her brain kicks in and forces her to stop, her fingers digging into the skin of her thighs.
It is a beautiful thing to watch the mind unravel and be overtaken by the body.
And we haven’t even started yet.
I place the plate down on the cabinet next to the door, and her eyes immediately home in on it as though she’s contemplating snatching it right out from underneath my nose. But she’s not the first who has attempted that, and I don’t think I have to remind her she won’t be successful because the very next thing she does is eyeball me to gauge my reaction.
I’m not easily persuaded to give in.
And she knows this too.
“Why did you come?” she asks.
I point at the camera in the corner. “You knew those were there … that’s why you looked.”
She swallows as the muscles in her body grow tenser. “So you did hear me.” She glares at the food again, almost as if she’s mad that I brought it up here.
My brow rises, and I lean against the cabinet, blocking her view of the food. “Someone always keeps an eye on you.”
“Great …” She sighs and folds her arms. “And perverted.”
I snort and smile at her comment. “Not when you go to the toilet.”
She narrows her eyes. “That doesn’t make it any better.”
I cock my head and shrug. “I think so, personally.”
“Are you just here to chitchat with me?” she asks.
I release the cabinet and take a step toward her. She immediately jumps up to her feet and steps away. When I stop, she sinks to the floor again as though she regrets ever moving.
“I came … because you begged,” I answer.
Her eyes bore into mine. Another swallow.
I loosen my cuffs and slide them up to my elbows, capturing her attention with a simple show of dominance. I grab the plate from the cabinet again and walk toward her, holding it tightly in my hand so she won’t be able to steal something.
Towering over her, I look down at her from underneath my lashes. “Kneel.”
She frowns for a second, then looks confused, her eyes constantly wandering off to the plate. Her mouth must be watering at the sight. But there is a price to pay for defiance. A sin is followed by punishment.
“Is that what you want?”
When I don’t reply, she changes positions, swiftly spinning around so her legs are no longer in front of her but behind her, and her ass lowers onto her heels.
Good. Finally, she obeys.
I step closer and look at the beauty in front of me, at the woman below me who is dying for this meal … who would be willing to give her freedom, and all that it entails, away for a simple bite.
I go on one knee, still clutching the plate tightly, and reach for the fork.
When she does the same, I pull away again.
She stops and eyes me. “I thought I could eat.”
“You can …” I say. “On my terms.”
A scowl forms on her face. “That’s not fair.”
I raise a brow. “You asked for this, remember?”
“I asked for food,” she retorts.
“And you asked to be punished.”
Her lips part, but she doesn’t reply, so I take that as an acknowledgment.
“You begged me for food … now let me give you what you need,” I say as I lean in.
She makes a face at me. “Why can’t I just feed myself?”
I don’t answer because she knows why.
I am the captor; she is the captive. I am the one who punishes; she is the one who sins. There is no other way around, no reasoning, no bargaining to be done. This is it. This is the deal she made.
“How many more rules are there?” she asks.
“As many as I see fit,” I answer, and I grab the fork and stick on some of the pre-cut pancakes. “Now …” I swirl the fork through the whipped cream. “Open up.”
When the fork approaches her mouth, she still refuses to yield.
“It is not poisoned,” I offer as a sign of good faith.
“How do I know for sure?” she asks, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.
A smile forms on my lips. So mistrustful. “You don’t.”
“But I—”
“But you begged,” I interrupt, throwing her a look.
She shuts her mouth again and gazes at me with both rage and fear swirling in her eyes. Rage at me coming in here to feed her like she’s a child and fear for not knowing what more I could demand if she surrenders.
And that’s what she needs to understand.