But for now, shed made her decision. Shed be that broken branch and see where she ended up, as long as she didnt take him over the falls with her. She was just afraid that she wouldnt care, that shed cling to him so she wouldnt fall alone. And shed never been pathetic like that.
All right. His fingers caressed her palm. Let me show you a few more things. He rose, and drew her up with him. She didnt like being in unfamiliar surroundings, but with his arm around her waist, guiding her, she tried to relax, somehow knowing he wouldnt let her stumble over things. Whats that scent?
Jasmine, from my front yard. Jon had some cut. Mixed with lavender. He guided her to the pottery vase that held them, molded her palms over it. There were smooth rolls, curves, not like a normal bulb vase. She took over the investigation, her brow furrowing as she worked her way up it, then sideways, and back up again, until she found the flowers, the thin stems and nodding blossoms. He had a fan going, and they were swaying in the faint breeze. He had a screen open as well, because she could hear shrill birds crying out over what he said was the bayou. She could smell it, the damp vegetation and salt.
Its a person, isnt it?
He closed his hands over hers, leading her to the clay features, distracting her with the brush of his fingers on her knuckles. Its an abstract reclining nude. Shes lying on her hip, her hands folded under her face. Her skin is texturized like a trees bark, the flowers forming the canopy. He paused. Its a piece by a famous local Louisiana artist. The finish is ebony. Jon bought it while I was away. Thought Id like it.
Oh, yeah? You got a thing for black girls, Captain?
Lately. One in particular. He caressed the sensitive bone of her forefinger, his intent obviously sensual. Dana swallowed, her fingers spasming against the curve of the sculptures head and slim neck.
He didnt include hair.
No. He wanted the beautiful line of her skull. Long hair would interfere with that. He touched her ear with his other hand, moved to the erogenous zone at the base of her own skull, massaging, slow. If you decide to stay, Ill take you to some of the galleries here. I bet you can give me a different perspective on the pieces. She stiffened, drew back. Sure. Ill write up reviews for the local paper. Dont give me the blindness-heightens-your-other-senses bullshit.
The fact it pisses you off doesnt make it less true. As responsive as you were that first night, I can tell that youre hypersensitive to every inch I move over your skin now. And you want more of it, are about to go crazy for it. I know I am. There was no boast, simply quiet fact. She folded her arms over her chest, but she wanted to move away, and couldnt do that without using her arms. As much as she knew he wouldnt let her fall or run into anything, it was an instinct when she couldnt see. So she dropped them with an annoyed sigh and moved away from him. Her thigh pressed the edge of an easy chair, and when she glided her fingers along it, she found something even softer than the cushioning. And furry. She lifted it to her face. A stuffed animal?
A kitten. It was a housewarming gift from Ben when I moved in. He cleared his throat.
Said if I moved out into the sticks, it was the only pussy Id get out here.
It sounds like he cares about you. The wary smile tickled her cheeks, muscles she hadnt used in a while. Hes not harboring some secret lust for you, right? Peter snorted. If I was the last fuckable thing in the universe, and then only because he has to stick his cock into something every twenty-four hours or he thinks it will self-destruct. If it came to that, Id break it off for him.
You love him, too, she realized. She moved on before he could reply, trailing her fingers along the silky surface of an end table. A tall house plant, a palm, brushed her face with scratchy edges. The walls she touched to the right of the open window were beadboard, the drapes a clean-smelling cotton. As she made her way around his living room, she noted he didnt have enormous amounts of furniture, but what he did have held a plethora of objects to discover. At one small table there was a chess game. In process, if the positioning of the pieces were any indication. Her brow furrowed again. This isnt a traditional set. Its pewter, and the figures are . . .
Toy soldiers. That one was Lucass gift. They all look really GI Joe-ish. Except the Queen figure is Barbie. Carrying an M-16. There was a smile in his voice. Its an older set.
Theyre your family.
Yes. Once you decide someones your family, you watch after each other. He let it hang there, the significance obvious. Since Dana didnt know what to say to such an absurd implication, she kept moving, but she knew she was orbiting around his scent and heat, keeping him close. He was right about the hypersensitivity. Those few inches of her flesh hed brushed with his were still tingling.
It had been so long since shed reached out to explore her surroundings, as if she were a scared, lost camper who couldnt appreciate the woods, preferring to huddle over the fire and stare down at the small tin of provisions she had left. But in his presence, where she felt absurdly safe, she was absorbing smells, seeking to touch, to recognize things. Shed been cold a lot, but now she was warm in the sweatshirt. The room apparently received plenty of sun, so it must have west-facing windows, given the time of day. If she could see, she imagined she would be bathed in light.
What the hell was the matter with her? She should be majorly pissed off, keeping her ass in that chair until he took her back. But that last tantrum had been her worst yet, and theyd been occurring more frequently lately, as if her body were screaming to split away from her damaged soul, get out and run, blindness or no blindness. She couldnt deny it felt . . . different to be somewhere new, somewhere not about herself.
Can I borrow a T-shirt? she said, trying to hold on to her sullen tone. Or did your loyal minions arrange for me to have a wardrobe?
The idea of keeping you naked is appealing, but they did actually bring some things by.
Lets get you a shower first.
As distracting as the image was, him compelling her to stay in his home without anything to warm her but himself, when his hands settled on the hem of her shirt again, she automatically latched onto his wrists to hold it down.
She could feel the weight of his stare in the silence. Let go of me, Dana. She knew that voice. Even with her degraded hearing, she knew the sound of a Master taking command. From the second hed come to her place, hed been proceeding under the assumption she desired that, even outside of a club. Like so many other things, he was right, before even shed realized how much. She hadnt ever indulged it that way, not trusting any Master enough. Before her accident, shed wanted to do so, enough that her skin rippled with gooseflesh at the sound of it now. The idea had been terrifying to her then. While she was surprised at how little fear she had of relinquishing herself into his hands, when she had so little control to relinquish, she still couldnt release him, because of other fears.
Im afraid of what youll see. The rawness of it resounded in her head.
You dont have to be afraid of anything with me. The steel was still there, but as implacable tenderness. Lift your arms.
Slowly, she released her hold, one finger at a time. When she lifted trembling arms above her head, he pulled the sweatshirt free.
She hadnt been wearing a bra, so moist marsh air touched her bare flesh, making her nipples peak. He opened the jeans hed had her don at the duplex, made her step out of her shoes, then stripped them off with her panties, leaving her completely naked.
The scar tissue marked the left side of her torso and leg like a crazy quilt design. Sick of dealing with doctors, she hadnt scheduled any more cosmetic surgery since her face. At the time she made that decision, she didnt care about how she looked. Now she desperately wished shed done it. She supposed Peter would consider that progress, but resentment and terror warred inside of her at his lack of immediate response.
Hed settled his hands on her upper arms, keeping her squarely facing him. His breath was slow, steady. Too slow and steady. Something about it suggested . . . barely suppressed anger. His palms were heating with it. Part of her was intimidated, another part enthralled by the dangerous power of him, so near. He was angry at faceless enemies, she realized, at someone who would dare hurt her, leave her looking like a toy someone had broken and should have cast away.
His finger traced the mark beneath her left breast. Does any of it hurt?
Not really. The ribs and arm hurt some when it gets too cold, but the scars dont hurt anymore. At least not the way he meant. She was pathetic. There were people far worse off than her. She should be able to handle this, but all she wanted to do when she thought about it, touched it, was cry like a little girl over what shed lost. Shed had pretty, unblemished skin. Shed liked the line of her hip, the smooth roundness of her shoulder, the unmarked perfection of her left breast. While she couldnt see it, she could feel it, the rough texture. Maybe that was why the heightened senses platitude made her so angry.
Heightened senses could be a curse, because she could feel every scar like the surface of the moon. She told herself to be glad she didnt have eyes to confirm it. Though shed never see the wide, wide ocean again. Or Peters smile.
Please speak. If you dont speak, Im going to lose my mind.
Im looking at a beautiful, brave and foolish woman. One whom Im very, very glad is alive.
Eight
She bit her lip, overcome, but he didnt require her words. He reached away from her, and she heard the slide of something like metal across a table surface. When he brought it up, it brushed her sternum. Jewelry. Or . . . Her heart rate started accelerating.