85. He led her away from the front door, of course, and down a long hallway. After what seemed like a ten-mile hike, they entered a glass?enclosed room. Mia had to catch her breath, surprised by the loveliness of the lush greenery. The sun seemed to stream brightly into the room, though it was an overcast day. She didn’t know if it was a treatment of the glass or discreet lighting. The room was also warm, and with all the plants, it reminded her of the garden on the roof of her father’s building. Stefania had tended it lovingly until Vadim destroyed it in a fit of rage for perceived disrespect. Her stepmother had never tried to replant, and the woman herself had started to fade gradually at that point. Shane sat at a wrought iron table, but got to his feet as she approached. He nodded to Wallace, who disappeared without a word, as he came toward her. “Good morning, Mia.” She glared at him. Did he really think she was going to sit around making pleasant conversation with
86. He scowled. “I don’t want to hurt you, Mia, but I will have what I want.” She curled her lip, touching her cheek. “Never mind what it costs, huh?” Shane mirrored her motion, touching his own bruise. “You didn’t play nicely either, baby.” Mia rolled her eyes. “Why would I? I don’t want to be here. I don’t want you.” He lifted a shoulder. “You’ll change your mind.” Stunned, she blinked, literally speechless for a moment. “And you’re out of yours. I don’t want to be your sex slave. I want to go home. My cat needs me, and his needs are far more important than yours.” Shane didn’t bother to reply as he drained his orange juice. Instead, he glanced at his watch. “I have to go into the city for a while.” Her eyes sparkled. “May I go too?” He laughed heartily, clearly amused at her expense. “Now who’s out of their mind? It will be a long time, if ever, that I trust you enough to let you leave the grounds. She resisted the urge to sulk. “What am I allowed to do then, oh g
87. Better to know and acknowledge it now, so she could try to formulate a plan to counter his control over her. That didn’t mean she was going to let him wield that power with impunity. If he expected her to be a simpering miss that eagerly graced his bed, he really was out of his mind. Mia would not stop fighting him, even if she lost every single time. Mia had spent the day exploring his house, memorizing the layout and searching for weaknesses. She tried not to let her lack of results discourage her when she returned to her suite early in the evening. Tomorrow, she would venture onto the grounds to evaluate her odds of escape. Shane hadn’t returned yet. Or if he had, he hadn’t made it known to her. Mia enjoyed the reprieve from him, but she didn’t have the illusion she had ever been alone today. There was always a goon hovering on the periphery of her vision, and she had identified most of the cameras in each room. There was no way to deactivate them, at least with h
88. Dear god, he made her mouth water, though she hated the reaction. Fresh from the shower, his dark hair gleamed where the light touched the moist strands. He wore a black robe, slung on carelessly, and the silk molded to his still-damp body. Her heart fluttered, not entirely with fear, when he ran his fingers through her ponytail, making her scalp tingle at the tender gesture. “I’m sorry I’m late. It was a long day.” She remained mute, incapable of pulling off snarky right then, and not confident of her ability to appear immune or remote either. Mia swallowed thickly when he brought her hand to his mouth to kiss the palm. No, that was not about the most amazing thing she’d ever felt. Schooling her expression into one of disdain, she glared at him as he licked her hand. “I washed after dinner, but I imagine there are leftovers if you’re still hungry.” His lips twitched. “Baby girl, you have the smartest mouth of any woman I’ve ever had.” The way he phrased that fille
89. “What’s wrong?” “I’m ashamed.” She turned to look at him, her blue eyes clashing with green. “I hate that you conquered me. I don’t want you.” “Your body does.” She rolled her eyes. “My body would be happy if I never worked out again and ate ice cream all day, but the idea of doing so is abhorrent to my mind.” “I get it.” He cupped a breast, lazily thumbing her nipple. “You don’t like that your sexual needs can overwhelm your intellect.” She sighed, not entirely sure if it was from annoyance or pleasure at the way he touched her. “It’s more than that. Sex is primal and basic. I hate you, but I hate my own weakness more.” “Hate is the flipside of love, they say.” He grinned before brushing his lips against hers, trying to coax her to respond. “That’s bullshit. Apathy is the flipside of love. Hatred and love are more intimately entwined than opposite each other.” She sneered at him. “But don’t try to pretend like you love me or something, O’Mara.” He snorted. “As if
90. Mia returned to her tray, sighing with exasperation at the sight of Clovis eating a strawberry. “You’re a weird cat, man.” She picked up another piece of bacon and the last strawberry. “Being a carnivore, you should go for the bacon. Or the eggs.” Clovis didn’t look up from his juicy berry, and she sighed again. Mia hesitated for a moment, debating how she should handle the cat’s presence. The idea of leaving him here was horrible. He had been a present from Stefania for her fifteenth birthday, and she loved the quirky feline. Deciding she was getting ahead of herself, and she had to find a way out first, she patted his head and left the room. After she figured out a way to escape, she would come back for Clovis before actually leaving. Mia had been through most of the house the day before, but she noticed a computer in one of the rooms that she had bypassed yesterday. Her heart leapt with excitement, and she mentally reviewed the list of acquaintances she could cont
91. around one of her nipples. With wide eyes, she watched his head descend to cover the nipple he had just teased with the glass. She moaned when he sucked lightly before pulling back. With one last flick of his tongue across the very tip of her bud, he stood up enough to meet her gaze. She couldn’t look away from him as he brought the glass back into play. The sharpness penetrated her nipple, making her yelp with surprise and a bit of pain. She tried to squirm away, but he anchored her in place with a large hand on her stomach. “You’re bleeding.” He wiped away the small spot of blood with the hand holding the glass and held up his thumb to show her. “Your movement caused that. You cut yourself while trying to escape.” “You’re holding the glass,” she rasped. His smile was a dark expression that flashed across his face, suggesting more malice than amusement. “I am.” With an almost teasing motion, he trailed the glass to her other nipple, repeating the ritual of bending
92. ressed to either side of her head, while his lower body pounded into hers. He bent his head to kiss her, and she met him eagerly, hating herself for the weakness even as she gave in. He moved his lips gently against hers, a sharp contrast to the fierce way their pelvises clashed, and Mia trembled. Tenderness could get past her defenses before she had a chance to reinforce them. Their mouths moved languorously against each other, tongues stroking sweetly, as they strained toward release. He tightened his hold on her hands almost to the point of pain. Mia squeezed her thighs around him as he swelled inside her right before his erection spasmed. The sensation of him coming sent her rushing headlong into an orgasm, and she arched against him as he surged inside her as far as he could. She turned her head into his neck, breathing harshly. Hating and enjoying the tender motion, Mia closed her eyes when he kissed her forehead before withdrawing from her. As he stood up, sh