Melodic Madness

by Natalie Bennett

  I ground my teeth and glared at him. “You can’t keep me here against my will. I have an actual life.”

  “Holing yourself up inside your shabby little house with a mouse is what you refer to as living? That’s not a life. It’s a prison sentence. It’s fine now, though. None of those things matter anymore. Everything is gone.”

  Where had he gotten that kind of information? “H-how did you know any of that?”

  “You’re so wonderfully naïve.” He released my wrist and took hold of my face, holding it firmly within his large hands. Something chillingly sinister darkened his eyes. A wicked smile accompanied it, causing a lump to lodge in my throat.

  “You’re mine. Scream, cry, get down on your knees and beg if you want. It won’t change anything. You’ll never be free of me. Face the music, Cat. You aren’t going anywhere—not now. Not ever.”

  A burning sensation enveloped my eyes. I struggled to hold back tears of anger and hurt.

  My feelings for him were genuine, even if wrong and hard to understand. He was the only person I’d ever felt like this about. Why did it have to be so complicated, messy, and disastrous? I brought my hands up and grabbed hold of his wrists, pulling down to try and get him to let go of my face.

  “Okay. I can’t leave. Now get off,” I repeated quietly. “Please.”

  “Don’t cry. Everything’s going to be alright. I promise I’ll take good care of you,” he stated, sweeping the pad of his thumbs over my cheeks. Blue eyes held mine as his hands slid to the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair.

  I pulled back as far as I could bringing my hands down to his solid chest. I pushed against him to no avail, whimpering when he tightened his hold. He lowered his mouth, nipping my lower lip, further tangling his hands in my hair.

  I grabbed hold of the wrists framing either side of my face and parted my lips, giving him the access, he was silently demanding.

  His tongue swept across where he’d bitten, soothing the sting before slipping between the opening I’d given and entwining with mine. He angled my face, kissing me deeper. I closed my eyes counting the seconds in my head. I couldn’t get swept away by his brutal seduction.

  Keeping his hold on me, he used his body to maneuver me backward. My back hit the wall with a soft thud. I didn’t know if I was breathing heavier because he was devouring me with his mouth or as a result of the panic beginning to take root and bloom.

  He wrapped a chunk of my hair around his fist to keep me rooted in place, bringing his free hand down between our bodies.

  At the telltale sound of his belt coming undone I protested again. My muffled objection went ignored.

  Unable to look anywhere but into the cold and calculating eyes of the very man taking whatever he wanted from me, I couldn’t see what was happening. I could only feel everything. He lowered his pants just enough to pull his hard cock out. He moved his face away from mine, leaving the saliva from our broken kiss on my swollen lips.

  “Alaric,” I breathed, searching his eyes and pleading with mine.

  As he stared back at me with a sudden hint of softness, I was thrown deeper into a state of confusion.

  “You forgot,” he reiterated, forcing my legs apart.

  “No.” I flattened my palms against his chest again, unable to move him.

  The hold he had on my hair vanished so he could use both his hands. Now pressed firmly against the wall, he adjusted so that the head of his cock was pressed against my slit. Deft fingers wrapped around my throat to hold me still.

  “There’s no point in fighting me. You’ve been begging for this since you got here. Look.” He used his knee to spread my legs even further while at the same time rolling his hips and roughly guiding himself inside me.

  I grimaced, unable to hold back a squeal as a stinging sensation set in. I wasn’t ready for the entirety of him. I wasn’t ready for him at all. That didn’t matter. The softness in his beautiful eyes just seconds ago was gone, replaced by something cold, calculating, and possessive.

  That’s what this was about.

  Not pleasure—but ownership and control.

  Every time his cock eased out and then back in, I was forced to rise up, meeting every one of his thrusts, taking him deeper. Our height difference added to the discomfort of this position. I’d lost the battle of holding back my tears. I could feel them on my cheeks, causing him to become blurry.

  “Do you remember now?” he asked, his voice controlled and low.

  I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. I think I shook my head no, crying out as he fucked me harder.

  The wall was digging into my spine. His grip around my throat combined with a steady flow of tears made it hard to breathe properly.

  “No?”

  Pain and a growing sense of pleasure, melded with confusion. What did he want me to say? I was struggling to concentrate on anything other than what he was doing to me.

  “Come on, Catalina,” he coaxed, purposely pushing himself to the hilt.

  I closed my eyes, digging my nails into his wrists and forearm. His lips skimmed across my shut lids until he was at my ear, whispering all the things he’d done to me the night before. It rang clear then what he wanted then, the confession and acknowledgment he sought.

  “I’m…yours,” I resigned on a stolen breath.

  “Again,” he demanded.

  “Yours. I’m yours,” I affirmed, grabbing him tighter as he picked up his pace.

  A light sheen of sweat broke out across my brow and the back of my neck. The jingling of the belt buckle followed every rapid thrust. His lips captured mine, a low growl spilling from his mouth as he slowed and pushed himself deeper.

  Bringing his cheek to rest atop of my head, we remained like this for a few quiet moments. I could feel his cock pulsing as he came inside me.

  My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I couldn’t seem to swallow properly. Alaric eased himself out of me without a word. I winced at the throbbing ache now renewed between thighs sporting a trail of come. He tucked himself away and readjusted his slacks, not bothering to clean the juices of us from his cock.

  Unable to look at him, I dropped my eyes to the third button on his button-down.

  “I-I want to take a shower.” I rasped, blinking away an onslaught of fresh tears.

  “How about a bath instead?”

  His tone forced my attention to move away from his shirt. I looked into his eyes and was at a total loss. It was like he hadn’t just frozen me over with an icy gaze from hell. How could he look at me with such full-blown tenderness after what just happened?

  I nodded in place of verbally answering.

  “Come.” He placed a kiss on the center of my forehead and stepped away. My dominant hand was captured within his and he led me from the room.

  Going back down the hallway, we returned to his room and crossed into his on-suite. It looked a lot like the bathroom attached to the guest room I slept in, only the grandeur had been significantly heightened, more so than in his actual bedroom.

  He walked me over to a round, cream-colored ottoman and released my hand.

  “Sit,” he gently commanded, pressing my shoulders.

  I sank and placed my hands in my lap. Alaric turned away, walking towards the jacuzzi bathtub that was positioned directly in front of a large window. Had the situation been different I would have loved to soak in it and take in the breathtaking view.

  What was I supposed to do now? I looked around the room, catching sight of his and her closets along the far adjacent wall. From my vantage point, I was able to see some of the clothes hanging up. Most of it was unfamiliar but I recognized a few things that had been in my suitcase.

  “You really plan on keeping me?”

  “Why are you making it sound as if there are any other options?”

  He reached down and adjusted the knobs on the tub.

  The sound of rushing water filled the room. I rubbed at the back of my neck, unsure how to reply. There
was a lot I could say but I wasn’t sure it would be worth the potential consequence that may follow.

  Alaric straightened and went to a tall cabinet. He opened the upper portion and began pulling out feminine products. I frowned watching him place body wash and fragranced lotions around the wide rim of the tub.

  “Are those my sisters?”

  He turned to look at me with something akin to a glare. “Your sister and I never shared a room. Why would I have her things in my bathroom? Furthermore, I would never do something that ignorant to you.”

  “But what you just did was, okay?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  He checked the level of water in the tub and then turned to face me again. “Did I do something that offended you?”

  “What?” I faltered. “You can’t be serious?”

  “I’m as serious as the sky is blue.”

  I shook my head at him. “So, to clarify, offering me my sister’s old body wash is discourteous, but forcing your cock inside me isn’t?”

  He expelled a sigh and turned towards the tub to shut the water off. Straightening, he approached me with unhurried steps, his demeanor confident as ever. He grabbed hold of my hands and forced me to stand, drawing me close once I was on my feet.

  “It’s going to take time for you to learn how a relationship works, I understand that. But, Cat, sometimes I worry about how much you’re going to struggle.” He snaked an arm around my back and flattened his palm against my lower spine.

  He was doing it again.

  Confusing me with his array of purposely confounding words.

  “You can’t call what we have between us a relationship.”

  “And why is that?” He pulled me even closer, bringing my body nearly flush against his.

  I swallowed and fought the urge to lean away. I didn’t dare forget what doing that less than twenty minutes ago had resulted in.

  “I asked you a question,” he cajoled, slipping his other hand beneath the hem of my robe. Fingers traveled slowly up my inner thigh, skimming over where his come had begun to dry. Anticipating more pain, I was unable to stop my muscles from tensing.

  I almost sighed in relief when he didn’t antagonize what he’d just made sore, but my brain was too frazzled and focused on what was happening for me to reply to his question.

  Using only two digits, he felt his way up to my clit.

  I flinched at the touch.

  The firmness with which he held onto my body prevented me from going anywhere. He pressed against my swollen nub with the pad of his thumb, rolling it in a circular motion. I sucked in a breath of air, feeling my body tense for an entirely different reason.

  “I’m waiting,” he probed, now moving his finger back and forth.

  “A-a relationship is a give and take between two people. All you do is take.”

  “Is that what I’m doing right now?”

  “This doesn’t—ugh.”

  He rotated his hand, pressing against my clit with his palm as two fingers eased inside my pussy.

  I was trying to say that this didn’t count. That it wasn’t a fair or accurate representation of our dynamic.

  Something between a gasp and soft moan spilled from my mouth.

  I grabbed at his shirt, manipulating the fabric up into a ball.

  The pain from seconds ago was slowly alleviated by a rapidly growing wetness. Alaric held me close, rocking his fingers in and out of me, curling them upwards to methodically massage my G-spot, simultaneously applying pressure to my throbbing clit.

  I whimpered; my legs felt as if they would buckle beneath the sensation beginning to amass in my core.

  “Am I still taking something from you, Cat?” he questioned, his voice condescending.

  He kissed me roughly, increasing the tempo in which his fingers thrust in and out of me. His tongue traveled over the peak of my lips, teasing the center of them until they parted. His kiss was surprisingly more aggressive than before.

  He swallowed my barrage of moans, not once wavering in how he held me. All my senses were smothered by everything Alaric.

  The way he tasted, the lingering macchiato from the coffee he’d consumed.

  His sculpted body pressing against mine as he fucked me with his fingers. I couldn’t see anything but him. Every breath I drew was permeated with the intoxicating fragrance he wore. The sounds filling the room were a mix of pleasure and heavy breathing.

  He pulled his mouth away and began kissing his way to my ear, nipping the lower lobe. “This pussy belongs to me just as much as you do. Whenever I want it, it’s mine.” He pushed deeper, thrusting his fingers to the knuckle, eliciting a throaty moan. “Don’t pretend you don’t like this. You’re so fucking wet right now my fingers are drenched. My hand is dripping.”

  His proclamation was something I should have found offensive. Instead, I hung onto those words as the pressure inside me increased. My legs were trembling, I couldn’t grab hold of him any tighter.

  The burst of pleasure hit me hard.

  “Alaric,” I cried out his name amid incessant screams. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face against his chest as tremors wracked my body. A blissful rush cemented me in place and a new trickle of fluid slid down my thighs.

  Alaric eased his fingers out before I stopped shaking, causing my eyes to flutter open. His hand appeared before my lips, his skilled fingertips pushing between them.

  “Suck,” he demanded. “Suck them clean.”

  I obliged as if running on autopilot. I swept my tongue out, tasting the slightly salted flavor of my come and arousal.

  “Good girl,” he praised once satisfied, removing his arm from around me.

  “You should get in the tub before your water goes cold. We have dinner guests coming so try and relax today. I’ll lay your clothes out on the bed.”

  I swallowed a thick wad of saliva and blankly stared up at him. I was beginning to get whiplash from his rapid transitions. He switched from domineering and seductive to courteous and a touch indifferent while effortlessly charming.

  A gentle hand ran through my hair, a feather-light kiss to the top of my head. He stepped away and I was left staring at his back when he walked away, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

  CHAPTER THREE

  I could barely recognize the woman in the mirror. It was almost pitiful that I hadn’t done anything extreme, and yet the difference in my appearance was night and day.

  I’d styled my hair in a simple half up half down style, so it wasn’t in my face, adding a rose gold clip to ensure it remained intact. My make-up was lightweight as I wasn’t the best in terms of applying anything more than mascara and shaping my brows.

  Anything more and I was at risk of looking like an extra in a horror movie. What made this whole look out of the ordinary for me was the little black dress Alaric had personally selected.

  I’d fallen back asleep unintentionally and when I came to, I found it neatly sat out on the lounge-like my robe had been. I smoothed a hand over the soft, silky fabric. It had a slightly metallic sheen and a subtle floral print. The bustier-style top hugged my chest while the slightly flared bottom accented my hips.

  Alaric had gone as far as pairing it with a pair of low-heeled sandals. Everything fit perfectly. When I considered what this meant for the various unworn clothes hanging in the closet Alaric had silently designated as mine, this was unsettling. He had mentioned purchasing me before but that was hard to find believable.

  Now I was beginning to believe my arrival here was something planned long before I got his late-night phone call. What this meant for Meg and had to do with Chloe I had yet to determine. Prioritizing my well-being first, I needed to find a way out of this house. I couldn’t breathe without feeling as if someone were watching me from within the walls. I feared it was only a matter of time before the madness that plagued my dreams would once again distort an already questionable reality.

  I checked my reflection one final time and then exited t
he bedroom altogether. A glance out the French doors showed the sun had set even lower while I was getting ready. I made it further than I had last time before coming to a complete stop at the top of the stairs. There was casual chatter coming from below. Every so often a woman would laugh a bit too loudly.

  This alone made me want to return to the bedroom for the remainder of the evening. I loathed the idea of sitting at a table and dining with strangers, forcing myself to be sociable. The mere thought of it had my hands turning clammy. I directed my attention to the macabre painting that was hanging at the top of the stairs.

  Was it my first day here Alaric and I had discussed this? Like the piano down in the great room, the grotesque piece of art demanded attention. I was drawn to it both for reasons I didn’t understand and for others that terrified me—just as I was with the man to who it belonged.

  “Catalina.”

  I looked away from the demon defiling a woman playing the piano, to Alaric who was staring up at me from the base of the staircase.

  “We’ve been waiting on you.”

  Forcing my legs to move, I grabbed hold of the banister and went down. “How many people are here?”

  “Not more than you can handle.”

  I frowned at his reply. I wasn’t sure I liked him knowing what I’d been asking without me having to spell it out.

  “You have to smile, Cat. You’re far too beautiful to frown so much, especially now. I’m tempted to take you right back up these stairs and spend the next few hours making you come all over my cock and in my mouth.”

  His vulgarity almost caused me to trip. “Is that an offer I can accept?”

  He brandished a grin that showed off his perfect, white teeth and brought out his dimple.

  “I know you want me, but you’re going to have to get through dinner first.”

  He stretched out a hand for me and I accepted it without argument. I had my reasons for being so obedient.

  We walked side by side into his overly fancy dining room. Immediately I wanted to retreat. As if sensing this, he gave me a reassuring squeeze.