from the oven and placed it on the hot plate on the table, then walked to the dungeon.
As he stepped into the room, she turned to gaze at him. She said nothing as he walked toward her. He unfastened her wrists first. She sat up and rubbed them as he freed her ankles.
He waited while she stood up. She took a step toward him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder.
He wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. To coax her tongue into his mouth and suckle it softly. That would lead to him pushing her back on the bed and taking her hard and fast.
Which she would probably love.
He disentangled her arms from around him, then strode from the room. She followed behind him.
When he reached the kitchen and turned to see her about to sit at the table, totally naked, he knew he couldn’t cope with being in the same room with her like that.
“Go put some clothes on.”
Her eyes widened and she hesitated.
“Now!” he commanded with force.
She scurried away, then returned a few minutes later wearing the jeans and T-shirt from earlier.
“Now sit down and eat.”
He’d heaped a large piece of lasagna onto her plate and sat a small bowl of salad beside it before beginning his own meal.
She sank into her chair and took a bite of the lasagna.
“It’s good,” she said.
He said nothing. As they ate, she kept watching him, her eyes uncertain.
“Erik, I wanted to talk about—”
“Silence, captive. I want a quiet meal.”
Her lips compressed and she stared at her plate. Finally, she took a bite of salad.
He finished his meal before her, and carried his plate to the counter.
“Clean up when you’re done, then go right to bed. We’re leaving early in the morning.”
“What? But I thought we had more time?”
“I’ve decided we’re done.” He turned and walked toward the door.
“But… Erik, please.”
Fuck, he’d intended to walk away, shutting her out tonight, then leaving her once and for all tomorrow. But the anxiety in her voice stopped him.
“What?” he said without turning around.
He felt her behind him. Then her hand rested on his arm and he had to fight two conflicting urges. One to snatch his arm away. The other to pull her into his arms and devour her mouth.
He stood unmoving.
“Has this time together changed your mind about us continuing a relationship?”
He turned to face her. “No. There is no relationship between us and there never will be.”
The pain in her eyes tore at his heart.
She tightened her hand around his arm. “Please,” she murmured. “What can I do to change your mind?”
“Nothing.”
He started to pull away, but she held tight.
“But… I’m in love with you.”
He frowned, his eyes hard on her. “No, you just think you are. Why do you think you’d fall in love with a man who told you right up front that he didn’t want a relationship with you? You were in a relationship before where the man didn’t love you and rejected you in the end. Clearly, you’re setting yourself up for the same pattern of rejection. But with me, you can sink into being my slave. Convince yourself none of this is about you. Then somewhere along the way you’ll finally realize you don’t love me and leave. Or you figure I’ll walk out on you and you can convince yourself again you don’t want love.”
He leaned closer to her.
“You might want to continue old patterns,” he continued, “but I’m not about to let myself fall in love with a woman who doesn’t really love me back.”
She shook her head. “My love for you is real. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I know it’s true.”
“Just like you did with your ex? You stayed with him for six years and only after he’d hurt you could you see the truth that you never really loved him.”
He took her hand and squeezed. “Kalie, I don’t want to hurt you like that. The sooner I end it with you, the sooner you’ll realize your love for me is a lie.”
She shook her head. “It’s not. I know it.”
But he walked away. Once in his bedroom, he locked the door.
During the night, he heard her try to open it. When she realized the door was locked, she knocked. He didn’t answer, so she pounded.
“Stop that or I’ll come out there and gag you, then tie you to your bed.”
The pounding stopped and he eventually fell asleep.
In the morning, after he’d showered and dressed, he opened the door to find her curled up on the carpet outside his door. Naked and asleep.
“Wake up, Kalie. We leave in half an hour.”
He stepped over her and continued into the kitchen to pour himself a coffee.
* * *
On the plane, Kalie tried to talk to him, but he shut her down every time, finally threatening to bind and gag her.
Oh, God, her heart ached as she watched him read. She’d lost her chance with him. And it was so much worse now than it had been before, because now she knew she loved him. Deeply and completely. It was like nothing she’d ever felt before. She felt safe in his arms. Loved and protected. And she saw the love in his eyes, too. But he was lying to himself. As completely as she’d lied to herself about not wanting love.
After the plane touched down, he guided her to the waiting limo and got in with her. Too soon they were at her apartment. The driver opened the door for her.
She turned to Erik, longing to see some warmth in his eyes. Anything to give her some small hope.
But his eyes were cold and detached.
She wanted to grasp his hand. To cling to him and beg that he reconsider.
She dropped her gaze, then got out of the car. Her heart broke as the shiny black limo drove away.
* * *
Erik stared out the window of his office. It was late, but he didn’t feel like going home yet.
It had been two weeks since his time with Kalie and the whole time since he’d parted from her, he hadn’t felt like being at home alone. He kept himself busy at work, staying late into the night, going home exhausted and falling into bed. But still sleep eluded him.
Because all he could think about was Kalie… and how much he wanted her in his bed.
Fuck, what the hell was wrong with him? First Sylvia, now Kalie. After his experience with Sylvia, he’d promised himself he wouldn’t fall for Kalie. He didn’t want that kind of pain again
Yet here he was.
Well, enough. There was one thing he could do right now to help.
He picked up the phone.
* * *
Erik walked into the bar and glanced around. He needed to talk this thing through.
He spotted the table in the corner and walked over and pulled out a chair.
“You look like hell,” Luke Grant said as Erik sat down.
“Well, then I look like I feel.”
A waitress approached the table and placed a bottle of dark ale in a tall glass on the table.
“I thought you’d like their specialty home brew so I went ahead and ordered for you,” Grant said.
Erik tipped back the glass. It was full bodied and a little bitter with a hint of orange. He did like it.
“So any particular reason you wanted to meet for a drink, or you just want to catch up?”
Erik knew damned well that Grant would know all about Erik and Kalie. And how it had ended. Kalie was a good friend of Sylvia’s and surely she’d told Sylvia what had happened.
“I guess I want to know how it’s going with you and Sylvia.”
Grant smiled. “Sylvia and Slade and I are making it work.”
Erik knew Slade had become part of their relationship, but it was Grant that Sylvia loved.
“You fought having a relationship with Sylvia so hard. What made you finally think you could make it work?” Erik asked.
Grant chuckled. “I got pulled into it kicking and screaming. But in the end, I had to face the fact I love her. And once I understood that…” He shrugged. “I really had no choice. I was miserable without her, so I had to find a way to make it work.”
Erik sipped his beer. “But for a long time, you were sure you didn’t love her.”
“I was a fool. And, you know, deep inside I really did know I loved her. But I thought I could keep her with me as just my sub, and keep my feelings locked up inside. But she needed more than that. When she left, I realized I had no choice but to get over my fear.”