Mine: A Dark Billionaire Romance

by Brook Wilder

  "How far are you going to push me?" I asked, my voice tinged with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

  "I can show you, Laina," he said huskily. "If you let me. Trust me, we've barely scratched the surface."

  Garrett grabbed me by the waist and pulled me roughly into him. His face hovered inches from mine, his lips so close that I could almost taste them. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as I realized I was about to get my wish. Just as he looked like he was about to kiss me, a piercing ring cut through the air, and I glanced down to see Victor's name pop up on my phone.

  "Do you need to take that?" Garrett asked. On the surface, it was an innocent question, but I saw the challenge that lurked underneath his words. His eyes glinted like stones.

  "No, it's not important," I said.

  I wished he would forget the call and just kiss me already, but the moment was lost. Garrett let go of me and went about the business of getting us both back to shore. The second he set foot on the dock of the marina, I saw Garrett's facade return to his face. True to his word, the time of openness had ended and I was once again looking at a cold man hell-bent on control. As we drove off into the night, my mind worked over Garrett's offer. Just how far was I really willing to go with him?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  "Welcome to my home," Garrett said as he guided me through the doors of his penthouse toward the living room.

  We had just returned from a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant that was surprisingly affordable. I'd half expected to be whisked off to another five-star restaurant, but I'd realized how foolish that thought was as we sat down Part of me knew that Garrett couldn't possibly dine at places like Per Se every night, but it was still so jarring to see him in such a normal place.

  As we sat across the booth from each other, I even let myself indulge a little in the fantasy that we were a normal couple, enjoying a normal night out and not at all about to plan a dark evening of debauchery. I didn't even let the fact that he insisted on ordering for me spoil the illusion. Thankfully, though, there was no caviar in sight tonight, just a mountain of spaghetti that I barely managed to make a dent in.

  After dinner, Garrett announced he'd be taking me back to his penthouse on the Upper West Side. I'd spent the entire ride from the restaurant trying to visualize Garrett's home. Would it be messy, like the places that belonged to most other guys I knew? I doubted that. Garrett's need for control told me that his place would likely be immaculately clean. Would it be an opulent display of wealth? That might be the case, but the fact that he openly went against the grain fashion wise told me not to expect gold furniture.

  Now that I was here, I stood there in the entryway, just staring. It was beautifully decorated and looked like something out of the pages of a modern design magazine. The rich, mahogany floors contrasted wonderfully against the white walls that featured a tasteful sprinkling of photos and art. The furniture was a mix between modern, sleek leather and vintage mid-century pieces, and I spotted what I hoped was a faux fur rug in the living room. It all looked expensive, but not in a grotesque way that I was used to seeing in the gossip magazine photos of celebrity homes.

  The thing that really wowed me, though, was the glittering view of Central Park through the tall windows that lined an entire wall of the apartment. Though this cozy but still well-designed decor wasn't what I had expected, it seemed to fit his persona.

  "It's beautiful," I said as I dropped my purse on the side table near the door. "It really suits you."

  "Thank you," he said. "It's certainly taken a while to get everything just how I like it, but I'm getting there. Would you like the full tour?"

  "Definitely!"

  As we walked through his home, my eyes bulged at the sheer square footage. I had become so used to my single bedroom in my shared apartment that I was almost overwhelmed by the space.

  "This is the master bedroom. I won't show you this right away. I'm sure we'll spend plenty of time there later," he said with a wave toward the open door. From what I could see, the bedroom contained a king sized bed covered in satin sheets. I wondered what they would feel like against my skin and my pulse quickened.

  "This is the master bath," Garrett continued, oblivious to my thoughts, "It was originally half the size, but I opted to renovate and combine the original bath with an adjacent bedroom."

  This bathroom looked like it had a waterfall shower and a jacuzzi. It looked luxurious, but I didn't have time to examine the room. We moved on, briefly popping into every room in the penthouse, which included two more guest bedrooms, a library, a den, a kitchen fit for a five-star chef, and a room Garrett called the gallery which held a few pieces of artwork and some family photos. He then took me out on the terrace that wrapped around three sides of the penthouse and boasted a fantastic view of Central Park. I was floored not only by the whole penthouse but also the breezy way Garrett showed off his house. He made it seem as if everyone lived this way, and I had to remind myself several times during the tour that my apartment, let alone my room, could fit inside this place several times over.

  "Where's the secret sex dungeon?" I asked playfully as we settled down in the living room in front of the electric fireplace.

  "I haven't built one here, yet," he said with a sly look in his eyes. "I've honestly seen no need for it. I don't want to make my sex life seem like something I have to hide or keep separate from the rest of myself. I only let those who are very close to me in my penthouse, so it wouldn't be a matter of hiding it away from anyone else."

  "You don't go shouting them from the rooftops, though,"

  "Neither do you, I imagine, but in the comfort of my home I try not to hide from myself."

  "So where do you keep your toys, then?" I asked, trying to remember if I had seen anything during the short tour that would give away his darker side. So far, everything had jived with his rich hipster image. He even had a record player tucked away in a corner of the living room next to an artfully arranged pile of vinyl records.

  "If you must know, there are a couple of bins under the bed," He said with a chuckle. "And in the closet of one of the guest bedrooms. It's always a trick to remember to move those things before I have guests over. I forgot once and I think I've scarred my Aunt Ethel for life. But enough about that, let's talk about what I have planned for us next."

  He turned to me and scooted to the edge of his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. He had a serious scowl on his face, and I half expected him to bring out a contract for me to sign or something equally ludicrous. He didn't, though, and just held my gaze with his chin propped up on his fingertips.

  "You said you wanted to see how far I can push you," he said. "Past where you think your boundaries lie. I think I have just the fantasy to do that. I want to rape you, Laina."

  "Excuse me?" I asked, my heart suddenly racing. Did he really just say what I think he said?

  "It's a common fantasy among women in the BDSM scene. I've actually planned and executed several over the years and never once had anyone complain. In fact, they all seemed to enjoy it immensely."

  "How is it rape, then?" I asked. "If we're planning it, and I want it?"

  "By that definition, what we'll do isn't technically rape," he said. "I don't think either of us wants to go through the emotional trauma involved in the real act of taking you against your will. It would be more accurate to call it a forced sex fantasy. I wouldn't be ordering you to do anything, I'd simply be taking what I want, how I want."

  "Won't I get hurt during this?" My mind was racing, and I was having trouble concentrating on the conversation. Having Garrett ravage me did sound appealing, but did I really want to pretend that it was against my will?

  "Trust is paramount," he said. "You will have to trust that I will listen to you when you say the safe words. You'll also have to trust that I ultimately don't want to cause you real, lasting harm. On the flip side, I'll have to trust you to tell me when I'm going too far. Is this something you would be interested in, Laina?"
/>   "Maybe," I said hesitantly. "I did say I wanted you to push my boundaries…"

  "I don't want to do this if you aren't fully committed to the ideal," he said gravely. "There are other options besides forced sex."

  "No," I said. "The more I think about it, the more I think I would like it. I want to at least try it, and if I'm not into it, I can stop the scene, right?"

  "Of course," he said. "That's what safe words are for. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

  We talked for the next half hour, planning out all the details of our next scene. We agreed that it would be best if it felt spontaneous, so I wouldn't know when exactly it would happen. I would be abducted from the area surrounding my apartment sometime in the next few days. All I knew is that it would be in the afternoon and the abductor would be Garrett's driver. Garrett was also less specific about what would happen during the actual scene, but I did agree that blindfolds and light bondage were alright. I did put a hard line on gags, which Garrett agreed would be best.

  "That's all settled, then," he said, slapping his knees before standing. "How about some drinks."

  "Sounds great," I said. He returned quickly with a glass of wine for me and a cocktail for himself.

  "One last thing I want to discuss," he said. "How do you feel about me calling and texting, like I have over the past few days?"

  "I mean, it's been alright so far," I said carefully. "A little annoying at times, but it is fun to send you photos."

  "Do you feel like I should increase the control?" he asked. I could tell from the hungry look in his eyes that he wanted desperately for me to say yes. Part of me wanted to go along with it, to make him happy, but I then remembered what he'd said earlier about compromise.

  "I don't, actually," I said. "What we have now is about the limit of what I can tolerate. Anything more and my school work and personal life would start to suffer. I do like what we do in the bedroom, don't get me wrong, but I don't think I'm the 24/7 type."

  "Say no more," he said. His voice sounded chipper, but I could still detect a slightly disappointed look on his face. Too bad, I thought. What we had was fun, but I wasn't about to give up my entire life to Garrett. I could tell, though, that he was probably going to push those boundaries, but we'd cross that bridge when we got to it.

  We spoke here and there for the rest of the evening about nothing in particular. We took our second round of drinks out to the patio and just sat there and gaze out over Central Park and the twinkling lights of the city beyond. It wasn't until I started yawning that Garrett asked if I'd like to be taken home. I agreed with a slight pang of disappointment at the thought that our evening was over. Part of me had hoped he'd invite me to spend the night, but I also realized that we weren't quite there yet in our relationship. We rode together to my apartment, and he gave me a kiss on the hand as I was about to exit the car.

  "See you soon, Laina," he said with a mischievous grin.

  I nodded and smiled as the door slammed shut. I turned to walk into my apartment building, hearing the car speed away as soon as I opened the door. My disappointment was slowly melting from me and turning into nervous excitement. Sleep did not come easily that night, and when I did finally drift off my dreams were filled with Garrett's strong voice and those dangerous, gray eyes.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  It finally happened two days later as I was walking down the street near my apartment. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the early fall sun felt warm on my neck. I'd just finished working on an essay for my literature class and had decided to walk over to my local bodega to get a soda. I was about halfway back to my apartment and was wondering when Garrett was planning on surprising me when I'd heard a car's engine slowing down behind me.

  I turned to see a tan SUV approaching and finally slowing to a stop right beside me. I didn't recognize the car and panicked for a moment when the side door opened. I looked around and noticed that the street was surprisingly empty. There was one man walking the opposite direction, but he kept his glance down as he passed me.

  A man in a ski mask jumped out and grabbed me roughly by the arm, pulling me into the car and causing me to drop my drink onto the sidewalk. I panicked and put up a real struggle until he leaned in and whispered the word "safe" in my ear. It was the code Garrett and I had developed over text the morning after we'd planned this fantasy. I had realized I needed a way to know it was him and not some random creep actually abducting me.

  As soon as I heard that word, it all clicked. It was happening. The man also pulled his mask up to show his face, and I recognized him as Garrett's driver. I nodded, and he pulled the mask back down. We started the scenario again as he pulled me into the car. Anticipation welled in me as I kept struggling, but my thrashing was definitely less erratic now.

  When we were both in the back seat, the driver gave a firm knock on the glass divider that separated the back seat from the front. The car started moving quickly, and I barely had time to brace myself. I went to put on my seatbelt, but the driver swatted my hand away. Silently, he put a blindfold around my eyes before tying my hands behind my back with a piece of rope. I let him do this without a struggle since I was sure he wasn't really a part of this scene and wouldn't appreciate me actually trying to fight him.

  My heart was thrumming in my chest, and I could feel every hair on my body standing on end. As the car bumped along, stopping and starting as we hit traffic lights, I wondered vaguely what was going to happen once I reached Garrett's penthouse and tried to decide on how resistant I was going to be to his advances. I knew I needed to at least pretend like I didn't want anything to do with him, but if I really fought back, it wouldn't that much fun for either of us. Before I could make up my mind, the car slammed to a halt and I heard the car doors open quickly after.

  I was once again pulled roughly from the car, with two sets of hands on me now, dragging me across the sidewalk. I let my legs dangle slightly and my shoes scraped against the pavement. I put up some resistance, but still went along with them, all the while wondering who the second person was. I heard doors open and close as we entered the building. We stopped when we reached what I assumed was a set of elevators, and a ding followed by the sound of opening doors confirmed my theory. We stepped in, and I heard the driver mutter the floor number to the other man. Something about what he had said seemed wrong, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I couldn't remember exactly what floor Garrett's private elevator entrance was on, but the number the driver had just said seemed a little low.

  After a short ride, the elevator slowed to a stop and I was dragged out into a carpeted hallway. This was wrong too. Garrett's penthouse had a private elevator landing with marble floors, not carpet. It was slowly dawning on me that it had never been his intention to stage this fantasy in his own home. As soon as I had that thought, another struck me. We were in a hotel. The men dragging me along stopped, and I heard the beep of those electronic key card readers. The door opened with a click and I was thrown inside. One of the men followed me in, and I heard the retreating footsteps of the other man down the hallway.

  Blindfolded and bound, I laid motionless on the floor, my cheek pressing into the rough carpet. My pulse was still thrumming away and I could feel the ropes binding my hands starting to dig into my skin. It definitely hurt, but it wasn't an intolerable pain. Since I heard no one else in the room beside the man who followed me in, I could only assume that it was Garrett who had been driving the car. I could hear his footsteps as he walked around the room, presumably preparing for the evening's activities. It had seemed like he'd almost forgotten about me when I felt his arm scoop me up from my waist. I hung there limply at first before I remembered that I had a part to play in this fantasy as well. I started writhing in his grasp, enough to show that I was putting up a fight, but not so much that he would drop me.

  "Stop wiggling," he said sternly, and I obeyed. He was speaking at a lower pitch than normal, and if I hadn't already known that it was Garrett, I probably w
ouldn't have recognized him with the blindfold on.

  He threw me onto the bed, and I bounced a few times before landing on my side. I wriggled some more before I felt his strong grip wrap around my left ankle, drawing it roughly to a corner of the bed. He did the same to my other leg, and I was now spread eagle with my arms still bound behind my back. My hands were starting to fall asleep and I could feel the pins and needles feeling creeping up my arm.

  I laid still, mentally assessing the situation. Tied up like this, I was completely at his mercy. I couldn't fight him off or push him away, and with the blindfold still on, there was no way for me to anticipate his next action. I was helpless, and the only thing that stood between me and his lust were two simple words. Adrenaline shot through me and I felt my legs go weak with fear. If things got too heavy, would Garrett have presence of mind enough to hear me? Was this all part of some dark plan to leave me tied up in a hotel room?

  Before I could lose myself further in my thoughts, I felt the bed rustle and shake as Garrett climbed toward me. His breath was hot on my face as he brought his lips close to my ear. His legs were straddling my body and a hot jolt of pleasure ran through me as I felt his stiffness. Any doubt thought flew out of my mind as I realized how badly I wanted to feel him inside of me.