“There won’t be any other circumstance,” I reminded her. “You’re mine, and in a couple of days, you’ll be my wife. Now, sign the bloody papers.” Reaching for the pen where Polly had dropped it, I thrust the papers at her. “Sign now and make your afternoon a lot less strenuous than it might otherwise have been.”
For a moment, she stared at me, time protracting in a silent stand-off, then, just as I thought I’d have to take drastic action, she softened. I actually acknowledged the moment it transpired, her shoulders falling before she reached for the pen.
Chapter Thirteen
Hilary
SO MUCH FOR MASTERMINDING my escape. So much for using the time out of my dark box as an opportunity to find a way out of this neverending nightmare. All that leaving my cell had achieved was utter subjugation and the reality I’d been bared and humiliated in front of an office full of people—men and women of all pay grades, some even younger than me—who’d seen everything I had to offer. Shame burned hot in my face as the realization settled over me. What the fuck had happened? How had I allowed this to take place?
The worst, most odious matter wasn’t even the sadistic prick who seemed to get his kicks from tormenting me, but the way my body betrayed me. I’d been turned on when he insisted I strip in Crane’s office, and despite the embarrassment of being led out into the hallways on a fucking leash, the tightening knot at my core assured me I was crazy with lust. Sean took these dastardly deeds—cravings I couldn’t even articulate in my filthiest dreams—and twisted them, making them games I had no choice but to play. My head ached from the paradox, the burden weighing heavier than his shoes, balanced snugly on the small of my back.
Inhaling, I tried to move past that, tried to ignore what was patently obvious. It was certainly clear to any of the dozens of pairs of shoes I’d seen strutting past my limited eyeline—I was still naked, gagged, and on all fours, and this time, my loving, husband-to-be was using me as a footrest while he and Crane, Jr. discussed the weather and economy. My pussy clenched as their words floated over my head, the sense I was only here to be useful in some aesthetic or functional way debilitating. Why did it feel so good to be used this way? Why was the pussy he insisted on keeping shaved so aroused by the objectification?
“I have to congratulate you, Sean.” Crane’s son’s voice was louder. My head tilted in his direction, though the last thing I wanted to do was to catch his eye. The only decent thing about being in this position was I didn’t have to make eye contact with anyone. It was the only thing keeping me sane in this torrid ordeal. “I do admire you.”
Strained silence filled the air, and while I couldn’t be sure, I had the sense they were both staring at me.
“You approve of my choice?” Sean’s reply was sardonic. Even I knew him well enough to know he didn’t give a shit what anyone else thought.
“Absolutely.” Crane Jr. almost growled the response. “She’s gorgeous. Where did you find her?”
“She kind of just fell into my lap.” Sean chuckled. “I’m lucky that way.”
“Yes, you are. Thanks for the performance earlier, by the way. The spanking was smoking hot.”
He was louder, as though he was edging up his seat to get a better look at me. I hung my head, eyes closed. As if this wasn’t excruciating enough, the revolting prick was moving closer. I tensed, and as if Sean could read my thoughts, he reached for me, one hand running a line down my shoulder blade, and I steadied at his touch. Even though I loathed myself for being soothed by the hand of the devil who’d done this to me, at least, he was the devil I knew.
“It wasn’t for your enjoyment.” Sean’s tone was brusque.
“I realize that.” Crane sounded more nervous. Perhaps he sensed he’d overstepped an invisible line. “I was just saying... it was an awesome show.”
He paused. “Do you mind if I touch her?”
I gasped around the gag, every muscle tightening at the hideous suggestion, and for a few seconds, there was no response, a period where Sean’s silence terrified me.
“I do mind.” Sean sounded distinctly unimpressed. “You’ve already got a much better view than I might have liked.”
My toes curled as the reality of the statement resonated. Crane Jr. was sitting to Sean’s right, which meant he had a view of my punished backside and shaved pussy. Mortification raced through my blood, threatening to take my breath away. Of course, I knew where he was and what he could see, but to hear it spoken about so straightforwardly—suddenly, it was difficult to take in air.
“That’s a shame.” Even after Sean’s refusal, Crane sounded smug. “I’d have loved to dip my pencil in her.”
“That’s enough.” Sean’s shoes shifted at my back, landing on the carpet at my side. “We’re done here.”
“Seems like you’re a little sensitive, Sean.” Crane Jr. laughed cruelly. “You haven’t fallen for the footrest, have you?”
“Haven’t you got a job to do?” Sean was on his feet beside me. “Isn’t that what daddy pays you for?”
“Slick,” Crane sniggered. I caught sight of him rising to his full height behind me. “Very slick, Sean.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Sean tugged at the leash still connected to the leather at my neck, and I pressed myself to his leg without him needing to ask. He might be a sick twisted man, but at least I knew something about him, felt something for him. Crane’s son was nothing but a leering monster. “Best you fuck off then.”
“Still here, Mr. Hyland?”
I closed my eyes. The elder Crane seemed like a reasonably sensible man, though he persisted in allowing this lunacy to play out in his premises. Perhaps they were all as bad as the other?
“I was just finishing my coffee with Ed, but it seems he has to get back to work...” Sean’s voice trailed away.
“Yes.” Crane Sr. sounded even less impressed than Sean. “That would be nice.”
“I’ll get right to it, boss.” Sarcasm oozed from Crane’s son as he wandered around the couches to join his father. “Make sure you stay in touch, Sean. Let me know if you change your mind. I’ll always have a pencil she can borrow.”
“That’s enough, Ed,” Crane Sr. snapped. “Your paperwork is complete, Mr. Hyland. All that remains is for you to send me a copy of your marriage certificate after the ceremony.”
“No problem.” Sean sounded calmer. Breathing in the scent of his trouser leg, I realized I was as well. It was strange to admit I was comforted by the lunatic who’d snatched and exposed me—the same man who demanded matrimony—but as my pulse settled, I acknowledged the truth. Sean was a swine, but when it mattered, he had stepped in to protect me. It might not be much, but it meant a lot to the naked woman wrapping herself around his ankles.
“I’ll make sure it’s sent to you. Thank you, Mr. Crane.” Reaching down, he ran his fingers through my hair. “How are you doing down there?”
I opened my eyes to find both Crane’s headed down the hall, but naturally, the ball between my lips made any real answer impossible.
“Ready to go home?”
That was an unenviable question. Crane’s offices had been filled with nothing but torment and denigration, but the place he referred to as home had been scarily similar. Not sure how to respond, but certain I didn’t want to piss him off again any time soon, I lifted my chin to meet his knowing gaze.
“Not sure?” He smirked down at me.
Slowly, I shook my head. “No, Sir.”
I only tried to reply to appease Sean, but it was the oddest thing. As I mouthed the words around the plastic, I found the answer absurdly arousing. Yes, it was embarrassing to know he’d taken away my ability to speak, but after everything he’d put me through, Sean felt like sanctuary.
“Are you hungry?” The leer morphed into a smile, his expression almost loving as he sat down again and drew me onto his lap.
“Yes, Sir.” I nodded against his chest, breathing in the spicy aroma of his cologne, a scent I was starting to enjoy.
I buried my face into his shirt at the perturbing thought.
“I’ll get us some takeout on the way,” he told me softly, one of his large hands cradling the back of my head. “It’s been something of a morning, hasn’t it?”
Once again, I nodded. It was impossible to disagree. My willful refusal to sign the papers had provoked him into the awful spanking, and as though he got a taste for the public humiliation, he’d decided to hang around afterward. There probably wasn’t a person in Crane’s employment who hadn’t seen me naked and disgraced.
“Things could have been a lot easier if you’d only signed the first time.” His voice was wistful as his hand shifted to stroke the side of my heated face. “Less enjoyable perhaps, but definitely easier.”
Sighing, I rested against him. He had a point. I could have made things easier on myself, but still, the argument lingered—why should I? Why shouldn’t I counter him? Why not resist?
“You signed them in the end, though.”
I heard the glee in his tone, the assertion proof my obstruction had achieved nothing. When push had come to shove, I’d had no choice. Weary and humiliated, I’d done whatever I had to do to make the torment stop. Even though I didn’t agree with the contracts I’d put my name to or think they were fair, ultimately, I ceded.
With Sean, it always seemed to be the case.
A wave of emotion surged, rising from somewhere deep inside. It was always going to be like this, wasn’t it? There was no point trying to defy him. Sean had bowled into my life, and now his word was law. Tears pricked my eyes at the demoralizing thought. I’d never been a super independent woman, but I’d enjoyed my life before this. How could I accept this was now my future—a life as Mrs. Sean Hyland.
“When are you going to learn, if you do as you’re told, things will be much smoother?” He sniggered, his thumb caressing my chin before it paused, hooking beneath it and forcing my focus back to his face. “Why is it so hard?”
Embarrassed, I blinked the burgeoning tears away. Why was I crying? After everything I’d been through, why was this conversation so difficult?
“Hey.” His brow furrowed. “What is it?”
What is it? Was the guy serious? Couldn’t he tell what this was?
Tilting his head, his fingers moved to the gag and fished it out of my mouth. The ball fell to my chest, along with a humiliating line of saliva.
“Tell me.”
“I’m exhausted, Sir.” It wasn’t a lie, just not the truth he wanted. Sean had to learn what had become so patently clear—we didn’t always get what we wanted. “Just tired and hungry.”
“You’re sure that’s all it is?” His fingers tightened at my chin.
What did he expect me to say?
“Yes, Sir.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“We’re going.” He rose from his seat, sweeping me into his arms as if I weighed nothing. Clutching me to his chest, he stalked from the office. “Let’s get you home.”
Chapter Fourteen
Sean
I WATCHED HER SLEEP, time slipping by as the shadows crept across the room. It was impossible to say how long I’d been here, propped up on one elbow, staring at her. At times, I was tempted to rouse her, to graze a finger along the delicious curve of her hip and see if she’d stir, but I never did. I had pressed her, pulverized her, applied so much pressure she almost broke, and now I had to fix her. At least, that’s what I’d told myself after I’d brought her back from Crane’s office, my papers finally signed and sealed. Everything was in place for the wedding. All I had to do was keep her and ensure we were both ready for our nuptials.
That had been a day ago, though it may well have been a lifetime. Hours spent together, holding and consoling, and unlike the prior days of taunting, teasing, and abandoning, I really was invested. I hadn’t left Hilary since we’d returned from Crane and had no intention of doing so until she became Mrs. Hyland. I still hadn’t let her come, despite the constant stimulation. She was as wet and as desperate as ever, but I didn’t need to leave her bound to the chair for hours on end. Now, I could be here to supervise her myself.
An errant smile lit my face as I recalled the wonderful supervision I’d undertaken. I’d taken her right to the edge so many times, I could scarcely keep count, and I’d denied her, cruel bastard that I am. One thing was different, though. Reaching for her back, I finally gave in to the yearning, brushing over her soft skin to prove the point. I’d taken to having her here in my bed. When I’d first rented this place, keeping her bound in the other room had seemed fitting—a good place to start her training—but as our wedding loomed, I wanted her close, needed to know where she was, how she was. It had taken hours to quell her after Crane’s office, and though I had zero regrets about the way I’d publicly demeaned her, I understood those incidents took their toll. With the wedding on the horizon, I needed to spend some time taking care of her, as well as making her suffer. In the shadows of this room, I’d fought to find the balance—a balance which would sustain us into married life.
“Mmmm.” She roused at my touch, rolling toward me.
“Shhh,” I replied, mournful to have disturbed her beauty sleep. God knew she would need it. “Go back to sleep.”
“Sir?”
My cock reacted to her throaty plea as though it was the bound blonde who’d conditioned me, not the other way around. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” My lips curled at her concern, though she couldn’t see the gesture in the gloom. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” That was both the truth and a lie.
“Is today the day?” Trepidation trembled in her voice.
“If you mean, is today your wedding day, then yes it is, gorgeous.” I chuckled at her fraught tone. Whatever transpired, I would make sure it was a day she’d never forget.
She sighed, the sound lingering in the darkness.
“Excited?” I couldn’t resist playing the game with her. Taunting Hilary was too much fun.
“I’m...” She hesitated as if she couldn’t find the words. “Nervous, Sir.”
“You needn’t be. Every detail has been taken care of, and you are going to look phenomenal.” Arousal surged at the thought of the outfit I’d arranged. It wouldn’t be long until I had her exactly where I wanted her, my beautiful bound bride. No doubt, she would blush again.
“I...” Once more, a pause, indicating how torn she was, her need to please me warring with whatever desire she was struggling to vocalize.
“What?” I leaned closer, encouraging her to roll onto her back in the shadows.
Blowing out another breath, she complied, her bound wrists rising as if she was in prayer.
“This just isn’t exactly how I foresaw my wedding day, Sir.” A tiny whimper escaped her throat. “I didn’t even want to get married.”
Stretching out beside her, my fingertips trailed a line over her hip, dipping at her waist en route to the swell of her breasts. She no longer tried to fight me. A part of her had accepted her fate, but her muscles tensed under my caress.
“Remember what I told you.” I intended my words to be reassuring, but at the same time, she had to understand who was in charge. That wasn’t going to change. If Hilary was going to flourish in the marriage, she would have to yield. “Things will be good. You’ll want for nothing, and I will worship you.”
She turned toward me, her eyes shining through the gloom.
“Worship me, Sir?”
“Of course.” I leaned closer, tempted to take the kiss I wanted but wary of my intensifying arousal. One more day. I had one more day to survive before she was my wife, and I could finally claim her. I could resist her lure for that long, couldn’t I? “No man can love you more.”
“You think this is love?”
My back straightened, though there was no trace of sarcasm in her tone.
“This is visceral.” In the end, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Nothing would be gained by g
etting angry with her only a few hours before we tied the knot, and truth be told, we both needed more sleep. “Whatever else this connection is, it’s real, and it’s strong. You can question the label, but I’m standing by my commitment to you. In a few short hours, you’ll become my wife, and I dedicate myself to that cause.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Her gulp was audible in the obscurity of the shadows.
She said that a lot.
“Well, it is beautiful.” Defying the urge to swoop between her legs and impale her, my face lowered, my lips grazing her forehead. “You’re here, you’re mine, and soon, it will be official.”
Her lips brushed my chin in the darkness, the unexpected show of intimacy speaking directly to my erection.
“I hope I make you happy, Sir.”
My brow rose. Based on everything she’d told me and the way she’d fought and resisted me, I was surprised by the tenderness in her voice, but I didn’t dispute it. Perhaps, the dream had finally been realized. Maybe the enigmatic Miss Mantle had finally succumbed to my charms, accepted I was to be her husband, and concluded she may as well revel in my attention. Smiling, I pounced, capturing her mouth and returning the affection. Our lips collided, a frenzy of passion as we took what we needed from each other.
“Sleep now.” Pulling away, I fought for self-control, for the will to wait as I promised I would. “We have a big day in the morning.”
Hilary
EVEN THOUGH IT MADE no sense, I followed Sean’s advice. I should have stayed awake, frantic about the impending doom, terrified as the dread escalated, but after he’d relented and given me the reassurance I craved, I was assuaged, my mind quiet, and soon after, sleep came. I woke some hours later, white light spilling from the blinds in the master bedroom, once more aware of the luxury the bed afforded. Not so long ago, he’d kept me chained in that awful dark place—a place where I barely knew if it was day or night, where survival was the only pressing matter. I didn’t want to go back there, couldn’t conceive it. No matter what the marriage represented, if it meant I could enjoy beds like this, light like this, I would take it—I had no choice.
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