“Was my birthday. You remembered my birthday,” I murmur to myself. “You were the only one.” My father was mindless in his grief and Adam had Archer Industries to run.”
“I’ll never forget the promises we made each other.” He turns sober. “I waited for you, this year, at her grave. We promised we’d meet there one day.”
“I forgot. Logan, I thought you were gone forever. They told me…”
He sits up straighter, his expression hardening. “Yes?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I mumble, staring at my hands. “I don’t want to talk about them.” My father and Adam both lied to me about Logan. What else have they lied about?
His big hand closes over mine. “I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere.”
I meet his eyes, that clear ice blue. “I would’ve come to the grave if I’d known you were there. Logan, I would’ve run to you.”
He swallows. “Even though I look like this?”
“Yes. I don’t care how you look. It’s you.” I cover his scarred cheek with my palm. “It’s always been you.”
After a moment, he clears his throat. “I know today isn’t actually your birthday. You were so sick, I wanted to make sure you were feeling well enough for—”
“For what?” I interrupt, eager for a Logan-sized surprise.
“Patience, kitten,” he gives me a mock stern glance.
I giggle, but inwardly shiver. Logan the Dom. So sexy.
“I have another gift for you. If you’re feeling up to it.”
Squee! “Why wouldn’t I be up to it?”
A sexy frown. “I was rough with you last night.”
Just like that, my bottom remembers how sore it is. I shift a little, but can’t stop my grin. “Worth it.”
He looks about two seconds away from making me bend over for inspection, so I add, “I’m fine. Really.” I cover his hand in mine. I’m wet at the thought of inspection, but I want my present more.
“Very well,” he sighs, and produces a blindfold from his pocket.
I cling to him as he carries me down several flights of stairs. The castle no longer feels drafty. “It must cost a mint to heat this place,” I say out loud.
He chuckles. “Worth it. I never want you to feel cold. Now,” he sets me down. “Stay right here. No peeking.”
He leaves me shimmying with excitement, dancing in place. The light hits my face and I turn towards it. I shimmy more vigorously.
“You’re too cute,” he murmurs, coming behind me and undoing the blindfold. “Ready?”
He whips the cloth away, revealing a narrow room with floor to ceiling shelves. Full of books, of course.
“A library!” I twirl slowly. So many books. “You can’t give me an entire library.”
Logan chuckles softly. “Can’t I?”
I grin at him over my shoulder, and keep exploring. At the end of the room, a fire crackles, surrounded by heavy leather armchairs. Perfect for a winter’s night in.
“Logan, this is too much.”
“Then I’ll wait to show you the rest of your gifts.”
“Like what?” I’m being shameless but I can’t help it.
Fortunately, he thinks it’s cute. “I was going to let you have the lab, too.”
I press my hands to my mouth. “Logan…” I shake my head. “It’s too much.”
“You’re worth it. This is what I always wanted to give you, Daphne. This is why we had to wait.”
“How did you get this castle, anyway? You said you inherited it from your predecessor. But did you actually find your family?”
He turns, hands in pockets “No. Not my family. My mother was poor, as you know.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I thought you might have…found your father.”
“No. After I nursed myself back to health, I looked for a new partner. A successful businessman reached out to me, actually, desperate for someone to help. He had an autoimmune disease similar to Battleman’s. I tried some experimental treatments and extended his life by several years.”
“So he gave you a castle.”
Logan shrugs. “His wife had died a decade earlier and they had no heirs. He brought me on as a partner in his business, I helped expand it—”
With the help of my father’s patents, I almost say, but bite my tongue. We’ve come so far in the past few days. I don’t want to break the spell just yet.
“—One thing led to another and…” he shrugs again. “Castle.”
“Just like that.”
My dry tone makes him grin. “Just like that. Do you doubt me, kitten?”
“No.” I retreat until my back hits the shelf. He looms over me, one arm over my head, so he can cage me against the bookshelf.
“I just…we didn’t have to wait. I know you wanted to…prove yourself or whatever,” I flap my hand, my voice faltering as his eyes glint. “but you were it for me. It was always you.” I twine my hand in his thick black hair and tug his face closer.
“Daphne,” he groans against my lips, and then we’re kissing. He lifts me, propping my hips against the shelves. Holy hell, Imma about to get hot and heavy in a library…
My stomach growls, though, ruining the moment.
With a curse, Logan sets me down. “I need to feed you.”
“I’m all right.”
“You’re still recovering,” he says in his no nonsense my will is law voice. “I forget myself around you.”
I bite my lip to hide my smile. If I can make him forget himself, can he forgive the past?
* * *
I sneak a smile at Logan over my spoonful of grapefruit. He’s reading the paper but he catches me glancing at him and our eyes catch over the centerpiece bouquet of roses. He lowers the paper slightly, just enough for me to see his smirk, then he snaps it back up and continues to read.
Jackass, I shake my head with a smile. But I know better than to say it aloud. My ass still smarts from last night. I shift on the padded chair he thoughtfully brought out for me for this morning’s breakfast.
He’s always so thoughtful. Yes, he’s also the Master who loves to command my pleasure...but I love that, too. It’s something we share. The past few days…our intimacy has gone to levels I didn’t even know was possible. I’ve never felt more connected to another person in my life. If I’d known that two people could…but maybe it takes the right person for this kind of magic to happen. And maybe most people don’t find it.
My eyes trail over Logan’s strong hands and then back up to his face peeking over the top of the paper. I can just make out his eyes. Thank goodness he’s taken out those ridiculous contacts. I can see my Logan’s eyes again. And he hasn’t put the mask back on, which I consider a victory. He knows he can be himself with me.
And I know it will take time, but I’ll show him that the rest of the world will accept him just like I have. What happened to him was a horrible accident but his scars aren’t that bad. Okay, they were a little shocking at first, but once you know they’re there, they start to just become part of the landscape of his face.
His life story marks his face and it also marks that he survived it and has become so incredibly strong in spite of all that happened to him. I want to show the world his strength. I want to show him his strength and that the world can love him just like I d—
I choke on the bite of grapefruit I just took and scramble to reach for my water glass. Not that I lov— I mean, we’ve barely reconnected, and back in the day it was just a crush. It’s not that deep yet, not that intense.
“Daphne!” Logan’s already around the table and his hand pounds me on the back. “Are you all right?”
I sputter and hold up a hand. “I’m fine. Fine.” I cough again and finally get a long, cool drink of water. Then I push the chair back from the table. Logan jumps out of the way just in time.
“Daphne,” he says, his voice half concern, half warning.
“I’m fine.” I smile brightly. “I’m just going to get ready for the day. I
cover my mouth and cough into my elbow, then smile again and turn around, bounding out the door.
I’ve been with him almost 24/7 for the past week and I just need a second. “Just a second,” I whisper to myself, huffing a bit of hair out of my face as I lean against the door. Then I cover my hands with my face.
I just haven’t had any time to process everything that’s happened. There’s just experience after experience after experience, with short bouts of heavy sleep in between, ever since I got over my illness last week.
I do a quick count of the nights and days. Shit, has it really been ten days since the ball? So much has happened. I unmasked the Beast, found Logan. Gave my virginity to the man of my dreams, the man I’ve always loved—
There’s that word again. Love. Do I really feel that for Logan? I mean, we made love last night— I cringe and slump against the wall. Because have we really? Have we made love? Or is this just more of my naiveté? In Logan’s mind, have we just been ‘fucking’?
But no, the things he’s said to me, it’s been more than that, surely…
…says the virgin.
Okay, recently devirginized, but still. What do I know about how men work?
He’s not ‘men’, he’s Logan.
I pace down the hall, arguments churning back and forth in my head. The wood creaks under my frantic steps. I pause at the top of the huge staircase. There’s a watery light coming from the first floor—from the front door.
Logan might be okay with me roaming the castle, but he’d probably get weird if I ran out the door. Because he’s a creepy stalker/psycho captor, whispers the rational part of me.
Yes, but he’s my creepy stalker. And deep down, he’s Logan. Ugh. I wish I had someone to talk to about all this.
Rachel. She’s the perfect person to talk about boys with. Then I shake my head. There’s no way I can tell her about all this.
But thinking about her now, gods, she must be so worried. I haven’t talked to her in days.
I pause halfway down the staircase. I’m about to turn and go back up when a familiar looking bag catches my eye. My purse! On the table next to the door. I skip down the rest of the stairs and grab it. Notebook, chapstick, an empty case for the glasses I’m wearing now. The pair Logan gave back to me.
At the bottom of my purse is my charger. My heart starts thumping double-time. Biting my lip, I go to the door. After a moment of hesitation, I push it open. The stoop is empty. There’s no phone.
Am I disappointed or relieved? I shut the door. Time to go back to Logan.
But before I grab my purse, something makes me open the side table’s drawer. And there’s my phone. Its screen is a little cracked and the battery’s dead, but I have the charger.
I plug it in. It’s been over a week since I’ve touched base with Rachel. I wince. Yeah, bad friend here. Okay, so for some of that I was super sick, but still. I should have called her as soon as I was better. She must be worried like crazy.
The phone’s so super-dead that it takes a few minutes for it to charge even enough to turn on. When it finally does, beep after beep sounds as messages start pouring in.
RACHEL: Hey babe, how’s vacation? Haven’t heard from you lately. Let me know you’re alive, lol
RACHEL: Daphne, this isn’t funny. Message or call, you’re starting to freak me out
RACHEL: Call me right now
RACHEL: I’m serious, bitch, call me or I’m gonna like file a missing person’s report. I’m officially freaked.
That was yesterday. Shit! I immediately dial her number.
“Daphne!” she answers, her voice frantic. “Finally!”
“Hey, Rachel.”
“I can’t believe it’s you.” Her voice is filled with relief. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.” I touch the window, tracing the patterns left by frost.
“Are you sure? You just disappeared! I know you said you needed to get away for some research but…what the actual fuck?”
I smile at her choice of words. “I know, Rachel. I know, and I’m sorry. Things have been…difficult.”
“I don’t know how to handle this. The press is closing in, asking for you. Nobody knows where you are. Adam Archer keeps calling. He even has private detectives looking for you. I’m this close to telling him to go ahead and file the missing person’s report.”
Shit, Adam. “Don’t do that. I’m alive. I’m fine.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m staying with…a friend. It’s complicated.” Understatement of the century.
Rachel blows out a frustrated breath. “Okay, then, when are you coming back?”
I shut my eyes, leaning my forehead against the freezing glass. “I don’t know. Soon.”
“Daphne,” her voice is half exasperated employee, half worried friend. “You gotta come back. The board is livid. I told them you were doing research and also taking time off for your birthday and the anniversary of your mother’s death, but they’re not buying it. I don’t know how much longer I can hold them off.”
“Not much longer,” I say quickly. Shit. I have to get back to New Olympus. Rachel’s right—I have too much responsibility. “I promise.”
Her voice drops. “It’s not just the company. It’s your father. He’s…not doing well.”
Frost slices through me. I stand. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
“The nurses don’t know. It might be the stress and shock from learning we couldn’t reach you—”
“You told him that?” Fuck!
“I didn’t have a choice! You just disappeared! I didn’t know if you were on holiday like you said or dead in a ditch!”
“All right, all right,” I soothe. It’s not Rachel’s fault all this happened. “I understand. I’m sorry. I’ll be back—right away. Today. I’ll call you back in a few hours.” I have to vow several times to call before Rachel lets me end the call. I hang up and drop my phone into my purse.
I don’t have any time to waste. There’s too much riding on me—my company, the board, Adam’s expectations. My father’s life. I can’t stay here.
I have to convince Logan to let me go.
Twenty-Three
Logan
The door creaks open slowly and Daphne enters. She looks nervous, her cheeks flushed. If I had to guess, I’d say my little submissive feels guilty about something.
“Logan, I need to ask you something.”
“Yes?” I ask, lazily. I’m feeling magnanimous today. Perhaps I won’t punish her too harshly for breaking a rule.
She fidgets. My disobedient little kitten.
She lifts her chin. “I called my assistant.”
“You what?” I’m looming over her before I realized I’ve crossed the room.
She raises her chin and stares me down. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” I grit out. “We had an agreement when you came here.”
Her mouth falls open. “I didn’t agree to never contact the outside world! It’s my goddamn phone.”
“I thought your time in the tower would teach you that nothing belongs to you. You have no privileges unless I give them to you.”
Her mouth falls open. “I thought…we were past all that.”
“Is that why you snuck out? To phone her behind my back?”
She flushes. Busted. “That’s not fair. I have a life. Friends. They were freaking out.”
She’s going to leave me. “You have no life anymore,” I roar. She’s changed everything, brought the sun back to my world, and she’s going to plunge me back into darkness.
Instead of flinching, she looks at me with pity. Her gaze softens. “Oh, Logan.” She cups my face with her hands. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
I jerk away. “Yes, it does. You agreed to do as I say. My game, my rules.”
She straightens, her hands fisting at her sides. “Your game is fucked up.”
“Oh Daphne.” My hands close on her arms. “Y
ou have no idea.”
* * *
Daphne
“Where are you taking me?” Please not the tower. Why did I think we were back to normal? What evidence did I have that Logan would be rational? He’s different, changed. Completely deranged.
When he glares down at me, the blue of his eyes reduced to an icy ring around blown pupils, my heart sinks. Logan is gone. There is only the Beast.
He drags me down a staircase—the opposite direction of the tower—and I sag with relief. Relief that’s short lived when he brings me into a cold stone room unlike any I’ve seen before. My mouth drops open.
A huge wooden X shaped cross dominates the middle of the room along with leather-topped tables, low benches with angled seats. Implements of such shapes and varieties I can’t even imagine what they could all be used for.
“What is this place?” I breath.
“My playroom.” He leads me to the middle of the room and positions me in front of the cross. I’m too busy gazing numbly at the wall of implements—everything from red handled crops to wooden paddles to wicked looking whips—that I don’t try to fight him.
“Play?”
“My sort of play.” He turns me to face the cross and cuffs my arms above my head before leaning in to whisper. “Welcome to the dungeon.”
* * *
Beast
My little submissive swallows, her eyes wide. “You’re crazy.”
“I’m not disputing it. You are at my mercy. I think it’s time you beg.”
“If you want me to beg, I will.”
“Not yet.” I thrust a rose sideways between her teeth, a makeshift gag. I brought a dozen roses down here in anticipation of showing her this place. This dungeon, these implements, this was another part of my gift to her. I was going to wait until she was stronger to put her through her paces but no.
I need to break her down until she needs me. Craves me. Will never leave…
As I peel away her leggings, I get a whiff of her arousal. She wants this as much as I do.
Billionaire’s Captive: A Beauty and the Rose Box Set Page 15
