Page 138 of Tease Me

His brow furrows as he sets his sandwich down. My breath catches. What did I do wrong?

“We need water,” he says.

I breathe out as he leaves the table.

He grabs glasses out of the cabinet before filling them with water from the refrigerator. My mind is slow to work right now, but not because of any drugs. At least I don’t think so.

There’s this fog of everything running through my mind. Hunter’s body, in the next room. Anna, relying on me. Hope, somewhere outside looking for help.

Seth. Noah. Blake. Coop. Do they know I’m gone? Do they know something’s wrong? Are they on their way?

My thoughts are scattered every which way, and I need to be present and aware of this man at all times.

Setting the glass in front of me, Patrick resumes his seat.

“They got impatient?” I need to keep him talking. Talking will keep him from doing whatever he intends to do to me. Andrea and Courtney.

“Yes, they tried to pretend they were me. But they were amateurs.” He sips his water and smiles. “They were useful though. And Yvonne kept me informed of their plans, so I could use them to my benefit and plant other ideas when it suited me. It was beautiful really. The only problem is they got impatient.”

His fingers touch the bruises on my arm. I still but don’t pull away. “He never should have touched you. Yvonne told me what they were going to do so I could warn you.”

That text before the alarm. It didn’t make sense. Why warn me? But if it was someone else...

“The girls were better accomplices than Val though. But she had access and she gave it all to me.” He stops talking for a moment. His eyes taking on a far-off look. “I did it to keep you protected, of course. I knew you needed to spread your wings before I could cage you.”

He stares off into space for a moment with a creepy smile. His gaze drops to my plate and he pushes it toward me. “Eat, little one. You need food for energy. We have a long few weeks ahead of us.”

Weeks sends shudders through me. I pick off the corner of the bread and put it in my mouth, chewing as slow as I can. If drugs are in the sandwich, hopefully the bread is fine.

“I knew you were sexually adventurous during college. Those guys used you to get off, but you did the same. You didn’t want any of them. Because I know you. You’re like me. You just want a family surrounding you. You want what Anna has.”

I swallow hard around the dry bread. He has it so wrong. I have a family. I have my guys, and they’re everything I’ve ever wanted.

“A stable husband, children, a home. I’ll give it all to you.” He finishes his sandwich and moves his plate away.

His full attention turns to me. A hive of bees stirs within me as he reaches out and tucks my hair behind my ear. I freeze since I won’t run away.

“Such a prize. I should have realized you hadn’t finished sowing your wild oats. That you needed a man and not a college boy to help fulfill your needs. I enjoyed watching them fuck you, little one.”

While his finger glides down my neck, my hands clench in my dress to keep from knocking his hand away or running.

“You enjoy sex, Madison. It’s part of your appeal.” He grips my chin and turns my face in his direction. His dark eyes flare with heat.

My heart stops. Panic fills me.

I thought I could do this. Just hold him off for a little longer. I can’t. My fear locks me in place.

His thumb traces beneath my lip and his gaze burns there. “I’ve read your consent forms, little one. It took me a few days to find them in their office, but I did. There’s not much you won’t do, is there?”

He drops his hand. His eyes cold as they meet mine, like I’ve disappointed him. “Eat.”

It’s a command, and I’m not about to find out what he’ll do for punishment. He may have read my consent forms, but that doesn’t mean he’ll abide by them. They were never for him.

I lift the sandwich to my lips and take a bite.

“Good girl.” He smirks as he takes his plate to the sink.

I’m tempted to spit it back out on the plate, but he moves around behind me. So I chew and swallow. Something sticks me in the arm.

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