He gave me a smallsmug smile. “I can’t wait to experience them.”
I gave him aconfused look. Why would he want to experiencethat?
“I’ll tell you what. Go upstairs and take your bath. When I’mready, which will be well before sunset,” he said with a slightsmirk, “I’ll come and get you and we’ll have a picnic on the beach.How does that sound?”
Him? A picnic?Really? This man, who was dripping power and masculinity, wanted tohave a picnic with me on the beach?
“Sure. That actually sounds really nice,” I replied,completely shocked.
“Good, but it comes with a smallprice,” he said, hiseyes glittering with a kind of playfulness I didn’trecognize.
I turned my headto the side, my stomach churning with anticipation. What cruelthing would he subject me to now?
“And what is it going to cost me?” I asked, narrowing my eyesat him.
“I just want my good morning kiss.” He smiled brightly, buthis smugness was not far behind.
I gave him a lookto let him know I didn’t trust him. His impression of a goodmorning kiss might be very different compared to my impression of agood morning kiss. But whatever, a kiss was a kiss, and he wasgoing to get what he wanted anyway.
“Fine,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him as I began to riseuncomfortably from my chair. I could handle one fucking kiss. Itwouldn’t kill me.
Instead, Darrengot up and reached for my hand, helping me into his embrace. Ilooked up into his ocean eyes with slight fear growing in my belly.But what I found when I looked up was not what I expected. I sawsomething—something I didn’t recognize. It wasn’t excitement, orrage, or lust. It was soft and warm like he was really looking at me with something other thanpossessiveness. He was looking at me as if headored me, as if I wassomething more than just his prisoner. Like a treasure, a precioustreasure he wanted to keep hidden away from the world lest someonesteal me away from him.
I felt the fear inmy stomach boil to a simmering warmth as his fingers traced alongmy hairline, tucking mystray strands behind my ear. His hand then lingered against mycheek, and I found my hand curling over his wrist, letting him knowI was there.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered to me and gently placedhis lips on mine.
His kiss was softand sensual, unlike anything I had ever experienced with him. Hewas gentle in his touch, but firm enough for me to really feel him.Heat flared in my tummy as he cradled the back of my neck in hisother hand, our lips moving as one as we deepened our kiss. When hefinally released me, I felt dazed and confused, but I immediatelyshook it off as he stared down at me, a brightsmile on hislips.
I gave hima small, timid smileback, not wanting to like what he just did, but I appreciated histenderness. He then kissed me on my forehead and gently scooped meup into his arms. I gasped at hisabrasiveness but hadto force myself not to fight him.
“Allow me.” He grinned and carried me back into the house, upthe stairs, and to my bathroom. By the time we got to the tub, hewasn’t even winded and that was a long way to carryme.
God, I envied hisstrength. All my life I wished I could be strong, and I was, but itwould never compare to the strength of a man, especiallythis one. I hated my bodyfor its stupid limitations, but I reminded myself that speed orstrength had nothing on the power of a semi-automatic.
Setting me down onthe edge of the tub, he ran the water and then pulled out someEpsom salt from one of my cabinets and poured itintothe filling tub. Holy shit? Who was thisman? Certainly not the same man who had beat the shit out of mycervix last night with his dick because he had severe jealousyissues. He seemed like he actually cared.
After pouring inthe salt, the tub was full, and he pushed a button to start thejets. My excitement was hard to contain. He even lit thesurrounding candles by the bay window next to the tub and the airimmediately bloomed with the scent of lavender.Wow.
“Do you need anything else?” he turned and askedme.
I could feelmyself getting whiplash at his sudden acts ofkindness.
“I should be fine. Thank you.”
“Good. I’ll see you in a fewhours.”
He then leaneddown, kissed my forehead, and left the bathroom, actually closingthe door behind him. What in the fuck just happened? I had gonefrom violent rape to soothing bubble bath? I was really going tohave to learn to anticipate his shit. It was just so hot andcold.
I didn’t waitanother second as I stripped down, clipped my hair up, and slowlyplunged myself into the soothing warmth of the bath.The jets felt amazing onmy sore muscles as they massaged the tension right out of them, soit didn’t take long for my body to slip into a coma of ultimatecomfort.
After about a halfan hour, I felt the magic of the Epsom salt working as thethrobbing in my cervix finally subsided. Itwasn’tgone, but it was muchmore bearable. This bathtub was my new best friend. As I soaked, Itried not to think about anything; I forced myself into a state ofnumbness so I wouldn’t have to dwell on the pain I was tryingto bury. I needed to curbmy anger, shelf my pride, and focus onreflection.
I was a captivenow, and there was no changing that. Not yet, at least. I needed tolet it all go and replace it with the will to please a monster. Ihoped that if I could make Darren happy, he’d return the favor. ButI would also have to let him.
I stared out thebay window beside the tub overlooking the beautiful ocean blue. Iremembered a time not so long ago when I’d find my happyplace on a beach with clearblue water and seagulls in the sky. And here it was right in frontof me, except it wasn’t my happy place. It was my own personalHell.
As I soaked,thoughts of Darren’s random change
