Page 31 of Pretty Plaything

“I could’ve cut your throat and you wouldn’t have even noticed,” Alessandro hisses into my ear.

A knife?

He’s got a knife to my throat?

What the hell is wrong with him?

“Let go of me or I’ll scream.” If I do, someone’s going to hear me and come check.

I don’t think the people who live here will just turn a blind eye to what’s going on.

A chuckle rumbles from Alessandro’s throat.

“Go ahead. Try.” His body is pressed against mine like a warm blanket.

Something pinches my shoulder. I open my mouth, but black dots swim in my vision, and everything goes blurry.

Before my eyes close and my body gives out, I think I can feel the bulge in Alessandro’s pants as he buries his face in my hair.

***

ASMACK ON MY ASS WAKESme up. I don’t know how long I’ve been out, but when I crack my eyes open, I can tell I’m no longer outside.

A room.

I’m in a room with dim lights.

And I’m tied up facedown to some kind of bench. My shoulder hurts like hell. What has Alessandro done to me?

I feel the air glide against my skin and realize I’m naked.

Panic grips my insides as I fight against my restraints, but my ankles and wrists are tied. The bench keeps my hips up and my legs spread, my center exposed.

I can’t see much of the room, but what Icansee scares me.

No windows. A bunch of ropes and whips hang from the wall.

What is this place?

What is he going to do to me?

“Welcome to my dungeon,” Alessandro says with a smile as he comes into view. “You’ve been a very bad girl. You shouldn’t have gone out like that. Something could’ve happened to you.”

He’s pulled the sleeves of his dress shirt back up, and his hair is even messier, which somehow makes him look even hotter.

It’s frustrating.

“Everything was fine until you showed up!” My anger is back, stronger than ever.

He can’t do this to me.

I’m his wife.

“Let me go! You’re the only danger here!” I bite out.

“You need to learn your lesson once and for all.”

“Okay, fine. But release me from this.” Maybe I can convince him to be reasonable.