Page 32 of Runaway Queen

Her head turned from side to side, but she didn’t wake. I could strangle her to death right now, and she wouldn’t even fight me. Her life was in my hands. I could correct this bizarre twist of fate, and leave her body tucked up tightly in bed, and try to forget that in the end, she had betrayed me.

She hadn’t died; she had only let me think she had. My little swallow had flown her cage after all. She had freed herself and never looked back. I hadn’t realized that she wanted to leave me behind as well.

She gasped. Her hand scrabbled at my wrist, and I let go. She pulled a deep breath into her tortured lungs and turned on her side. She was really out of it. I assumed she hadn’t been sleeping that well lately. Our games were keeping her up at night.

She barely moved as I bound her. When she woke from a pinch to her nipple minutes later, it was already too late. She jerked from sleeping to awake and stilled as soon as she sensed the constriction around her wrists and ankles.

Her eyes searched wildly, but she couldn’t move enough to turn her head. The tight connecting rope between her wrists and ankles stopped her. I kneeled on the bed behind her, out of her eyeline, and straddled her hips, reaching around her face from behind, a ball gag at the ready.

Assessing the situation, she made a moan of outrage and wiggled. I could have watched her rounded ass jiggle temptingly on the sheets all night, but we didn’t have time for that.

I tutted loudly when her struggle continued for more than a minute, growing more and more agitated.

“That’s enough, Sofia. You don’t want to tire yourself out. You’re going to need your energy, prom queen.”

She stilled at the sound of my voice. I climbed off her and moved slowly behind her, pacing where she couldn’t quite see.

“Tonight, my little swallow, we start our game.”

I circled around in front of her and crouched. Her face was finally in view. Her mouth looked sumptuous, propped open by the thick ball. Finally, for the first time in seven years, our eyes met.

It was like touching a live wire with my bare hand. Her dark eyes widened, panic washing through her, surprise. I was gratified to see guilt in there, too.

A long line of tears dashed from one of her eyes. My gaze traced the movement, transfixed.

I reached out and wiped away the tear. When my finger touched Sofia’s cheek, she closed her eyes. I could swear she pressed her face closer to my hand. I jerked back like she’d bitten me.

“Don’t cry, prom queen. You’ll hurt my feelings. I’m happy to see you. It’s the best fucking day of my life.”

Another line of tears escaped Sofia, and her mouth moved like a sob was trying to work out around the gag.

I stroked her hair. Just touching her in some capacity thrilled me.

“Don’t act so surprised. You knew I was coming for you, deep down. You knew I was close, didn’t you?”

Her eyes confirmed my words.

“Did it scare you, or thrill you?”

She swallowed hard, her slender throat moving with effort, given the way her head was pulled back. She was utterly beautiful, bound and helpless, with tears falling down her smooth cheeks.

“Now, let’s talk about the game, shall we? I didn’t realize that you’d already been playing with me all this time. Sleeping lions, was it? Well done. You got me. I can admit it. But your turn is over. It’s mine now, and I want to play another schoolyard classic. Truth or dare. Are you game?”

A torrent of protests sounded around the gag. I grabbed her chin and used it to nod her head, up and down, in agreement.

“Excellent. You’re going first, and I choose dare. I know that’s not how you play it here in this country, but this is the way I know. Your way is too easy. I choose, and you do it. You can choose next time for me. Okay?”

I nodded her head again, gripping her chin firmly as more tears escaped her.

“Stop crying, prom queen, or I’ll give you something to cry about.” I pushed her hair back off her forehead, where it was sticking to her tears.

She was staring up at me likeIwas the ghost and not her.

“Shh, it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.” My voice was low and deep, hiding the chaos swirling inside me. “Now, you’re going to play with me, aren’t you?”

I smoothed her short hair down, wiping her tears with my thumbs.

“Did you miss playing with me at all? I missed playing with you.”

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