I opened my eyes in time to see her crack the door behind her, allowing a sliver of light to spill into the bedroom. The city lights from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the sitting room would illuminate her pale skin. My mouth watered in anticipation of the sight.
Not denying myself a moment longer, I slipped out of bed and went to the bedroom door so I could watch her. Her skin was as pretty as I’d imagined, the soft blue glow that filled the room reflecting off her flesh with a pearlescent shine.
Her head swung from side to side as she searched for an exit. She took a few steps toward the playroom, where I would train her.
My lips curved in a cruel smile.
Not that way, gatita. Not yet.
I knew the instant she spotted the elevator, because she quickly changed course, racing toward what she thought was the path to freedom.
Her entire body jerked when she pressed the call button, making a loud buzz echo through the room. She punched the button again, hoping for a different outcome. The buzzer sounded in angry denial.
I opened the bedroom door all the way and leaned against the doorframe. “It won’t open for you,” I drawled.
She yelped and spun to face me. The city lights caught in her wide eyes, making them flash through the darkness as she scrambled back. Her butt hit the elevator, and she jolted at the contact with the cold metal. Desperate, she pressed the call button a third time.
Buzz.
I grinned my savage amusement. “That elevator is accessed through thumbprint recognition. The only people who can come and go from this suite are those who have my permission. You don’t have permission, my curious gatita.” I finally began prowling toward her. She shrank back, but there was nowhere for her to go.
“Did you want to explore my home?” I asked, my tone silky smooth. “Were you so eager to see the rest of it? I’m more than happy to show you.”
She shook her head wildly. “I didn’t… I don’t… I just want to go home.”
“This is your home now.”
My cock was rock hard by the time I reached her, and I didn’t waste another second before pressing it into her soft belly, letting her feel my arousal. I slid my fingers through her hair at her nape, pulling her flush with my body so she was undeniably aware of the dark desire coursing through me.
She trembled, but her next words were sharp with accusation. “You weren’t really asleep.”
“Clever and curious,” I remarked with satisfaction. “No, I wasn’t asleep.” I leaned in, my cheek whispering against hers as I spoke low in her ear, letting her feel the insidious weight of my words. “You can’t escape me, Samantha. There’s only one way out of this penthouse, and it’s barred to you. I don’t have to keep you collared and chained to trap you here. I just like it. I like knowing you’re naked in my bed, waiting for me.”
“You’re sick,” she said shakily.
A soft, cruel laugh rolled from my chest. “You’ve called me worse already. Do you really think your little insults wound me? I’m going to tame your barbed tongue because I enjoy training you, not because it’s capable of hurting me. If you continue to defy me in this, the only time you’ll be allowed to use your tongue is when you’re worshipping my cock.”
I’d finally get to punish her in the way I’d craved ever since I’d seen her bound to that chair in my basement. Her sexy little sounds of distress had called to my more sinister nature. I’d never punish her without cause, but she’d more than earned her discipline with her futile escape attempt. Now, I could indulge in all the perverted things I wanted to do to her.
“But you wanted to see the rest of my home,” I continued smoothly. “Let me show you.”
“I don’t want to,” she squeaked out. She squirmed against me, accomplishing nothing but stimulating my cock. It jerked against her belly, demonstrating my sadistic anticipation.
“Please,” she begged. “I’ll go back to bed.”
I clicked my tongue at her. “The time for being a good girl has passed. You’ve been a curious gatita. You know what happens to curious kittens, don’t you?”
She shuddered in my arms. “You said you wouldn’t kill me. Your brother wants me alive.”
My hand tightened around her nape, my fingers digging into her neck. “This is about what I want,” I snarled. How dare she mention him when I held her trapped against me? She was mine to torment, not his. “I don’t want you dead. I want you crying out and begging for mercy. My mercy. Don’t talk about my brother. Don’t think about him. He’s not your concern. I am.”
I’d show her who she needed to fear. She’d tremble and weep for me. My brother would never touch her. She belonged to me. Her tears were mine. Her fear was mine. Her body, her soul, were mine.
She’d never forget it after tonight.
Keeping my grip on her neck, I forced her to walk toward my playroom. She stumbled, her feet dragging on the carpet. Her small show of resistance was nothing against my superior strength. She couldn’t fight. She couldn’t run. She couldn’t avoid her fate.
She stalled when we reached the door. “Please. I don’t want to go in there.”