by Julia Sexton
“I need to get… out of here.”
As I was drifting back into sleep, images of him pressing his hand against William’s chest came flooding back.
“You killed him. You tore him apart like he was nothing. What the hell are you?”
My limbs felt like they were being drawn into quicksand. My eyes were getting that heavy feeling all over again.
“Oh my…you must’ve had a very bad dream due to the concussion. I really don’t know what you’re talking about. William left here on his own power.”
Even though I didn’t really trust him, there was this immediate attraction that felt like nothing I’ve ever had with a man before. It was the way that he looked at me and that pure lustful stare was more than enough to tell me everything that I needed to know.
He licked his lips provocatively, keeping his eyes on me without blinking and then I faded into nothingness. It was actually a welcome moment where I didn’t have to worry about the pain or the feeling of dread that came over me from the moment that I opened my eyes and saw Ash standing there in the doorway.
Chapter Three
I had no idea how long I was out and whatever drug he had given me had made me feel like I was waking into a different world. I got out of bed and went across the room, until I was able to get my hands on the fluffy white robe on the back of the door. I put it on and found a cane that he had left there for me to use. I was hesitant to feel that vulnerable, but it was difficult to walk on my own.
I opened the door and the first thing that hit me was the scent of barbecue meat in the air. There was also the smell of sautéed mushrooms, onions and green peppers. I was famished and I saw the stairs and it was an obstacle that I was just going to have to push myself through.
Each step was like a knife going into various parts of my body. The cane did mitigate that a little bit, but not enough to stop that one lone tear from falling from my eye. I was gritting my teeth, making my way down the stairs, when I looked up to see that he was standing at the foot of the stairs watching me intently. I would not fall and give him the satisfaction of running to my rescue again.
“I was hoping that I would catch you before you woke up. I did take the precaution of leaving you a cane to help you. If you need me, all you have to do is ask. You might not know this, but you are forever in my debt for me helping you out of a certain situation.”
He was arrogant and cocksure of himself and there was no doubt in my mind that he could probably have any woman that he desired.
“I can do this myself and I don’t need your help.”
My extra weight was making it hard to keep standing on my own two feet. I don’t know why I was being defensive. Maybe it was the pain, or maybe it was the fact that he looked too damn smug for his own good.
“I’ve never needed a man before and I’m not going to start now. I should’ve walked away from that relationship a long time ago. I never thought for a moment that I would be trapped and ridiculed for something that I had accepted about myself a long time ago. I surprised myself and I will never walk down that path again with anyone.”
I had secretly forsaken all men, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of this huge behemoth of a man.
He wasn’t wearing a shirt and what he did have on was barely enough to contain what god blessed him with. Those black shorts were very tight and it felt like he was unaware of certain practices that were supposed to be adhered to.
It was an unwritten rule that a man was not supposed to be in a state of undress in front of a woman that he hardly knew. Unless of course he was going to have sex with that woman and that was not going to happen. I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince.
I guess he didn’t get that memo or maybe his father was not good at teaching him those things that he needed to know in life.
“There’s no reason to raise your voice. I was just trying to help. When you do finally make it down here, supper will be served momentarily. You have been asleep for the past two days. Don’t look at me like that, I know that you would have wanted to leave after one day, but I don’t think you knew how dangerous that could’ve been. Your injuries were quite severe and one wrong move and you would’ve ripped open the stitches that I had put in personally.”
With that, he didn’t even give me a chance for a rebuttal, before turning around and going into the kitchen.
Everything had an antique kind of feel and I knew from an art history class that there was money to be had underneath this roof. Some of these things were said to have disappeared. Here they were right in front of me and how he got his hands on them was anybody’s guess.
I made my way down the stairs, holding the banister and almost tripping over my own feet. I actually caught my breath in my throat, as my foot and that same leg buckled underneath the weight of my own body. I was able to stay standing with the help of the railing, which was made of polished oak and something that was supposed to stand up to the test of time.
I cautiously made my way across the dark wood floors and I saw him in the kitchen. If there is anything sexier than a man cooking for you, then I have no idea what it is. I’ve always had this desire to find a man that would be able to take care of me for a change. I was always the one that was doing the laundry, dishes and even vacuuming on occasion. I was not what you would think as a neat freak, but I did like things a certain way.
“I hope that you’re going to make it in here soon, Stacy. If you don’t, it’s going to get cold.”
I moved a little bit faster, shuffling my feet, until I went into this kitchen that would’ve made Martha Stewart envious. It was pristine and all the appliances were stainless steel. He had two huge six burner stoves and the countertop that was made of black granite. You could see that this was the kind of kitchen that probably would have cost a normal man a year’s worth of salary.
The aroma of that steak, fresh vegetables and the sautéed medley was enough to draw me to my seat like a moth to a flame. I sat there on one end of the table, sipping at the wine and finding it quite palatable.
“I can see you looking at me and I must look a fright. I haven’t had a chance to check my makeup.”
He was playing at being a good host, but being here two days was only making me feel like I was in that movie misery.
It’s the one where an author is injured and is taken in by his biggest fan. Every time that he tried to escape, she hurts him in a way that makes it impossible. I didn’t want to think of Ash as some kind of homicidal maniac. He was charming, but that could’ve been a façade to mask his psychopathic ways.
I was hesitant to take a bite, because obviously he was prone to drugging me.
“Before I eat this, are there any surprises that I should know about.”
I think my intention was pretty clear and he looked up at me and began to laugh.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, but I guess you’re wondering if I drugged the food. I only did that to make sure that you got the rest that you needed to mend. You would have tried to walk out of here and done yourself serious harm. You’re one very stubborn girl.”
It was not the first time that I had heard that particular sentiment. My mother was always telling me that I was a precocious child. I learned later on that it meant that I was too curious for my own good.
“I guess I’m going to have to believe you, because I am just too damn hungry to sit here and watch you eat that entire meal on your own.”
With one cut of the knife through the fiber of the meat, I found that it was like butter and even melted like butter on my tongue. Whatever spices he had used for a rub had certainly made me think of a fine dining restaurant. Mixing it with the sautéed vegetables and it became an explosion of flavors in my mouth. The garlic potatoes were to die for and I couldn’t help, but to admire him for putting his best foot forward.
“Before you ask, I didn’t send out for any of this and you won’t find any takeout containers anywhere. I believe in doing things for oneself. I like cooking,
but I rarely have a chance to cook for somebody else. I would like to know what you think. I’ve been honing my skills with all sorts of cooking shows on television. I immersed myself into each recipe.”
He was still sitting in those very tiny black briefs and he made no conscious effort to cover up at all.
“I don’t know what to say and I don’t think mere words can describe what I taste. You should be a chef at a four-star restaurant. If this is just a hobby, then I think that you have graduated to the top of the class.”
I had to move gingerly and the tape around my ribs was cutting off my oxygen. It was very hard to breathe, but it had to be tight in order to make sure that the ribs would heal correctly.
“I appreciate the compliment. I never know what others are going to think. I will clean up after we’re done here and then you can take a walk in the gardens. I do have a few things to do and if you think that you can handle yourself, then I will leave you to it. Try not to go too far. We are on an island and there’s no way off, unless of course you can swim 20 miles.”
This was the first time that he had mentioned this little tidbit of information. I’d felt trapped before, but now I was not only trapped, but isolated from the rest of the world.
“I do hope that you enjoy my hospitality. I am currently making a chocolate soufflé, but it’s not going to be ready for the next couple of hours. I think that you’ll agree that it’s better than sex.”
I almost choked on my wine. He was now fingering his glass. He looked like he knew exactly what he said and what kind of effect it could have on me.
I got up, stumbled and in a blink of an eye, he was there to hold me up. My hand grazed the fabric of those sheer briefs and I felt him flex under the need to feel more of my fingers and my hand working him into a frenzy.
I stayed there a little longer than I intended, but that only made him stand there and enjoy what I was doing. I couldn’t help but to look at him and then feel the presence of his manhood with my fingers tracing the length all the way from the bottom to the top.
The spongy knob was huge by any standard. One touch and he was already leaking. I did not mean to excite him, but I guess having me this close had a way of turning a man into a puddle of his former self.
I was jerking him through the briefs and he was allowing me to have free access without even attempting to pull me away by bodily force. It was like I was stuck and the only thing that I could think about was his cock and the way that it felt moving back and forth in my hands through the outside of his briefs. It grew and it peered over top of the waistband with the head now shiny with his own manly essence.
“I guess this is as good a way to reward me for dinner as anything. I’m just wondering what you’re going to do for an encore when I serve you dessert.”
This pulled me from what I was doing and his attitude was enough to make me wish that I hadn’t even started something.
“You may be handsome, sexy and charming, but you have the class of a baboon.” I walked away from him, smiling at the way that I had put him down and knowing that he had no way to know that I was making a teasing gesture. He was a little crass, but I guess growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth can cause you to act in all sorts of unpredictable ways.
Chapter Four
He did not try to pursue, but I still had a feeling like I was being watched. I wouldn’t put it past him to have surveillance all over the island, just to make sure that I didn’t do something ill advised. I took his advice and I went into the gardens and was quite amazed by the many different types of flowers and plants.
I was still feeling slightly under the weather and I knew that it would be sometime before I was 100%. I was kinda glad that he had drugged me, even though it did feel like he’d taken away a piece of my independence.
He looked at me with that same lovelorn stare, as other guys have done in the past. This was different and he was not just in lust with me. There was something strange about him. Each time that I learned more about Ash, I began to see him in a different light. I didn’t like his dominating attitude. I guess he couldn’t help it and I’m sure that it was a product of how he was raised.
I saw a bright light shooting into the sky and out of curiosity alone; I began to follow it to its source. It had been three days of being here and I don’t think that I had barely scratched the surface of who Ash was.
He was keeping his personal life close to the vest. Everything he said sounded like some kind of politician. He had a way of answering a question without answering it at all. I think he was getting a little fed up with my attitude. He must’ve been used to a woman bowing down to worship at the feet of Ash.
I pushed through the foliage, feeling fatigued after only a couple of minutes. I was definitely going to have to get back my stamina. After I healed, I would turn my attention back to making my body into the temple that I used to believe it to be. I would steer clear of any sweets, unless it was a personal favorite and not something that I did on a regular basis. I could have healthy food and still have it taste good.
I just had to watch my salt intake and eliminate sugars from my diet completely. It might sound hard to do, but it was all about discipline. I’d done it in the past and I had gotten away from it. Now that I was out of that disastrous relationship, I could concentrate on me.
“I have done my best, but I find no reason to take it any further than what we already have.”
Ash’s voice was quite clear and when I pushed through the last branch, I came to a clearing. I immediately backtracked within the trees, moving the branches, so that I could see Ash.
“I know, but our first findings were incorrect. These people have no idea of the gold mine that they are sitting on. The soil is rich with the nutrients that we need to survive. I’ve taken samples and it has been painstaking work, but I’ve come to the conclusion that this planet is only good for nourishment.”
He was standing there with his hands outstretched and his face lifted to the sky. There was this eerie glow of a green light surrounding him. He was moving his fingers and if I didn’t know any better, I would say that he was using them, as some sort of antenna.
“This planet will be harvested, but we will only take what we need to survive. There is no need to invade and it’s my personal opinion that this planet should be left alone. I understand that this is not under my purview. I just wanted to make my findings clear before you took it to the Elders. Trust me, I’ve been down here long enough to know that we will have fierce opposition if we decided to make a full scale invasion.”
His face was shaking back and forth at a speed that was hard to notice with the naked eye.
I was totally stunned and I had no idea that I would be experiencing what would be considered first contact. He was an alien life form and he was answering to those that wanted to destroy the planet. I flashed on an image of my ex boyfriend. I must’ve gasped, because he turned in my direction and I felt afraid for my own life.
I was once again running and even though it hurt to breathe, I’d found the necessary reserve deep down to force myself to move. I did not hear his footsteps or feel the hot breath of his on my neck. The only thing I felt was complete terror.
I would have to find a way off the island, even if it meant swimming 20 miles. I would probably die trying such a reckless thing, but at least I would be away from him.
“You shouldn’t have heard that.”
I came to an abrupt stop in front of him and how he had done that was like some kind of magician’s trick.
“Stacy, it’s not what you think.”
He was using that same line that my boyfriend did when I found him with the neighbor next door. I remember that day vividly and why I gave him a pass was beyond me. I think it was due to the fact that he seemed genuinely sorry for what he did.
I guess I’ve always been a sucker for wounded or damaged things. There was obviously something broken inside my boyfriend. I didn’t even want to mention his name.
“I don’t know how you can say that with a straight face, Ash. I don’t even know if that’s your real name. You are an alien and there’s no sense in sugar coating it. We both know the truth, but now it’s up to you to decide what you’re going to do about it.”
I made a feint to the left and when he went to grab me, I turned around him and began running all over again.
I slammed into him and it was like hitting a brick wall, while going 40 miles an hour on the highway. I landed heavily on my ass, but thankfully I had a bit more cushion than the average girl. I put my hand to my nose and there was blood pooling between my fingers. I thought that I had broken it before.
“I can’t have you running around yelling that the sky is falling.”
He gripped my wrist and I tried to wrench free, but it was like trying to pull myself away from an iron claw.
“I didn’t want to tell you this, but from the moment that I met you, things have changed. I was going to give my findings and tell them that this planet was ripe for invasion and that we could use the people as slaves. I had no interest in the females of your species, except for a few carnal curiosities for scientific purposes.
It was only enough to tame the beast, but meeting you and being near you has brought that feeling to a boil. The mating cycle has begun and I can feel it like a hot knife in my chest. I know now that I was just waiting for the right woman.”
He was looking at me again in that way and I knew that he was probably thinking that I was that one.
“You can’t be serious. You’re really going to keep me prisoner here, while at the same time trying to convince me that we were meant to be? How delusional are you?”
He pulled me by bodily force back towards the estate. We crossed through the gardens and then entered back inside. I heard the sound of the locks slamming shut and it made me feel like somebody was walking over my grave.