Page 57 of Slave

Carefully, I reached up to pull the towel down from the bar just to my right. Being as gentle as I could, I wiped the remaining water droplets from her bare body before lifting us both off the floor.

I carried her back into the bedroom and over to her bed. It took some maneuvering, but eventually I was able to pull the sheet back and lay her down. Only then did I notice the marks on her breasts. Around her nipples were small round scars the perfect size for cigarettes. I felt a lump develop in my throat as I fought hard to swallow down the mixture of sorrow and outrage I felt. How could someone do this to another human being? How did they sleep at night?

Without thought to what I was doing, I reached out and touched one small circle and traced its pattern. The skin was only slightly raised, but the marks were visible against her pale flesh.

Removing my hand, I decided to take this opportunity to inspect the rest of her.

Slowly, I let my eyes roam down her torso. At the juncture of her legs I could still see the burn marks I’d noticed that first day visible through the new hair growth just starting to show. I didn’t find anything that I hadn’t seen before, until I reached her feet. On the bottom of her right heel was what looked to be burn marks of some kind.

Again, I couldn’t resist the impulse to reach out and run my fingers over it. He’d burned her and left scars that might never fully heal. It wasn’t enough that she’d worn his collar; he’d had to permanently mark her as his property. I was beginning to feel sick again.

Feeling the sudden urge to leave the room, I reached to pull the covers over her body when I glanced up at Brianna’s face and noticed she was watching me. I tried to give her a reassuring smile. “How are you feeling, Brianna?”

Her eyes held mine for several seconds before she closed them tightly. Seeing movement, I looked down and noticed her hands had clenched into fists. Brianna’s chest rose and fell more rapidly as her breathing picked up.

Leaning in, I cupped her face. “Please look at me,” I asked.

Slowly her eyes fluttered open and I watched her swallow. “Am I acceptable for you, Master?” she whispered.

I blinked. It took me a moment to understand what she meant, but as I continued to look into her eyes I saw the mixture of fear, determination, and something else.

There were so many responses I could give. Yes, she was more than acceptable to me. Brianna was the most beautiful woman I’d ever met, and she became more so every day. But she was talking about the physical only. She was asking if her body was pleasing to me.

Without a doubt I knew I had to handle this situation with care. She’d come a long way, but she was still so fragile. The woman who’d graced my home that first night was still there just beneath the surface.

Raising my right hand, I reached up first to stroke her hair. “You are beautiful, Brianna,” I said making sure she was looking at me. Then slowly I let my hand travel down her neck to the marks on her left breast. “All of you.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I could feel her heart pounding under my fingertips, the motion causing her chest to rise and fall beneath my hand.

Without thinking, I brought my mouth to hers. For the first time, I let my emotions come to the surface and allowed her to feel some of the passion she invoked within me.

Brianna gasped but did not fight me. Pulling back only enough to speak, I demanded, “Kiss me.”

My lips came back down upon hers. She didn’t hesitate and kissed me back with an equal amount of force. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a sitting position. The feeling of her naked breasts pressed against me was heavenly and incredibly erotic.

I had one hand wrapped securely in her hair and the other around her waist. It wasn’t enough. My tongue begged entrance into her mouth. She opened to me, and seconds later I was able to taste the sweetness of the woman in my arms as my tongue rubbed and explored. Brianna tasted even sweeter than I’d imagined her to be.

Reality came crashing back in on me as I realized that I was holding a naked woman in my arms and that it wouldn’t take much to discard my clothing and bury myself deep inside her. But I wanted more than just sex with Brianna. If I took what my body desired right now, sex would be all we would ever have. She would never learn to trust me.

So reluctantly I pulled back. My breath was coming hard and so was hers. It took everything I had to pull away from her and walk to the other side of the room.

Minutes passed, and the only sound filling the room was our breathing. “Your clothes are on the end of the bed, Brianna. Since you’re awake, you should eat. Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen.”

“Master?” she asked softly.

“Do as you’re told,” I snapped. Then realizing what I’d done, I took a deep breath to calm myself. Turning back I saw her big blue eyes staring at me in hurt and confusion.

Carefully I walked back to her, placed my hands around her face, and tilted her head up so that I could look into those glorious eyes of hers. “You need to eat. You can sleep after.” Then dropping my hands, I left her room as quickly as my feet would carry me.

As soon as I entered the main room, I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. That woman was doing something to my brain.

I went directly to my room to change out of my now soaked clothing and into something dry. After donning a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt, I returned to the kitchen to pick up where I’d left off with our lunches.

Why was it that I couldn’t think logically near her? And what was with my libido going into hyperdrive lately? Yes, she was beautiful, sexy beyond belief. And yes, it had been a while, but that wasn’t unusual for me when I wasn’t in a relationship.

I tended to be rather picky when it came to my partners. Because of that, and my particular tastes, I didn’t invite women into my home often, nor did I go to many parties. It just wasn’t my scene. I was a very private person.

Only after a month of begging from Lily and Logan had I gone with them to a party about two months ago. They were hoping someone would strike my interest.

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