Page 35 of The Devil's Dilemma

He spoke calmly, his voice even, and that was more terrifying than if he’d raised his voice.

“Once, I’m willing to forgive, but this is twice, Austin, and I can’t let that go unpunished. I’d planned a day of simple tests for you, but now you’ve angered me, and that’s never a good thing.”

An apology sat on my tongue. But why the fuck should I say sorry? I’d done nothing wrong, yet here I was in a room I didn’t know with a man I knew even less.

His unruffled demeanour intimidated me more than the face he’d shown us last night. I actually feared for my life.

I could beg, drop to my knees, and plead for forgiveness, but for what? Nah, he could go fuck himself. Consequences be damned.

He rose from the sofa and stalked towards me. He stopped inches away from me, but I refused to back down, refused to avert my gaze, refused to be intimidated.

I puffed out my chest and stared him straight in the eye. If he was going to kill me, I’d make sure my defiance would live with him for the rest of his natural life, no matter how long that might be.

“Kill me if you’re going to.”

He barked out a laugh.

“Oh, I’m not going to kill you. I’m too nice for that. I’m going to make you suffer. That is infinitely more enjoyable.”

He stroked his hand down my face, a soft gesture in complete contradiction to his cruel words. I leant into his touch but then stopped myself.

What the fuck was I doing?

“I need you to get undressed.”

“What?”

“Well, unless you want your clothes to get wet, you’ll need to take them off.”

Of course. That was the reason we were here. The reason he’d removed me from my prison cell.

“Where’s the bathroom?”

He pointed to a door, and I walked towards it.

“I said undress.”

“Here?”

“Where did you think I meant?”

No way I was doing that. It was humiliating, but maybe that was the point.

Well, if we were making a point…

I removed my jacket first, then my shoes and socks. Thank fuck I’d put the casino chip into my pocket.

Not that it mattered, but I still didn’t want anyone seeing it.

While I stripped, I maintained eye contact.

I’d hoped to make him uncomfortable, but it did nothing of the sort.

If anything, the obsidian black pupils widened.

He wanted a show. I’d give him one.

Slowly I unbuttoned my shirt. His quickening breathing spurred me on until I was standing in my underwear.

---