The only answer I have is that I love him. I love pleasing him, and because he’s all I’ve known since waking in captivity, I don’t want to leave.
With a racing heart, I hurry back to the house. I’m careless as I open the door and dash inside. My blood whooshes in my ears. My head screams for me to get out when my body longs to return to the only respite I know—his arms.
I turn the corner and slam into a hard chest. His fingers sink into the flesh of my upper arm as he draws me close. The gasp that escapes my lungs isn’t from sheer terror, but excitement.
“Going somewhere, Pet?”
“I . . . ah . . .”Fuck. Think. “Th-the kitchen. I needed a drink.”
“The kitchen?” His cool tone tells me he doesn’t believe a word I just said. Ares takes a step forward into the light where I see he’s holding a glass of water.
“I . . . I got lost.”
“Pets often do when they leave their Master’s care. That’s why I cautioned you to stay close.”
“Yes, Sir. I was just thirsty.”
“And what have I told you about your needs, Pet?”
“That it’s your job to know what I need, when I need it.”
“Good. Drink up.” He hands me the water, and I swallow it in several long gulps. He takes the glass when I’m done and sets it on a nearby table. Then his arm flashes out and he grabs the back of my neck, pulling me closer. I feel my pulse beating out a broken rhythm against his palm. I know he feels it, because he steps back and studies me.
“Your heart is racing.”
“You frightened me.”
The flash of white teeth in the moonlight sends a shiver down my spine. “Did I now?”
“Yes, Sir.”
He runs the tip of his nose along the line of my chilly, naked neck. “And are you still frightened?”
“Yes.” No sense in hiding it; he can read me like a book. One he’s studied time and again.
“Fear is good, Pet. It lets you know you’re alive.”
The terror in the pit of my stomach is a testament to his words. “Yes, Sir.”
He places his hands on my shoulders and turns us so that I’m facing the stairs. “Now, get that hot little ass upstairs so I can beat it some more for leaving the room without my consent.” He leans in, his breath brushing the shell of my ear. “And, Pet, if you try to run from me again, I’ll kill you.”
My heart stops.
He knows. He saw me. But I didn’t run. Surely the fact that I didn’t run away will earn me some favor?
The hard look in his eyes when I turn and meet his gaze tells me otherwise.
I’ll kill you.
I believe him, too. The aching in my chest spreads to my gut like venom from a bite.I’ll kill you.
If I had any disillusions about how deep Ares’ affection is for me, they’ve all been shattered right here. Ares doesn’t love me. My captor isn’t falling for me, and he is never going to let me escape. Like an idiot, I stood on the precipice of freedom. I stepped back from the ledge for him, and now I may never get another chance again.