Chapter Eighteen
“Here,” I said, taking the warm bowl of water from Joe as he came into the office.
We'd escaped to the club, leaving Finley behind. I'd wanted to call an ambulance, but Joe had asked me to trust him. His friends were going to deal with Finley by placing him in a dark alley. They'd then ring for help, waiting until an ambulance was nearby before they disappeared.
“Sit in your chair.” My order was met with a frown before Joe moved to the sofa that was in front of his desk.
Apparently, he didn't like taking orders from me, although I wasn't surprised. He wasn't exactly the relaxed type of male I'd been hoping I'd meet. Instead, he was an alpha... brooding and mysterious and quite frankly, sexily dangerous .
Patting the seat next to him, he gestured for me to sit too. I placed the bowl of warm water on the wooden table in front of us and lowered myself on the soft sofa. He smiled at me, reaching for my hand. I offered my palm instead, waving my fingers in an invitation for him to place his palm on mine.
“I need to clean the cuts on your knuckles.” Picking up a cotton pad, I sloshed it in the water as he put his fingers in mine.
Brushing the wet material over the grazes, I looked at him, studying his face as he stared into the distance. His strong jaw was clenched, the muscle in the corner twitching with tension. He'd lost his shit back there, and although I should be more bothered, I wasn't. In fact, a warm fuzzy glow sat in the pit of my stomach, making it hard for me not to grab him and kiss him... not passionately, but lovingly. No one had ever defended me before, and certainly never risked everything... for me.
“You have secrets to tell me,” I muttered, dropping my gaze when his eyes slipped towards me.
Clearing his throat, he nodded. “I do, but first, we need to talk about what just happened.”
Wetting my lips with my tongue, I stifled the shudder that threatened. Finley had been badly hurt, like knocked unconscious, might still die, type of hurt. And I had to admit to being ashamed at screwing Joe instead of calling for help.
“I know, we should've phoned for an ambulance.” I clenched his fingers when he tried to pull away. “But hopefully he'll be okay. The police might be able to–”
“I don't mean that part,” he said tensely as he squeezed my fingers back. “I'm talking about the way he almost raped you. Again.”
Swallowing, I scratched my neck with my pinky finger and shrugged. I hadn't had a chance to think about the attack on me, I'd been too busy acting like a messed-up female who got off on adrenaline and didn't much care for idiots who thought they deserved to ruin my life.
“I'm a bit numb to it by now,” I said, gasping when Joe ripped his hand away and held the back of my head, leaning in to stare into my eyes.
“No,” he snapped, “not anymore. I will always protect you, but I won't have you defenceless either. Unless you're with me.”
Closing my eyes, I pushed a stray tear from the corner of one as I took a shuddery breath. “I don't know how to stop them from coming for me.”
His other hand cupped my chin and pressed until I opened my eyes. The corner of his mouth was pursed as he shook his head violently. “I will show you how. Your brokenness attracts bastards. Let me fix you.”
“How?” I breathed, blinking as tears slipped down my cheeks. “I've been like this for so long.”
“My kink,” he said, releasing me and getting up from the sofa. “Let me show you.”
Going over to a thick dark red curtain, Joe lifted it slowly and pinned it to the wall with a gold rope. My gulp was painful as I rose to my feet, staring at the space behind where the pretty material had been. Against the wall, there was another sofa with thick metal handcuffs screwed into the brick above it, not unlike mediaeval manacles. A TV was on the wall opposite and a swinging chair was hanging from the ceiling in the middle, made up of leather straps and not much else. It was a sex swing. Not that I'd ever tried one or even seen one, but it was fairly obvious. The chair that had been delivered to my office was in the corner and so was a bed with several straps and handcuffs attached to it.
“Jeez.” Walking over to the area, I stayed out of Joe's reach and studied the objects hanging on the walls.
I counted ten whips in different shapes and sizes, including one with a penis shaped handle. There were several blindfolds and headbands clipped to a chain that hung across the wall. A modern black wooden display cabinet housed sex toys and lubes ranging from butt plugs to eggs to huge vibrators.
“Are you an addict?” I asked, gingerly turning to look at him.
He was behind me, his expression blank and brooding as he watched me take in his world. Nothing showed on his face as he shook his head slowly from side to side. “Not exactly. I'm not going to lie and say that I don't have issues, but sex is my healing. Controlling someone who is vulnerable has made me into someone I can bear to live with. It probably doesn't make sense, but I like to be the one to look after my love interest. They belong to me, I own them... but not before I've rescued them from themselves.”
“Do you have lots of women you own?” I took a step back as my heart raced.
There was something compelling about his confession, something drawing me in. But I wasn't stupid, even if I did find myself in crazy situations sometimes. If there were other women hanging off his arm when I wasn't around, I would leave. My feelings for him had grown, almost every day, but I couldn't be a part of a harem. I wouldn't feel safe.
“No.” He came forward and took my wrist, gripping it with just enough pressure not to be painful. “You're the only one. I've tried with others, I will admit to that... but they weren't strong enough for me. They broke and healed fine, but they couldn't get to me... inside me.”
My pussy pulsed as I closed my eyes. “You long for someone to delve inside to see who you really are.” His fingers softened and stroked the skin on my wrist as I went on. “Someone to push aside the murky darkness that hides the little one who lives in your heart. And to release the power of sexual energy that bubbles just underneath the surface, right where no one, not even you, can touch it.”
His breath fanned my ear as he leaned forward and tucked his head into my neck. “Yes,” he whispered, “that's exactly it. I knew you'd understand.”
Reaching for his tie, I pulled at it, laughing when my shaky hands failed to work. Joe chuckled and cupped his fingers over mine, stopping me from trying to undress him. His gaze was soft as he searched mine, clearly looking for reassurance of some sort. Without hesitating, I slipped my hands to the back of his neck and tugged his head down, running my tongue over the crease of his closed lips. His breath rushed out of him and into my mouth as he opened for me. Our lips pressed together and our tongues slipped around in a gentle, less heated kiss.
“And are you,” he said, taking his mouth off mine, “willing to let me break you to heal you? I want to own you; I need to own you.”
Humming an affirmative, I stared up into his eyes. “I'm ready for you to be my master, to give me what I need and take away my demons.”
“My angel,” he muttered, his lips dropping to my neck and dancing along my collarbone. “You'll be my servant and I'll be your saviour.”