Claimed

“You’re going to stay put while I run the bath, right? You’re not going to try anything stupid again, are you?”

Slowly she shook her head.

James nodded. She looked too spent to try another escape, and anyway, he was bigger, stronger and faster. Still, why take chances? “I’m going to set the alarm. If you try to open a window or an outer door, you’ll trigger it. You don’t want to do that, Kelsey,” he informed her.

She didn’t react. She was exhausted, poor thing.

He stood and stared down at her a moment, examining her ass and thighs. Yes, it had been a thorough whipping, but she’d be fine. The cuts were superficial, though there would probably be some bruising. He shrugged philosophically. Now she would think twice before she tried anything stupid again.

He set the alarm and then went into the bathroom to fill the tub. He added bath oil he found in the cabinets and pulled out some towels. When he came back into the bedroom, Kelsey hadn’t appeared to have moved at all.

He went to the kitchen to check out the provisions. The refrigerator was empty, but in the pantry he found cans of soup, a package of pasta and some spaghetti sauce, along with an unopened package of saltine crackers and a can of Cheez Whiz. He reached for the crackers and cheese. He put these on a serving tray, along with a glass of water, and returned to the bedroom.

Kelsey had shifted to her side, he was pleased to note. She watched him silently as he entered the room. He set the tray down and approached her. “Can you stand?” he asked solicitously. “I’ll help you to the bathroom.”

She didn’t answer.

“Kelsey,” he said sharply. “You will speak when spoken to. I know you don’t want another switching…” He let the sentence hang as he glared at her.

That got her attention. She struggled into an upright position, wincing as her bottom touched the mattress. “Yes,” she said, so quietly he had to strain to hear her. “I can stand.”

“Good.” He helped her upright and put an arm around her back for support. “Come into the bathroom and I’ll feed you while you soak in the tub.” He led her to the bathroom and let her pee. When she was done, he pulled the T-shirt over her head and crouched in front of her to remove the soiled bandage. “The wound is healing nicely, in spite of everything,” he informed her with a smile.

Again she said nothing. Annoyed, James pressed the issue. “That’s good, right?”

“Yes,” she said in a flat tone.

James decided that would do for now. He stood and helped her into the tub. She stepped gingerly into the hot water, biting her lip as she lowered herself into it. While she settled in, James opened the saltines and pulled out a handful, setting them in a neat formation on the plate. He shook the Cheez Whiz can and squirted a circle of orange goo onto each cracker. He popped one into his mouth and chewed. It wasn’t half bad.

He saw that Kelsey was watching him from the tub. “Hungry?” he said, aware she had to be.

She nodded. He lifted his eyebrows warningly and was pleased when she added, “Yes. And thirsty.”

James held the glass of cold water to her lips and let her drink. When she’d finished nearly half the glass, he offered her a cracker. “It’s up to you now, Kelsey,” he informed her. “Good girls get to eat and drink. Bad girls go without their supper. Really bad girls get a whipping.”

Her eyes widened, but she said nothing.

“Good girls respond when spoken to, as a sign of respect. In fact,” James said, a sudden idea taking hold, “from this minute going forward, every time you address me, every time, Kelsey, you will call me sir, or you’ll be punished. Are we clear on this, young lady?”

Kelsey pressed her lips together. He watched the cloud of fury pass over her features. She was a feisty one, make no mistake, but he loved that about her. He didn’t want to destroy that spirit, but only to bend it to his will. He waited. He would count to three in his mind. If she didn’t answer by then, and answer properly—

“Yes, sir,” she said. It sounded as if the words had been forced past clenched teeth, but he liked the sound of them nonetheless.

“Say it again, Kelsey,” he ordered. “Say it like you mean it.”

Her green eyes flashed. James tilted his head at his naked captive, waiting.

“Yes, sir,” she finally repeated.

James smiled.

Chapter 10

Kelsey turned onto her side on the bed, the cold chain clinking as she tucked her hands between her knees. Her wrists were wrapped in leather cuffs that were clipped to long, sturdy lengths of chain, which James had wound around the posts of the four-poster bed.