Page 26 of His Captive Pet

“Shit.” She jumped when she saw Blake standing near the bed. “What are you doing in here?”

“I want you to stay in my room from now on.” He picked up the few items of clothing she’d laid out from the duffel bag of clothes he’d brought for her.

“Why?” she asked, gripping the towel tighter.

“Because I want to be sure you’re where you’re supposed to be.” He picked up the duffel bag. His gaze wandered over her body. The blatant appraisal stirred more than just a little arousal from her; it reminded her of a conquering of sorts. Like just his stare alone could claim her as his.

Isn’t that what she’d been fantasizing about for months? To belong to him?

The level of ownership she noted in his gaze wasn’t like any level of dominance she’d experienced before. This was complete possession. A darkness lurked just in the shadow of his controlled expression.

Pulling her own feelings apart, she knew it wasn’t fear making her heart pound. It would be so much easier if it was. She could manage being scared; she knew what to do with that emotion. The feeling was not foreign, she’d be able to conquer it. But this, this unease, this verge of excitement; she hadn’t encountered it before. What did she do with it?

“I’m not going to go anywhere. Besides, you have the keys to your truck, and I doubt I’ll be able to walk to the nearest neighboring property to find any help before you or that friend of yours finds me.” She doubled her grip on the towel. “And it’s not like anyone here will be of any assistance.”

He smirked. “The only people at this resort who know of the circumstances surrounding our arrival are Devin and Kara. No one else needs to know, and you won’t be seeing any of the other guests.”

An understanding hit her. “You’ve been here before. Is this little cabin yours?”

“No, not really. Just until my house back at the hunting cabin we stopped at is finished.” He gestured toward the door with his chin. “Now, drop the towel and get in my bedroom, sweetheart. It’s time we set a few things straight between us.”

“Like what?” She stepped back outside of the room when he moved toward her.

“Like when I tell you to do something, you do it.” His body brushed against her as he passed and went into the next bedroom.

He reappeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame and crossing his thick arms over his chest.

“Blake,” she started, unsure of what exactly she wanted to say, but figuring something should be said, some sort of delay to his plans before she started to get excited about the pleasure his touch could bring her. She couldn’t allow herself to be drawn in. Too much was at stake.

Any sort of ideas she’d held about being with him had died at that dog fight. The foundation of any solid relationship began with trust, and he didn’t trust her. How could he—she had lied to him, snuck off to do exactly what he said not to do with the fights. And could she trust him? He’d gone to his friend at the station to find out about the fights, to see if she was involved.

“I’m waiting, Aubree. And I have to say, my patience with you has started to thin to a dangerous point.”

“You’ve already punished me for yesterday.” She adjusted the towel, tucking the edge further in.

“I’m not punishing you right now.” He didn’t move, but he seemed to take up more of the hallway just by his temperament. “Right now, I’m giving you a chance to be a good girl and talk with me. But if you don’t want to obey, we can have an entirely different conversation.”

His brows rose a fraction, as though he were intrigued to see her response. Very much like the caterpillar sitting on the mushroom, he offered two options with very different outcomes.

“You know.” She decided to bring her own mushroom to the party. “You’re right. I think it is time we had a clear talk about us.” With a dramatic nod, she nudged past him into his room.

The room was larger than hers. Her breath caught when she noticed the black iron rings hanging from the wall directly across from the bed.

She needed to remember they were at a BDSM resort of some kind, and Blake didn’t necessarily go around snagging women and bolting them to his walls, though memories of the implements and bondage equipment she’d seen at the hunting cabin contradicted that.

“How many women have you brought up here?” The question came out before her filter could stop it. Did she really want to know?

His eyebrows rose higher. “Six.”

Not sure what she had been expecting him to say, his response unsettled her. Six other women had been there, standing before him naked and ready to be used or played with or punished. She needed to remember a few things. Blake was not her forever-after. She’d made that decision the moment he’d slapped on the cuffs at the dog fight.

He was not her hero in shining armor. She didn’t need one. She learned a long time ago to fend for herself and to be sure to help where she was needed.

And she didn’t feel jealousy. No, the twist in her gut, the way her stomach soured had nothing to do with the idea of him having had six other women in that very room with him.

“Aubree?”

His deep voice softened, catching her off guard.

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