Page 21 of The Queen's Serpent

“Fuck, fuck, oh my God,” I moan.

“Don’t, Issy. I swear to you I will fucking punish you if you cum.”

My eyes threaten to roll in the back of my head as the electricity races across my skin, causing the hair on my arms to stand on end, and my breath to leave in little moaned pants. I use my thumb to add pressure to my clit, slipping a third finger into my pussy as the orgasm peaks, and throws me right over the precipice as he watches on.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I pant, as my whole body tightens and my head falls backward, my eyes closing as heat encompasses me. The sensations of the warm water lapping against my skin, and his eyes watching me come undone, have aftershocks hitting me, one after the other.

“Jesus, fuck,” he groans.

When I can finally catch my breath, I release my hold on my nipple and pull my fingers from inside of my core, raising my head to meet his eyes with defiance. The look on his face is not what I expected. Instead of being angry, or even filled with desire, he looks amused.

There’s a stupid fucking grin gracing his full lips, his eyes sparkle with enjoyment, and his hands are braced on either side of his hips, bringing my eyes down to that pronounced ‘V’ that he has that makes me stupid when I look at it.

A deep chuckle leaves his lips, stretching them wide as he steps out of the tub and grabs a towel from the towel warmer next to it, wrapping it tightly around his trim waist but leaving his sexy, chiseled chest on display. His body is a work of muscled art, littered with various scars, tattoos, and a scattering of dark hair that trails down to his impressive cock, which,thank fuck, is now covered.

I’m instantly filled with rage that he’s laughing at me, as if I’m some pathetic joke to him, but I’m also wary of his unpredictable behavior. He reaches down to his discarded pants and pulls thekey out of his pocket. The very one he used to lock the bedroom door, tucking it into the towel around his waist, my hopes of escaping him evaporating instantly.

We can fight him, get it from him, my mind tries to reason, but I can barely swallow the lump that has formed in my throat at his calm demeanor.

“Oh, Issy, you really are adorable. You remind me of a puppy: cute, mischievous, harmless, and easily brought to heel. Are you feeling satisfied with your act of defiance,hmm… my pretty doll?“ He questions as he moves determinedly back in the direction of the tub, holding another towel in his hands, his actions causing me to shift to the farthest section away from him. My body is starting to panic, while my mind is screaming that we are in grave danger.Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Fear and doubts slither across my mind in rapid succession. Is he going to hurt me? Did I just fuck up? Did I overestimate how possessive he is about me?Fuck, what have I done?

“Get out of the tub, Issy.” He motions towards the fluffy white towel that he holds in his hands, but it might as well be a rattlesnake waiting to strike out at me. I want nothing to do with that towel, or the look that graces his features.

I grapple over the side of the tub and try to move as far away from him as possible. My wet feet slide across the stone floor in my haste to put much-needed distance between us, and I slam into the wall, the air getting knocked out of me. My hands rise to ward him off, as if that action alone would really be able to keep him from doing what he wants with me.

“Stay away from me, asshole!” I screech and try to move around him, my eyes wide and frightened. I can feel the water sliding down my skin from my wet hair; a cold chill is making itself present, or maybe that is the feeling of death approaching me.

I try to move to the right in an attempt to make it towards the door, but he blocks my access, forcing me to go in the other direction towards the shower area. “Don’t make this harder and more painful than it has to be, Issy. You chose to be a defiant, fucking child when I explained to you the consequences of your actions. You wanted to play, baby, so here is the fee.”

“Leave me alone, you fucking psycho! I’ll fucking kill you if you touch me.”

Another chuckle leaves his lips, this time making his body shake with mirth. I can’t believe this asshole is laughing at my threats.Of course, he’s laughing at you, because he knows they are empty. You are nothing but a weak, scared little girl playing at being a badass, trying to replicate your sister, except you’re not her, and you will never be good enough or strong enough to be her.

“Issy, you’re a pretty moth, and I’m a fucking lion. The lion doesn’t worry about the threats the pretty moth issues. You’re too small to hurt me, baby, and we both know that you aren’t going to kill me.” He strikes quickly, reaching forward and wrapping a hand around my throat, pulling me forcefully until I crash against his strong, wet body. My naked, wet limbs pressing flush against his heated flesh, and feeling every single thick ridge pressed against my chilled skin.

I scream and thrash in his hold, but his fist tightens, squeezing, as his eyes glare down into mine. I no longer see amusement in their olive-green depths. Now, I see the anger, frustration, and desire to hurt me.Fuck, he’s going to hurt me, and not in a way that I will enjoy.My one moment of defiance will have brought me nothing but regrets and pain.

His other hand trails up my back and yanks on my hair, pulling my head to the side and exposing my neck to him. “Do you want to beg for my forgiveness now, baby? Are you regretting your actions, Issy? Was that orgasm worth your impendingpunishment?” His warm breath skates over my skin and causes goosebumps to rise along my arms, and the hairs at the back of my neck to stand on end.

I couldn’t get a word out even if I wanted to, with how tight he’s squeezing my throat. My chest tightens with the lack of oxygen, and pretty white dots dance in front of my vision. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and he will kill me in his fit of rage. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? I would die having orgasmed, and having given him a giant‘fuck you’at the same time.

His eyes darken as they stare into mine, their intensity adding to my already frightened state. “Oh no,Princesa, you aren’t going to die. At least not at this moment. First, you’re going to pay for defying me, for giving yourself pleasure, when I told you to beg me for that release,“ he leans closer and utters, as if he can read the thoughts scrambling in my mind. He releases his hold enough that air siphons into my poor, abused throat, and I start to choke.

He shifts me to the right and stops, using my neck and his grip on my hair to bend my body forward. “Pick up the towel and wrap it around yourself, or I’ll make you walk out of here naked, so my men can feast their sights on your sexy body.”

Fear courses through my body, and I don’t hesitate, reaching forward and grabbing for the discarded towel on the floor, and wrapping it tightly around my body, covering my nakedness from his sight.Would he really allow his men to stare at me naked?My lips tremble as tears fall down my face and coat my lips, continuing south to meet his tight grip around my neck.

Once the towel is snug below my arms and wrapped around my body, hiding all of my delicate parts, Diego pushes me in the direction of the bathroom doorway, using his brutal grip on my hair. My whole body trembles in his hold, as I come to the realization that he is going to punish me the way he said he was. That I miscalculated in thinking that he cared for me, that hewanted me only for himself. For all I know, he stole me, not for himself, but to blackmail my grandmother. I was just an easy, gullible fool who believed that he wanted me for more than my money, and the power that comes with the Stratford name.

I’m a fucking moron. He’s about to allow a bunch of men to use me like the whore he named me. My legs tremble, and I stumble as we cross the bedroom floor, and head towards the doorway leading to the rest of the compound. “Die… go,” I try to beg, but his fingers retighten in a brutal grip that doesn’t allow any more words to escape.

“No, Issy, the time for begging is now over. Reach back and take the key from me. Open the door,” he demands, his voice clipped and cold.

I refuse to raise my hands to the doorknob, trying desperately to pry his grip from around my neck, but it’s no use as he shoves me flat against the door using his upper body, his bare chest melding with my back and wet hair, to restrain me further. “Open the door, Issy. Nothing and no one will save you. You need to learn that you are at my mercy, and every time you disobey me, there will be a punishment.”

He shoves my face into the wooden door as his grip on my hair releases, and he forces my hand to insert the key and turn the doorknob.

---