The man continued. “We will take your blindfold away in a few moments, Emma. There are several of us here. We have a few questions first. You’ve signed a contract with Damien, correct?” he asked.
She nodded a slow, small nod.
“And you consent? You’re not being coerced but are here of your own free will, is that right?”
She nodded again.
“Answer me with words, please.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good. Take off her blindfold,” the man said.
“Relax,” Luke said behind her, his fingers working the blindfold. “You see,” he said, removing the cloth and moving into her line of vision. “I’m not so awful.”
Her eyelashes were wet and she had to blink several times to bring him into focus. This was the moment of truth. No turning back. He stood inches from her, her eyes at the level of his wide, muscular chest. She swallowed, lifting her gaze to his. Familiar eyes greeted her, a blue so dark they could be black. They froze for an instant while recognition set in. She kept silent and still, watching him, trying to gauge his reaction.
He cleared his throat before continuing. “You see?” He raised a hand and reached behind her to set her hair free from its clip. “I can be gentle too,” he said while he arranged the mass of dark curls behind her shoulders. He tucked the silk of the blindfold into his pocket and she couldn’t keep her eyes off of him.
“What’s the matter, Luke,” a man from the shadows said. “Has she got you bewitched already?” he asked as another man chuckled. “Move so we can all have a look at her.”
Luke’s mouth tightened and his gaze bore into Emma before giving the man who’d commented a look that banished his smile. But when Emma had his full attention again, she saw that he was more than angry, angrier than she’d ever seen him before.
“You forgot her panties,” a man said.
Luke’s lips tightened, his gaze holding her steady. Was that reluctance in his eyes when he gripped her panties and slid them down her thighs?
She made a sound and tried to move away, but he caught her. What was he doing? Didn’t he recognize her? He wasn’t reacting like she thought he would.
“What the hell is this?” His question was directed to Damien, but his fingers curled painfully in the little patch of dark hair between her legs.
“Ow!” All she could do was stare at Luke. What was he doing?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Roark. She was supposed to be waxed bare, but as you’ll find yourself, she has a stubborn streak.” Damien’s last words were directed at her, but she couldn’t have cared less.
“You didn’t examine her prior to bringing her here?”
“No, Sir. I neglected to. My error,” Damien said. “I apologize.”
She found herself wanting to say something, anything, to Luke. To explain. But explain what? How would she explain her presence as Damien’s ‘girl’?
“Your training leaves a bit to be desired,” Luke said, his gaze giving away no hint of recognition.
“Lisa,” Luke snapped, turning her around and untying her hands.
A naked woman about her own age who’d obviously been standing in the shadows behind her jumped to attention. “Yes, Sir.” This woman was terrified of him; it was evident in her body language as well as the tone of her voice.
“Take her to the back room and fix…this,” he said, tugging once again at her hair.
“Ow!” It came out before she could stop it. Someone chuckled. The bastard! That had hurt.
“Yes, Sir.”
Lisa took Emma’s arm and hurried out of the room from a side door. As they exited, the other door opened and Emma turned to find two more women being led inside, both bound and blindfolded.
“Why is he so mad?” Emma asked as they moved quickly through a narrow, dark corridor.
Lisa gave her a look that warned her to be quiet. The girl pulled her into a small bedroom.
“Don’t let them hear you speaking, you’ll be punished.”
“No one will hear us.”
As if to prove her wrong, the door opened and Damien stood in the doorway. He was so mad his face was bright red.
Lisa stopped dead and dropped her gaze to the ground.
“God damn it, Emma! I told you to have that taken care of!”
“I forgot! I’m sorry, I was a little preoccupied!” she said.
“Sir. Sir! Will you never learn?” He turned to Lisa. “Wax her bare and make sure it hurts. And if I hear a whisper from either one of you, I will whip both your asses raw.”
“Yes, Sir,” Lisa answered, waiting until he left before she moved to retrieve the wax.