That’s all it takes for me to snap, and a moment later, I’m swatting his hand away.
“I will never forgive you if you do that to me. I’ve let a lot of things go, but if you take my freedom from me…”
A flash of pain reflects in his eyes. “I’m not taking your freedom. I’m asking you to behave, to do as I say. It’s simple. If you listen, then I’ll give you things you want. For instance, I know you want to go to college. I have the means to set that up.”
Hope swells in my chest. College? I figured the moment he took me and brought me here, any hope I had of going to college was gone, but now it seems I have a chance.
“Don’t lie to me, Lucca. I can handle many things but a liar…”
“I’m not lying. I’ll let you go to school. I know you want to go, and I’ll give you what you want. I just need… I need you to do what I tell you to do.”
There’s a certain restraint to his words, almost as if he’s forcing himself not to say what he wants to say. A sliver of guilt cuts across my chest. Ever since I got here, I’ve been pushing him. Is it really my fault he can’t see what’s right in front of him, though?
The idea of being forced to listen to him doesn’t sit well with my plan of seducing him, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting him lock me in that bedroom.
“Fine,” I hiss. “I’ll listen and be the obedient little girl you want me to be.”
Lucca smiles sinisterly, like I’ve just given him the codes to blow up the entire world.
“Do your part and behave, and I’ll reward you. Misbehave, and I’ll punish you. The choice is and always will be yours.”
I can’t help but wonder about the type of punishment he will offer me if I choose not to behave? I guess we’ll find out because I give it five minutes before I misbehave.
26
Lucca
We spent the last few days playing a game of cat and mouse. Surprisingly, I’m the mouse in this scenario, and Claire is the cat that stalks me like she is ready to pounce. If she is not actively pouting, she spends her day trying to tantalize me, so I’ll lose control again.
It’s quite adorable, really.
I don’t really want her to stay in the room beside me, but I know it’s the only thing to keep sane. There is no way I can control myself when she is in my bed. The first night only proved that.
Flopping down on the couch, I turn on the TV and put my feet on the coffee table. I just start flipping through the channels when Claire’s sing-song voice fills the space.
“Lucca…” I turn my head to look at her. “I couldn’t find a towel,” she explains innocently while standing in the doorway completely naked.
I want to yell at her, cuss her out and send her back to her room to get dressed. I want to be angry at her, angry at myself for being so weak and fucked up in the head. I want to get up and walk out of here, go to a bar and find some random woman, so I can either drink or fuck Claire out of my mind.
Instead, I drop the remote.
A sinister smile spreads across her face.
My brain shuts partly off, and my gaze lowers on its own. I take in her naked form. She is breathtaking. Her tits are just the right size, looking like they would fit into my hand perfectly. Pink nipples I can imagine sucking into my mouth. Her smooth belly and flaring hips that lead down to the land that I refuse to acknowledge.
Fuck me, I want her. I can taste the desire on my tongue.
“You know where the towels are,” I try to say, but it comes out more like a groan.
Dragging my attention back to the TV, I pretend to be interested in the cooking show that’s playing on the channel I landed on.
I feel her move closer before I see her out of the corner of my eye. She thinks she’s smart, that she’s going to pull one over on me. That I’m going to break again like I did the other night, and if she was any other woman, I wouldn’t have thought twice.
This is Claire, though. Not just any woman.
Burying the arousal as deep as I can, I shove out of the chair, causing her to stumble backward. Her eyes are wide for a second before they return to their seductive nature. Genuine anger mixes with the desire pooling in my gut.
“Get dressed right now!”
Claire’s pink lips form a pout. “I can’t. I’m all wet.”
She thinks she’s so smart. She doesn’t have a fucking clue what I would do to her.