by Kitty Thomas
She’d intended to offer to pay for her room and board, at least until the money ran out, hoping it might appease him. It wasn’t as if her money could do her any good otherwise. But when she’d seen him standing in the kitchen, the reality of him came rushing back. He was so large and strong. She’d felt the evidence of his strength as he’d held her down and spanked her that first night. His intense eyes and the constant grim line of his lips made her afraid. And that scar on his face…
Although he’d been kinder to her than his twin had, that scar made him darker and harder around the edges, less approachable.
She jumped when the door opened—no knock this time. He stood framed in the doorway, like death had come to claim her. Faith tried to calm her breathing, but he never looked at her calmly. It was always with an intensity that made her afraid to breathe, to exist. As if she needed to be very still and quiet to stay safe.
He strode across the room so fast she couldn’t stop herself from cringing. When he reached her, he placed a small box on the desk. It looked like a jewelry box.
“Open it,” he growled when she just stared at it.
What could be inside a jewelry box? Jewelry was the obvious answer, but Faith couldn’t think of a reason her captor would give her any kind of jewelry.
Her hand trembled as she reached out and opened the box. She couldn’t help the gasp. What a rock.
“W-what is this?”
“Haven’t you ever seen an engagement ring before?”
“Y-yes, but…”
“My family will be here next weekend for the Christmas holidays. You’re going to pretend to be my fiancée during that time. Put the ring on.” It wasn’t a request.
“I-I… w-what will happen? W-what will you do?”
“Do you find me that repulsive?”
“N-no.” She shrank from the disappointed look on his face. Every time she ended a sentence now, he got that look.
“You’ll continue to sleep on this end of the house. My mother is pretty religious and wouldn’t be pleased with us sharing a room. You just have to pretend you’re in love with me when we’re all together. The most you’ll be subjected to is holding hands and a few kisses.”
“I…”
“Put the ring on. Now.”
His voice had taken on that edge again, and she scrambled to obey his request. She was surprised when it fit.
“T-this must have cost a fortune,” she breathed, almost caught up in the fantasy. For a brief moment, she could see the room and the tree and the ring and imagine this was some romantic proposal from a rich boyfriend right before Christmas. But only for a moment. Then she was brought back to the reality of her situation—this man she didn’t know and couldn’t trust, who might snap and do anything to her at any moment.
“It was quite expensive, yes. But my family would never buy the ruse if it wasn’t. They know me too well. Now will you do as I asked and pretend we’re engaged? I should warn you, if the true nature of your stay with me should come out, you will disappear. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Y-yes,” she whispered. The casual way he spoke of killing her was exactly why she was so afraid. His moral compass had a crooked arrow.
“Yes you understand or yes you’ll do it?”
“D-do I have a choice?”
“Of course, you have a choice. If you don’t want to pretend to be the love of my life, or if I feel you can’t do it convincingly, you’ll be kept in the dungeon until they leave.”
“Please, no!” The words flew out of her mouth with such force, it embarrassed her. But the idea of being locked in a… dungeon… was too much to cope with. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might have such a thing, but now that he’d spoken the word, she had no doubt as to the truth of it. “I-I’ll do it. I’ll d-do whatever you want, just p-please don’t do that.”
“You’d better not screw up.” His cold words terrified her, but beneath them, she could see the fear that she might do something that would lead to him having to kill her. She wished she could reassure him there was no way she’d cross him.
“I-I won’t. I promise.”
“You understand the consequences if you do?” Desperation edged his words.
“Y-yes.”
Her life had hung in the balance since she’d first seen Angelo pull the trigger in that alley and the body hit the ground. And she was far from out of the woods—if there was a way out. She wasn’t sure that there was.
“I’m glad you’re being so agreeable.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out two stapled stacks of papers. “You will fill this out, and you will answer as honestly as you can. I’ll need to study your answers so we know each other well enough when my family gets here. The other packet contains my answers to the same questions. You will learn all my likes and dislikes and enough about my work to make it look like you belong here.”
He hovered over her, which made her more nervous. The simplest questions like her favorite food became hard to answer in light of the pressure that grew the longer he stood there.
“In the back of the other packet is the story I concocted of how we met and how I proposed. That will be one of the most important things to know since everyone will ask.”
After several minutes, he went to the door. “You’ll join me for dinner in half an hour, and bring your papers with you. You have to get used to being around me and me touching you. If you cringe every time I come near you, they’ll think I’m beating you.”
He closed the door quietly behind him, and Faith went back to the questions, trying not to stare at the gigantic rock on her hand. The trouble with pretending was… if he was a decent actor, if he was kind and gentle while his family was here, she’d start to want it to be real, but when they left everything would go back to the way it was, the spell broken.
At least with his family here, she’d be safe. He was going to a lot of trouble to not make waves with them.
When she finished the questions, she took the papers and went to the kitchen. Two plates had already been set along with salad bowls and wine glasses. One of the servants unobtrusively filled the plates and bowls. Dinner was Caesar salad, chicken Parmesan with risotto, and some red wine. Leo drank wine with practically every meal and seemed keen to break her of her orange juice habit.
Faith ate while he looked over her answers. Occasionally he said “hmmm” in between bites. She tried to stay focused on her food. She just wanted to get through the meal and then go hide again. When they were finished, she started to get up to go back to her room, but Leo stopped her.
“No. We have less than a week before they get here. We have to practice. Come with me.”
He left their papers on the table and led her down the hallway to a sitting room. The absence of the questionnaires left no doubt as to what they would be practicing. She tried not to have a panic attack as she trailed behind him.
He’d left her alone for three days. He hadn’t tried anything. He hadn’t killed her. Nobody had done anything to hurt her. But the threat of the dungeon loomed large. If she pulled away from him too many times, would he lock her up? She couldn’t help how his intensity frightened her. She was used to less intimidating guys, guys who let her take the lead, though she didn’t like that much. Were there no happy mediums with men? A man who would take some control but not be so overbearing and terrifying?
She tried to imagine how she’d survive being kept tied up in the dark for a week if Leo got fed up. Would someone feed her? They’d have to. At least give her water or she’d die. Would he care if she did? She wanted to believe he wasn’t a monster, but she couldn’t bring herself to let her guard down to trust even something so basic. Not when their worlds were so different.
Leo sat on a brown leather sofa at one end of the room. “Come sit beside me, Faith.”
It was odd that she should have been given such a name when she’d never had much faith in anyone or anything. Even religion had been something that had inspired little more than dou
bt. Each time her name was spoken, it mocked her and her inability to trust.
She sat at the other end of the couch, and he quirked an eyebrow. “Really? This is how an engaged couple sits? As if they are afraid of spreading a contagion? Sit next to me.” He patted the cushion beside him and reluctantly she scooted closer.
When she was within reach, he pulled her close so her thigh pressed against his. His arm went around her and she was forced to lean against him.
“Relax,” he soothed, his fingers trailing through her hair.
She only stiffened more. If he started touching her, what would make him stop? She’d seen his arousal whenever he was near. He wanted to fuck her. Whatever stopped him from doing it, could break down at any time. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks. And then they were less silent, causing her shoulders to shake as she tried to keep her emotions within her control.
“You can’t do this when my family arrives. You have to stop now or I’ll have no choice but to keep you in the dungeon.”
“No, p-please, M-master. I’ll try to do better. Please give me a chance.”
This time, it was Leo who stiffened and went still. Faith wasn’t sure why she’d called him that. She was so confused. Ever since he’d mentioned the dungeon and the threat of being kept down there, she couldn’t think of herself as a house guest anymore—if she’d ever been able to maintain that delusion in the first place. She wanted to appease him, make him happy enough with her so she could stay alive and safe.
“You can’t call me that when they’re here. And you can’t accidentally slip. So start calling me Leo.”
A burning flush came into her cheeks. It was humiliating enough being forced to call him Master when he’d demanded it, but to say it unbidden and have him correct her made her want to die.
“I-I’m sorry, L-Leo.”
“And you’ve got to get rid of that stutter.”
It was so much pressure. No stuttering. No cringing. No fear. How was she going to make people believe they were engaged, let alone in love? She’d have to if she wanted to survive in this house. She’d have to make herself believe it if she wanted them to believe it. She’d have to let go of all her reservations and try to embrace the fantasy, however briefly it lasted.
“Tell me something I don’t know about you,” he said.
She wracked her brain trying to come up with something. He didn’t know a lot about her, even with the questionnaire, but she couldn’t pull an important enough piece of information out of her head. At least not one she felt safe sharing.
“It can be anything. I want to get to know you better.” But it wasn’t the words of a boy on a date with a girl. It was the words of a man hell-bent on acting out a Machiavellian play.
“Until a few months ago, I had two cats. The other one was older and sick a lot so she had to be put to sleep. I thought about getting a kitten because Squish got lonely and depressed, but…”
“But?”
Faith looked down at her hands. “Your brother happened.”
“I see.”
He was quiet for a long time, stroking her hair until she started to relax against him. She closed her eyes and pretended it was a boyfriend or a date—someone she’d gone freely with. Someone she liked and trusted. Her breath slowly began to even out. If he wanted her to do this acting job for his family, he wouldn’t hurt her before they got here.
“Good. That’s much better,” he said. “Now sit up for me.”
She sat up, and the back of his hand brushed against her cheek. She pulled away—on reflex more than anything. Her survival instinct said danger, and she responded the only way she knew how… shrinking back, becoming smaller… trying to fade away until she was forgotten by the predator.
“No,” he said firmly. “You’ll let me touch you.”
Faith fought with herself to stay still and accept the way he petted her cheek. It took another couple of minutes before she could will her body to unclench and take the gentle caress.
After a few more moments of this, he took his hand away from her cheek. She leaned forward, feeling bereft at the absence of the touch she was beginning to feel comfortable with. Then he linked his hand with hers, his thumb stroking over the back of her skin.
It made her feel like a teenager, her stomach going all fluttery and nervous. Though her fears were very different from the childish fears of a girl holding hands with a boy for the first time.
Without warning, he pulled her to him with his other hand, a firm grip on the back of her neck, angling her head how he wanted it, and he kissed her.
At first she froze, afraid he wouldn’t stop with kissing, but after a few seconds of his lips caressing over hers, he pulled away.
“We’ve got to work on that. No one will believe that kiss.”
The heat rose to her face, and she looked down at her hands. “I-I’ll do better.”
“Yes, you will,” he said. “Go get your papers. You can go back to your room. I expect you to study and know everything in that packet by tomorrow evening.”
Faith got up without a word and retreated to the kitchen. When she got back to her room she locked the door. He might be mad if he found it locked to him, but it was the only way she’d feel safe enough to sleep.
***
Leo contemplated the enigma that lived in his house. She had to be a sub. Somewhere deep down. He’d been surprised from her answers that she wasn’t a virgin. Her level of fear toward him had led him to believe she might be. She’d in fact had several boyfriends in college, and was what he’d call experienced. Even so, she didn’t feel experienced to him. Not in any way. He imagined the college boys she’d been with were just that… boys. Perhaps she wasn’t yet ready for a mature man with an established life and any discernible power.
He tried to see things from her perspective, and admitted he might feel as she did, but he’d never encountered a woman who behaved this way. Of course, he’d never held one hostage, either.
The women who came to his bed knew his requirements. They knelt and obeyed and served or they went home. Most who’d attempted to seduce him had found the scar on his face attractive. They’d been excited by the evidence of darkness etched down his cheek.
When Faith had called him Master again, Leo had been stunned. It made him want to break her and train her. If he had more time… if his family wasn’t breathing down his neck, he might do it. He reminded himself she’d shown no physical signs of kink-wiring. Even completely vanilla activity with him distressed her.
Maybe she had a need to serve, in a nonsexual capacity. But he wouldn’t be happy with that. He wanted a sub who would warm his bed. Hearing the word Master fall from her mouth because she’d thought that was what he wanted to hear, only made him want to assert his ownership. She had no idea the fire she played with, and the real trouble was… she’d done it innocently, with no idea what she might awaken.
Chapter Six
At dinner the next night, Leo grilled her on the questionnaire, surprised she’d studied so much.
“Tell me what you know about my work,” he said, as he sliced into his New York Strip.
She took a deep breath. “Y-you went to medical school and became a s-surgeon, but you felt the heart lung machines you needed c-could be improved upon—”
“Faith?”
She looked up like a rabbit caught in a trap—a mixture of pain and fear on her face. Or perhaps the anticipation of pain.
“No more stuttering. I mean it. It’s gotten tiresome. We have four days. You have to break out of this fear by then or I have to put you in the dungeon.”
Leo placed a hand over hers; she jumped and stared at her plate.
“Look at me.”
She looked up, her lip trembling.
“I don’t want to put you down there. If I did, I wouldn’t waste this time on you. But I care about my family. The women don’t need to know about this nasty business. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
“Now try to
speak naturally and tell me the rest.”
With great effort, she pushed the words out of her mouth, working to keep the stutter out. “Y-you designed an improvement on the m-machines and got a patent, and now you sell them to hospitals and surgeons all over the country, which is where your money came from.” She gathered steam as she spoke. “You still do surgeries two days a week, and with your money, you opened a private clinic here when you had this house built.”
“And? What about the blood?”
“Oh,” she blushed at her oversight. “You got involved with consulting on artificial blood, and you’ve been engaged to run clinical trials, which you’ll do in a lab you’ve set up next to your operating theater. They’ll start bringing you regular shipments of the blood late next spring.”
He didn’t expect all of this to come up, but if anyone started talking about his work, it was the type of thing they’d expect him to discuss with his fiancée, particularly since he wasn’t involved in the family’s business. It would be suspicious if she looked clueless. You couldn’t slide a lot past his family.
“Very good. What about the household staff?” Leo asked, going back to the questionnaire.
She was confused for a minute. “Oh. You sent some of them through school to be nurses and assist with surgeries and recovery, allowing them to take care of the house and help you with your business.”
“How many recovery rooms are there on-site?”
“Three.”
Her voice came out so small when she talked to him that he couldn’t decide which he wanted to do more: tie her down and whip her, or comfort her. As noble as he wanted to believe his gesture of letting her live in another wing was, he couldn’t be sure how long his self-control would hold. When would he take what was his?
“Tell me how we met.”
“We met at a deli in the city. I had forgotten my wallet and you o-offered to pay.” She took a deep breath. “Then you asked me out. And I said y-yes.” She squeezed her eyes shut as if the lie were too painful to speak.