James nodded. “I’ll help you up. We’ll walk together to the bathroom.”
Having no choice in the matter, Kelsey allowed him to assist her to the bathroom. As she hobbled through the bedroom she glanced around the room, searching for the gun. If she got it again, she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him dead, but the gun was nowhere in sight.
As she sat on the toilet, she took surreptitious inventory of the bathroom, but saw nothing but the pile of bloody towels in the corner. I have to get out of here. I have to get out. But how?
James brought her toiletries into the bathroom and let her brush her teeth. Her hair had dried into a wild mess of wavy tangles and she tried half-heartedly to run her fingers through it but gave up. James, who was watching her, said, “I’ll wash your hair later, darling. I brought your shampoo and conditioner.”
A wave of woozy dizziness nearly overcame her as the pain pill took effect. James put his arm around her shoulders as he guided her back toward the bed. Kelsey let herself be supported as she limped back through the bedroom. She collapsed onto the bed and offered no struggle as James lifted and maneuvered her on the mattress. Her muscles had turned to rubber, her brain to mush. Food could come later. She just wanted to sleep.
James pulled the covers over her and bent down to kiss her forehead. Kelsey’s eyelids were so heavy. She let them slide closed, welcoming the oblivion of drugged sleep with open arms.
~*~
James stared down at his lovely girl, wondering if he should tie her to the bed or not. It wasn’t like she could get very far with that leg wound. Nor would she stir for a while with the drugs in her system. No, he would leave her be.
He moved to the bureau and pulled on a pair of clean underwear and some shorts. He was filled with a restless, wild energy that even the incredible blow job she’d given him hadn’t dispelled. He couldn’t wait to fuck her again.
First he had some work to do. He moved the gun to the top shelf in the hall closet. After another peek at his sleeping beauty, he returned to the kitchen, where he’d left the bag with his purchases from the sex boutique. Grabbing it, he hurried to the bedroom. He stood a moment just inside the door, drinking in the sight of Kelsey lying naked and sleeping in his bed. He moved into the room, tiptoeing toward the bed so as not to disturb her.
Kelsey didn’t move a muscle, already deep into a drugged sleep. Her hair was a tousle of copper and red-gold against the pillow. Her eyelashes were so long they brushed her cheeks and there was a dusting of fine freckles on the bridge of her nose. Her lips were full and sensual, and his cock stirred with the memory of her hot mouth wrapped around it. They would have to do that again, and often.
While waiting for Kelsey to wake, James sat at his computer desk with the bag and took out the items one by one. He withdrew the hanks of rope and coils of chain. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d do with the chain, but the thought of it wound around Kelsey’s neck, wrists and ankles had given him a boner in the boutique, so he’d bought it.
He pulled out a pair of leather wrist cuffs and a black suede flogger. It had cost a fortune, but James knew it would be worth it. The man behind the counter had assured James with a knowing leer that it packed a delicious sting while still getting its point across. James wasn’t sure about the delicious part, at least not for the person on the receiving end, but that wasn’t why he’d bought it.
As he’d been going through her apartment, and on the drive there and back, James had found himself deeply excited by the idea of “training” Kelsey to become his ideal woman. The thought of her misbehaving and having to be punished gave him an instant erection. The image of her naked and bound while he smacked her perfect little ass with the flogger…!
Jesus, just the image was so powerful he could practically come just picturing it.
It was wrong to raise your hand to a woman, ever, for any reason. He knew that. Of course he did. And yet, those rules applied to the real world, to the world of rules and prescribed, civilized behavior.
When he’d taken Kelsey last night with unbridled passion, he’d crossed the line, taking her along with him. They had left that so-called civilized world behind. There were no rules where they now resided, or rather, the rules were just waiting to be written—by him.
Chapter 7
“About time you woke up, sleepy head.” James set the breakfast tray on the night table and sat beside Kelsey. He had been up for a while, but had wanted to let her get her rest. He had barely slept the night before, so enamored of having Kelsey in his bed, in his arms. He found he liked that better than having her tied down as she had been the night before. In some ways, her having shot herself was a blessing in disguise. He couldn’t deny he loved the idea of having her physically dependent on him.
He’d given her another pain pill at about two, and she’d sunk back into a drugged sleep until morning. He only had a few of the pills left, but that was for the best. Now that the worst of her pain was probably past, he wanted her alert for all the delicious things he had planned for her.
“Let’s see how your leg is doing.” Carefully he removed the bandages, pleased to see the swelling had gone down, the skin already beginning to mend. He smiled at Kelsey. “It’s looking better already. Another week or so and you should be able to get around on your own.”
Kelsey didn’t respond. James carefully cleaned and gently re-bandaged her leg. Kelsey was staring at the tray of food while he worked.
“Hungry?” James asked.
Kelsey swallowed and nodded, still not speaking. James lifted the tray and set it carefully on the bed beside her. “I sliced you a fresh peach,” he offered. “There’s oatmeal and some toast. Plus I made you a cup of coffee, just the way you like it.”
Kelsey hoisted herself up on the pillows, wincing slightly. She reached for the mug of coffee. “No, no,” James said, swatting her hand aside. “I’ll feed you. I’m going to take total care of you. Your only job right now is to open your mouth, swallow and chew.”
“But—”
“No buts,” James said firmly. “I insist.”
“I don’t like oatmeal,” she responded, a cute pout on her lips.
“Don’t be silly. I added raisins and brown sugar—”
“I really hate oatmeal,” she rudely insisted.
James glared at her, annoyed. He’d spent a lot of time making that oatmeal for her. Then he softened. The poor thing had so much to handle right now. And she didn’t know the rules yet. He would teach her the rules, and then things would go better.
He offered a small shrug. “Okay. No oatmeal. You want the peach and toast?”
“Yes, please.”
That was more like it. James speared a slice of peach with the fork and brought it to her lips. Kelsey took the fruit into her mouth, closing her eyes as she chewed.
“More?” James asked.
“Coffee, please,” she said, and he obliged, holding the mug to her lips and carefully tilting the hot liquid into her mouth. She drank half the cup before settling back against the pillows. “James,” she sighed. “I really can feed myself.”
“I said no,” James said firmly. “This isn’t about what you can or can’t do. It’s about what I want. And I want to feed you. End of discussion.”
Wow. It felt amazing to say that. When had anything ever been truly about what he wanted? Especially where women were concerned. Feeling expansive, he picked up the toast and held it toward her. “Want a bite?” he inquired solicitously.
Though her expression was mutinous, Caitlin nodded. He would soon wipe that insolence from her face, but for now he just held the toast to her mouth. Crumbs fell on her bare chest, and he wiped them away, making a mental note to bring one of his cloth napkins on the next meal tray.
When all the coffee, fruit and toast were gone, James dipped a spoon into the oatmeal. “How about just a bite?” I could make her, he thought, but decided against it. Just the knowledge that he had that power was enough—for now.
“No,”
Kelsey said forcefully, and then in a more contrite tone, “No, thank you. I’m—I’m full. Thanks. Can I use the toilet now?”
James removed the tray and balanced it on the night table. He stood and reached for Kelsey’s arm, helping her out of the bed. She leaned heavily against him as they made their way to the bathroom. He let her use the toilet in relative privacy, leaving the door ajar as he stepped into the bedroom. When he heard the toilet flush, he returned and helped her to the sink, allowing her to brush her teeth and wash her face.
“I’ll wash your hair later and give you a sponge bath,” James said, regarding her in the mirror. “Come back to bed first. We have some important matters to discuss.”
“James,” she began, “this really can’t go on. You’re going to—“
James reached for her shoulders from behind and gripped them hard as he stared at her face in the mirror. “Kelsey, you need to stop. I’ve told you already, what’s done is done. There is no going back. You and I are partners now. I know you don’t love me yet, but I’m hopeful you’ll come to have feelings for me, once you understand how much I adore you.”
Kelsey’s eyes met his in the mirror, a look of incredulity on her face. James felt a vein pulse in his temple and he clenched his teeth. Was it really such a stretch to think they might fall in love? He was head and shoulders above any of those idiots who had sniffed around her at the bank. She could certainly do worse than him for a life partner. He was reasonably good-looking and, though she didn’t yet know it, quite wealthy. More importantly, he loved her. Didn’t she get that?
James let go of her shoulders and took a step back. He forced himself to take a deep, cleansing breath, which he let out slowly. He would teach her. She’d learned quickly on the job—she would learn quickly at home. He would see to it. “Come on,” he said, keeping his voice gentle. “Come back to bed.”
Kelsey allowed herself to be led, James supporting her with a strong arm around her back, half-carrying her so she needn’t put any weight on the wounded leg. He helped her back onto the mattress and pulled up his desk chair to the side of the bed so he could face her as they talked.
“So,” he said, “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, Kelsey. I think it’s time we make some of your secret sex fantasies come true.”
Kelsey wrinkled her cute little nose at this pronouncement, which made him smile. “I do love the thought of you making love with another woman while your lover, in this case, me, watches, but we’re not ready yet to bring anyone else into our relationship.”
Her mouth had fallen slightly open, and James smiled knowingly at her unasked question. “Then there’s the fantasy about you being with two guys who are both really into you. You know you have to choose one of them by the end of the night, but meanwhile you just revel in all the erotic attention.”
Her cheeks were suffusing with pink, her mouth opening wider into a pretty little O. “How do you…” she breathed, not finishing the question.
“I know a lot of things.” James grinned. “I have to say, my favorite is your ‘slave for a day’ scenario, you know, the one where you submit to all your boyfriend’s sexual desires, no matter how outrageous or out there they are.” He rubbed his hands together. “That’s one we can enact right away. I have a lot of ideas of my own in that regard, you can be assured.”
Kelsey stared at him blankly for several seconds, and then he saw the light go on. “That’s how you did it,” she breathed, the color draining from her face. “You’re Brittney.”
James gave a modest nod, smiling. “At your service,” he agreed. “It was an interesting experiment pretending to be a female. I have to say, I find the constant use of that annoying little initialism LOL quite tedious, but it seems to be what all the girls use, so…” He shrugged. “I had to do some research about your high school to seem credible.” He shook his head, offering Kelsey an ironic smile. “You really should be more careful who you friend on Facebook, Kelsey, and who you choose to share your secrets with. Don’t you know there’s no privacy on the internet? Once you put it out there, it’s potentially available for the whole world to see.”
“Wait, wait,” Kelsey said, wrapping her arms around herself, her brows furrowing. “I know Brittney Davis. I mean, I knew her six years ago. She went to high school with me. She has a Facebook page and everything. You can’t be Brittney. You can’t!”
“She was three years behind you in school, right? When we first chatted, you admitted you didn’t really remember her all that well.”
“Jesus,” Kelsey whispered.
“Pretty good, huh?” James said, pleased. “I spent a lot of time putting that Facebook page together. It was easier than I expected, actually. I downloaded pictures of likely candidates from your high school and went phishing. Isn’t that what they call it? I put out a few other names as bait before you responded, but Brittney was the one that caught you and then it was just a matter of reeling you in. I, as Brittney of course, friended a bunch of other people from your high school to look more legit.” He gave a small, satisfied chuckle. “I have to say, I really had no idea how easy it is to pose as someone else. Easily seventy-five percent of your high school classmates on Facebook accepted my friendship without hesitation or question. But you’re the only one I talked to. You’re the only one I wanted. The only one I ever wanted.”
Kelsey fell back against the pillows and closed her eyes. James leaned down so he could kiss her pouty mouth. Kelsey twisted her head away and a clap of rage exploded inside him like a firecracker. “Damn it!” he shouted. “Don’t you get it? This is way more than some office crush. This is about true love, Kelsey. The kind you’ve only dreamed of. Stop fighting me at every turn.”
James realized his hands had curled into fists. Kelsey was staring at him as if he were a monster, instead of the man of her dreams. He pressed his lips together and blew out a long breath. He needed to calm down. This wasn’t going the way he’d envisioned it.
Forcing himself to speak in a soothing voice, he continued, “Look, I know how lonely you’ve been since the breakup with Adam, even though we both know he wasn’t right for you. But that’s all over now. We have each other.”
James felt his compassion returning, and he smiled gently at his true love. He could see the emotions moving over Kelsey’s face like a storm. Had what he’d said finally penetrated that sweet, thick skull of hers? Or was she going to continue to deny what they shared. She clearly wanted to say something. He waited patiently.
“James,” she finally said in an exasperated tone. “I get that you think you have strong feelings for me, but you don’t even really know me. And with what’s happened—with what you’ve done—”
“Enough!” The rage he’d managed to tamp down roared to life again. He stood abruptly and paced in a tight circle beside the bed. He whirled on the girl who kept throwing barbs directly into his heart. “I only told you about the Facebook thing because I wanted you to understand that I do know you, not just the persona you present at work, but the real Kelsey Anne Rowan. The girl who moved so often in her childhood because of her father’s job that she was always ‘the new girl’ at school and never felt like she fit in. The girl who hates math, who always felt like an imposter in her business major but stuck with it because she knew she could earn a living that way. The girl who used to sing alto in the choir and who likes to paint. The girl who wants three children someday, and whose favorite color is green, and who has an older brother who’s into drugs and hardly ever shows up for family holidays, except when he needs money. The girl who thinks her boss is kind of cute”—his smile edged into a grin—“if a little nerdy.”
Kelsey was staring at him, making no effort to disguise her horror. He wasn’t reaching her. If anything, he was pushing her away.
James sat heavily on the bed. He looked at the woman he loved and made a decision. “I’d planned to wait until your leg had healed a little more to introduce the concept of punishment, but I think the time has come. As I�
�ve learned as a team manager at the bank, some folks respond well to a soft approach. Others need their lessons beaten into them. I’m coming to think you fit into the latter category.”
He jumped up, his resolve strengthening. He turned the chair so its back was perpendicular to the mattress, and reached for the naked girl, pulling her forward onto her stomach. “Ow!” Kelsey cried. “Let go!”
“Don’t struggle. You’ll hurt your leg.” James hauled the upper half of her body over his lap, leaving her legs to stretch out on the mattress. Her breasts were pressed against his groin, her head hanging at his left hip. He was in complete control. She was at his mercy. His cock hardened.
“You’re a very bad girl, Kelsey Anne,” he informed her. “And bad girls have to be punished. You’re going to get a good, hard spanking.” Placing one hand firmly on her lower back, he brought his hand down hard on her pert little bottom. Kelsey squealed, trying unsuccessfully to pull away. He smacked her again, admiring the reddening imprint of his hand on her skin. He could feel power radiating from his fingertips and tingling in his palms.
He continued to smack her, alternating between cheeks until they were both hot to the touch and cherry red. She continued to squirm and squeal, but he didn’t stop, a dark, wild force driving him on. His cock throbbed but he didn’t stop. She needed to be taught a lesson, and he was the man to teach her.
He struck her ass over and over until his hand was stinging from the impact. The struggle had finally gone out of her, and she was whimpering. James eased off the spanking, now lightly stroking her flaming ass cheeks.
What would it be like to fuck her freshly spanked ass? He ached to find out then and there, but not with her wound still so fresh. No, he would be patient for the sake of his girl. Instead he pushed the chair back, carefully supporting Kelsey as he shifted the upper half of her body back onto the bed.
The Abduction of Kelsey Page 7
