Page 23 of Ever After
The phone is silent, and my heart beats loud as I wait for her response. “Come toTemptress, tomorrow night, six o’clock. There’ll be a viewing of the merchandise for sale. Cover charge is five-hundred, cash. Tell the bartender you’re looking for a little indulgence.” She hangs up without another word.
I take a deep breath, sending up a small prayer of thanks that the information was solid. I pull off the fake facial hair, knowing by morning I’ll have a nice bit of scruff that should change my usual clean-shaven appearance.
Chapter Twelve
Finley
I don’t know why I thought I would be able to shower alone and without the cuffs and gag; silly thinking on my part. Chris pushes me into the shower and attaches the cuffs to the hook in the ceiling. I’m stretched out, standing on my tiptoes to avoid the chaffing of the cuffs on my wrists. He’s kind enough to not start the jet stream of water on me until it’s warm though, so there’s a silver lining, I suppose.
I hang my head, the warm water spraying over me, soothing my aching muscles and relaxing some of the tension in my body. The relief doesn’t last long, though. He steps in behind me and presses himself against my backside, making me feel all of him. I stiffen under his touch, and he leans forward so his mouth is next to my ear.
“Relax. Just enjoy this. I promise I won’t hurt you. Unless you ask for it.”
I want to cry, but I won’t. He doesn’t deserve it. I hold my body still, willing him to leave me alone.
“Sweetheart,” he grabs my nipple and rolls it between his thumb and forefinger, “I want you to relax.” He places his other hand on my stomach and pulls me back to him. “I’m going to take the gag out. Don’t be stupid. Understand?”
I nod my head, anything to get this thing out of my mouth. He unhooks the gag, and it falls to the floor. I whimper as I close my mouth.
“My wrists are raw because of these cuffs. Can they come off, too?” My voice is hoarse as I speak past the lump in my throat.
He draws a finger along the red marks on my wrists and tsks. “Guess I need to switch to leather. Can’t have you too banged up. You’ll be worth less.”
Of course—not because I’m a human—but because I’m worth less if I’m banged up. I close my eyes and crawl into the recesses of my mind, blocking this nightmare out. I focus on the stream of water hitting the tile at my feet and on the wall. His hands roam up and down my body as he washes away the few days’ worth of sweat, cum, and dirt. I start to feel human again—more like myself.
Chris slides away, and I’m grateful to not feel him pressed against me. He kneels down in front of me, holding a razor. I jerk my arms and try to back away. He glares at me, holding my leg in a firm yet gentle hold, and begins shaving my legs. It’s strangely intimate as he glides the razor up and over my curves. I relax into his touch as he finishes, moving on to my other leg.
“You must run, you have sexy legs.” He caresses them, running his hands from ankle to thigh and back down, then places a gentle kiss to my calf. I don’t answer him. I don’t want to have a normal conversation—it’ll make him seem human. He kidnapped me. It’s not like we are friends.
He washes everything, hair to toes, and takes special care of my core, rubbing it and bringing me close to climax. There’s no point in trying to beg for him to stop—he won’t.
He pushes at my thighs, wanting me to open for him, but I won’t budge. “Open your fucking legs. I want to taste you,” he growls.
I don’t want his mouth anywhere on me. “Not in here, please. My legs are weak, and my wrists hurt.”
He pries them apart anyway, shoves his head between my legs, and licks a strip from my clit to my asshole. I try squirming away from him, but he holds me over his face. He bites my inner thigh, and I cry out. The coil of pressure from his edging earlier, the sensations of his tongue from moments ago, mixed with the bite, sends me into a mini orgasm. My hips buck against the air, and a needy moan passes my lips.
He stands, satisfied. “That’s more like it. We’ll come back to this. We’ve got business to attend to, and I want you all dolled up. He turns off the water and grabs a towel, drying himself before starting on me.
“Can I please get my arms down? They’re falling asleep.” He unhooks them from the ceiling and unlocks the cuffs. I sigh in relief. “Thank you.”
He pulls me with him into a room I haven’t seen before. I take it all in. There’s a large, four poster bed in the middle of the room, covered in a black comforter and crimson sheets. It looks so comfortable; I want to curl up into it. Along the walls are shelves, and when I catch sight of a whip, I lower my eyes, refusing to inspect further. There’s a large mirror across from the bed. He opens a set of drawers, and I cock my head to the side as he slips into a pair of gray sweatpants and a t-shirt.He looks so comfortable. I wish I had that luxury.
“On the bed.”
“No.”
His face contorts. His eyes darken, and he presses his lips together in a firm line. In two steps, he’s in front of me and yanks me by my hair, pulling me with brute force toward the bed. He throws me on my back and straddles me. I kick and buck, trying to get him off me, but the attempt is futile. He’s much stronger than me, and I haven’t had much to eat in the past few days. He pins my hands above me, strapping them into leather restraints. Then he tightens them so I can’t move my upper half.
“Let me go!” I scream as I kick at him. He slides down, sitting on one leg as he pushes the other one out to the corner, securing it into another restraint. My heart is beating out of control, and the corners of my vision blur as panic sets in.
The shower I could handle. The water was warm and I could forget, but this is just as horrible as the cage-like room I was in. Three out of my four limbs are secured down, but I don’t stop fighting—screaming at him.Listen to me!He drags my other leg to the corner and secures it in place.
I’m spread eagle, naked, and bared to him.
“Fucking bitch. I’ll just have to sedate you to get the clothes on.” He opens a drawer in the stand next to the bed and pulls out a syringe.
Time stops.