Page 21 of Bought
The line of her beautiful mouth compressed, her gaze glittering. “Why do you want to know? What does it matter to you?”
“Because I don’t like it when young women are afraid of me no matter how many times I tell them I won’t hurt them. Especially when those young women are insistent on coming home with me.”
Her eyes narrowed, a ghost of that cool intelligence looking out at me despite the fear. “You paid for my virginity, not my life story.”
Stubborn woman.
“I’m not taking a woman afraid for her life back to my home.” I kept my tone hard, letting her know that there would be no argument. Taking a firm line was always best in these situations, so everyone knew where they stood. “Even a woman who keeps on insisting that she wants to, despite how obviously terrified of me she is.”
She let out a breath. “This is getting boring. I’m assuming you’re taking me home to have sex, so do you want it or not?” She shifted on me in a deliberate way, the softness of her ass pressing against my thighs, her warmth distracting. “We don’t need to have endless discussions about it.”
I ignored the tightness behind my zipper, my cock liking the feel of her in my lap far too much. “Sex is out of the question. You’re too young, too inexperienced, and too afraid.”
The fear in her gaze had faded now, to be replaced by pure temper. “I haven’t been sexually assaulted if that’s what you’re worried about. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but I didn’t ask.”
“Well, you can have that for free.” Defiance shone in her eyes. “And if you want to know, yes, someone did hurt me. A man. But it was years and years ago and I’m fine now. And no, you don’t need to know who it was.”
I was surprised she answered my question, but I wasn’t surprised at her answer. That fear and subsequent defensiveness had to come from somewhere and it was usually due to some unpleasant experience. I wasn’t a stranger to physical violence myself — my uncle, who’d brought me up after my parents had died, had been casual with his fists — so I was familiar.
The thought that someone had hurt her in a similar way, sent all my protective impulses into overdrive. I wanted to ask her more questions, push for more answers, but I shouldn’t be getting interested so I ignored the urge. She was right, she didn’t owe me her life story, and I didn’t want it anyway. I was already too curious, and I didn’t need any more temptation.
“Fine,” I said. “I don’t need the details. But this won’t work if you’re afraid I’m going to hurt you, and don’t trust my word that I won’t.”
Her gaze took on a steely glint. “I’m fine. I can handle myself.”
She certainly looked like she could, but she wasn’t as fine as she made out. Which made it even more imperative that nothing happen sexually between us.
I was dominant and in charge, and I liked restraints. I liked obedience. I liked giving out punishments. And perhaps I liked a sub to match wills with me more than I’d thought, but she was not the sub I should be doing that with. She might not even be a sub at all. There had been signs of arousal in her in response to me, it was true, and I suspected she might like a taste of more. But I wasn’t the man to teach a vulnerable young woman about her desires, even if she pretended she was harder than she looked.
She needed patience and time and I had neither to spare.
So why is she currently sitting naked in your lap with her hands bound?
Because I hadn’t finished with her.
“I’m sure you can,” I said. “But here is my difficulty. You say that you want me, yet you tense up every time I touch you. And I can see fear in your eyes. I’ve given you every opportunity to leave, yet you won’t, which leads me to believe that someone is forcing you into coming home with me tonight.”
It was the most reasonable explanation for her behavior, yet she only snorted. “You’re paranoid. No one is forcing me into going home with you tonight. Sure, I’m a bit nervous around you, it’s true. But that’s because you’re…” She gestured at me with her bound hands. “Tennyson Fox. You’re famous and really hot. Plus, I don’t have a lot of experience with men what with being a virgin and all.”
I searched her face, but she wasn’t lying, not this time. “Nothing will be happening between us, little one. So there is no need for you to be nervous.”
Cool silver glinted in her eyes. “And why will nothing be happening between us?”
“What were you saying about boring conversations? We’ve had this discussion and I told you why.”
“Yet despite making a big deal of not having sex with me, you’re taking me home anyway.”
She was sharp, I’d give her that.
So why not take her home? Do you really have to know everything about her and her motivations before you do? How could this little one even harm you?
A good point. The only thing she had with her was the small purse she’d brought from Arcadia. My driver had checked it and it contained nothing but a cheap phone, a tube of lip balm, and a small change wallet full of a pathetic amount of cash. There had been no cards or ID, nothing with her name on it, and no weapons of any kind.
She wouldn’t be able to harm me physically and if I kept an eye on her, she wouldn’t be able to do anything else, either.
“Yes,” I said. “But not for sex.”