After several minutes, he went to the door. “You’ll join me for dinner in half an hour, and bring your papers with you. You have to get used to being around me and me touching you. If you cringe every time I come near you, they’ll think I’m beating you.”
He closed the door quietly behind him, and Faith went back to the questions, trying not to stare at the gigantic rock on her hand. The trouble with pretending was… if he was a decent actor, if he was kind and gentle while his family was here, she’d start to want it to be real, but when they left everything would go back to the way it was, the spell broken.
At least with his family here, she’d be safe. He was going to a lot of trouble to not make waves with them.
When she finished the questions, she took the papers and went to the kitchen. Two plates had already been set along with salad bowls and wine glasses. One of the servants unobtrusively filled the plates and bowls. Dinner was Caesar salad, chicken Parmesan with risotto, and some red wine. Leo drank wine with practically every meal and seemed keen to break her of her orange juice habit.
Faith ate while he looked over her answers. Occasionally he said “hmmm” in between bites. She tried to stay focused on her food. She just wanted to get through the meal and then go hide again. When they were finished, she started to get up to go back to her room, but Leo stopped her.
“No. We have less than a week before they get here. We have to practice. Come with me.”
He left their papers on the table and led her down the hallway to a sitting room. The absence of the questionnaires left no doubt as to what they would be practicing. She tried not to have a panic attack as she trailed behind him.
He’d left her alone for three days. He hadn’t tried anything. He hadn’t killed her. Nobody had done anything to hurt her. But the threat of the dungeon loomed large. If she pulled away from him too many times, would he lock her up? She couldn’t help how his intensity frightened her. She was used to less intimidating guys, guys who let her take the lead, though she didn’t like that much. Were there no happy mediums with men? A man who would take some control but not be so overbearing and terrifying?
She tried to imagine how she’d survive being kept tied up in the dark for a week if Leo got fed up. Would someone feed her? They’d have to. At least give her water or she’d die. Would he care if she did? She wanted to believe he wasn’t a monster, but she couldn’t bring herself to let her guard down to trust even something so basic. Not when their worlds were so different.
Leo sat on a brown leather sofa at one end of the room. “Come sit beside me, Faith.”
It was odd that she should have been given such a name when she’d never had much faith in anyone or anything. Even religion had been something that had inspired little more than doubt. Each time her name was spoken, it mocked her and her inability to trust.
She sat at the other end of the couch, and he quirked an eyebrow. “Really? This is how an engaged couple sits? As if they are afraid of spreading a contagion? Sit next to me.” He patted the cushion beside him and reluctantly she scooted closer.
When she was within reach, he pulled her close so her thigh pressed against his. His arm went around her and she was forced to lean against him.
“Relax,” he soothed, his fingers trailing through her hair.
She only stiffened more. If he started touching her, what would make him stop? She’d seen his arousal whenever he was near. He wanted to fuck her. Whatever stopped him from doing it, could break down at any time. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks. And then they were less silent, causing her shoulders to shake as she tried to keep her emotions within her control.
“You can’t do this when my family arrives. You have to stop now or I’ll have no choice but to keep you in the dungeon.”
“No, p-please, M-master. I’ll try to do better. Please give me a chance.”
This time, it was Leo who stiffened and went still. Faith wasn’t sure why she’d called him that. She was so confused. Ever since he’d mentioned the dungeon and the threat of being kept down there, she couldn’t think of herself as a house guest anymore-if she’d ever been able to maintain that delusion in the first place. She wanted to appease him, make him happy enough with her so she could stay alive and safe.
“You can’t call me that when they’re here. And you can’t accidentally slip. So start calling me Leo.”
A burning flush came into her cheeks. It was humiliating enough being forced to call him Master when he’d demanded it, but to say it unbidden and have him correct her made her want to die. “I-I’m sorry, L-Leo.”
“And you’ve got to get rid of that stutter.”
It was so much pressure. No stuttering. No cringing. No fear. How was she going to make people believe they were engaged, let alone in love? She’d have to if she wanted to survive in this house. She’d have to make herself believe it if she wanted them to believe it. She’d have to let go of all her reservations and try to embrace the fantasy, however briefly it lasted.
“Tell me something I don’t know about you,” he said.
She wracked her brain trying to come up with something. He didn’t know a lot about her, even with the questionnaire, but she couldn’t pull an important enough piece of information out of her head. At least not one she felt safe sharing.
“It can be anything. I want to get to know you better.” But it wasn’t the words of a boy on a date with a girl. It was the words of a man hell-bent on acting out a Machiavellian play.
“Until a few months ago, I had two cats. The other one was older and sick a lot so she had to be put to sleep. I thought about getting a kitten because Squish got lonely and depressed, but…”
“But?”
Faith looked down at her hands. “Your brother happened.”
“I see.”
He was quiet for a long time, stroking her hair until she started to relax against him. She closed her eyes and pretended it was a boyfriend or a date -someone she’d gone freely with. Someone she liked and trusted. Her breath slowly began to even out. If he wanted her to do this acting job for his family, he wouldn’t hurt her before they got here.
“Good. That’s much better,” he said. “Now sit up for me.”
She sat up, and the back of his hand brushed against her cheek. She pulled away-on reflex more than anything. Her survival instinct said danger, and she responded the only way she knew how… shrinking back, becoming smaller… trying to fade away until she was forgotten by the predator.
“No,” he said firmly. “You’ll let me touch you.”
Faith fought with herself to stay still and accept the way he petted her cheek. It took another couple of minutes before she could will her body to unclench and take the gentle caress.
After a few more moments of this, he took his hand away from her cheek. She leaned forward, feeling bereft at the absence of the touch she was beginning to feel comfortable with. Then he linked his hand with hers, his thumb stroking over the back of her skin.
It made her feel like a teenager, her stomach going all fluttery and nervous. Though her fears were very different from the childish fears of a girl holding hands with a boy for the first time.
Without warning, he pulled her to him with his other hand, a firm grip on the back of her neck, angling her head how he wanted it, and he kissed her.
At first she froze, afraid he wouldn’t stop with kissing, but after a few seconds of his lips caressing over hers, he pulled away.
“We’ve got to work on that. No one will believe that kiss.”
The heat rose to her face, and she looked down at her hands. “I-I’ll do better.”
“Yes, you will,” he said. “Go get your papers. You can go back to your room. I expect you to study and know everything in that packet by tomorrow evening.”
Faith got up without a word and retreated to the kitchen. When she got back to her room she locked the door. He might be mad if he found it locked to him, but it was the only way she’d feel safe enough to sleep.
***
Leo contemplated the enigma that lived in his house. She had to be a sub. Somewhere deep down. He’d been surprised from her answers that she wasn’t a virgin. Her level of fear toward him had led him to believe she might be. She’d in fact had several boyfriends in college, and was what he’d call experienced. Even so, she didn’t feel experienced to him. Not in any way. He imagined the college boys she’d been with were just that… boys. Perhaps she wasn’t yet ready for a mature man with an established life and any discernible power.
He tried to see things from her perspective, and admitted he might feel as she did, but he’d never encountered a woman who behaved this way. Of course, he’d never held one hostage, either.
The women who came to his bed knew his requirements. They knelt and obeyed and served or they went home. Most who’d attempted to seduce him had found the scar on his face attractive. They’d been excited by the evidence of darkness etched down his cheek.
When Faith had called him Master again, Leo had been stunned. It made him want to break her and train her. If he had more time… if his family wasn’t breathing down his neck, he might do it. He reminded himself she’d shown no physical signs of kink-wiring. Even completely vanilla activity with him distressed her.
Maybe she had a need to serve, in a nonsexual capacity. But he wouldn’t be happy with that. He wanted a sub who would warm his bed. Hearing the word Master fall from her mouth because she’d thought that was what he wanted to hear, only made him want to assert his ownership. She had no idea the fire she played with, and the real trouble was… she’d done it innocently, with no idea what she might awaken.