“I’m warning you,” he says in a low growl.
“You can go now, Miles. I have to get up early to meet my friend for coffee.”
“Which friend?” he asks, as if I’m going to tell him.
I don’t tell him it’s Frank. “Why tell you when I know you’ll find out tomorrow?” I’m playing with fire, I know, but I don’t care.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He wraps the towel around his waist, picks up his clothes from the floor, and walks out. I hear the front door slam shut behind him.
I go to my nightstand and open the top drawer. The new box of condoms stares back at me unopened. I walk to the living room and grab my phone. I pull up the text message from Frank, confirming tomorrow. I’ve become quite fond of him. He’s also on a healing journey. He shared that he lost his daughter a couple of years ago. There is so much griefwhen he talks about her. I can see the pain in his eyes. It’s nice to be there for someone without having to share my shit.
I’m exhausted. I return to the shower and get cleaned up, then I head to bed. I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping when I hear someone.
“Shhh, Princesa.” His voice is low and soft. Tender. I feel his warm hand caressing my cheek. I try to lean into it, but I can’t. Then the hand pulls away. My arms feel like they are stuck on something. I try to turn my body, but I can’t. My body recognizes that this isn’t right, and it begins to panic. “Just relax.” The low and soft tone of his voice has disappeared. I open my eyes and find Miles sitting on the edge of the bed. Looking at me with one of his wicked—but sexy-as-hell—smiles. I try to get up, but I can’t. I look at my hands and see that I’m bound to the bed by my wrists. What the hell? I don’t have bedposts. I look closer, and the straps go under my bed. I must have slept hard for me not to hear him.
“What the fuck did you do to me? How did you get into my apartment?” I shout.
He laughs; the fucker actually laughs. “Isn’t it obvious? I told you earlier. You aren’t going on a coffee date and especially not with Frank or anyone else.” His hand goes into his pocket, and he pulls out a key—my apartment key—and he knows it’s with Frank because of course he does.
“Are you out of your goddamn mind, Miles? It’s a coffee with a friend. You know what friends are, right?”
“I doubt he has any intentions of just being your friend. I saw the way he looked at you.”
I try to wiggle my body, as if that’s going to do anything.
“You’re being fucking infuriating, you know that,” I scream. “No wonder you’re friends with my brothers and cousins.” I’m so angry that all I see is red. “You had these in your apartment?” I motion to the restraints.
He places his hand over his heart. “Baby, you wound me.”
“Stop calling me baby, you asshole.” I continue to tug and wiggle.
“To answer your question, no, I didn’t have them in my apartment. I went and got them just for you.” He’s still smiling. “I’m not going to lie. This is a great view. How about you wiggle some more? I love seeing your tits bounce.”
“You know what? When I get out of here, I’m going to see Frank and fuck his brains out. Just to prove I can.”
I feel the shift in the air around us, and I know I’ve fucked up, but I won’t admit it. He walks next to me, lowering his face, and brushes his nose along mine. “You’re such a disobedient brat. I’ll keep you locked up if needed.” He straightens and then walks out the door.
I scream as he walks out of the room. “I’m going to fucking kill you, Miles.” I hear his laugh echo in the hallway, then it stops when the front door is closed. “Ahhhhhh! You fucking asshole! I hate you so much!”
I exhaust myself trying to figure out how to get out of this predicament. I tug the restraints in hopes that I can get them off the bed frame, but I can’t. I have no idea where my phone is. I tried to open my nightstand with my foot, but all I did was knock it to the ground.
I consider yelling, but there is no one here to help me. I hear footsteps approach, but I never heard the front door open. He never even left the apartment.Motherfucker.I close my eyes and pretend I'm sleeping. I hear him approach.
“I know you’re awake.” I can practically hear him laughing.
I swing my left leg over and manage to kick him on his right side. I’m about to kick again when he catches my leg.
“Do you want me to tie those legs up as well? I prefer them wrapped around me while I’m buried inside you.”
“You wish.” I act indignant, but he can see through me, through my body's reaction to him. “I hate you.”
“You can keep telling yourself that. I can keep telling myself that. But this…” He moves his hand up my leg, leaving a trail of scorch marks on my skin, until he’s cupping my pussy through my thin shorts. “No one is going to see this but me.” Then he moves up my soft stomach. He takes his time. His eyes don’t leave mine. He cups my breast and flicks his fingers on my nipple. They instantly harden. “This is all mine. You’re all mine, Veronica Kayde.” His eyes soften.
“I don’t belong to you. In case you forgot, I hate you.” I try to keep it together, but his touch is distracting me.
He just shrugs. His hands move to the waistband of my sleeping shorts, and he pulls them off. I don’t fight him, but I should.Right?He unbuttons his jeans and shucks them off. I stare at him, my breath hitching as the sharp memory of my lips around him floods my mind. When I look up, he’s already watching me, a knowing smirk playing on his face. He begins to spread my legs, and I feel the mattress dip between my thighs as he settles in.
“You look like a fucking queen…no, a goddess.” A small whimper escapes me. “Tell me,baby,”—he enunciates the words—“have any of the men or women you’ve been with ever worshipped you?”
