Christmas Captive - Isabella Starling Page 0,22

thing was scared.

“Don’t fear me,” I said, tucking a strand of her bouncy curls behind the shell of her ear. “Don’t fear me yet, Kitty. I’ll take care of you.”

She nodded; her eyes glued to mine as I clicked my fingers. The doors of the living room opened, and two men walked in carrying an enormous Christmas tree. Amicia gasped at the sight of it, then clapped her hands together in excitement, a giddy smile on her lips.

“I thought it would make it feel more like Christmas,” I said with an indulgent smile. “And as a special treat, I thought we’d decorate it together.”

Amicia smiled. It was an oddly intimate thing, to decorate the tree, just the two of us. But for the next hour or so, we carefully picked out the ornaments I’d ordered from an expensive boutique in town and arranged them around the tree. The smell of pine needles was thick and heady, a Christmas-scented candle burning in the background while we worked. I’d even put on some Christmas tunes, and the atmosphere was charged with tension as we worked in companionable silence.

I couldn’t help but watch Kitty work her hardest to make the tree as beautiful as she possibly could. She arranged the lights and ornaments with great care, handling them with capable hands that never trembled. We were down to the star which went on top, and as she held the glittering, gilded ornament in her hands, I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her up so she could place it on the top of the tree.

My movement surprised her, her cheeks flushing a dark red. She didn’t say anything, merely placed the star in its place to the sound of Holy Night playing on my surround-sound system, before I carefully allowed her body to slide down, pressed firmly against mine.

I could tell she was excited. Her perky nipples were straining against the silk of her dress, eager to be touched, sucked, and pinched. But I made no move to do it. I needed to earn her trust, first.

I pretended the moment hadn’t happened, leaving her to her own thoughts as we finished clearing up the boxes. The tree looked magnificent in its splendor, and for the first time in years, I found myself genuinely excited about the upcoming holiday.

“I’ll be doing some work in my home office now,” I told Amicia, her eyes following me as I made my way across the room. Was I imagining the longing in her gaze? “Should you need anything, Florian is available to you.”

“What about you?” Amicia asked.

“I’m not to be disturbed.”

With those words, I left her alone in the expanse of the living room, smirking to myself. I knew how to play my cards right to keep her interested. Now, she’d be wondering what I was doing, eager to spend more time in my company. But I wouldn’t allow her to have it, not just yet.

Chapter 7

Grayson

I planned for a seamstress to come to the penthouse, and my pet was fitted for a new wardrobe. Over the course of the next few days, her closet was filled with expensive designer pieces. Every day, she looked more radiant. Over the course of the first week, her transformation from a street urchin into a sophisticated woman was finalized, and even I was impressed by the results.

The first week passed peacefully, without any incidents. Initially, I’d thought Amicia would fight her captivity, resist me. But I knew what I was doing—after all, this wasn’t my first time. I purposefully kept my hands off her, restraining myself even though all I’d wanted to do was to bury my cock deep with the silkiness of her pussy.

I set up a regimen for Amicia. I controlled what she ate, when she exercised. I knew of her every move in the apartment, making it my business to transform her into the perfect pet for me. Her obedience was a welcome surprise. It was as if she’d been waiting for someone to do this for her—take away any semblance of control and guide her through her life as a submissive.

I didn’t touch her for a long time. I left her mostly to her own devices, not prying into what she did. She never asked to leave the penthouse. She had access to my private pool and gym in the building, and she used it with gusto, going for a swim once per day, and to work out once every other day. Florian had