by Bowles, Jan
“What would you like to eat, Maddie?”
“I’m not hungry,” she mumbled, still staring at her empty bowl.
“You have to eat, Maddie. You didn’t eat anything on the plane last night, either.”
Her eyes flew to his, wide and accusing. “Under the circumstances, perhaps you’ll excuse me for losing my appetite.”
“Don’t try to make me feel sorry for you. You only have yourself to blame for your predicament.
“And don’t I know it.” Her mouth pouted petulantly.
“While I have your attention, you may as well use the facilities here. There are horses, a tennis court, and a swimming pool for your entertainment. No need to feel like a prisoner. However, you will be under my direct supervision until such time as you pay back, shall we say, the loan.” He emphasized the last two words in a derisory tone and watched her flinch.
He continued, “I’ve told security that you’re not allowed to leave the ranch, under any circumstances.” Obviously, he hadn’t done any such thing. He didn’t want all the staff knowing his private business, but just saying it would keep Maddie where he could keep a close eye on her.
“What’s the matter? Afraid I’ll disappear?”
“You’re my investment, Maddie. At the moment, you’re worth half a million dollars to me. I need to keep you contained until such time as you pay me back. Talking of payments, you didn’t come to my room last night.”
Her jaw literally dropped open. “I was exhausted last night. Besides, apart from not knowing where your room is, I thought you’d be coming to me.”
He shook his head, almost wanting to laugh out loud at her dismissive behavior, but he didn’t. “That’s not the way it works within this relationship. I do not force myself on anyone. From now on, this is how it will be. You will come to my room. You will give yourself to me freely and willingly for the duration of the night. Let’s say from midnight to seven. Is that clear?”
When she nodded, he smiled inwardly. If she came to his room and gave herself freely, then he wouldn’t feel guilty. There was no way he would force her to do anything she didn’t want to.
Maybe he’d scratch the itch he’d had for this woman, and then move on. He felt sure that once the object of desire had been attained, the spell would be broken.
“As for my room, it’s right next to yours. You can’t miss it.”
He folded the newspaper he’d been reading and placed it on the table. He shook his head. “What it is it with you James girls anyway? You’re both as bad as each other, always getting into trouble with the law. Tut, tut.”
Her head snapped upright, and she asked quickly, “Why, what have you heard?”
He pointed to the newspaper as he stood to leave. “Oh, so you don’t know. Your sister Simone was arrested in Cannes yesterday for drunk driving. It’s all over the press.”
Maddie snatched the paper up. “Yesterday? Are you sure?” Frantically, she turned the pages until she found the article—a double page spread, with pictures of Simone leaving the police station with her hands partially covering her face. A silent gasp left her lips as she stared at the photograph.
The last thing he heard as he walked from the dining room was, “How could you, Simone?” Then the sound of crockery smashed loudly against the wall before she rushed past him.
“Manners,” he called after her, as she hurriedly went outside. He wondered why she was so upset. Her sister’s misdemeanor wasn’t even in the same league as her own. So what was her problem?
* * * *
It took an immense effort to keep herself together as a young ranch hand saddled up a horse for her.
“There you go, ma’am. You’ll not have any trouble with Lucinda. She’s a fine mare.”
She hadn’t ridden since she was a teenager, but she set off at a determined gallop away from the colonial style ranch house.
The direction didn’t matter. Just so long as she was alone. The wind whipped through her hair as she urged the bay mare faster and faster. When she came to a creek, she slowed the horse down and dismounted.
Immediately, she burst into tears. Her sister had deceived her. Anger racked through her breathless body. Sinking to her knees, she hurtled several stones into the rippling water.
Eventually she could hold it in no longer, and she screamed her frustration at the top of her voice, “Simone, you fucking selfish bitch!”
When she had seen the newspaper, the initial relief that Simone was still alive was fast replaced with seething anger. Never in all her life had she suspected that the kidnapping had all been a hoax—a scam to dupe her into sending money. What her sister had done to her was evil. Pure evil.
Simone had been sponging off her for years. As someone who liked to impress, she had constantly lived beyond her means. When she started to mix with the wrong crowd, cocaine and heroin had become major factors in her life. She guessed the money was to feed her habit and to pay off her mounting debts. It was obvious that her sister couldn’t care less how she got it. You bitch, Simone. Just wait until I get a hold of you.
Now, because of her sister’s selfish behavior, she’d become the property of Keaton Rivers. She was his to do with as he pleased until such time as she paid him back.
Angry thoughts filled her head. Jesus, what would she do to that girl when she finally caught up with her?
Chapter Four
How many times had she done that? Every few minutes, she would glance at the clock on her bedside table and her heart would flip as the minute hand moved inexorably closer to midnight.
Just five more minutes, and her fate would be sealed. She’d be nothing more than a common whore. What else could you call it when she was selling her sexual services to stay out of jail?
It had been her intention not to make any effort in her appearance, but pride made her do otherwise.
Her hands were shaking as she tied the white satin robe around her naked body. Keaton Rivers would soon know her intimately. How on earth could she gain any pleasure from the experience? It would just be cold, unemotional sex—nothing more than that. The possibility of climaxing would be unthinkable.
As midnight arrived, she knew her time was up.
Her breathing increased as she opened her bedroom door and stepped out onto the landing. For some reason, she actually counted the steps to his room. Seven was her lucky number, and the irony was not lost on her.
Raising her hand, she tapped lightly on the door. She heard his rich, deep voice reply, “Enter.” With trembling hands, she pushed it open, fear and excitement in equal measure.
The room was dimly lit by just one bedside lamp. Its light spilled over a huge brass bed and, picked out in golden glow, the colonial-style furniture.
Keaton sat on the bed, a newspaper in his hands. She swallowed hard. Apart from a towel around his waist, he was completely naked.
Her eyes drifted over the hard ridges and ripples of his stomach and his strong muscular arms covered with dark masculine hair. It was obvious that he was no stranger to serious workouts. No boardroom belly and three-hour lunches for this guy.
He abruptly tossed the paper aside and then looked directly at her. His gaze pinned her to the spot. Her legs shook, and she felt like a wild animal trapped in a car’s headlights.
“Lock the door and bring the key to me.”
The hairs on the back of her neck prickled at the deep tone of his voice. With trembling fingers, she turned the key and removed it from the lock. It was a deliberate act to show his control over her. Her hand shook as she handed him the key. He smiled as he took it from her, and then secured it on a chain around his neck. Now it would be visible whenever she looked at him, a symbol of his power and domination over her.
“You look quite the sacrificial virgin, all dressed in white, Maddie. Am I supposed to feel guilty?”
Her head jerked up to stare at him. “You must make your own judgment.”
“Then let’s get the ball rolling.” When he stood, he tower
ed over her. Her whole body shook as he reached out a hand and undid the tie at her waist. Her robe fell open, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her naked body. She could clearly see her breasts rising and falling with her increased breathing. The white silk robe visibly shook.
He pulled the flimsy silk garment from her shoulders, and it fell to the floor, pooling at her feet. Now completely naked, she closed her eyes, unable to think straight.
“You have a beautiful body, Maddie. One I will enjoy fucking again and again. And I won’t feel guilty, because I’ll be thinking of that half a million dollars you still owe me.”
He moved behind her. When his hands caressed her breasts, she jolted from the contact. Squeezing her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, he felt their weight in his hands. She felt like a piece of merchandise that he was sizing up. Slowly, he slipped one hand down to her neatly trimmed pussy.
“Breathe,” he ordered, against her ear, as his fingers teased her clit. Up until then, she hadn’t realized that she’d been holding her breath, and she gasped for air, filling her lungs as she leaned back against his bare flesh.
“You’re as skittish as a wild filly. I’m going have to break you in gradually to my tastes.”
She closed her eyes. His hands made her wonder if she’d sold her soul to the devil. Surely, she should feel repulsed, but nothing of the kind entered her mind—scared, yes, and immense shame, too, but not repulsion.
Keaton Rivers was a powerful and attractive man. Most women would be glad to share his bed.
He nuzzled her neck, and she felt his masculine skin rasp against her cheek.
“Legs wider. I need to check if you’re enjoying any of this.”
Trapped against his torso, she did as he commanded, widening her stance as his fingers dipped into her pussy. She held her breath again, trying to be unresponsive about the whole thing. “Keaton, I need an emotional bond in order to have complete enjoyment.”
“I really hope you enjoy this time with me, Maddie, but if you don’t, I won’t be too disappointed. Your feelings are unimportant to me. You are simply servicing a debt.” He paused and then added sarcastically, “Isn’t it better being here with me, than spending your time locked up with a couple of lesbians sharing your cell?” He laughed. “They could make you do far worse things than I ever could.”
“I’ve no idea, but then I’m concerned because I have no idea what you expect of me, either.”
“Hmm.” His hand moved to her hair, where he pushed it aside to kiss the nape of her neck. “You smell so good, Maddie. Good and wholesome. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll have a whole new outlook on the world.” He licked the exposed skin, and a shiver ran down her spine. “Tonight, we’ll get to know each other conventionally, and then tomorrow your training will begin.”
Her heart started beating faster. He’d said it so casually, but the words were laced with intent. Just what had she gotten herself into? Images of bondage and fetish acts surfaced in her mind, and she shivered involuntarily. “Training?”
“Yes, you need to be punished for stealing from me. I have to make sure you don’t do it again. Now, I’m going to lie on the bed, and you’re going to straddle me on all fours.”
She complied with his demands, telling herself that all she had to do was switch off and think about the day she sold her house, and could pay back the money she’d stolen. Then you can have your revenge on Simone. Only it was hard to concentrate, as he trailed a hand down her spine in a slow, deliberate manner. She couldn’t help but respond to his touch, and her body curved away from the sensuous feeling.
His other hand smoothed a path to her pussy, where he tantalized the sensitive nub with gentle strokes of his fingers. How could she ignore his touch? When he squeezed her clit between his finger and thumb, she gasped with enjoyment.
“I know you like that,” he said confidently. “You’ve gone so wet.”
Immediately, she closed her eyes, and he admonished her. “This first time you will look directly at me until I say otherwise. Understand?”
Complying, she stared into his bright blue piercing gaze, knowing he wanted to see her reaction at all times. She wondered if he was trying to lessen his guilt. Would he feel better if he saw pleasure registered there?
As she stared relentlessly into his eyes, she almost felt hypnotized. She glanced at his mouth. He hadn’t once kissed her properly, and yet she felt she somehow knew him. Perhaps she was kidding herself, making herself believe that this man touching her intimately wasn’t a stranger to her.
When he began rubbing his thumb and forefinger over her clit again, she let out a tight moan. Surely, she wasn’t supposed to enjoy it. Embarrassed, she turned away, but he spoke in a clear commanding voice.
“Look at me. I want to see everything you’re feeling.” Staring once more into his eyes, she felt out of control. His fingers began to slide into her pussy, and she knew she’d gone wet by how easy it felt.
The idea of sex without emotion had always kept her from sleeping around, but this felt illicit, dangerous, and exciting. Keaton Rivers was an attractive man. His body appeared perfectly honed and lay just a few inches beneath her. She felt his heat rising around her, bringing with it the heady smell of his male musky scent. Kneeling on all fours, she could feel his thighs on either side of her legs, his masculine body hair tantalizing her skin.
Her breathing increased, and she could barely contain the moans inside her lips as he finger-fucked her closer and closer to ecstasy. Almost at her breaking point, she bit down on her bottom lip.
Obviously, he must have known she was close because he withdrew his fingers, and then pulled the towel from him.
His cock looked huge, the end swollen and ready with pre-cum. Unable to comprehend what had happened, she was desperate for him to be inside her, but she kept her cries firmly locked away.
“Now we’re going to get to know each other real well.” He pulled her down so that she lay flat against him. Her legs splayed on either side of his. His cock just touched her moist aching flesh. The warmth and masculinity of his hard body next to hers, felt both intimate and shocking.
Her breathing increased, the short sharp breaths erratic as his cock lay poised to enter her at any moment.
He brushed the hair from her eyes. A smile almost touched his face. “Still think you need an emotional bond in order to achieve pleasure?” His rhetorical question hung in the air between them. “I know you want it bad, but just how bad, Maddie? Let’s find out, shall we? Now, hook your legs around mine.”
Chapter Five
Maddie did as he ordered, and, almost immediately, he spread her legs wider with his own. His cock invaded just an inch of her wet pussy. She needed release, and she squirmed as he held her firmly in place. A whimper of frustration escaped her lips. Being just on the edge was pure torture. The man had so much control over his own body. It frightened and amazed her. Surely, he would want his own satisfaction, but he seemed to want her complete surrender, too. He forced her legs even wider. His cock dominated her thoughts as it speared the entrance of her vagina even more.
Staring into his eyes, she finally gave in. “Keaton, just do it. I want it. You know I do. Just fuck me hard.”
“Good girl. For telling the truth, you get rewarded.”
The air left her lungs as he finally sunk inside her. Nerve endings already sensitized pulsed and rippled as his huge cock impaled her. Her body automatically arched from the intense pleasure as he stretched her wet channel to its breaking point.
Writhing in ecstasy, she moaned as he ground his length to the hilt. When he flipped her on her back, the full force of his weight behind his actions sent her spiraling into meltdown. With her hands pinned above her head, he gazed into her eyes as he began grinding his length into her.
“I know you like the idea of us joined so intimately. It really turns you on. My hard cock pumping inside you as you lie trapped beneath me.”
When she glanced down between t
heir bodies, she saw her feminine juices coating his shaft as he sank repeatedly inside her. The whole of his stomach flexed as he made bold inward strokes. The hairs on his body caught the light as he moved over hers.
A moan escaped her lips. He knew exactly what to say to light her fires. Leaning down, he took a nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. With her resistance failing, her whole body lifted from the bed to accept the pleasure he gave her. She welcomed the exquisite sensation as he lapped her nipple with his tongue.
Writhing beneath him, an extreme spasm gripped her insides and rippled out with an intensity that shocked her. She’d had orgasms before, but never like this. Her whimpers of satisfaction filled the quiet of the bedroom as her body convulsed and bucked involuntarily.
He kissed her then, as he drove his hard prick through the aftershocks, licking her lips as if to savor her climax. “You come so sweetly, Maddie. Now I know I’m going to really enjoy our time together.”
Trapped beneath him, she stared into his eyes, fighting for breath. Aware of his hard lean body held over hers, he began thrusting even harder inside her. It was the most exquisite feeling she’d ever experienced. Nothing before had come remotely close. Surely, she should hate every minute of it. Instead, her back arched into the pleasure, loving the feeling of being dominated by such a powerful man. The key around his neck swung back and forth every time he moved, banging relentlessly against her breasts with each delicious stroke. It symbolized his power over her like nothing else could. It reminded her that she had committed a crime and was being punished. Well, if this was her punishment, she wanted more of the same.
* * * *
Keaton lay back against the pillow, his breathing hard. The sex session with Maddie had surprised him. She had surprised him. It had all started so clinically, but they’d both found enjoyment. Her cries and whimpers had really turned him on. He realized he might have just found the perfect pupil, because she seemed to like being submissive.