“No, I don’t think I need anything else.” I shook my head back and forth.
“There’s a bell installed on your door.” She walked over and pointed. “Just ring it if you need me. Otherwise, I’ll come to get you when it’s time for dinner.”
“Thanks…” I nodded.
Belle left and once she was outside, I heard a click on the other side of the dour. I immediately walked over and twisted the handle—it was locked.
Am I a guest here or a prisoner? Apparently, he doesn’t want me wandering around his manor…
I looked around the room and was hit with an immediate feeling of sadness. The room was nice, but it wasn’t home. There were no pictures of my father—no pictures of my mother, who passed away when I was five years old. Belle was no Maria—there was no sign of warmth in her—at least from what I saw during my limited interaction. She was as cold as the manor itself.
Instead of pictures of my family, I get to stare at a huge painting of the devil himself.
I stared at the painting for a moment. Those eyes—the artist captured them perfectly. They were enough to make me look away when it felt like I was actually making eye contact with Devlin instead of an image splattered on canvas. The was too bad the man beneath that gorgeous exterior had a soul as dark as his manor—if he even had a soul. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of deal he would want to make with me, especially if he was offering to help my father. There was a time when I would have believed his intentions were honorable, but I knew the truth—Devlin had no honor.
It’s only five o’clock. What am I going to do for the next three hours?
There was no television in the room, no books on the shelves—there wasn’t even a magazine that I could flip through. I didn’t like being alone in the silence. It made me think about the direness of my situation. I needed to find a way to relax—some way to stop thinking about the deal Devlin was going to offer—some way to stop my mind from spinning out of control as I contemplated the worst-case scenarios.
I knew that Devlin would like nothing more than to get his hands on my father’s company. That was the most likely worst-case scenario. Devlin didn’t have any personal interest in Cabot Enterprises, but he would love nothing more than to rub it in his father’s face and show him he did something Dominic Windsor couldn’t. I also knew that my father would rather rot in jail than ever see a Windsor sitting at the head of Cabot Enterprises—but was I brave enough to turn down any offer that could help buy his freedom?
Cabot Enterprises was already falling apart. Even if my father was able to prove his innocence and get out of jail, I wasn’t sure the company would ever recover. Business relationships were partially built on trust and partially built on reputation. The charges against my father would put a strain on both of those, even with someone like Mr. Hawthorne, who had been his client longer than I had been alive.
I need to find a way to relax—at least get out of my own head before this whole situation drives me to madness.
I walked over to the bathroom door and stared at the large bathtub. I hadn’t had anything more than a quick shower since my father was led away in handcuffs. A soak would definitely help me relax.
I started the water and looked over the different options for scented soaps and oils. I found a nice lavender oil and added it to the water, along with some vanilla soap. The scent reminded me of home, and if I closed my eyes, I might even be able to convince myself I was there and the nightmare I was living was nothing more than a bad dream.
I stripped off my dress, along with my undergarments, and laid them out on the bed. I would have to wear them again when I went to dinner, and I didn’t want the dress to get wrinkled. Once the water was ready and I sank into the warmth, I realized that the painting of Devlin was positioned in a way that it was directly in my line of sight from the tub. I would have closed the door if I realized that was the case. It was too late for that, so I just closed my eyes and tried to enjoy my first bath in days.
At least the tub is comfortable.
Even with my eyes closed, I could see the painting in my head—like the perfectly painted eyes were haunting me. Before I knew Devlin was the devil himself, I was attracted to him. He teased my thoughts, even though I knew he was too old for me. I tried to fight those thoughts—the ones I had managed to ignore since the night I found out the truth about him, but they returned as I lay there in the tub. It felt like his gaze was on me. I found my hand moving beneath the surface of the water—resting against my inner thighs—wanting to move higher. I resisted the urge for several minutes, and then I just gave in. My emotions had been in so much turmoil—I needed pleasure—I need to feel something besides chaos.
“Oh god,” I moaned the second my brushed moved against my clit.
Once I got started, it felt so good that there was no way I could stop. My finger made quick circles around my clit and I felt a pressure building up inside me. I wasn’t a frequent masturbator, especially when there always seemed to be someone around at Cabot Estate, so it was rare for me to have time to go slow and enjoy the feeling. I was still a virgin, so masturbation was the most pleasurable thing I knew—but that didn’t stop me from imagining things I had never done. I tried to picture someone else’s face—anyone but Devlin—but his was the one burned into my thoughts. I imagined him there in the tub with me, ready to take my innocence and show me what real passion was like. If only the man in my imagination was who he really was…
I’m gonna come—why can’t I imagine someone else?
It was too late to turn back. I was locked in the fantasy with every rotation of my finger heightening the pleasure I felt. I let it devour me. I imagined his lips on my skin—his fingers tracing my slender curves—and his cock ripping through me as he took my virginity. I started to squirm, feeling the pressure getting more intense—and then the pressure released. Bliss rushed through my veins. Euphoria swept across my body. Then it was over.
I’m sitting in a bathtub full of soap and I’ve never felt dirtier than I do right now. Damn you, Devlin. You’re the last person in the world I want to fantasize about.
I finished my bath and walked into the bedroom once I was dried off. I still had a lot of time to kill, and the bath, combined with my orgasm, had left me rather tired. I stretched out on the bed for what I expected to be no more than a moment—but it was so comfortable. The next thing I knew, a bell was ringing, and it caused me to sit up straight in the bed. My eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. It was eight o’clock on the dot. I wasn’t dressed. I was going to be late.
“Oh god.” I hopped up and grabbed my clothes, dressing as quickly as possible.
Fourteen
Devlin
I glanced at the clock in the dining room. It was five minutes past eight, and my smirk had turned upside down.
“Someone really wants to earn a punishment on their first day,” I muttered to myself, sighing and getting up from the table.
Just then, the double doors leading into the room flew open, and there she was, my pretty princess, looking disheveled and sexy as fuck.
“You’re late,” I barked at her.
“Hello to you, too,” she bit back, her cheeks flushing deeply as she entered the room.
“And you’re not even fucking ready,” I replied. “Your hair is wet. Your clothes are wrinkled. And you’re not as dolled up as I want you to be.”
“If you think you own me just because I owe you one,” she hissed. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”
She took a seat at the table, the chair scraping over the hardwood as she plopped that tight little ass down. She refused to meet my eyes, grabbing her fork and staring at her empty plate, already sulking.
Attitude.
That’s new.
“Where’s the food?” she asked.
Spoiled little rich girl, I thought to myself.
“I’m glad you think you’re the one running this joint,” I hissed at her, my eyes hungrily drinking in her featu
res.
I hadn’t seen her in so long. Hadn’t felt her touch in almost six months. And yet that kiss was still ever-present on my mind, reminding me of how desperately she’d thrown herself at me and how cruelly I’d pushed her away.
“You’re such a jerk, Devlin,” she muttered, shooting daggers at me from across the table. “I can’t believe you think you own me just because I accepted your offer.”
“My goodwill,” I reminded her. “Because let me tell you something, Violet. You have nowhere else to go. No one else will take care of you. So, the way I see it… you’re pretty much at my mercy. Don’t you agree, princess?”
She huffed and puffed, and I got up from my seat, walking over to her and making the first contact in six months. My fingers touched her chin, and I tipped her head back, staring into her eyes.
“I said,” I ground out. “Don’t you agree, princess?”
She forced herself to look at me, anger coming off her in waves. She kept her mouth stubbornly shut but I was going to get an answer out of her one way or another.
“You better talk, princess,” I told her. “Or you’ll get punished before you’ve even begun your stay at the Devil’s Manor.”
She snorted, rolling her eyes at me. “You call yourself the devil now, huh?”
“No,” I replied with a smirk. “But other people do. I’m sure you’ll learn why soon enough.”
I let go of her chin, and she let out the smallest of gasps when my fingers stopped touching her. It made my cock throb in my pants.
I took my seat across the table from her again, pulling a briefcase onto my lap and opening it, smoothing the buttery leather.
“Before we eat,” I began. “We’re going to have to make sure you understand the rules.”
“Rules?” Violet raised her eyebrows at me. “I’m eighteen now, Devlin. I don’t need house rules.”
“You do in my house,” I informed her. “And if you want me to treat you right, you’ll obey every single one. You don’t want to get thrown out on your first day, do you, Violet?”
She stayed quiet, and I rewarded her with a saccharine smile.
“Don’t think I haven’t made sure you have nowhere else to go,” I told her. “I’m guessing your dear sister didn’t jump to your help, and brother dearest is still long lost?”
Once again, I was met by silence, and I sighed, pulling a file from my briefcase.
“You don’t have to talk to me, princess,” I told Violet. “Just sign on the dotted line so we can move on.”
I slid the papers over the table to her, along with a pen with the engraved message of Property of Devlin Windsor. Just like Violet would be once she signed the contract.
“What is this?” she asked, the suspicion obvious in her voice as she started looking at the papers, turning the pages. “What the hell is this, Devlin? It doesn’t make any sense.”
I reveled in the paleness of her face, the redness emerging in her décolletage. I took my time admiring her sexy little form in a cute, pleated pink off-the-shoulder dress that revealed her slender shoulders. I was certain she wasn’t wearing a bra, and when she pushed her long, dark hair onto her back, I was rewarded with a view of her hardening nipples under the fabric of her dress.
Holy shit, I thought to myself. I want to fucking devour her.
I kept my thoughts to myself, reaching for the glass of wine I’d poured myself and taking sip after sip of the well-rested, dark red liquid. Violet got paler and paler as she pored over the many pages of the contract.
“My lawyer should probably look this over,” she finally managed, looking up at me with contempt in her eyes. “You know, make sure you aren’t taking advantage of me.”
“Your lawyer?” I asked, laughing out loud. “Good luck finding someone who’ll work for you, princess. And better yet, good luck finding the money to pay for their service.”
“You can’t just expect me to blindly sign a document like this!”
Her little outburst was adorable, and I grinned at her, both of us knowing she didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“This… this here,” she muttered, her finger shaking as she pointed to a clause in the contract. “This says I’m going to get punished if I’m disobedient.”
“That’s right,” I replied smoothly. “You can’t expect me to put up with bad behavior, princess. I’m not going to find excuses for your mistakes like Daddy did.”
She blushed fiercely, glaring at me from her seat.
“What about this, then?” she asked, turning the page and pointing to another wall of text. “No masturbation? That’s crazy, Devlin. You can’t control… you can’t control that aspect of my life!”
I pushed the papers back at her, making sure to look right into her eyes as I muttered, “Sweetheart, I’m going to control every aspect of your life once you sign this.”
I watched the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Her bottom lip wobbled, and I really thought she was going to start crying on me, but she bit her lips and stopped the tears from coming. She raised her head instead, meeting my eyes with braveness I hadn’t expected from her.
“What do I get in return?” she questioned boldly. “What do I get for giving all of this up?”
“That’s simple,” I replied, shrugging and grinning at her. “The way I see it, you’re part of a fallen dynasty now, Violet. And I’m one of the only men in the world who can restore the life you used to have. I can give you all of it back… Every little bit of the money you had, the reputation, the rich friends, the lavish parties. I’ll do my best to give that to you.”
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“How are you going to do that?”
“First,” I responded. “I’m going to get your dad out of prison and prove he’s innocent.”
“How?” she asked. “Can you really do that?”
She was leaning forward, hanging on my every word, even though she was trying hard to hide her desperation. But I could see right through her. Always could.
“I believe so,” I nodded confidently. “I will do everything in my power to ensure he’s a free man.”
“In return for…” she left her sentence unfinished, and I smirked, leaning back in my chair and not giving a shit that my cock bulging under the fabric of my pants was plainly visible.
“In return for the ultimate prize, of course,” I told her. “I want you, Violet.”
She bit her bottom lip, unable to give me a reply just yet.
“I’ll make sure you don’t get seriously injured in any way,” I went on, knowing I’d already won the battle when she hadn’t stormed out of the room right away. “I’ll make sure you’re safe, provide for you, and give you everything you deserve based on your behavior. And in return, you’ll obey and follow the rules which are stated for you clearly. Do you understand?”
She didn’t nod, but her sharp eyes remained on mine, calculating the other possible outcomes of her predicament.
“What if I break the rules?” she asked in a small voice.
“You’ll be punished, of course,” I told her simply. “But I swear to you Violet, the punishments will only be as severe as your offense. You have nothing to worry about, as long as you’re a good girl.”
She mulled this over, her eyes darting between me and the papers on the table before her.
I reached over, taking the pen in my hands and gently pushing it toward her.
“It only takes two little words,” I told her, my voice gentle now. “Your name, on the dotted line, princess. That’s all it takes to be mine.”
I reached over the table, my hand making contact. My palm rested on her hand and she trembled under my touch, as if she’d been waiting for it for a lifetime.
“Sign it,” I whispered as her eyes met mine. “Sign it, and you can be owned like you’ve always wanted.”
Her right hand shook as she pressed pen against paper. Her eyes shot back up to mine, looking for reassurance. I nodded, slow and steady. She signed h
er name in shaky, loopy cursive.
It’s done. She’s just changed the game.
“Good girl,” I muttered, watching the hairs on the back of her arm stand to attention.
She put the pen down, the noise of metal hitting wood the only sound in the room. A little whimper made its way from her lips. She knew what she’d done. She knew she’d have to follow orders now.
“Get up,” I said softly.
She pulled her hand from underneath mine, standing on her feet awkwardly.
“Come here,” I ordered.
She approached me with slow, measured steps, like an animal being careful, but knowing it’s walking into a trap.
“Closer.”
She kept walking until her legs bumped against mine. Her lips parted, and a silent gasp escaped them. Her eyes never left mine, and I parted my thighs, tapping my knee with my right palm.
“Sit, princess.”
She sank her weight onto my knee, and I gently pried her fingers apart, placing her arms around my neck so she was safely on my lap. She hung her head, but I used my free hand to make her look at me.
“Such pretty green eyes,” I murmured. “Don’t look away from me, Violet. Ever.”
She nodded, swallowing thickly.
“From now on, you will call me Master,” I told her. “Nod if you understand.”
Another nod, another tremble of her bottom lip. I was getting visibly hard.
“I have to go away on some business today,” I went on. “You will be fitted for a new wardrobe in that time. On Sunday, when I return, I want you waiting for me, ready and willing. Nod if you understand.”
Violet nodded, her eyes on mine. They were filling with tears, the panic inside her so obvious it felt like an elephant in the room.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Violet,” I reminded her. “Not unless you beg for it. Not unless you want it.”
“Why would I want it?” she questioned, and I smirked at her naivete.
“You’ll see,” I promised her. “I’ll make it feel so good you won’t be able to help yourself, princess. Now, another thing. You know when I come back, things are going to be different, right?”
Devil’s Captive: Fallen Dynasty Book One Page 6
