A warning of some sort, telling me if I don’t get up now, there’s no telling what he might do.
I suck in a steadying breath as I push to my feet slowly, doing my best to work through the aching in my backside. Of their own accord, I wrap my arms around my nude body, trying to hide myself from his prying eyes. I hear his chuckle behind me, as though my humiliation amuses him. He’s a spectator, toying with me for sport.
“So innocent,” he muses, his voice growing closer, rolling over my flesh like pinpricks. “Drop your arms and face me.”
My stomach twists, emotion clogging the airway in my throat.
I can’t do this.
I can’t.
“If I have to repeat myself, you won’t like what comes next.”
A whimper tumbles past my lips as I turn to face him, dropping my arms as instructed. Tears burn the backs of my eyes, and my throat closes up. I force myself to focus on the right corner of the ceiling, anything to keep from looking at him. A sob rattles in my chest, perilously close to slipping out when I feel the heat of his gaze rake across my exposed flesh. I try not to cower when he eats up the distance between us.
“I’m going to enjoy this a lot more than I originally thought,” he muses, running his knuckles down the center of my sternum. I jump at the touch. My eyes flash to his, wide and fearful.
Our gazes clash, blue to green. A current of electricity passes between us, causing my heart to pound in my chest like an angry metronome. Something passes over his features, but before I can read into it, he jerks his chin toward the running water behind me.
“Get in, and don’t even think about trying anything.”
Nausea pools deep in my gut and my brows pull down. “W-what? I’m not going to shower with you in here.”
His nostrils flare and his eyes turn to shards of ice, spearing me into submission. “You’ll do whatever the fuck I tell you to.”
I square my shoulders. “I won’t.”
The muscle along his jaw jumps, and before I can stop him, his hands jolts out, gripping my neck in a vise. A scream gets caught in my throat when he slams my back up against the shower wall, stealing the very breath from my lungs as he gets in my face.
“Let’s try this again. You’re going to get under that water and let me wash you like the fucking good little girl that you are.” His grip around my neck tightens ever so slightly, driving his point home. It’s enough that it causes the blood to rush to my face, and my eyes to bulge against the pressure. Panic grips my chest. I claw at his hand, struggling against his hold, trying to pry his lithe fingers off of me, but it’s futile, his grip is unrelenting. When black dots begin to dance in my vision, I lose my fight, and he capitalizes on it. Loosening his hold, only slightly, he drags me under the running shower head until I’m choking on the influx of water.
When he lets go, I sputter, clasping onto the shower wall and using it to keep myself upright, while my heart races frantically. My throat burns and my lungs feel as if they’re on fire. I drag my gaze up to meet his and find him watching me with a blank expression on his face. His eyes are the only thing that give him away, there’s a challenge there. He wants to find a reason to hurt me.
Biting back my frustration, I step under the spray again, and allow the water to soak my hair and sluice down my body. The droplets feel like little pinpricks stabbing at my flesh. I steel myself, trying not to flinch when I feel his rough hands on me. They’re lathered with a lavender scented soap and they’re incredibly warm. It’s a stark contrast to the cold water beating against my skin.
Slamming my eyes shut, I force myself to shut my mind off and go somewhere else. Any place but here with him and his hands on me.
“One more thing, Tesoro.” I grit my teeth together and peel my eyes open, raising a brow, waiting for him to continue. “You’re going to watch me wash you. Don’t take your eyes off me, understand?”
My nostrils flare with anger at the glint of amusement that’s there in his eyes.
With my hands curled into fists