AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Shh.” Fake concern paints a deceitful mask on his face.
He’s not concerned. He’s cruel. Manipulative.
“Listen to my voice, Leighton.” His face is directly above mine. He leans on his forearms, his fingers massaging my skull in a repetitive, hypnotic rhythm. “This is a safe space.”
Lies.
I relax nonetheless.
“You’re safe with me.”
Liar, I scream in my head.
The tension leaves my muscles.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of.” The more he talks, the more I look into his eyes, the more I believe him. “You’re starting to wake up into a peaceful state of consciousness. You’re safe and loved. Safe—”
My fingers and toes twitch.
“—and loved.”
My throat works. A tingling sense of awareness spreads across my face.
“Liar,” I whisper. All of me wants to stay here with my body melding into him. All of me wants to get the hell out of here. “Let go of me.”
“So loved.” His lips press to one of my eyes, then the next.
“You’re insane.”
“And you’re mine.”
“Never.” My body is sluggish when Marcus lifts from me and pulls on his pants.
“Wrong, little doll.” He slides his arms beneath me, picks me off the floor. Takes me inside.
I don’t have it in me to argue anymore. Sobbing from the humiliation, I melt into his arms. I liked what he did to me. I’m in love with him. I want to hate him, but I can’t.
He doesn’t say anything else either as he carries me into the bathroom. Inside, he places my wrecked body on the bench inside the shower, massaging shampoo in my hair, lathering soap on my skin.
His diligent yet tender ministrations are a stark reminder of what a good, caring man he is.
I cry some more, and he swipes the tears off my cheeks. Replaces them with kisses before soaping himself quickly.
As he carries me to the bedroom, we pass through the kitchen. He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and places it in my hand.
“Drink.”
I’m too tired and thirsty to say no. And it was closed, so he couldn’t have spiked it. I hope it’s safe. So I do what he says. I drink.
“You’ve been hiding so much from me,” I breathe out as he places me on the bed.
The covers are a mess, and the scent of sex permeates the air. Marcus tugs them from beneath me, tucking me in. His thick eyebrows lower, creases appearing on his forehead.
“My love made me do this.” He’s efficient as he binds my ankles to the rod at the end of the bed again. “All of this.”
I don’t bother analyzing the meaning behind his words. My exhaustion prevails, and my eyes flutter shut.
Any response I have to his declaration will have to wait.
