Buttons and Shame (Buttons 4)

I’d eat it right off the ground. I didn’t care. “Do it. Food is food.”

He finally turned his eyes on me, seeming interested in what I said. He hadn’t shaved his face last night, so his beard was a little thicker. He had a nice jaw, the kind I saw in movies and TV. He had nice teeth too, perfectly straight and white. His dark brown hair nearly looked black, and it was cut short and close to his scalp. But if I ran my fingers through it, I suspected there would be enough length for me to play with.

I should look away from his gaze, but I didn’t. I chose to look into his green eyes and marvel at how pretty they were. Eyes like that didn’t happen every generation. He really had something special, something unique. I wondered if his brother shared the same characteristics. “Why do you need a slave when you can get any girl you want?” I had no right to ask him anything, but since I was subjected to his company, I was curious. He really didn’t need me at all. He was wealthy and attractive. He could hit on a girl in a bar and have her stay for the weekend.

“Get any girl I want, huh?” he asked as he turned back to his computer. “Thanks for the compliment, but that’s not accurate.”

“I doubt it.” If she didn’t know about his criminal activities, she would have no reason to be prejudiced. If I had met him under different circumstances, I’d probably go on a date with him. He might even score at the end of the night.

“I can’t get you, right?” He didn’t speak with bitterness, just calm honesty.

“Well…” When I couldn’t think of anything better to say, I drank my coffee. When he came into my room and pressed his face between my legs, it was the first time I felt that heat burn in my blood. His tongue felt good right against my clit. None of Tristan’s men had tried to make me feel good. All they did was try to break me so they could get off to my tears.

He changed the subject when we reached a dead end. “I’m moving in to my new place this afternoon. We’ll be there for a few days until I return you to Tristan. I have too much stuff to do right now to take off again.”

I was just about to sip my coffee when I digested his words. “What do you mean, return me to Tristan?”

He was quiet for a long time as he finished reading something on his computer. It didn’t seem like he was going to say anything at all. “Our arrangement didn’t work out the way I wanted—as you’ve figured out. There’s no point in me keeping you.”

“But you’re supposed to keep me for thirty-one days.”

“I’m aware,” he said coldly. “But I guess I don’t have as much of a backbone as I thought. The shipment is on its way, but it hasn’t reached him yet. I can still pull out, so there’s no harm done.”

I couldn’t go back to that nightmare, not this soon. I could finally eat when I wanted and sleep all through the night. I didn’t have to walk on eggshells or be terrified anymore. Cane didn’t need to have his hand wrapped around my throat to have a decent conversation with me.

I couldn’t go back.

I couldn’t handle it.

Cane closed his laptop and organized his folders. “My driver is picking us up in an hour. Be ready by then.” He left the table and took his things with him.

I stayed behind with my uneaten plate. I suddenly lost my appetite, which was a miracle considering the fact that I’d been starved for so long. Steam drifted from my coffee up to the ceiling, and I watched it drift past my face. A pain formed in the pit of my stomach and anxiety seeped in. I’d only been Tristan’s prisoner for a short period of time, but the idea of returning to that terrible place gave me anxiety.

I didn’t want him to touch me.

I didn’t want him to hurt me.

I didn’t want anyone to be near me.

11

Cane

I didn’t hear a peep from her all day.

We pulled up to my new piece of real estate, and I was pleased with how well the gardeners handled the roses and the bushes. The green lawn was perfectly manicured and led to high walls covered with ivy.

It was perfect.

It was a two-story Tuscan style home with redwood windows and a curved door at the entrance. It was large for one person, but I craved privacy from the rest of civilization. Plus, I’d accumulated a lot of wealth over the last few years, and I wanted to invest it in something smart.