Cruel Seduction - Kelli Callahan Page 0,7

life; this I am happy about. I haven’t been outside in ages. He must have had something good happen for him to be so kind. “I’d love that, Kendrick. Please,” I say a bit too eagerly, and his eyes hood as he stares at my lips.

“I love it when you beg, my sweet.” His eyes roam over my face, and he tucks my hair behind my ear, humming in a way that makes me think he appreciates what he sees. “I hate when I have to be rough with you. I don’t like where this relationship is going, Gabriella. I want to work on us, okay? I love you. I don’t want you in this room anymore. I want you with me.”

I’ve heard it all before. The ‘I’ll change’ speech. The ‘I love you’ speech. The ‘I swear I won’t hit you again’ speech. None of it matters because he is the kind of man who only speaks in lies.

If it means be getting out of this room, I’ll pretend to believe him.

“I love you too, Kendrick.” Oh, the lie is a bitter taste of poison on my tongue. Love, love! I hate him with every breath I take. I wish he’d die a miserable death, but if I want to live, I have to push that hatred to the side and swallow my need to see his eyes roll to the back of his head so I survive another day. “I would love to get out of this room and be with you. I promise, I’ll be what you need.” I know the song and dance. He needs a compliant woman, a woman who will agree with everything he says; a woman who never speaks up and voices her opinions.

I know how to do that.

He trained me, after all.

Kendrick leans down and presses his lips against mine. The only way I ever get through it is imagining he's Sebastian instead. I open my mouth and allow his tongue entry. I want to throw up when he groans down my throat. His lips are firm, a bit chapped, and rough. It makes sense. Dry and abrasive like the rest of him.

“Your lips are so soft. I’ve missed your kiss,” he says.

“I’ve missed yours too.”

He leans over the bed and grabs my foot, the one with the ankle cuff. He gasps when he realizes how raw and torn the flesh is. “My sweet, why didn’t you tell me?”

I want to roll my eyes. He doesn’t care about any pain I feel. I don’t understand why he’s acting so unlike himself today.

“Because I understand why I am here, Kendrick. I needed to learn my lesson.”

I see the shock and pride in his eyes when he realizes he broke me, just what he wanted. I’m not broken. I am smart.

“I think you have, my sweet. I think you have.” He unlocks the chain from my ankle and gives my foot a light massage. “I think I’ll also give you a bath today. I’m going to pamper you.” When he gets into this kind of mood, it reminds me of the time I fell in love with him all those years ago. I know the mood would be short-lived, but I need a break from his cruelty. I have to play the game to win, and one day I will.

“I would very much enjoy that. Would you bathe with me?” I flutter my eyelashes, knowing the answer.

“You little fox. I knew you missed me; I just didn’t think it was that much.”

Oh, if you only knew how much I want to drown you in dirty bath water.

“Of course, I am going to join you. Like I’d ever miss the chance to see your beautiful body on display.”

I feel a stab of guilt and betrayal toward my love for Sebastian. I’ve never kissed him, never did anything physical with him, but I feel like a cheater, even if my situation is desperate. Being what Kendrick wants affords me my life. I hope one day, Sebastian will forgive me for doing what I have to do.

“Come, let’s get washed up and eat breakfast.” The monster holds out his viscous hand, and I slide my palm against his, readying myself to walk out the room for the first time in months. His eyes peek over to the desk, and the happiness flees from his eyes when he remembers one of the first objects I drew.

His brother.

It earned me weeks of recovery lying in bed, sore and aching,

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