She blinked up at me, doubt darkening her pale eyes.
“You don’t believe me,” I surmised. “Do you think my cock would get so hard for you if I didn’t want you? You are lovely, sirenita.”
“You’re trying to manipulate me,” she accused. “It won’t work.”
“It already is working.” I didn’t avoid revealing the blunt truth. It didn’t matter if her clever mind had identified the motivations for my actions. That wouldn’t make them any less effective. “I’m not lying when I say I find you beautiful. But everything I do to you is a manipulation, and I won’t pretend otherwise. You’re being very sweet and well behaved right now. If I’d known how obedient you’d become when I played with your ass, I would have filled it sooner. You came so hard for me. I thought you were going to pass out. I think you enjoy being manipulated, being shaped into my good girl.”
She scowled, but she didn’t so much as tense in my arms. “You’re a bastard.”
I smothered my own frown, remembering her needs. “That might be true. But you will learn to speak to me with respect. There’s a consequence coming for that, but right now, you need to eat.”
She pursed her lips, clearly debating if it was worth arguing with me. “Okay,” she finally agreed, hunger winning out over stubbornness.
I reached around her and tugged at the wheeled cart that Lauren must have brought while we were in the shower. I’d asked the girl to tend to my quarters. I wouldn’t risk inviting another man near Samantha for any reason. Lauren had enough tact to know not to enter my bedroom while my captive was moaning in ecstasy. She’d waited until we moved into the bathroom to deliver our food.
I removed the silver dome covering the plate, and the rich scent of salty steak wafted toward us. Samantha’s stomach rumbled, making her cheeks color with embarrassment.
I already knew she hadn’t eaten anything today, so there was no shame in her body’s natural reaction.
She grabbed the jug of water on the tray and filled a glass, quickly tipping it back and gulping down the cool liquid.
I frowned my disapproval. “You didn’t drink anything today, either?”
“I thought you might drug me again.”
“And you believe I won’t now?”
She shrugged. “I figured that steak is huge enough for two people. There are two glasses, one water jug. So, I’m assuming that you’re not going to drug yourself too, you know?”
It seemed she was capable of exercising logic and reason when it came to my intention to care for her. Even if she hadn’t trusted me before, she now compliantly sat naked in my lap as she poured another glass of water and drained half of it. When she reached for the utensils, I grasped her hand, redirecting it to her side. I also took the glass from her and set it down on the tray.
I was going to show my sweet pet that I’d always see to her needs. She didn’t have to take care of herself, because that was my job. She was no longer allowed autonomy in even the simplest tasks.
“Do you really think I’m going to let you handle a fork and knife?” I asked drily.
She glowered at me, but she didn’t try to grab the potential weapon. “I just want some fucking food. I’m starving.”
My scar tugged down as my expression drew into harsher lines. “I will train your tongue later,” I warned. “And I’m sure you’re hungry, which is more pressing than your punishment. I will always see to your wellbeing, Samantha, but don’t continue to test me.”
“I wasn’t going to use the knife on you,” she said, her voice clear with honesty. “I just want to eat.”
“I’m going to take care of you, cosita. Trust me.”
She snorted. “You’re not really giving me a choice. Is it trust if you don’t have a choice? Proba
bly not. No, I don’t think it is. Nope. Definitely not.”
I studied her for a moment, my lips curving into a smile despite my efforts to maintain a stern mask. “Do you always speak this way?”
“What way?”
“You talk very fast. Like you’re speaking every thought that pops into your head as it comes to you. Are you doing it because you’re nervous around me? Is this the same as why you don’t like looking at people?” I needed to figure out what made her tick so I could better manipulate her, but truthfully, I found her fascinating.
“I mean, I guess,” she admitted. She shifted in my lap, but she didn’t drop her eyes in discomfort at my scrutiny. “But I don’t talk like this because I’m nervous. Well, I guess it’s worse when I’m nervous. I just have a lot of thoughts, and they kind of pop out, like you said. My brain is really busy all the time. Like, my thoughts never slow down. I can’t focus on only one thing at a time, unless it’s really challenging.”
“You focus on me quite intently.” My smugly satisfied grin held a savage edge. “Does that mean you find me challenging?”
“It means I find you terrifying,” she retorted, but she wasn’t trembling in fear anymore.