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Chapter Twelve

Branson

I step into her room for the first time in months, keeping my eyes straight ahead despite my desire to look around at what’s different. She’s long since gotten rid of most of the stuff from when she was a kid, but from the corner of my eye I do see the old vanity still in the same place. My jaw clenches as I steel myself for what's next. I turn to see her standing in the doorway, and despite having come only minutes ago, I feel myself start to get hard again.

Focus, Branson, I have to tell myself.

“Close the door and sit on the bed,” I command, keeping my voice low and firm. The corner of her mouth twitches slightly, but she does as she’s told and sashays across the room, crossing her legs on the end of the bed. From a few feet away, I point at her legs.

“The rest of it, off. Then lie in the middle of the bed.”

While she obliges, I adjust myself and look around, quickly finding what I was looking for. When I turn back to the bed and see her naked, it takes everything in me not to take her right there. Through gritted teeth, I go to the head of the bed and take her hands, tying them up and lashing them to the bedpost. Her feet I keep spread.

Stepping back from the bed, I survey my work, the spread-eagle goddess bound to her own bed. A smile curves on my lips and I step up to the bed, leaning my head down toward her. She immediately lifts her own, eager to get to me and I chuckle from a few inches away.

“Goodnight, Amelia,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her forehead. Her eyes widen.

“Good- Branson, what the f— you can’t leave me here!”

“I told you,” I interrupted. “Penance.”

I give her a wink before walking out of the room. The shouts following behind me are music to my ears as I make my way back downstairs to finish my dinner.

???

It’s a few hours before I decide to head to bed, making a stop to see how Mia is doing. When I get there, she’s asleep, her head lolled to the side. I look down at her face, the blonde hair spread all around.

“What the hell have you done to me?” I whisper to her sleeping form, kissing the top of her head. I consider going to another room but shrug and drop a blanket over her, laying down and promptly falling asleep.