I threw myself back on the bed and stared at him expectantly. “Well?” I asked. “How can I help you?”
He attempted to suppress a smile, and instead, it pushed into an arrogant smirk. “That’s the thanks that I get? I bring you into my home and provide you with a lavish room and you treat me with resentment?” Bastard. I could tell he was goading me. This was all a game to him, but if he thought I wouldn’t play back, then he was sorely mistaken. I would take his game and twist it so that I was the victor.
His eyes scanned my body hungrily, eyeing the skin on my chest where the robe was coming apart. I used it to my advantage, dragging a hand along my body. “Seeing as I haven’t been fed or been provided clothes, I’m not quite in the mood to appreciate your so-called hospitality.” I rolled my eyes for emphasis. I wouldn’t have taken this man for a fool. His cocky attitude was both frustrating and a turn-on. It didn’t help that he was incredibly handsome either and the way he was staring at me… It would cause even the holiest priest to abandon the gods for a taste of the pleasure he held in his eyes.
“Ah, well if that’s all it will take to make you corrigible, then I’m glad that I brought supplies.” He waved his hand and turned around to produce a tray that held a covered dish of food and folded clothing.
He made his way to a small table with two chairs in the corner of the bedroom and uncovered the dish, setting it in front of one of the chairs. The scent of the food reached me, and I was reminded of the fact I was absolutely starving. I didn’t move, though, hoping he would leave me in peace. Of course, he took a seat at the table and simply stared at me, gesturing toward the food. “Dinner is served.”
The last thing that I wanted to do was sit there with his penetrating gaze, never leaving me, but the temptation of food was far too good to resist. “Stupid, arrogant man,” I muttered to myself, and I could have sworn I saw the corner of his lips twitch.
I walked over and sat down, trying–and failing, might I add–to act casual. With all the propriety that I was taught growing up, I dug into the meal as if I hadn’t eaten in years. The food burned my tongue as I went, but I didn’t care right now. Gods, this food was delicious, as if it was plucked from the heavens themselves. I’d forgotten to ask if the meal was poisoned, but I know he wouldn’t have risked taking me if he was going to kill me on the first day. And this food? It had been worth dying for.
“Is it to your liking?” The deepness of his voice pulled me out of my thoughts as I looked down at my half-eaten meal. I glanced at him quickly, noticing how his brows quirked when he looked back at me.
If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought he seemed puzzled. Like I was some wild animal that he didn’t know how to care for. Maybe that was closer to the truth than I cared to admit after the way I had been eating my meal. I took in the way his eyes held more green than I’d noticed previously. They were easy to get lost in, like walking through a lush forest with no map and no guide.
“No, I hated it so much that I ate most of it just to make sure that I truly hated it.” I rolled my eyes and saw his hand twitch. The simple gesture was enough to set my body on fire. What would those calloused hands feel like on my skin? I shook my head.
“Honestly, I was so hungry that I would have eaten anything, even if it was truly horrible.” I looked at him through my lowered lashes. It was an instinct, and I didn’t understand if I was acting coy or if he really brought out a submissive nature in me. Either way, I didn’t like it.
“I apologize I didn’t bring it sooner, but I figured that you might have wanted to rest first. I’ll remember to feed you at regular intervals.” Again, that smirk.
“I’m not a pet. I could’ve fed myself if I wasn’t being held captive.” I leaned closer over the table toward him. “What is it you want from me, anyway? You haven’t told me yet, and I’d like to know my role in your grand scheme.”
He leaned in and rested his chin on his hand, eyes never leaving mine. His gaze was eating me alive, setting my body on fire once more. “As far as you being able to feed yourself, I’m well aware that you’re more than capable. You’re not necessarily being held captive, at least not to the confines of this room. You’re welcome to roam as you wish, provided you stay within my home.” His eyes twinkled as if the thought of me in his home excited him in some way. “As far as your role, that’s to be determined and you, my dear, play a large part in deciding that.” He pushed back from the table and stood up suddenly. “But I think that’s all for now. We can discuss more tomorrow.”
I watched him walk away from me, and suddenly I felt uneasy and alone. I didn’t want to be alone. There was an aching in my chest at the thought.
“Matthew, wait!” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them. I didn’t know what to say next, so I looked down and fiddled with my fingers instead of talking to him. I should have just let him walk out, but I didn’t, and now he was expecting me to say something.
Stupid, Eva.
So utterly stupid.
“Yes?” He asked, and again… I didn’t know what to tell him. His face softened as he continued. “Is there anything else that I can get you? To make you… more comfortable?” My stomach clenched at the thoughtfulness of his words.
He was your damn captor, Eva.
I kept telling myself that he wasn’t a nice man, but I couldn’t fight this tingling in my gut that said otherwise.
“Books. I’d like some books. That way, I won’t feel alone…” I averted my gaze back down to my hands, as I heard his footsteps echoing off of the stone floor. He stopped; his body closer to me than before as he crouched down.
“You’re not alone here, Eva.” His hand reached out to grab mine, and it felt as if a jolt of lightning passed through us. I moaned as the energy flowed through our bodies, but he pulled his hand back, his eyes growing wild, and cleared his throat. “I’ll bring you some books. Is there anything in particular that you would like?”
My voice was soft, I was left almost gasping. “No, just bring me whatever you think is best.” As if he knew me, as if he knew my interests. As long as he didn’t bring me anything boring, I’d suffer through almost anything, though.
He only nodded and headed toward the door, where he paused, just for a moment, and looked back at me. “When I said you were free, Eva, I meant it. I don’t intend to keep you caged up like a bird. You were born to be free, and that’s how I intend to make sure that you stay.” With that, he walked out the door and left my heart beating wildly out of my chest.
17
EVA
The nightmares were back.
Well, it’s not like they ever really left. Being here seemed to bring them back though. They waited for me when I closed my eyes each night. Always the same – my mother’s death played on repeat. Every time I raced to save her and every time, I watched her die again.
There was only one peculiar difference this time. Instead of my mother, sometimes it would be Damien or my father. One time, it was even Matthew. I never knew who I was going to see when I opened those doors, but I felt a part of myself slip away each time it happened.
