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The rain had lightened up, but as a single flash of lightning appeared in the sky, I sensed fear. She was afraid of the dark as all good girls should be. She had no idea how many monsters lurked in the shadows, their hunger never satisfied.
As I pulled over to the curb, she tensed, leaning forward as if anticipating I’d refuse to allow her to leave.
She was one of the lucky ones. She was about to escape the devil’s clutches.
Still shivering, she opened the door, refusing to look at me. “Thank you for the ride.”
“My pleasure,printsessa.” Her hesitation to open the door was fascinating, my hunger spiking. I hated refraining from satisfying my desires.
After a few seconds, she got out into the rain, taking a few seconds before she removed my jacket, finding her knife inside one of the pockets. “You can’t have what belongs to me.”
As she tossed the coat inside, slamming the door, I took a deep breath. Then I sped away, refusing to look back. By the time I’d reached the end of the street, I regretted my decision.
Why the hell had I let her go?
I made the turn, finally able to take a deep breath. The sweet innocence of her still called to me, the taste lingering in my mouth. She and I would meet again. On that day, she’d learn exactly how repulsive I could be.
A bad man never let go of his prize.
* * *
Giada
The cold rain splattered across my face as I walked down the street, chilled to the bone. I hadn’t been foolish enough to allow that man to drop me off at my house, choosing a neighbor’s gated driveway that I didn’t even know. As I walked down the dark and lonely street, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I didn’t even know his name, yet he’d had a profound effect on me. That was silly, ridiculous, but I couldn’t shake the desire pooling in the depths of my being.
I continued to play out the events of the night, unable to stop shaking. What Reggie had done was deplorable, but his behavior didn’t bother me nearly as much as the mysterious man assuming I’d consider him a hero, or what he’d… done to me.
He pleasured you like no man ever has.
I hated the thought, loathed the continuing desires, but it was true. The way my dress slid back and forth constantly reminded me of the spanking as well as… the debauchery. What else was I supposed to call what had occurred between us? And the bastard had kept my panties. I was sickened at the thought of what he’d do with them.
The memory of being in his arms had wrecked me more than I cared to admit, the kiss passionate and overwhelming. I hated thinking about him, wanting him. The torment was killing me more than walking home in the rain or the way my dress was shifting back and forth across my aching bottom.
The rain continued, the chill felt in my bones, but I could still hear firecrackers in the back of my mind. I’d never felt this kind of lust before, and it troubled me more than I cared to admit. It was as if that one kiss had changed everything. Lust was mixed up with anger and hatred, the concoction more explosive than the few minutes of intimacy we’d shared.
While my savior was handsome, he was also nightshade dark, extremely lethal. Not only to assholes like Reggie but to women who gravitated toward his charming personality. If you could call his extreme bravado that. I wasn’t going to be one of those women, falling all over him because he might be good in bed.
Jesus. Maybe I needed to go to confession. At least the silliness of my thought gave me a smile.
I hated myself for thinking this way, my inability to let it go. As I rounded the corner, closing in on my father’s house, I made a promise that I’d shove aside the events of the evening. I had my entire life ahead of me and one man wasn’t going to derail my plans, no matter how delicious the experience had been.
The silence of the night added to the loneliness I felt, which wasn’t new, but tonight had been a direct reminder that I wasn’t like every other college girl. I wasn’t allowed to experience life in the same way. Both my sister and I had been sent away to Europe, living in sparse yet adequate dormitories. At least Isabella had gone to college there, learning several languages and enjoying her captive phase. I’d hated every moment of what I’d endured, begging to come home. I’d been shocked the day they’d honored my request. The taunts hadn’t lessened by living another in country. In fact, they’d grown worse, my father’s reputation trailing behind me like an anchor.
There’d been no prom, no high school graduation trip to some fabulous island. My father considered it too risky, refusing to allow me but so many freedoms. I adored my father, his brusque laughter and dancing eyes when he expressed joy making him seem larger than life. But I hated feeling boxed in, treated like a child, never being allowed to make my own decisions.
When I’d returned only a year ago, I’d been forbidden to find an apartment or a job, required to live in their house. At least I was closer to Julliard, making it easier to audition.
My mother had tried to comfort me over the years, assuring me that things would eventually change, but so far, I’d only felt like a prisoner.
I punched in the code for the gate, slipping inside. There were always lights on in the house, men forever watching including now. While I couldn’t see them and they certainly wouldn’t approach, I knew they were there. I was grateful they knew when to keep their mouths shut. While I didn’t make a habit of slinking out of the house like I was fifteen instead of almost twenty-one, the suffocating moments as of late had become too much.
It was time to help my parents understand I was no longer a little girl.
When I walked inside, all seemed quiet, only the slight ticking sound from an older clock interrupting the silence. I moved toward the stairs, forced to pass by my father’s office before doing so. I should have known he’d be awake. The man had an impressive sixth sense. Either that or he was working late, which wasn’t unusual.
I felt his eyes as soon as I shifted past the doorway. He said nothing but I sensed his disappointment. I kept my head low, climbing the stairs without breaching the silence. There was nothing I could say, and he’d instantly know something was wrong. My suite was my sanctuary, the second room serving as a practice room as well as where I studied for the few classes I took at the local university. I had my heart set on Julliard, not obtaining some degree in business or accounting, which is what my father would prefer.
My mother had warned me that I’d spent too much time behind the walls, contemplating life instead of living it. She’d always acted as if my father hadn’t been oppressive, refusing to allow me to go to concerts with friends, or on a weekend getaway. I flicked on the light, staring at my violin. While I had four of them, my favorite was the one my brother Valentin had given me on my thirteenth birthday. I’d used it during the last audition instead of the Stradivarius. Maybe it had brought me luck. Maybe.
