Security Binds Her (Thalia Book 1) (The Thalia Series)

by Jennifer Bene

  “I won’t. Thank you both for trying to help me.” Thalia murmured and nodded as Kaia released her. They smiled and left a little awkwardly. The door clicked shut and she was momentarily jealous that apparently the guard trusted them with the ability to lock and unlock the doors.

  Then again, she had shattered a sliding door trying to escape. She hadn’t exactly tried to earn his trust.

  Without the girls there with her, time just dragged. She found herself staring into the mirror. The bruises were distracting, but Anna was right, she did look beautiful. Her lips looked pouty and alluring, her eyes popped with colors she’d never realized were in the hazel mix. Her nipples were rosy thanks to the rouge and remained hard in the chill of the air. And the magic Kaia had worked on her hair was incredible. Her light brown tresses fell in soft waves over her shoulders to the middle of her back. She had never viewed herself as sexy, not really. But she couldn’t deny it now. Especially with the cuffs and the collar, which made her more of a sexual object than just being naked ever would have.

  She looked good. Which was the whole purpose after all. Hard to sell a girl who looked like a complete mess. With that bitter thought Thalia yanked her eyes from the mirror.

  She had walked around the room looking for anything of interest but it was empty. No books, no magazines, not even a deck of cards. Nothing to do but think about the party, and what it would be like, and who would buy her. Her stomach flipped in her anxiety.

  The door finally opened with a click and Thalia dropped to her knees, glancing up for a moment to ensure it was the guard and not his partner. He looked much better than he had that morning. A lot better. He was in a button down shirt and slacks, but he’d rolled the sleeves up and still looked like himself. Just a sleeker, less hungover version.

  “Everyone’s here. It’s time for your presentation.” His voice was short and harsh. Not even one comforting word?

  “Master?” Her voice wobbled as the fear of walking, or rather crawling, into the party loomed in front of her.

  “What, Thalia?” He snapped at her and she cowered a little. He sighed, “I’ve never misled you. I brought you here so you could be trained, and sold. It’s happening faster than normal, but you should take it as a compliment.”

  She didn’t know what to think. He changed so fast he made her dizzy. One minute protective, the next abusive. Worried about her, then reminding her she was nothing but a commodity. Gentle then violent. Soft then harsh. What about last night? What about the half-spoken apologies? The way he’d touched her last night hadn’t been educational, that hadn’t been to train her! He had wanted her, and had wanted to give her pleasure. Now he was acting like he didn’t care? Fine. If that’s who he wanted to be right now, then fine. She gritted her teeth and nodded, refusing to cry and smear her makeup.

  “Yes, Master.” She spoke through her teeth, but he didn’t seem to notice. He turned and held the door open.

  “Follow me.” And she did. Crawling after him as the sound of people talking and low music came from the living room. They arrived too quickly to the little gathering. Her heart pounding in her ears as she heard the conversations slow. Her cheeks heated as she could feel eyes landing on her. She both wanted to look up and see who was watching her, and at the same time wanted to hide behind the guard and keep her eyes down until they mercifully ended the party.

  He stopped near the wall and she knelt beside him, his hand brushed through her hair once and then his touch abandoned her. She was shivering with anxiety and fear and he had to know it, he had to.

  He just didn’t care.

  Thalia lifted her eyes carefully to see the people gathered in the room. Several of them had picked their conversations back up, but their eyes continued to evaluate her. A heat flushed over her as she realized someone was focused solely on her. A good looking, blond man, maybe in his thirties, was staring at her across the room. He was leaning back in the chair, his long legs planted firmly on the floor as he watched her. She knew her eyes should be on the floor but his gaze was insistent. She could feel it like a feather touch over her breasts, her thighs, between her legs.

  The man raised a hand and beckoned her over, and she almost obeyed without thinking. She glanced up at the guard, unsure of what to do in the situation. His jaw was clenched tight, his arms crossed and she could see how tight his shoulders were. He didn’t even look at her, or reprimand her for lifting her eyes, he just spoke steadily, “Go to him, Thalia. He’s asking for you.”

  She was shocked. He was sending her to another man? He hadn’t even let Thomas touch her. Somewhere her brain remembered to mumble, “Yes, Master.”

  Her eyes dropped and she felt nauseous as she crawled to the man. She felt everyone in the room staring at her, and her stomach fluttered with fear as she finally knelt at the man’s feet. He was sitting in the black chair the guard had spanked her in the first night that she was in the house, and the memory made her instantly wet. Her blush increased with the realization.

  “Hello, Thalia.” He had an English accent, and it caressed her name. “I must say you are even more beautiful in person.” His voice was clear and hinted that he was well-educated. It was a voice for boardrooms and corporate takeovers. Cool, calm, and collected.

  “Thank you, sir.” She kept her eyes down, staring at the shine on his black shoes.

  “He will not let me talk to you long, so I’m going to get right to the point. I’ve enjoyed watching you on -,” he halted suddenly, and she heard him lean forward towards her, “Wait, you don’t know your Master’s name, do you.” It didn’t even sound like a question, he was simply verifying.

  “No, sir.”

  “Interesting.” She could imagine him smiling. His voice was inches away from her and it sent a pleasant chill down her back. “Well, my name is James. I think you should know my name, but remember not to use it.”

  “Yes, sir.” She spoke softly, a little surprised the man had given his name so freely. Her mind repeated it the way he’d said it in his accent.

  “I’ve enjoyed watching you on his cameras. I have questions though... has he given you any drugs while you’ve been here?” His voice asked the question smoothly, but Thalia’s head bounced up in surprise and she met his eyes. Green like sea glass, and they lit up when she locked eyes with him. He slowly arched an eyebrow at her and she felt panic flutter in her belly as she dropped her eyes back to the floor, tensing in preparation for his anger.

  Stupid! Stupid! Her heart raced.

  “No, sir, no drugs that I am aware of, and I’m sorry I looked at you, sir.” She swallowed, digging her nails into her palms to try and stay calm. He might hurt her despite the apology, but she hadn’t expected him to ask that. It had been nice though, because she couldn’t deny that, after the up close look, he was gorgeous. Like someone in a Ralph Lauren ad who should be standing on a sailboat with the wind in his face.

  What the hell was she thinking?

  His hand was suddenly in her hair, and she flinched, but his fingers just moved along her scalp, bunching her hair beneath his palm and then releasing it as he flattened his hand again. He didn’t wrench her head back, or yell at her. This was... nice? Almost soothing as her heart rate slowed considerably.

  “So you’re trained to keep your eyes down, that’s good. But you don’t need to be worried. I obviously surprised you with the question. I’m not upset with you.” She was surprised he didn’t immediately punish her, and that he’d blamed himself for her mistake. His fingers were making her scalp tingle, and his voice was hypnotizing. Even more so since she couldn’t see his expression, and she found that she wanted to. She wanted to look at his eyes again, figure out the exact color of his hair, his eyes, and maybe stare at his mouth as he spoke. She’d never known anyone with an English accent before.

  His voice was quiet, speaking only to her. “I only asked the question because you’ve been incredibly responsive to this lifestyle, Thalia, and I didn’t know if that was natural or chemically i
nduced to attract the attention of those at this little party for your debut.” His trimmed nails grazed her scalp and made her shiver. “And everyone here is looking at you, Thalia. I think you’ve made quite the impression.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Her heart was tripping over itself and she couldn’t exactly pinpoint why. His touches were so gentle but they still had an edge to them, as if they could switch to something more aggressive in an instant. She had no foolish ideas about him. She knew he wouldn’t be here if his interests weren’t aligned with her Master’s, but he’d already told her his name. That was different.

  “I understand you didn’t plan to end up here, but I need you to be honest with me. Do you enjoy it?” His fingers continued to move in her hair for a moment while she sat there in silence; slightly in shock at the blunt question. Her mind was racing as she tried to answer. It was hard to separate the fear of everything her Master had put her through from the undeniable moments of pleasure. Her body had reacted in ways she would have never expected to the things he did, and when she thought of all the unfulfilling relationships she’d had before – they were like ghostly images and the week she had spent in this house was in full color. Just looking at the chair the man was sitting in was making her squirm, her mind still stuck on the memory of the guard in it. It made her think of being spanked again. Even in front of everyone.

  And if she was honest with herself, that idea turned her on.

  Her situation had been a nightmare, but the side of her it had awoken was real. His hand lifted from her hair and it pulled her back to the moment.

  “I don’t know, sir.” She felt like she needed to be honest with him, that it was incredibly important, but she could barely think. She knew there was something that kept her anticipating the guard’s touch, even though he hurt her. “Maybe, sir?”

  His fingers tilted her chin up until she was looking at him again, and she was stunned by the intensity of his stare. Those sea green eyes traced over her features and then moved down the rest of her body. Just like before it felt like he was actually touching her wherever his eyes landed. His lips looked soft, and they tilted at the edge for a moment like he might smile, but he stopped. “Your Master has always had a talent for finding women with a natural inclination towards submission. I’ve never found myself particularly interested in one of his girls until you though.”

  His lips were even better when they were moving and she didn’t know if she was so mesmerized because it had been so long since she’d seen another person this close, or if he really was this fascinating. His words sank in slowly. “May I ask a question, sir?”

  “Yes.” This time a small smile made it across his face and she felt a warm flush in her stomach that she’d apparently made him smile.

  “I don’t know what to do, I just need to know – can you tell me why you are interested in me, sir?” Her breath hitched when she finished speaking, because she was suddenly terrified. She didn’t know this man, but she didn’t know the guard either. She didn’t know anything and she was still so afraid of what the guard would do to her if she did something wrong. And what if this man wanted to hurt her like the guard’s partner?

  “Thalia...” He blew out a breath and smiled a little as his hand moved from her chin to his thigh. “You are feisty. After all, I saw the incident with your Master’s patio door. And as far as obedience? I would say that you are lacking.” His words were calm and clear, and she dropped her head as fear overtook her. What would happen if no one bought her? Would he really sell her to a whorehouse in some foreign country so she’d disappear?

  His partner absolutely would.

  She felt sick.

  James lifted her chin again so she looked at him, “But I don’t like women who are completely broken down. There’s no passion left, no spirit, and that’s no fun at all.”

  His thumb traced across her bottom lip and her breath caught at his words. He didn’t want her broken? Did that mean he wanted her like she was? She suddenly wanted to taste his skin with his thumb against her lip, but just as her tongue brushed over her bottom lip his thumb moved.

  “That’s why you caught my attention, Thalia, and I have abandoned quite a bit of my work in the last week in order to watch you.” He let go of her chin and sat back and she swayed forward as if her body wanted to follow his touch, but then she caught herself and looked at the floor again.

  He shifted in his seat for a moment, and then he leaned forward again, his fingers trailing over the collar around her neck. “If I wanted to touch you, what would you say?”

  “It would be up to my Master, sir.” Thalia said it clearly, finally back on stable ground where she knew the responses to give.

  “He’s trained you well. If he gave permission, would you be okay with it?” It sounded like an earnest question. He was actually asking her if she wanted him to touch her. And she realized she did. She wanted to know what someone else’s hands would feel like in this world, how someone else might treat her. She’d wanted it from the moment she saw Thomas with Anna and Kaia.

  She was whispering as she replied, her body taut as a bowstring. “Ye- yes, sir.”

  “That’s... very good, Thalia. Look at me.” The command snapped out in his smooth voice, and she looked up at him. He sighed and sat back from her a little.

  “Yes, sir?” She murmured. His eyes were on her lips and he leaned forward again, his hand gently tangling in her hair. His touch subtly kept her from looking away from him. For a moment she thought he might kiss her, and her pulse thrummed through her body.

  “I want you to know that your Master and I have had conflicts in the past about how he acquires his girls.” A tick in the muscle of his jaw drew her attention, and then he continued. His accent shaping the words, his voice so quiet she found herself leaning towards him to hear him better. “I haven’t watched his cameras in a while due to that conflict. But I saw you slap him, and I was impressed by you, as foolish as that move was. After that, let’s just say I was hooked.” A wicked smile crossed his lips and she felt her mouth go dry.

  “Yes, sir?” She prompted him to continue and he brought his eyes back up from her body, tracing her mouth before he locked eyes with her again.

  “I know you don’t know me, but I’ll ask you to not panic. I’m going to speak to your Master.” His voice was smooth confidence, but his words still opened up a pit in her stomach.

  “Yes, sir.” She said shakily and his fingers ran up the back of her neck into her hair, leaving a trail of shivers down her back as he stood up next to her and then walked away towards the guard.

  Thalia kept her head down but she lifted her eyes to watch him through a curtain of her hair. James was an inch or so taller than the guard and as he stepped up to him they shook hands. The guard’s partner stepped up next to them and both seemed to listen intently to James. Suddenly her Master’s face flashed in rage. She knew what it looked like when he was close to losing his temper and his partner grabbed the guard’s shoulder. She could hear the guard’s voice being raised, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. James was completely calm though, not reacting at all. Even though she could only see his profile, his blond hair lit up by the lights, it was obvious that he wasn’t bothered by her Master’s anger. The guard and his partner suddenly turned away from him to move into the kitchen.

  She was momentarily terrified that James had told them the things she’d said, or that she’d looked at him without permission. Her stomach twisted as he walked back to her, sitting down in the chair by her and immediately returning his hand to her hair. This time his touch was much firmer, his fingers tracing along the back of her head and occasionally gripping her hair, but never hard enough to hurt. It was like a tease, the sensation just enough to rouse her interest but never enough to really change the level of their interaction. “Thalia, do you know the man who was with your Master?”

  “His partner.” She tilted her head slightly into his touch and his grip tightened in her hair, making h
er hips shift involuntarily. He laughed softly.

  “You are so responsive, and your Master is revealing too much of himself. Normally that man that was standing next to him is here to help train the girls, but your Master didn’t let him touch you.” His fist tugged lightly at her hair until she looked up at him, her breath coming in little shallow pants as heat gathered in her lower belly. “Why do you think that is?”

  “Master told me this party had to happen, but that he would keep me safe from his partner. He... he said he shouldn’t have let his partner hurt me in the chair.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized what she’d done. Panic seized her chest and her eyes watered as tears threatened. Biting her lip hard she looked into his eyes and found a calm strength. With his free hand he cupped her face and pulled her lip from between her teeth with his thumb.

  “Don’t worry, pet, I won’t tell him you told me, and I thank you for your honesty. Would you like to know what I asked for that has him so upset?” He relaxed his grip in her hair and his fingers traced her scalp again as the tingling sensation of him pulling her hair faded.