Beautiful Tears (Enemies to Lovers - Dark Romance Book 1), page 9
"Kick it under the door.
Her eyes narrowed, but she did as I said. Carefully folding it back together to make it smaller, she slid it towards the opening and waited, eyeing me warily. So far she hadn't said a word to me; perhaps she was taking last night's threat seriously.
Laying the breakfast tray down on the floor, I then picked up the box and examined the contents. My gaze centred on the untouched sandwich and cheese. They'd been the bulk of the meal. Even the bottle of water was only half-finished. What was she playing at?
"Why haven't you eaten this? It was a small meal, Harper, and I expect you to eat everything I put in front of you." I glared at her furiously. When she glared back just as angrily, folding her arms across her chest, she ran her fingers lightly over her mouth in a zip-like motion. She had remembered. Christ.
"Permission to talk. Answer me, woman."
"I didn't know if you were coming back. If that was the only food I was going to have for two days, I wanted to make it last." Her hands shook by her sides, and she clenched and unclenched them as if to hide the fact.
That floored me. I blinked a couple of times. Seriously, though, what had I expected? I'd kidnapped her, dislocated her arm and then paddled her ass, and all in the space of a day. She wasn't going to be likening me to Gandhi any time soon.
My voice softened. "I'm not going to starve you. I will bring you breakfast, dinner and lunch. You will eat what I bring you, or there will be consequences. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she whispered, her eyes fluttering down to the floor. She wouldn't get away with that in a few days' time, but for now, I let it fly.
Placing the sandwich, cheese and half-filled bottle of water on the breakfast tray along with everything else, I slid it under the bars and shoved it towards her. "See you eat all that before I return, or there will be trouble. Are we clear?" My voice was still soft, but it held a hint of threat. In response she nodded mutely. Satisfied, I turned on my heel and left.
I needed to get out running. The temperature in the cellar had notched up twenty degrees, and all I could focus on was that damn blanket and what Harper wasn't wearing underneath it. My libido might have been asleep for the last five years, but there was nothing wrong with it after all. It seemed to have jolted into life with a pair of rocket boosters, and the feeling made my blood sing.
You can't have sex with her. You can't get close to her.
That was the voice of reason. All the other voices in my head screamed exactly the opposite.
Chapter 16 - Harper
Jumping up and down hadn't warmed me up much, but a visit from Brandt had finally done the trick. I now felt like a kettle. Someone had pressed my buttons and steam was escaping everywhere in thick clouds. Damn the man. Who was he to tell me to eat? He was probably only concerned for himself anyway. It wouldn't be any fun if I didn't have enough energy to fight him, right? That was all he cared about. If he wanted to torment me, obviously I'd need to be hale and hearty. We'd see about that. I didn't care two hoots for his demands. If I ate all he'd left me just now, I'd be sick. My stomach wouldn't be able to take that much food after having been denied so long.
For all my protestations of not eating, it wasn't long before the breakfast tray was sitting in front of me. Food wasn't something I was going to refuse in a hurry. The bowl of oatmeal still had wisps of steam coming from it, and anything with heat was welcome. Using the odd-shaped utensil he left me, I devoured it with gusto.
It was almost entertaining to think that Brandt thought he was giving me the no-frills experience with his bland meals. In reality this was more food than I'd seen for a long time, and from my point of view, almost fit for a princess. I wouldn't have been able to eat anything rich, anyway. The scraps of pizza I'd had back at the Italian made my stomach roil more often than not. It would take me a while to get used to eating again, but I had no doubt I'd be right as rain within a few weeks or so. Well, Goldilocks, he got the porridge part right. Shame about the bed and the non-existent chair, though.
As soon as I'd scraped the bowl clean and licked the spoon, I put the tray down beside the bed and huddled back in my corner. My stomach was once again full, and I felt reasonably warm, contented, and sleepy. Now the room was back in darkness it was a perfect time to catch up on all the sleep I hadn't managed to get last night. Thankfully, I was far too tired to worry about the miserable angst that had plagued me earlier. I'd fret over Brandt when I woke up. For now I just needed to escape my miserable life for a few hours, and sleep seemed to be the only thing that worked.
When I woke the place was flooded with light, and a quick glance around confirmed what I had already suspected. Brandt was in the room with me. Startling myself upright, I clutched my blanket tightly and tried to melt into the background.
"Good afternoon, Harper." His voice was lazy and relaxed, but there was a certain edge to it. "Did you sleep well?"
Rubbing my eyes, I yawned, and my stomach filled with dread. What was he doing down here and what did he want? I also wondered how long the animal had been watching me while I was asleep. It made my skin crawl.
"Did you eat everything on the tray I left you?" He regarded me casually, but I didn't make the mistake of letting down my guard. The man was a tiger, and he was waiting for the perfect time to strike.
"No, because—"
His voice rang out loudly above mine and I quickly compressed my lips together.
"Did I say you're allowed to speak? The time for speaking is gone, I think. Give me your tray."
Sullenly, I pushed the tray towards him. If he wouldn't give me a chance to explain, then I had better prepare myself for his temper.
Examining the leftover food in his hands, Brandt frowned in displeasure when he saw that his previous instructions had not been adhered to.
"If this is the way you want to play it, so be it, but don't say I didn't warn you." He fished in his pocket for a bunch of keys, before locating the one he needed, and then placed it in the lock. The small click it made as the cylinder turned seemed unpleasantly loud to me. He then locked us both back inside the cell. That didn't bode well.
Walking to me, he flipped through the keys in his hand and found another one, much smaller this time. He used it to unfasten the padlock from the wall. It was enough to send alarm bells ringing through my brain.
"Wait. If you'll just let me expl—"
"Another word, Harper, and I'll gag you just like I promised." Pulling a small black ball out of his pocket, with leather straps attached, I immediately shut up.
"Lie across my lap, with your backside facing upwards. A decent spanking ought to make sure you follow basic orders from now on."
"You can't do that," I wailed, before instantly realising my mistake. In less than a heartbeat the man grabbed hold of me, sat down on the bed and slung me over his knees. The ease at which he did so made me wince. He'd picked me up as if I weighed no more than a bag of sugar and when his hand pressed into the small of my back, keeping me down, there was no fighting it. He was so damn heavy, he felt like he was crushing me.
"Open wide," he whispered, bringing the black rubber ball to my mouth.
"No, I'll be quiet, I promise," I whimpered.
"If you want to do things the hard way, that's fine by me." It took him two sharp tugs to wrestle the blanket away from my body, and then his hand came down sharply on my right buttock. The crack that sounded made me jump, and just as the sting began to bloom another followed in its wake.
"When you're ready to wear the gag, you let me know. My hand isn't going to stop until that unpleasant mouth of yours is rendered mute. After you're gagged, we'll begin your punishment properly." He managed to say all of that while peppering my ass with swats left, right and centre. As my butt was still sore from yesterday, it wasn't long before I was wriggling madly on his lap. His hand was heavy, firm and unyielding. I also knew this was a far cry from what he was capable of and it scared me.
"You can't make me wear that," I howled, trying my best to squirm off his lap. Unfortunately, the grip he had on my body was unshakeable, and I already knew this was a war I wouldn't win.
"Oh, I think you'll find I can." To demonstrate his point, he began to spank me a little harder and the fiery intensity his hand imparted had my face glowing bright red, so God only knew what my ass looked like. The man didn't pause for breath as he continued to deliver molten fire down upon me, and slowly but surely insidious heat began blazing through my insides.
At first I fought it. Pain was just mind over matter, I told myself. That worked for all of two minutes. It might have helped if I had a little more meat on my bones, but every single smack he delivered went right through me, searing my skin and sending tendrils of stinging agony all through my body. Each one was less bearable than the last, and no matter how much I squirmed his hand always managed to connect with my backside.
It wasn't long before I realised it was just a matter of time until I gave in. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the gag and how much I didn't want to wear it, my backside was screaming the opposite. Be strong. You can fight this. My ass disagreed.
Sobbing in pain as his tireless hand came down, again and again, I finally realised he wasn't going to stop unless I told him to, and the longer I put off that irrefutable fact, the worse it would be for me. Sheer stubbornness made me hold out for another five minutes though, but finally, when I could bear it no longer, I bleated, "Stop. Please stop." His hand continued to crash down as if he hadn't heard me. "I'll wear the gag. Please stop!" My voice was torn and rough-edged from crying, but he had to have heard that. I'd yelled as loud as I could.
There was a pause as his hand stopped in mid-air, and then it slowly came down to rest on my burning ass cheeks. My body trembled under the warm heat of his hand, and I held my breath as I waited to see what he would do next.
"Say 'can I please wear the gag', and I'll think about it." Brandt's voice was low and lazy. He knew he had me. When I made him wait for an answer he squeezed my ass sharply, causing me to shoot up in pain and gasp out loud. "Say it," he reiterated, his hand moving to the other cheek.
I didn't want a repeat reminder. "Can I please wear the gag?" I whispered softly.
"Louder. I can't hear you." He squeezed me roughly again and I cried out, my legs flailing behind me before another spank hit. I swear I saw stars.
"Can I please wear the gag?" I cried out. At that point I would have said anything to stop that vicious hand in its tracks. Thankfully, this time it seemed to have done the trick. His hand settled down on my back, giving it a few soft caresses before he gently moved me off him.
"Kneel on the floor in front of me." It was another humiliation, designed to anger me, but this time I immediately did as he asked. My legs were stiff as I lowered them, and my knees protested at the contact with the cold, hard floor, but eventually I was where he wanted me. If Brandt wished to see me humbled, so be it. I had no fight left. If being on my knees would make him happy, then I would embrace this new life of worshipping the damn floor.
"Open wide, Little Thief."
The moment I had been dreading had arrived, but my mouth opened as ordered. Closing my eyes in defeat, I waited for the inevitable to happen. My body was almost vibrating with rage, but somehow I remained still for him.
"Open those eyes." The words were softly spoken, but I didn't mistake them for anything but a command. Reluctantly I obeyed, though animosity must have been bleeding from them.
Brandt looked straight at me and smiled. The fingers of his left hand strayed from the straps of the gag and moved to caress my face, sliding through the tracks of my tears to stroke my cheekbone. "You're beginning to feel a little of the resentment and fury I felt when you put me behind bars. It eats away at you, turning your insides to ashes and dust. At the moment you only think you hate me, Little Thief. Give it a few days and you'll begin to understand some of what I went through."
His fingers moved higher, tracing my eyebrows and then fluttering softly over my eyelashes. "Keep those eyes open at all times when you're with me. If you close them you'll earn yourself a punishment. That's another thing I had to do in prison, by the way. You can't let your guard down for a single second else someone will shove a knife into your back, or worse." His face closed off from me, hardening, and his fingers reached again for the strap of the gag. Bringing it up to my face, he gently slotted it in between my teeth and then fastened the leather strap behind my head. Please let us be finished for today, I thought. I wasn't sure my brittle nerves could take much more of his presence.
"You have no idea how beautiful you look, Harper Wilkinson. When I look at you, naked, kneeling at my feet and gagged, I could almost forgive you. Almost." His features softened again, and I wondered if I was off the hook for today at least.
"Right. Back over my lap. It's time to address your eating habits."
I wanted to scream at him. How could he do this to me? My ass couldn't take any more of this. If all he was going to do was spank me over and over again until I was crying and screaming, what was the point of the gag? He might as well have just continued what he was doing. Why hadn't I been stronger and refused to give in? This was madness.
My immediate instinct was to bolt, and I followed it, although I knew the action would be futile. I had seen him lock the door and there was no other way out unless I'd suddenly managed to become the invisible woman. My hands scrabbled at the steel bars in front of me, trying to rock them in my fingers, but they only confirmed what I already knew. The door was locked. As Brandt slowly stood up and walked towards me I banged against them, screaming for someone to help me. Nothing but a garbled mess escaped the gag, and my pleas were met with deaf ears. The silence of the house was resolute and unyielding, and it was also my undoing. Hysteria took over once again, and he had to flatten me against the bars with his body, holding my hands over my head, until the kicking and screaming stopped.
When I had finally quietened down he picked me up in his arms and carried me back to the bed. I didn't struggle. Exhaustion had taken over. If he wanted to spank me, so be it. I couldn't fight him, and I couldn't escape this. Somehow I would have to accept the consequences. Quiet tears of misery seeped from my eyes as he laid my backside back over his knees. Not even bothering to tense my muscles, I lay there motionless, just waiting for the agony to begin.
When his hand came down again I was in for a surprise. It was not the spank I was expecting, just a gentle circular rub. Using his right hand he began to soothe the inflamed skin, round and round, and the heat slowly began to dissipate into a more manageable, dull throb. Desire seemed to be pooling between my legs with every circuit his fingers made, but whether that was the massage, or just being near Brandt, was up for debate.
I waited in terror, waiting for the first strike to hit my flesh, waiting for well over five minutes. When none were forthcoming I gradually began to relax, degree by stiff degree. When he had me languid and sleepy upon his lap, consciously straining for the next touch of his hand, he decided to reveal his punishment.
"Are you listening, Little Thief?" When I didn't immediately respond he slapped my ass lightly.
Grunting through the gag, I watched a long line of drool drop to the floor. Great; yet another humiliation to add to my tally.
"Good." He went back to massaging my ass. "Punishment won't always be delivered in the methods you expect, and punishment doesn't have to hurt to make a statement, trust me."
I didn't trust him. What was he going to do to me? Was it going to hurt? How long would it take and could I endure it? There was a multitude of questions flitting through my head that I couldn't voice.
"Spread your legs wide, Harper."
I immediately went rigid once more. What was he planning on doing now?
"Relax. I'm going to bring you to the edge of orgasm three times, but you are not allowed to come. Nod if you understand me."
That seemed simple enough, so I nodded.
"You'll have to concentrate. If you fail, we'll have to go back to spanking. Do you understand me?"
I nodded again. Unfortunately I understood him all too well. This would be a different kind of torture, and one that was somewhere between heaven and hell. Still, it would be better than being spanked. Or so I thought.
"Spread those legs, Harper. Don't make me tell you again." There was a thread of steel through his voice, so I didn't make the mistake of disobeying him. Spreading my legs shoulder width apart I felt horribly exposed and vulnerable, but then that was the point, I guessed. He would exploit my body in every way possible until I gave into his demands.
"Wider. Spread those legs as far apart as you can."
My face burned brighter than my ass as I tried my best to comply with his order. When I'd finally stretched both legs as wide as they would go I felt decidedly off balance, in both senses of the word.
"Good girl, that's perfect." His hand dipped down into the valley between my ass cheeks, and using both hands he spread them wide. Even though I couldn't see his face, I could feel the heat of his gaze upon me. There was the longest pause, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head as he looked at me there. If his hormones were anywhere near as crazy as mine, I'd better brace myself for madness.
The silence went on and on until I thought I couldn't bear the tension that froze the room solid. Then just as I got ready to bolt again, the spanking be damned, his fingers began to move.
Chapter 17 - Harper
His fingers were firm and assured, and knew exactly what they were doing. How many women had he had before me? I almost choked on the thought. He would have had plenty. They'd all been lining up for the good-looking rich kid, and who didn't need a Cinderella story in their lives? If they could just see him now they'd be flocking towards him in droves. Bad boys are even more popular than rich kids, aren't they? He's not a bad boy. You did that to him. Hell, however you looked at it, he was a bad boy now.
