Her Beast

Closing her eyes, she saw the smile on his lips that weekend as she made him laugh. She couldn’t recall seeing him smile all that much.

Yes, she was playing with fire. Their age difference alone confirmed that, but she liked him. She’d been attracted to him from the very beginning. Even now, after Caleb’s warning, she still wanted him, and that wasn’t ever going to change.

Stepping away from the door, she dropped her bag, heading straight to the bathroom. Removing her clothes, she climbed beneath the warm spray, thankful as it seemed to wash away all of her worries.

Whatever was going on between her and Beast, it wouldn’t last.

In time, she wanted romance and love. She didn’t just want sex. Right now, she could handle his rules without too much worry. Placing her hand on the tile, she recalled the feel of his hands on her body, touching her, stroking between her thighs, building a fire that only he could put out.

The water began to turn cold, and she quickly pulled out of her haze and changed into a set of pajamas. It was early, but she didn’t want to leave her room. There was comfort there and no confusion.

She was tired of being confused.

Pulling out her books, she spread them open, and for the next three hours she just sat on her bed, studying.

When she needed to clear her head, she stepped out onto the veranda that looked out over the garden.

She heard moaning, and saw Dwayne with one of the girls from school below her in the garden. Quickly stepping back into her room, she shuddered. She wasn’t interested in seeing other people have sex.

Going back to her studies she didn’t stare at the time until she saw that it was nearly nine, and her stomach started to growl.

Getting up from bed, she made her way downstairs and went to the kitchen. She paused when she caught sight of Beast, shirtless, rummaging through the kitchen. Staring at his back, she saw several silvery scars that looked like they came from whips.

“Who did that?” she asked.

“My dad. It was all part of his punishment, and how to keep a brat in line. I don’t think it mattered if you were a good or bad kid, it’s what he did.” He turned toward her, holding stuff to make a sandwich. “Hungry?” he asked.

“Yes.” She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Are you having second thoughts yet?”

“About?”

“Last weekend?”

She shook her head. “No. Erm, Caleb, he … said some things.”

“Let me guess, he pretty much told you that my world isn’t suited for women like you?” he asked.

She saw the grasp he had on the butter knife he was using. “How true are the rumors?” she asked.

He smiled, and it was then that she realized she hadn’t a clue about the man he was, or who he claimed to be.

The stories were all around town. Everywhere she turned there was idle gossip, but then she compared it to the stories about what happened to her, and they were so damn wrong. Now though, she began to second-guess herself.

“Why don’t you just ask me questions, and I’ll tell you what you want to know, and what you’re not allowed to know.”

He put some ham and cheese onto a sandwich, closed it, and took a bite.

Something was happening here, and she wasn’t entirely sure what it was, only that it scared her.

“Have you ever killed someone?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She paused, and took a breath. “Were they innocent?”

“Does it matter?”

“I don’t know.” She took a step back, rubbing at her forehead. “I … I’m going back to my room. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

She didn’t say anything more, and made her way to her room, a little disappointed that he didn’t follow. Dwayne stood just outside of his door as she went to the next set of stairs leading her to floor.

Neither of them said a word as she began walking to her room. Everything had changed the moment she agreed to tutor him.

****

Beast was pissed. Finishing off his sandwich, he pulled out two slices of bread and began to make Hope some food. She’d not eaten, and he’d heard her stomach growling. He was pissed off, and when he was in that mood, it made him say and do things that he often regretted.

“You need to leave her alone,” Caleb said.

He threw the knife he had, and it went straight past his brother’s face, hitting the wall and clattering to the floor.

“You must be getting old.”

“I didn’t miss.” He grabbed another knife and finished up her sandwich, adding slices of fruit and some cake he saw. “You’re not to talk to her about shit you don’t understand.”

“What are you hoping to achieve with her, Beast? She’s an innocent. She thought the idle talk around town was just fucking rumors.”