Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,47

her. I needed her.

I smacked the wood against her bottom without reservation, moving from side to side, immediately enjoying the shade of blush forming. I concentrated on my efforts as she struggled to keep her own level of control, the whimpers around the soap strangled.

“You will learn. You will obey. You will follow my rules. Period. There is no other choice. None. None!” I loathed the rattled sound giving away my angry desire, the sadistic portion that had nearly destroyed me. I’d pushed that man down deep into my psyche, cutting off his air by shutting down his needs. But he’d found a way to the surface, taunting me with his ability to provide warmth and caring as necessary, all the while lurking in the darkness, waiting to strike at the perfect time.

I wanted her to understand, to finally accept my utter control. Only then she would learn how much I cared and that I would protect her. The words swam in my mind as I brought the brush down several more times, finally jerking away from her and wiping my mouth as lights flashed in front of my field of vision.

The air in the room was suffocating, the heat far too intense. Growling, I was forced to catch my breath, the guttural sounds I emitted not ones I could control.

And she heard them, every raspy sound and every gasp for air. She watched, studying the man unraveling in front of her. There was no pity on her face or even amusement, just a concentrated need to understand.

I laughed, turning away for a few seconds. She’d had enough. I tossed the brush into the drawer, crowding her space once again, caressing her bruised bottom. “You could never understand how important you are to me, Alessandra. There are things you simply will never know. Open your mouth.”

She blinked several times as she obeyed, a single tear slipping past her lovely long lashes.

I backed away, tossing the soap into the trash. “Rinse your mouth. Then come into the bedroom.” I couldn’t stand to watch as she regrouped, or while she wiped away her tears. There was no point in attempting to console her. She wasn’t the kind of woman to be cajoled by niceties, although dear God, I wanted her to have lovely things.

Laughing, I walked past the bed to my window, touching the ridiculous heavy fabric that shut out almost every scrap of light. I’d been in the dark for so long that I had no idea how to handle facing the sun, experiencing the warmth of a summer day. As I shifted to the center of the window, I could remember clearly how much I’d enjoyed the outdoors as a young man. Every sport. Every challenge. I accepted them all, loving every minute of the adventure.

Hell, now I wore dark glasses when leaving the house, no matter the time of day. As I pulled back the edge of the curtain, a slender hint of light floating into the room, I was forced to take a deep breath.

“Why do you like the darkness so much?”

Her voice was unexpectedly soft, the inflection almost as if she gave a damn. I knew better. The greatest ploy in the world was pretending you cared. Make certain the abductor believes you are falling for them. I wasn’t in the mood. “Why? It doesn’t matter to you.”

“What if it does? If I’m to be your wife, then I should understand what I’m going to face. Sir.”

I laughed softly, shaking my head before dropping my hand and turning around. “That’s a nice try, Alessandra, and I actually appreciate your sudden change in attitude, but I’m not easily fooled.” Damn if she didn’t appear like some beautiful angel, the gown not just drawing my attention but tightening my balls.

Her hands were together, her body tense as she walked a few feet closer. “No, Gabriel, I don’t understand any of this. Not a single thing. My father must have hated me in order to do what he did. I will have to face that issue myself. I can’t say I will ever trust you or even myself again. I can’t. I won’t. But I can tell how much you’re hurting inside. Maybe that’s something that I can help with. I don’t know if I can, but we have to talk. Who are you? This is a family enterprise, that much I know, but why are you here in the United States?”

I laughed again. “To garner a share of the