Page 36 of Savage Desires

"Eat up, beauty."

She doesn't waste any time picking up her fork and taking a bite of scrambled eggs. She lets out a moan of pleasure that shouldn't be as sexy as it is. Jesus. I should not be getting an erection for this woman. The last thing she needs is me making her uncomfortable with my wayward dick.

"These are so good," Willow says, taking another bite.

I watch her eat, enjoying how she savors every bite. Her eyes practically roll back in her head when she takes a bite of bacon. Don't get me started on the sound she makes. A man could die happily while trying to coax those sounds out of her with his face buried in her pussy. I've never been jealous of food before, but apparently, this woman makes me feel all kinds of things I'm not used to.

It doesn't take long for her to stop eating. Like last night, she looks at the food left on the plate guiltily. I can understand it. Many women in her position were denied food or given the bare minimum to survive. I've never understood it. The people who traffic these women are making money from selling their bodies. Why starve them? They are essentially damaging their own moneymakers with malnutrition and abuse. It seems like bad business, but anyone who buys and sells another human being obviously sees them as disposable.

Willow takes another small bite of eggs, chewing slowly. She will eat until she makes herself sick so she doesn't waste anything. I could tell that about her last night, which is why I finished her food. I take her plate from the tray and quickly eat what's left. She watches me curiously.

"Why do you do that?"

"Because I don't want you to make yourself sick trying to finish every bite."

She blushes. "Food is too precious to waste. You don't have to eat it, though. I can just eat it later…"

I scowl. Willow shouldn't be worrying about saving breakfast scraps. It just adds one more thing for me to be pissed off over.

"Can I clean up and see the other girls?" she asks.

"Of course. You don't have to ask to do things anymore, beauty. You're free to do whatever you want."

"It doesn't seem real…"

"I know. It's going to take time, but you'll get there."

I watch her slowly maneuver herself out of bed. I want to swoop in and pick her up like yesterday, but I'm unsure how she would take it. I don't want to be overbearing. She's much steadier on her feet today but obviously still weak and sore. Considering how hard she fought me, the run through the woods, and being attacked by two men, I'm not at all surprised. A lesser person would stay in bed and ask to be waited on hand and foot.

Not my Beauty. She's stubborn and strong.

I find Willow a change of clothes, keeping an ear out in case she needs me. I hear the toilet flush and then the sink running. A few minutes later, she comes out holding a hairbrush. She shuffles to the bed and sits on the edge.

"I found some clothes that should fit if you want to change."

She gives me a shy smile. "Thanks."

"Want help?" I ask before I can think better of it.

I've never once wanted to brush another woman's hair. As a dominant, I'm well versed in aftercare, but this is different. Taking care of Willow feels essential to me. Since I first saw her at Mecca, I've had this need to keep her safe and care for her. Seeing her in the auction and realizing how close I came to never seeing her again just multiplied that need. Now that she's here and safe, I want to keep her that way.

Willow doesn't respond right away. I can see indecision warring on her features. Some piece of her wants to be taken care of, and another is probably scared that every kindness she's given comes at a cost. She'll learn that's not the case. I take the hairbrush from her hand and sit beside her on the bed. After a long look, she turns so her back is to me. She's stiff as a board at first, but after a few minutes, she relaxes.

Even after her hair is silky smooth, I continue to brush it. She's more relaxed than she has been since I brought her here, and I want her to stay that way. Eventually, she turns towards me with wide, thoughtful blue eyes.

"Thank you, Kisten," she murmurs.

Her voice is still rough from being strangled, but it's getting better.

"You don't have to thank me, beauty." I tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, tracing my fingertips down her cheek. "You ready to go downstairs?"

"Will you go with me?"

I cup her face in both hands, looking her in the eyes. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

It's then that I realize just how much I mean those words. I don't know what the hell is happening to me, but walking away from Willow isn't happening. Keeping her is wrong. She deserves a better man than me. One that can give her soft and sweet. That's not me, but I can't let her go. I should do the right thing and disappear. Let Gladys set her up at Hope House or send her back to her life before captivity. The mere thought of either of those options pisses me off.

She closes her eyes and tilts her face into my palm. My heart clenches in my chest, surprising me. I thought it was a dead lump in my chest. Meeting Willow has woken up a side of me I thought was dead and gone when I left home years ago. This little slip of a woman has done the unthinkable.