Flipping her around on her back, he kept her pelvis elevated while he folded her legs against her chest. He spread her lips and pushed his fingers deep inside her, pulling them out to inspect the sticky fluid. Satisfied that his seed was inside of her, he began binding her legs against her stomach with a soft white strap before wrapping her up in the sheets. The familiar feeling of his swaddling calmed her while he settled in beside her for rest. It was later in the day than usual, so he would have to use her again soon.
After two straight weeks of what seemed like non-stop fucking, the doctor told Adam that Leah had surely ovulated and they would now just have to wait and see. He demanded that she remain in bed and kept her strapped up with her pelvis elevated for three straight days after he fucked her for the last time. Insisting that she didn’t move, he fed her by hand and stayed by her side the entire time, both to keep her company and to be sure that she obeyed. When he finally released her, he attacked her body keeping her in bed all day while he orally pleasured her and suckled her breasts, but never fucking her. He wouldn’t risk it until he was sure it wouldn’t affect the baby.
He seemed confident that he was successful and Leah was relieved to have a break. To her surprise, she was actually excited and hopeful that she would be pregnant. Although he assured her that if she wasn’t they would try again, she kept having nightmares that the test would come back negative and he would send her away. The days leading up to the test were filled with anxiety for both of them. In a way though, it was nice because they passed the time actually getting to know each other a little better. Adam was less demanding and more pleasant to be around.
She was still on bed rest at his command, but he did move her from place to place at her request. He even carried her along the bird trail in the morning because she seemed so sad that she wasn’t allowed to go. She spent most of her time on the balcony lying in the bed he’d had brought outside for her. He was so attentive, albeit in a paranoid and controlling way, that her attachment to him was deepening. The fact that he’d abducted and bred her seemed only mildly unusual. She’d gotten so much in return.
The night before the test, Adam promised her that everything would be fine no matter what the results were. Still, she couldn’t sleep and spent most of the night lying there anxiously. She was so happy to be here and hadn’t even been allowed to explore the forest that called to her endlessly. Everything she ever wanted was right in front of her; love, children, adventure, security. If it didn’t work out, she didn’t know if she could go back to the way she was living before.
The next morning, they hurried to the doctor’s cabana so she could take the test. The doctor assured Adam that this was the earliest possible day to test and it may come back negative even if she is pregnant. Leah fidgeted anxiously as the doctor took her blood and then went into the back room to analyze it. Sitting in a chair next to the examination table, Adam stared across the room blankly, making Leah even more nervous. When the doctor reappeared, she had a big smile on her face and Adam rose out of the chair abruptly. It was confirmed, Leah was indeed pregnant with his child. She clutched her belly and looked up at him with a grin. He thanked the doctor and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her back to the house.
When they got back to their bedroom, he laid Leah out on the bed and climbed beside her, looking at her like he never had before. The sense of urgency and anticipation had left his eyes and he looked calm. He started kissing her belly tenderly while she ran her fingers through his dark hair as she finally took a breath and relaxed her body for what seemed the first time since she’d been taken from the city. He rose up and kissed her, but it was different this time. It was like there was another layer to the kiss that she hadn’t noticed was missing before. It wasn’t forceful or desperate like it often was and for the first time she kissed him back and he let her. They laid like that for a while, lips locked as he embraced her and gently stroked her stomach. When he broke away to get up, she pulled him back and he fell on top of her, melting together until time seemed to stop.
He got up from the bed and she reached for him, his smile assuring her that he’d only be gone for a moment. When he returned she realized that there really was something different about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Holding a small box, he climbed back into bed and tucked her under his arm.
“I got something for you,” he said, and Leah noticed that even his voice wasn’t the same. “To mark the occasion.” He opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring with an incredibly large, clear aquamarine of brightest turquoise blue. The golden circle had detailed scrolling all around it and he took it out and slipped it on her finger. Leah gasped at the size of it as her eyes studied the incredible stone. It was her favorite gem because it was her birthstone and if everything went well, it would be the baby’s too. This specimen was fit for a queen or belonged in a museum, by far the most beautiful she’d ever seen.
“Its beautiful!” she exclaimed, flabbergasted at the gesture. He had put in on her left ring finger and she wondered if that was significant, but was afraid to ask him. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” He smiled back at her, saying nothing, but the look in his eyes made her wonder what he was thinking. It was as if he was looking at her for the first time, almost with reverence or admiration, and she knew that things wouldn’t be the same between them now that she was carrying his child. It would be better.
Over the next few weeks, he did indeed start treating her differently. It was nice to feel like she was actually getting to know him. He was very attentive and gave her everything she wanted. The doctor had convinced him that a lack of exercise would be detrimental to the pregnancy and he reluctantly allowed Leah to start resuming a normal level of activity. They both shared a passion for nature and began hiking together, hiring a crew of workers to come it and cut trails through the forest so that would be easy to walk. He’d only let her walk for a few miles a day, and she wasn’t allowed to walk up any hills, so he carried her whenever he deemed the terrain was too steep.
They spent a lot of time lounging on the boulder near the waterfall. It was a special place for them, but he still wouldn’t have sex with her. He always insisted she be naked when they lay together there and he spent hours exploring her breasts and suckling her nipples. Because he refused to fuck her, he made her pleasure him with her mouth when the groping got him to excited. He always returned the favor. Afterwards, they would cuddle together on the large rock and talk about the future. What they thought the baby would be like, what he wanted to name it, how long they should wait until they started trying for another one, and how many children should there be.
As they discussed things, he kept reminding her that the final decision would be his, yet he seemed to genuinely concerned with what she wanted. It was frustrating for her that he didn’t quite see her as an equal. It was thrilling in bedroom, but she wanted to have a real relationship and didn’t see how that could happen if she didn’t have a true input on the decisions. She pushed those thoughts away for now and had faith that after the baby came, he would become less controlling. Luckily for her, they wanted almost the same things when it came to family size and timing, so it wasn’t much of an issue.
He was extremely attentive about her condition and asked her how she felt constantly. If she was sick, it seemed to torture him and he wouldn’t leave her side. Fortunately, her morning sickness quickly passed and the doctor assured him she was having a particularly easy pregnancy so far. Still, his concern for her was suffocating. She’d taken several more tests to confirm that she was indeed carrying his baby. The doctor refused when he insisted that she have an ultrasound earlier than recommended, saying that nothing would show up and it would only cause him more anxiety. He flew into a rage that terrified Leah and she tearfully begged him not to send the doctor away because she felt so comfortable with her. Reluctantly, he agreed to wait and seemed remorseful after he’d calmed down for causing her unnecessary stress.
During one of he
r examinations, the doctor had confided in her that this was by far, the most challenging assignment she’d ever had. If it wasn’t for the obscene amount of money he was paying her there was no way she would tolerate this. She didn’t say it, but Leah could tell that she thought this entire situation was beyond strange. She could have given her an ultrasound a few weeks ago, but had misled him because she wanted to be sure there would be at least a flicker of the baby’s heart beat on the monitor. Despite the state of the art machine he’d purchased, a little blob is still a little blob to the untrained eye. She didn’t want to go through the process of explaining to him and deal with his wrath for the next two weeks or so until there would actually be concrete evidence of the life he’d planted inside Leah’s womb.
5
On the morning of the ultrasound, Leah awoke from a restless sleep. She knew there was nothing to worry about. This was only a formality, but Adam seemed to need it. He hadn’t been sleeping well for the last couple of days and seemed withdrawn. Yesterday he didn’t even go on their morning walk. Instead he spent all day in his office, the only room in the house that she wasn’t allowed to go into. She had been here for over a month and in many ways it was like she was living with a stranger because he still wouldn’t answer her questions. Any time it seemed like she was getting him to talk, he seized up and changed the subject.
She felt bad waking him up because he was finally sleeping so soundly, but she wanted this ultrasound done already so he could be sure. She was hoping it would change things between them, that once he knew for sure he would relax. She gently touched his shoulder and he looked up at her with a sleepy smile that struck her. It was like she was seeing his face for the first time and there was a sadness to it that she realized had been there all along, but was always mingled with something else, something hard. His guard was down and he was too tired to realize that he hadn’t put his mask on. Reaching out to pull her into his body, he buried his face in her shoulder as she breathed in scent of his hair while she cradled him in her arms.
“It’s time to go see the baby, Adam.” She regretted the words even though they’d needed to be spoken. He stiffened in her arms and when he looked up, his eyes were still sleepy but he was wearing the mask again.
Saying nothing, he kissed her and quickly got out of bed to get dressed, throwing her a yellow sundress. When she was allowed to wear clothes, he always picked them out. They hurried to the doctor’s cabana and he threw open the door so roughly that a glass fell off of a shelf, crudely announcing their arrival.
Leah lie on the table with her legs spread as the doctor inserted the probe. Adam tapped his foot in anticipation while undecipherable images crept across the monitor. He leant forward, a look of confusion on his face while the doctor let out a sigh.
“It takes a few seconds to find the fet- the baby.” The doctor squinted her eyes and adjusted the probe. “At this point it is approximately the size of a blueberry.” At last she smiled and placed her finger on the screen. “Here. There it is.” Adam leaned even closer and grabbed Leah’s hand. “Do you see that little flicker?” He nodded. “That’s the heart beat.” His lips relaxed and began to turn upward as he started stroking Leah’s palm with his thumb. “Let me see if I can get a better angle. We might be able to hear it.”
She adjusted the probe as Leah leaned in to get a better look. She had been so concerned with Adam’s reaction that she hadn’t given herself any space to take in this moment. She was seeing her baby for the first time and she was glad that the doctor had waited. It was just a little blob on the screen, but all of the sudden the reality that she was going to be a mother settled upon her.
“There.” A strange pulsing sound started coming out of the machine and the doctor turned it up. Adam looked at Leah with a big smile on his face and she returned it. After listening for a few minutes, they ended the exam and he carried her into the house to make her breakfast. It wasn’t nearly as good as what the cook usually made, but it was such a sweet gesture she didn’t really care. She had forgotten to take her dress off when she came in the house, but he barely seemed to notice and didn’t bring it up.
After they were done eating, he came over to Leah and kissed her gently, running his fingers through her hair as his lips traveled down her neck. All of the sudden, tears began to well up in her eyes and she pulled away from him, running into the living room. He followed her, a look of bewilderment on his face that surprised her when she saw it because she was expecting rage.
“I’m really tired,” she lied. The tears were now overflowing her eyes as she made her way up the stairs, choked sobs echoing through the house.
“Leah?” She didn’t answer him so he followed her as she ran into the bedroom and flung herself on the bed. “Leah, what’s wrong?”
She couldn’t answer him, couldn’t look at him, so she rolled herself into a tiny ball and cried into her pillow uncontrollably. She wondered what she was doing here, how she could be having a baby with a man she barely knew. A controlling man who had given her everything she wanted, but what about the baby? What kind of father does someone like that make? What kind of person does something like this? Questions swirled in her head that just made her cry harder as she pondered of the peculiar arrangement she was bringing a child into and what it would do. His domineering behavior and demanding sexual appetite turned Leah on immensely, that kind of thing always had. But this wasn’t about her anymore, her lust, her happiness. There was another life inside her that she had to think about. She couldn’t believe what she’d done.
Adam climbed into bed beside her and tentatively wrapped his arm around her waist. She couldn’t help but flip over to nuzzle into his chest as he stroked her hair. He didn’t say anything for a while, just held her there until she finally stopped crying.
“Are you alright?” He cupped her chin and brought her face up to his, wiping the tears off of her face.
“I’m not sure,” she answered as she reluctantly looked into his dark eyes. His brow was furrowed and his face was filled with concern and uncertainty. When he behaved so tenderly it was easy to forget how strange this relationship was.
“The doctor said everything is fine.” He pressed his lips against her forehead as she started to whimper again and a tear ran down her cheek. “Shhh,” he calmed her, rocking her back and forth. “I don’t understand why you are so upset. This is a happy day.”
“This isn’t right!” She collapsed against his chest, sobbing.
“What?”
“This!” Leah pushed herself back from him. “Us!” He looked at her stunned from across the bed.
“I don’t understand.” She was expecting him to get angry, but instead he just looked lost, even hurt. His sad eyes made her start crying again and he reached out to soothe her, but she refused him.
“What kind of way is this to raise a child?” Leah clutched her stomach. “You ordering me around like you do. How do you think a child will understand that?”
He didn’t answer, a grave look crossing his face. Adam sat up on the edge of the bed, his back towards her. “The child will be fine.” She started crying again and his back stiffened, but he didn’t turn around.
“How would you feel if you watched your father order your mother around like a slave?” The last word struck her and she started crying harder. He turned and looked at her with angry eyes, but as soon as he saw her quivering face, they softened. “Are you going to be like this with the children too?”
His face flinched and he let out a sad sigh while his gaze dropped to the bed. “I hadn’t thought about it that way.” He laid back down and gently moved towards her, his face apologetic. She closed the distance between them, reaching out to stroke his hair.
“I can’t let you treat them the way you treat me.” His eyes closed and he moved his face closer to hers, putting his hand on her stomach. “I wouldn’t be a good mother.”
“You’ve never complained about how I treat you before.” His voice sounded sad and dis
tant.
“I didn’t mind until just now.” She pulled his head into her chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I know that you like it. And you know that I like it, too.” She waited for him to answer, but he lay there silently in her arms, stroking her hair. “It can’t just be about sex anymore, Adam. We’re going to be parents.”
He looked up at her with those sad eyes, but a smile crossed his face as he reached for her stomach. “You’re right.” Scooting down the bed, he lifted her dress and started kissing her belly lightly. Leah’s body relaxed with his touch and she realized that she was actually quite tired. “We’ll figure something out.” She ran her fingers through his hair as he nuzzled into her, wrapping his arms around her hips.
“I really am sleepy,” she murmured, exhausted from the emotional outburst and satisfied with his reaction. He looked up at her, nodding. Pulling his face closer into her belly, he let out a long yawn and settled in to sleep.
Over the next few weeks Adam became much more agreeable. He allowed her to use the Internet freely, though she knew he was secretly monitoring her. She ordered whatever she wanted to decorate the house without any questions from him. He even complained if she didn’t buy the most expensive version of whatever she wanted or hesitated because of the price. It soon began to look like a home and started to feel that way for her too. He insisted on making all of the furniture so they spent a lot of time in his woodshop. Leah watched as he carefully carved the designs she requested into the shelves that he made for her. The cradle was his favorite project. She loved to watch him from the lounge he brought in for her as he sanded it and tested the rocking. This was her favorite place to talk with him because his woodworking set him at ease. He was really in his element.
Captured by the Billionaire (Omnibus Edition) Page 4
