Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,61

good could conquer all, that there was someone out there who would save her from the monster who’d lured her into a trap.

Sadly, I would have to be the one to explain to her that there was no hero who would break her free from her chains. She had no one. Not a single soul who gave a crap about her. How pitiful. Damn, the woman had gotten under my skin. I polished off the wine, moving immediately to refill it.

We would sit down to dinner but that would be the last of her privileges until she completely understood what was required of her. Why did the stunning images of her remain in the back of my mind? Why did they tingle every one of my senses, forcing bile to surge in my throat?

The vision of her in the dress was even more incredible than I’d imagined. She was meant to wear the finer things in life. I laughed bitterly as I took a gulp of wine. What the hell did I know?

Exhaling, I walked closer to the opening, leaning against the doorjamb, enjoying being able to watch her as she walked the circumference of the pool. There was nowhere for her to go, no chance for her to escape. And even if she did, I would find her.

I would hunt her.

And when I captured her, I would punish her time and time again.

The thought made my cock hard all over again, the savagery of my needs increasing. As she sat down on the edge of the pool, easing her bare feet into the water, I was mesmerized by the simple action.

I honestly had no answer as to why I’d never bothered to take a swim or even spend time outdoors. Work was a convenient excuse.

Happiness. I thought about Jefferson’s earlier suggestion. I’d wanted this house to be a special place for family, a home. Over the years I’d come to understand that a home wasn’t about the four walls and a roof, but the enjoyment shared with someone else.

Dinners with friends.

Fucking backyard barbeques.

Movies on date night.

Shit, even several children.

I could only imagine Christmas morning and all the little presents scattered under the festively decorated tree.

That was bullshit.

Jefferson obviously didn’t understand me any better than my own family had. I wasn’t that kind of man. This was no fairytale. There would be no romance, hand in hand walks on the beach, or candlelit dinners with anything but unbridled sex in mind.

And Alessandra would learn to enjoy, succumbing no matter what I asked.

I walked back inside, grabbing the wine bottle. When I heard a solid splash, my heart skipped. What the hell? Slamming the glass and bottle onto the counter, I grabbed my gun, clicking off the safety. I raced outside, unable to see her anywhere. There was no sign the security system had been breached, but there were always possibilities that my various enemies had realized I did indeed have a weakness.

Alessandra.

I moved from one end of the pool to the other, unable to see any sign of her. Had she fallen into the water? Had she fainted? Jesus fucking Christ.

“Alessandra!” My harsh yell seemed to echo in the night. There was nothing. No sign of her. No return to the surface. Nothing. No. No. This couldn’t happen. She was mine. “Where are you? You need to come here right now.”

The only sound was the splash of water as it cascaded down the pile of fake rocks.

“Where are you?” I heard the guttural inflections, more beast than man. My head ached as a combination of fury and fear rushed inside.

When I noticed her glass on the other side of the pool deck, I reacted, dropping the gun, kicking off my shoes and diving into the water without hesitation.

I swam to the surface, paddling to the other side, able to see her dress positioned over the arm of a chair. Although I breathed a sigh of relief, I was pissed at her impetuous behavior. I hadn’t given her permission to swim. She’d disobeyed me. Again. Fuck. Fuck. Where the hell was she?

The hard whoosh over my head drew my attention, the manmade wave coming from the area near the waterfall. Growling, I shifted in the direction and was able to catch a glimpse of her. Damn it. She believed this was some kind of a game. I dove under the water, coming up behind the splashing water tumbling over the rocks. At first, I couldn’t see her. Then I felt the