All at once, though he’d known it on some level from the moment he’d first hatched the insane idea to abduct her, the realization she could never love him freely had become intolerable to him.
“Sir?” Alana’s sexy, husky voice recalled him back to the moment. “Is everything okay, Mark?”
Mark.
God, he loved it when she used his name, which she so rarely did.
He regarded her for a long moment. Was the concern in her voice and her expression genuine, or just born out of fear?
“Not really,” he admitted.
Her face crumpled. “Oh, Sir. I’m sorry, Sir. Did I—”
“No, no,” he said abruptly. “It’s nothing you did.”
All at once, he knew what he had to do. He had known it all along, hadn’t he?
Before he lost his resolve, he got up from the bed and went into the closet. He selected a silky blue dress he knew would look beautiful on her sexy curves, and a pair of leather shoes with a low heel. Going to the bureau, he opened the drawer that contained the lace and silk undergarments he sometimes had her wear. He removed a pair of white lace panties and a matching bra that clasped in the front.
He lay them on the bed.
She looked from the clothing to him, her unspoken question on her face.
“You may shower and dress on your own,” he said without further explanation. “Put on these things and present yourself to me when you’re ready.” He turned and left the room.
~*~
Alana sat up and reached for the pretty dress. She fingered the silky fabric as she tried to figure out what was going on. The dress was something she would have worn in the before time. It was well-tailored, the design simple but elegant. Usually when he chose an outfit, it was something a prostitute would wear, complete with garters, sheer stockings, stiletto heels and corset. Bra and panties? Never.
She climbed out of bed and hurried to the bathroom to use the toilet and wash up. She moved quickly, not wishing to make her Master wait any longer than necessary. She was wildly curious about whatever new game he had devised for her, and only hoped it was something she could handle with reasonable grace and courage.
Back in the bedroom, she put on the bra, which fit perfectly. As she pulled the silky panties up, the heavy golden hoop nestled against her. She liked the feel of it, hidden in her panties, the metal warming against her flesh. She pulled the dress over her head and stepped into the shoes.
She left the bedroom and walked down the hall, past the study, which she could see was empty, and into the living room.
Mark was sitting on the couch staring out the window, a brooding look on his face that made her stomach lurch unpleasantly. As she approached, she racked her brain, trying to think what she might have done to displease him.
She started to kneel on the floor at his feet, but to her surprise, he gestured toward the cushion beside him. “Here, sit here next to me.”
It was all so peculiar. The clothing and shoes, the use of the furniture, as if she were a regular person and not his slave, his possession.
“Alana, we need to talk. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.” He looked, she realized with a small shock, nervous. He bit his lip and twisted his hands in his lap before finally speaking again. “I don’t know how to begin. I don’t know what to say.” Mark looked at her, his eyes almost pleading.
What did he want from her? Was this some kind of terrible new game? What were the rules? Would she be able to learn them quickly enough to avoid punishment?
He looked away again, out the window. Finally, he turned back to her. “Alana. I love you.” He blew out a breath. “When I stole you away—when I abducted you—it was my intention to keep you forever, no matter what it took. I’ve held you here against your will. I told myself it didn’t matter to me. Just having you here was enough.”
What the hell was he saying? Was it no longer enough? Alana sat still, trying to keep the sudden fear from showing on her face. Was this it, then? Was he going to kill her at last?
No, don’t be crazy, she admonished herself. He loves you. She willed herself to be calm as she waited for him to continue.
He took a breath. “I find I no longer want to be your jailer, Alana. I’m no longer satisfied with your servitude under duress. It is no longer enough to accept your submission, when I know it’s not freely given.”
Alana had begun to tremble, and she impulsively dropped from the couch to the floor and wrapped her arms around her Master’s knees. “Please, I don’t know what I did, Sir, but please give me another chance!” she begged. “Don’t kill me, Sir. Please, I’ll do better, I promise. Whatever you want—whatever you need, Sir—I’ll do it.” She burst into tears.