Turning to her, the whites of her eyes intensified. She looked worried. Just like many before her she was anxious she would not be enough for him, that she would fall short of his expectations. He liked that.
‘I think I’ve got it from here, Sebastian,’ she quivered, fiddling with her locket. ‘I’ll see you back at the fire.’
Playing hard to get.
‘You go ahead,’ he said softly. ‘I’ll wait right here, see that you’re safe.’
She took a reluctant step forward and turned. ‘You don’t need to watch me. I’d like a little privacy, please.’
Not eager in response he pushed her further into the antechamber and feigned an exaggerated search. The cave boasted nothing but rivulets of intrusive rainwater and plinking puddles.
‘Maybe I should go get Abbey,’ she murmured.
The tease.
‘I’ll take care of you, Danielle,’ he assured her. ‘Didn’t we agree we should leave Abbey be?’
‘Well, maybe I’m not so desperate now. I think I’ll just head back and sleep it off, go in the morning.’
She turned to leave and the strong arm grappled her from behind.
‘Danielle, I’m beginning to think you don’t trust me.’
‘What, no! Of course I trust you. I just don’t need to go anymore.’
Refusing to relinquish his grasp, Sebastian's face changed shape as he considered his options. ‘You don’t know how long I’ve waited to get you alone, Danielle. And I know you’ve wanted it too. I’ve seen it in your eyes.’
Tearing her arm from his grasp she took a careful step backwards. ‘Sebastian, what are you talking about?’
He could feel the erection pressing against his zip. ‘You’ve done nothing but flirt with me since the crash. You’re so beautiful, so loving…’
‘Sebastian, you’re scaring me. Please let me go back.’
‘You want to be with me,’ he insisted. ‘I know you do. Or perhaps…wait, you’re not one of them, are you? One of the bottom-feeders. I clothe you, I shelter you, and this is how you repay me, with defiance!’
‘Defiance?’ she mumbled. ‘Sebastian, you’re making no sense.’
‘You know what I’m talking about, you little bitch. You flirt with me, you flutter your eyelids, and you think you can toy with me, you filthy little whore!’
He watched as she retreated cautiously, nervy feet tapping out acoustics.
‘Sebastian, I don’t know what you mean by all this. Please stay back or I’ll scream for the others.’
‘You think they’ll hear you?’ he smiled crookedly. ‘Listen to that storm, girl. It’s just you and me now. But I don’t want you to be frightened, you’ve got me all wrong. I only want to love you like so many before you. And some of them, they grew to love me too.’
Dismayed to see his words failing, the girl turned and fled, her feet slapping against hollow rock. Sebastian was too fast. He snagged her sweater and flung her to the chamber floor, the puddles doing nothing to cushion her fall.
His erection was raging now, grinding against the brass zipper, aching for release.
Danielle rolled onto her back as he withdrew it, exhibited it.
‘There, you see,’ he said hopefully. ‘Not so bad, huh? I can love you, Danielle, you just need to be a little more open-minded.’
‘Please, Sebastian! Please stop. You have it wrong, I don’t want this.’
‘Sure you do!’
Wrestling the girl’s shorts down to her ankles, he dropped to his knees at the girl’s scrambling feet, her flailing arms.
Then the unexpected happened, filling his stunned eyes with tears. The thick forearm wrapped around his neck and tugged him to his feet. Danielle scrambled backwards in a flood of tears, pulling desperately at her shorts.
‘Like little girls, do we, Sebastian?’
Oh no.
Not again.
He was being dragged away from Danielle. His beloved Danielle.
He knew they wouldn’t understand. He knew their dogmatic views wouldn’t allow them to see past the restrictions of age.
He was spun around unceremoniously, James’s hard face honing into view. ‘Sebastian, when you wake up, you’re going to have some explaining to do.’
The last thing he remembered was the fist hurtling toward his face.
*
Leading the distraught Danielle back into the main chamber, James reassured her with gentle words. Abbey woke as they entered and produced a blanket, draping it around the trembling girl’s shoulders.
‘What’s going on?’ Abbey queried, sitting Danielle down and rubbing her arms.
‘Nothing,’ said James. ‘It’s taken care of.’
‘What? What’s taken care of?’
‘I told you, it’s nothing.’
Abbey held his gaze. Floating above the noise of the storm was the distinct whiff of deceit. Since she fell asleep, the chamber’s inhabitants had halved, and Danielle was a nervous wreck. Logically, “nothing” wasn’t going to cut it.
Taking his arm she led him into the connecting tunnel. ‘Why are you doing this to me, James, why are you keeping everything from me? Where’s Oliver, where’s Anthony and Sebastian? Why is Danielle in some kind of shock, and why for the love of God have you been lying to me about who you are?’
‘About who I am? What are you talking about?’
‘I’m not an idiot, okay. Oli told me you were secretive about your job, you wouldn’t tell me anything about yourself or your family, and I keep catching you looking at me when you think I don’t know. Too much doesn’t add up with you. I’m scared out of my wits here, so please, I’m begging you, let me in.’
She
