by Fawn Bailey
As he made love to me that night, he told me over and over again I’d made my choice. That I belonged to him now. That he’d never let go. That he knew I wouldn’t disappoint him.
And once he fell asleep, his breaths low and steady, I dreamed of getting away, knowing the whole time I’d come crawling back for him, begging him to take me back.
Yes, I was in love… and my love was going to eat me whole.
Chapter 9
Carina
It was another boring night with the same people, the same conversations and a different dress. I wore my hair up in a chic style I’d seen in a magazine earlier, dressed to the nines in a dress just a little too short, just enough to make my parents raise their eyebrows when I walked into the room.
My father held these gatherings weekly, and though I’d moved into my own apartment a while ago, I was still forced to come at least twice per month. My parents had always loved showing me off, the beautiful daughter who danced like a star and looked like a model. I despised them for only seeing that part of me and for not even bothering to peek beneath the layers to my personality. However, I was happy to come nonetheless, because it meant there would be a hefty sum deposited in my bank account the next day, courtesy of Daddy dearest. I could always count on him to be grateful for his only daughter’s company.
Truth be told, life had gotten boring in London. It was the same things over and over again. Training with Madame, working so fucking hard to be her new favorite and still coming up short. Our production of The Nutcracker was long over, and I was still struggling to find a different role. I went to auditions, danced and trained every spare hour, yet it still didn’t seem to be enough.
At my last audition, I’d been told to come back, only to find out they wanted me for a role in a film, not a ballet. It upset me. Dancing was what I lived for, what I wanted to do, but no one recognized my talent. No one gave a shit about my passion. That made me upset so much that
I strolled around my parents’ house mindlessly, wandering through the rooms I knew so well with their expensive furniture, beautiful artwork and countless bouquets of expensive flowers. My heels clicked against the hardwood, but I didn’t care whether they left dents or not. I was on a mission to occupy myself and find something to hold my attention for longer than a little while.
I was going to end the night with a stranger in my bed, I decided. Perhaps it would be one of Daddy’s friends, a handsome older guy who would come at the mere thought of getting me into his arms without any clothes on. Or maybe it would be someone younger, one of the rare people who were my age at the get-together.
My thoughts swam with opportunities as I walked through the room, and then, all of a sudden, I came to a stop, my eyes growing wider and wider as they focused on the man talking to my father.
It was him.
The man who’d killed the father of my child. The man who threatened to hurt me if I kept trying to hunt him down. Right there, in our living room, in the flesh.
I fought the urge to approach him, attack him or figure out exactly what he was doing standing in my parents’ home, but before I had a chance to react, my father called out for me.
“Carina!” he said pleasantly. “Why don’t you come and join us? I’d like you meet my new business associate.”
I sauntered over confidently, even though my heart was beating a million times a minute. I kissed my father on the cheek and gave the other man a pleasant but inquisitive smile.
“I’d like you to meet Mr. Thorn,” my father said proudly. “He’s just joined us overseas as an investor.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” he growled and took my hand.
I watched with my eyes wide open as he kissed the top of my hand, watching it flutter back to my chest. He was impossibly handsome, dressed in a designer suit and with his hair slicked back, faint stubble covering his cheeks. I was intrigued and intimidated at the same time, and I wanted to know so much more about him.
“Carina is my only daughter,” my father went on. “We keep trying to convince her to join the family business, but she’s intent on making her dreams come true instead.”
“And what might those dreams be?” Thorn asked with a low growl.
He was so… possessive, to the point of almost sounding angry with every word he spoke. He sent shivers down my spine, but I loved it. I wanted more of him, but I needed to be careful not to give away the fact that we already knew each other. As far as my father was concerned, Thorn and I were complete strangers.
“I’m a dancer,” I told him what he already knew. “A ballet dancer.”
“What an interesting path she’s taken,” my father laughed jovially. “I wish I had half her talent. Now, Mr. Thorn, if I could just steal another moment of your time before I let you have some fun…”
They turned away from me, leaving me standing there and feeling completely useless. I made my way through the room, stopping to pick a glass of expensive champagne off one of the waiter’s platters. My heart was pounding, and I wasn’t sure I was hiding it all too well. My pussy was leaking at the thought of being close to him, desperate for him to take what I so desperately wanted to give him.
I spent the rest of the evening by indulging others in mindless conversations. There were men there who were obviously interested in me, but I didn’t bother wasting my time on them. Now, there was only one person in the room I was interested in, and every time I caught his dark eyes lingering on me, I felt a jolt of electricity shoot up my spine.
It was nearing the end of the evening, and I decided I only had one shot to get what I wanted. I started following him around, moving in circles and making sure I was always close to him, picking my conversation partners based on where he was in the room. He must’ve noticed. His dark eyes kept stealing glances at me, provoking unanswered questions in my mind.
Finally, I watched him excuse himself and went right after him into the hallway that led into the cloak room. He was waiting for me, his strong, muscular arm wrapping around my throat the second we were alone. I gasped as he stepped out of the shadows, his eyes filled with dark intent as they connected with mine.
“You following me?” he asked in that raspy voice of his, and I coughed and sputtered as he held me up in his arms as if I weighed nothing. “That’s not a very good idea, girl.”
“Let me go,” I begged, even though it was the last thing I wanted. “You’re the one who came here!”
“I told you I’d be keeping an eye on you,” he growled in response. “Now I know who your parents are, where they live. One wrong move from you, and I’ll punish you by hurting them.”
“You wouldn’t,” I gasped, knowing full well that he would. “Please. Let me go. I can’t breathe!”
His hand moved off my throat, and I gasped for air. Right away, the loss of his hand around my throat made me feel broken, needing his touch yet again, but I wasn’t about to admit it. Instead, I stared into his eyes with a fire burning in my own.
“Why did you come here?” I asked him.
“I told you,” he said simply, cracking his knuckles in a way that sent goosebumps all over my skin. “I need to keep an eye on you. Why are you following me?”
I thought about my secret phone calls with Pia. I thought about everything I had learned. Now was the time to finally come clean. Now was the time to show him I could be so much better than her… better than Harlow.
“I know what you did,” I told him softly. “I know you took her.”
A faint hint of surprise crossed his face then he laughed openly at me.
“You know jack shit, girl,” he finally said, his eyes dangerous as they connected with mine.
“I don’t care,” I was quick to go on. “I don’t care that you took Harlow, or Amber.”
“So why bring it up?” he asked with a curious look in his eyes.
“I want you…” I stopped, pausing for effect and because I was too nervous to go on. My voice was shaky and scared, but I was desperate to tell h
im. “I want you to take me, too.”
“Take you?” he asked, coming closer to stare at me. His eyes evaluated me, from my hair to my face then down my body. “Why would I take you?” he asked, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
“I…” My words drifted off into nothing. “I want you to take me like you did them…”
“And what happens to them in this imaginary world of yours?” he asked, mocking me openly. I wasn’t about to back down. He didn’t know about my conversations with Pia. He didn’t know how much I actually found out already. And how badly I wanted for him to choose me over the other two girls.
“They’re…” I whispered, my eyes drifting away and coming back to his to stare openly. “They’re yours.”
“You want to be mine?” he asked. Now, he wasn’t mocking me. His tone was soft, almost like he felt a little sorry for me. “You don’t, Carina. You have no idea what kind of man I am.”
I grabbed his hand, and he snatched it away from me, leaving me feeling useless and more scared than ever as I stared at him with desperate eyes.
“Take me with you,” I told him again. “Let me be yours. Whatever you want. Take me away from this life. I don’t want it. I want you. I want to take Harlow’s place.”
He stared at me, a spark coming to life inside him, as if he’d just realized I knew more than I was letting on.
“I’m keeping an eye on you,” he finally told me. “But you need to stay away from me, girl. For your own fucking good.”
“Please,” I choked out. “I’ll do anything you want.”
He shook his head and rubbed his eyes warily.
“You have no idea what you want, Carina,” he finally managed. “Go back to your parents. Go back to your life. Be grateful for what you have. Be grateful you’re free.”
With those words, he pulled himself out of the situation and walked away from me, leaving me more alone than ever.
“Wait!” I cried out after him, but he didn’t turn to look back at me, only kept on walking. And not for the first time, he took a piece of my heart with him, tearing a chunk right out of my chest and leaving me alone, just like he had so many times before.
But now, it only served to make me more determined. I knew what I wanted, and I knew I was going to get it. I was going to follow him to the end of the world if I had to. I was going to make him take me if it was the last thing I fucking did.
Chapter 10
Rose
Thorn had been away for days.
He hadn’t told me where he was going, just that he would be away for a while. After the bomb he’d dropped on me before he left, I felt upset and alone to lose him again, but there was no arguing with Thorn; nothing I could have done to change things. So I needed to keep my mouth shut and work on getting out of the Mansion.
The idea had grown in my mind over the past few days. I knew now I had to get away. It wasn’t just about me; it was about Amber, too, and mostly her safety. I needed to get her out of there while I still could, and I needed to do it fast.
I woke up that morning lazily, stretching out in my bed as the sun warmed my skin through the barred window. My eyes were still closed when I felt someone watching me, knowing right away who it was.
“Back already?” I asked, my lashes resting against my cheeks.
“Wanted to come and see you,” he replied in that low, almost threatening voice of his. “I needed to.”
I opened my eyes and rolled on my stomach, staring at Thorn across the room. He was sitting in an armchair, his hands clasped in front of him and his eyes on mine. He was dressed in a suit, but it was rumpled, which was quite unlike him, so I assumed it must have been from the traveling he’d done.
“I don’t like it when you leave me,” I whispered, feeling like an utter hypocrite. I was planning on leaving him, after all, the first chance I got. I would run as far as possible and never look back, never sleep soundly again. I’d always be looking over my shoulder from then on.
“I don’t like it, either,” he said, getting up from his chair and coming to sit next to me. His hand found my cheek, and he touched me gently, as if I were made of porcelain, a doll. “I want you next to me at all times, Rose.”
I leaned into his touch and wondered when would be the last time he’d touch me. Now it was time to savor these moments, to live for the last hours I’d spend with him. I was already planning my escape. I knew I needed to get away while I still could before it was too late for Amber.
“Are you going to fuck me?” I asked him breathlessly, my eyes going to his and demanding answers.
He pondered my question, his fingers gently stroking my skin as he looked down at me.
“Would you like me to?” he asked me gently, and I found myself nodding, unable to deny the truth.
I couldn’t lie to him. I’d always been a bad liar, and he’d called me out on it before. Now, I was desperate for him to touch me, to reveal my body to his hungry eyes and him taking what had been his all along. I was desperate for his touch, craving his body against mine.
“Please,” I whispered, and he let go of me, reaching for his tie and tugging on it until it came loose. “Please, Thorn. I can’t wait any longer.”
“Address me properly,” he growled, and my eyes grew darker as I stared into his.
“M-Master,” I managed to get out, and he gave me a slow grin before stroking my chin gentler than I knew he could. “Please, Master. No more waiting. No more holding back.”
“You can’t handle me,” he argued softly, and I stared into the dark abyss of his eyes, trying to convince him I could.
Finally, Thorn sighed and smoothed my hair back.
“Tonight,” he muttered. “In the playroom. Wait for me.”
With those words, he left me alone in the room, walking out on me. I shivered and shook, and hoped - for both our sakes - that he would let go and find it in his heart to let Amber go. I was willing to stay behind. I was willing to bear his anger. I was willing to do it all… as long as he let my friend go free.
I’d been collected from my room and led into the playroom. I’d been told which position to get into and how to wait for him, and I’d obeyed. I was kneeling for him with my legs spread apart and my palms on the floor between my legs. A maid had attached a collar with a leash, which I now had between my lips, teeth biting down on the leather.
My legs were shaking, and I was shivering; the temperature in the room was degrees too low. Then the door opened, and my eyes flew up, waiting to see him.
His suit was unbuttoned, his shirt slightly open at the collar. There was no more tie, but he still wore the black leather shoes he’d had on that morning, shining under the lights. As he walked towards me, his face slowly came into view from the darkness. He was unbearably handsome as he always was, and my pussy was drenched for him. I was sure he’d notice the second he reached between my legs.
I was only wearing a sheer white bodysuit with beautiful, intricate lace. I wore high heels with straps that snaked up on my legs, and my hair and makeup had been done perfectly, the way I’d learned at the Mansion. My eyes were heavy with black mascara I knew would run when he made me cry.
He stopped a couple of steps away from me, and I crawled closer, my eyes never leaving his as he reached out for me. I placed the leash on his extended palm with my mouth.
There was something going through my body, an electric current that threatened to swallow me whole. I wanted this. I needed it. And I was determined that night; I would finally make Thorn let go and fuck me like he needed to.
He tugged on the leash when my eyes drifted, and I looked back at him, my eyes full of yearning.
“Stand,” he grunted, and I got up, keeping my gaze on him. “Walk,” he said next.
I turned around, but his hand quickly met my cheek,
“Walk backward. Eyes on me.”
I obeyed, walking back into the room of toys, some of which I knew well, others I’d never tried before. He didn’t stop until my ass
bumped into something I knew. Something I remembered. I squeezed my eyes shut then opened them back up a second later with fat tears welling in the corners.
“Not the bench,” I begged him in a shaky voice.
“Get on it,” he taunted me, his voice menacing. “Let me strap you into place.”
Of course he would fucking choose the item I’d lost my virginity on. After all, we had to come full circle to please his idea of me. I would submit to him in the very spot where he’d made me a woman.
I climbed on the bench while he held my leash.
“Not on your tummy,” he finally muttered, and my blood pumped faster through my veins. “On your back.”
I lay on my back, and he attached the leash to an O-ring on the bench then moved to strap in my ankles and my wrists. Once he was done, I was a shaking mess, and my eyes were closed tightly. The position I was in was uncomfortable, but he adjusted the bench so it would feel better. Then he started taking his clothes off.
My eyes were glued to him as he got naked. His cock was hard and bulging as he held it in his hand, showing me how engorged he was, slowly stroking his fingers over his length and driving me wild.
“I won’t stop until you’re begging,” he told me harshly, and I moaned in my restraints as he worked his cock, precum dripping off the tip and onto the floor.
“What should I be begging for?” I managed to get out, my voice raspy from not speaking.
“I’m sure you can figure it out, Rose,” Thorn smirked at me. “And address me fucking properly. This is the last time I’m telling you.”
“Master,” I whispered.
He took a step closer, and my arms struggled against the restraints as I tried to reach for him. He laughed at my misfortune, still stroking as he stood above me, grinning into my face and then spitting on me. He hit my pussy, and I moaned out loud when his spit ran down between my legs.
