Bound (Forbidden Series - Book 1)

by Anne, Melody

  And still, even though Blake wasn’t Mr. Perfect, and he was demanding and curt, he also didn’t seem to be the type to do really sick things. What if the next guy wasn’t so easy? What if the lifestyle he was into was something she just couldn’t do? She couldn’t get past the words some of the other girls had spoken.

  They’d talked about how men liked to whip them, make them bow down at their feet, feed them from a bowl on the floor. And there were other things, sex things, that made her gag just to think of them. She couldn’t do such things. Or could she? Hadn’t she vowed to do anything for her brother? But would he want her to sink so low? Would he do the same for her? Of course he would, at least if he were older.

  She just prayed she would never be forced into choosing between her brother and her pride. Because if she were treated in such a demeaning way, it might well not matter whether she saved her brother or not, because she would be lost forever.

  Answer me, Jewell. Now!

  Oh, you are impatient, Mr. Knight. I was just trying to decide what to answer first.

  I don’t like waiting for anyone.

  Then you will surely be disappointed a lot in your lifetime.

  Not knowing why she was doing it, Jewell added a bit of salt to her comment by looking up at the walls with a mocking smile. She might not know where the cameras were, but she certainly hoped he got the message. She felt a whole heck of a lot braver when she was communicating with Blake by text message and not in person. He wasn’t quite so intimidating.

  You really need a good spanking. You’re not jumping when I say jump.

  You didn’t tell me how high.

  Instead of striking terror into her, his threat gave her a shiver of excitement. She didn’t know this man, and had no idea what he was capable of, but if he wanted to really hurt her, wouldn’t he have shown that already? She hadn’t seen anything so far in his place that looked menacing, and she’d spent the entire day wandering the apartment, so she would have turned up something if it were there.

  You’re pushing me, Jewell…

  Maybe you need to be pushed. Maybe too many people kiss your ass and that makes you a grumpy man.

  When there was no response to her last message, Jewell wondered whether she’d taken things too far, just like the last time they engaged in a phone war. Although texting a message made her feel braver, she didn’t want him to send her away, didn’t want to lose the money future jobs would give her, the money to get her own apartment, the money that would show the judge she would be a fit guardian for her brother. She was again close to apologizing when a message finally came through.

  Go take your bath, Jewell. Now! I will show you later what happens when someone displeases me.

  This time she didn’t reply. Pacing worriedly from the living room to the kitchen and back again, she chewed on her thumbnail. Was he serious?

  I can see you are wising up, Jewell. Don’t try to challenge me. You will lose.

  Relief flooded through her at seeing his message. True, it was another order, and it wasn’t a very pleasant one, but he wasn’t telling her she’d have to leave. He wasn’t screaming at her with exclamation marks galore or in all capital letters. Why she felt the need to challenge him she didn’t know, but as much as she was trying to suppress her personality to get through this week, she couldn’t kill it completely.

  She’d been raised by a strong, beautiful, brilliant mother, and she respected herself. Sure, she didn’t always make the best choices, but couldn’t that be said about everyone? She was still a good person and she still deserved to be treated with respect, even if she had agreed to work for an agency with the name Relinquish Control.

  Even if she was selling her body.

  With an extra sway in her hips, she turned and moved toward the stairs. Hadn’t she told herself she wanted to use his bath anyway? Of course she had. So even though he was ordering her to take a bath, it was no skin off her…nose. Let him think he’d won some imaginary skirmish in their battle of wills.

  She went first to her room and looked at the bag on her bed. She didn’t want to open it, but she also didn’t want to keep challenging this man. So she picked up the bag and looked inside, then really hoped he was decent enough not to have a camera in her room — but she knew, oh yes, she knew, that he did. Of course the bag contained more lingerie, in a style that would show everything to him. And of course it would make her feel like the slut he wanted her to be.

  Angry tears sprang into her eyes, but she refused to acknowledge them herself or lift her face so he could see them. If she didn’t show that she cared, he couldn’t be satisfied by his stupid little games. Once the tears went away, she looked up with another smirk and moved toward his bedroom.

  Once back in his large bathroom, she walked to the tub and started the water. He doubtless had a camera pointing right at her here. Good! She hoped he suffered while he was at his stiff desk with his tight pants. Because she was ticked off now, and she was more than happy to put on one hell of a show for Blake Knight.

  She took off her clothes slowly, letting them fall to the floor in a nice little heap, then went over to the vanity mirror and lifted her arms, pulled up her hair and placed it in a bun. At least the man thought of everything, having far more vanity products available to her than she had owned in her last apartment. She ran her hands down her neck and over her breasts, then her stomach.

  Her phone was sitting on the counter and it immediately beeped, but she ignored it. Instead she sashayed over to the tub and picked up the jar of the bath salts he’d demanded that she use. As she bent over to spread them on the top of the water, she hoped he got a really good view.

  When her phone beeped again, she looked toward the ceiling and shook her head with a smile. He’d told her to take a bath and that’s exactly what she was going to do. The phone went off three more times, and with a frustrated breath, she went over and picked it up with the intention of turning it off. But she’d just check the messages first.

  You don’t like your garments? I picked them out personally.

  Don’t ignore your phone. I’ve already told you I don’t like that. I shouldn’t have to repeat myself.

  Dammit, Jewell, quit being difficult. Do you want this to end? I’m more than willing to go and find a woman who is more cooperative.

  That one made her stomach clench, but she couldn’t show that to him, couldn’t give him such power. He thought she was nothing more than a slut, and she had to agree with him there, but she couldn’t fully let go of her pride. Still, she needed to make him happy.

  Is that little striptease for me? You’re redeeming yourself.

  Turn off your phone now, Jewell, and enjoy your bath. I’ll be watching…

  Watch away, Mr. Knight.

  With that message sent, she clicked off her phone and walked to the tub. If he wanted a show, he was soon going to find that her earlier performance had merely been a teaser for the main event.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Blake loosened his tie. He knew he should turn off the monitors and stop watching. He knew exactly what Jewell was doing. She was trying to gain back some of the control that she felt he was taking away. Okay, the control that he was definitely taking away.

  Instead of being frustrated with her, instead of wanting to punish her, to send her away, he was more excited than he’d been when he first met her. If she were refusing his orders outright, he wouldn’t be able to tolerate it, but she wasn’t pushing it that far.

  No. She was pushing him just enough to turn him on, to make him want to leave work and rush home so he could show her who was in charge. He would take great pleasure in doing just that.

  He had to force himself to stay seated. He refused to rush home, because that was giving her too much power and he wasn’t willing to do that. No, this exciting battle of wills would continue, and he was going to sit right where he was.

  And as much as he told himself he ought to focus on anything other than Jewell and the clear water
in the tub, he found himself fixated on her. And the show she was putting on was making his office feel a whole hell of a lot hotter.

  When Jewell slipped down into the water, the sway of her breasts mesmerized him. She grabbed a bottle from the side of the tub and squirted a good amount of soap into her hands, then rubbed them together before starting at her neck and then brushing her hands down the sweet curve of her breasts.

  When she began massaging her nipples with her thumb and forefinger, letting her head lean back against the rim of the tub, he felt his arousal pulse. This video feed lacked sound, and he was almost grateful for that fact, because when he saw her mouth open, he had no doubt a soft moan was escaping her sweet red lips, and the actual sound would probably hit him with cardiac arrest.

  He could focus only on her as her hands next traveled down the luscious line of her stomach before her legs spread out in the large tub, and then she was rubbing along her hot, sleek folds and her mouth opened in a big O.

  That was it.

  So the hell what if she had more power? He would certainly take it back. He darted up from his chair, flicked off the monitor, and walked from his office. No one on that floor said a word as he marched off to his private elevator.

  Blake jumped into his car and peeled out of the parking garage with squealing tires before entering the busy roads and rushing to the freeway. He wanted to get home, and he wanted to get there fast. When he made it to his apartment complex, he was amazed he managed to park the car straight.

  Jumping out, he dashed to his elevator and, once he got inside, tapped his foot impatiently while the stupid box took an obscene amount of time to reach his penthouse apartment.

  He only slowed down when he was finally inside the apartment. That’s where he took a deep breath and told himself that he was in control, that he could turn around and walk back out if he chose to. Yeah, right. If that were the case, why did his feet keep moving forward, and why was he now bounding up the stairs?

  His bathroom door was cracked open, and he heard a sigh that made his already hard body throb painfully. After stripping naked, he took another breath, then flung the damned door open.

  It banged against the wall, and his reward was seeing Jewell’s eyes widen.

  She sat up in shock. “What are you doing here?”

  “You were putting on such a great show, I wanted to see it in person,” he said as he strode forward, his arousal jutting out proudly.

  “I…uh…”

  “Don’t know what to say now that I’m standing here, Jewell? Did you really think you could play games with me and not see them through?”

  He stepped down into the tub before she could answer, and he pulled her onto his lap, his body thanking him when her skin came into contact with his.

  “I just hate the cameras,” she said before gasping as his mouth took a nipple and sucked it hard.

  “Well, I happen to love them,” he told her before switching sides, and making a low moan tumble from her throat. “And I’m taking you now.”

  He drew her up onto his erection, and then pulled her down, giving a rumble of pleasure as he filled her tight heat.

  “Damn, you feel good,” he groaned as he began lifting her up and down on him.

  He didn’t let her speak as he kept up the primitive rhythm. He just grabbed the back of her neck and his lips claimed hers. The sweet taste of her mouth and the feel of her inner walls gripping him tightly were quickly making him lose any vestige of control.

  Finally, with a growl, he forced his hips up almost violently while pulling her down upon him, and then he exploded inside her. Her cries echoed off the bathroom walls as she found her own pleasure simultaneously.

  It was several moments later when he realized he hadn’t even thought about protection, and, overcome with panic, he pulled her off him and moved a little away.

  “What’s wrong?” She scooted back farther, lifting her arms up in a protective gesture.

  “I didn’t use a condom,” he said, his voice hoarse. The last thing he needed or wanted was a child.

  “I’m…uh…I’m on protection. It was the first thing they did at the…um…employment agency,” she stuttered, and relief washed through him.

  In his panic he’d forgotten what McKenzie had told him — the girls were both protected from pregnancy and tested for disease each time they returned from a client. Still, he didn’t trust birth control. He always made sure he was protected — without fail.

  “It won’t happen again.” He stood up and stepped from the tub, his desire sated, and the scare of an unplanned pregnancy eliminating, for now at least, the need to take her back to his bed for another bout. “I’m going back to work.”

  He walked from the bathroom; his emotions were turbulent as he got dressed and left his bedroom. He was grateful she waited to emerge until he was finished. This woman had made him leave work in the middle of the day, had made him forget condoms, had made him want and do things he never did.

  Maybe he should send her back after all — job paid in full. That would be much safer for his sanity. But even as he rode back down to the parking garage, he knew that wasn’t going to happen.

  He wasn’t nearly finished with Jewell Weston. Just a few more days would do the trick, though. Ignoring the pang that idea caused, he focused now on anything but her. Instead of driving back to his offices, he decided to head to the work site of a large mall his company was building.

  What he needed right now was a hammer and nails so he could pound out his frustration on inanimate objects. He sure as hell hoped he didn’t run into either of his brothers, because there was no way he could explain his black mood or the chaos now ruling his thoughts.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jewell had known she was innocent about the way the world worked, and even about human nature — but downright stupid, too? Why had she felt the need to put on that show for Blake? How could she not have realized there would be consequences? She should just be his perfect little servant for the next few days, and then go back to her place of “employment” and forget all about the man.

  Apparently she really had needed more training. Until now, she hadn’t understood why Ms. Beaumont normally had the girls train for so long. But Jewell couldn’t believe it would have worked in her case. You had to have your soul broken and rebuilt with their so-called training. And she couldn’t imagine never being able to think for herself. But unlike most of the girls there, she had no intention of staying for long, despite the outrageous sums of money involved.

  She knew her own worth, which wasn’t in cold cash, and knew that an escort service wasn’t where she belonged. So if she did just roll over and become the submissive little woman that Blake wanted, wouldn’t that forever change her? Wouldn’t that make her less of a person? Right now, she was a mass of confusion.

  No matter how much she thought about it, the answers wouldn’t come to her. She had to get dressed and get out of his apartment for a while. She just needed a walk — that was all. A breath of fresh air, so to speak. It was past time for Jewell to get the heck out of the apartment. She couldn’t stand the stuffy place for even one second longer.

  As she opened the front door, she was stopped short by a giant of a man who was holding a key out, about to insert it into the lock.

  “You must be Jewell,” the man said, and she drew back a step, then her eyes narrowed and she took a good look at his face.

  She knew that face. She’d seen it a dozen times as she’d passed by the picture on Blake’s wall. It was one of his brothers. And though Blake was a tall man, his brother had a few inches on him. She didn’t know which one he was.

  “Tyler Knight,” he said, holding out his hand when she still said nothing, leaving an awkward silence between them.

  She finally found her voice and accepted the hand that was hanging in midair, waiting for her decision. “Jewell Weston.” What would be the point in lying about her name? He already knew who she was.

  “So yo
u’re the girl scrambling my brother’s brain this week,” he said with a laugh after releasing her hand.

  “I wouldn’t say I’m scrambling his brain. He’s a tough egg to crack,” she said, being careful not to say too much. This was Blake’s brother, after all.

  “Ah, Jewell, you are most certainly scrambling his brain,” Tyler told her before pulling her out the door and firmly shutting it behind him. “Where are you off to? I didn’t think my brother would let you leave the apartment.”

  She wasn’t sure whether he was serious or not, but he was more right than he knew. Blake would probably be furious that she was leaving, but she had to get out of there for a while. She’d just have to deal with the consequences.

  “I’m free to do what I want.” She wasn’t, but there was no way she was telling that to another living soul.

  “Good. We’ll go have lunch. I’m starving,” he said, placing her arm through his.

  That made her more than a little uncomfortable. “I was just going to go for a quick stroll. I don’t want to be gone too long.” Blake would be home by six and she couldn’t be gone when he arrived.

  “Nonsense. Everyone needs to eat, and I refuse to eat alone. You can fill me in on what you’re doing to my brother.” He didn’t give her an out; she had to come with him.

  When they reached the outside of the building, Tyler was still holding on to her and pulling her along with him. Once again, her options were limited — she had the choice of following him or falling on her face if she stopped and he didn’t.

  “Are all three of you bossy and used to getting your way?”

  Tyler kept on walking, but he laughed and threw her a nice smile. “Pretty much. What would you like to eat?”

  “I’m easy,” she said before wincing. Yeah, she was pretty damn easy. At least now she was. Talk about a depressing thought.