Chapter Eighteen Sarah
Ascream of pleasure escaped my lips as the walls of my pussy clenched around my fingers. As I rode out my high, I imagined it was the Beast’s thick fingers that had made me come.
I hadn’t planned on touching myself when I got into the shower. As much as I’d tried to leave my thoughts of the Beast behind in the bedroom, I couldn’t. Suddenly, I found my hand sliding down over my stomach and between my legs as the image of Beast appeared before me.
The moment I came down from my high regret instantly filled me. What was I thinking of getting myself off to another man’s image in Maksim’s house? Not to mention the fact that same man had drugged and kidnapped me. With a groan of frustration, not pleasure, I stalked out of the shower.
Unfortunately, I had shed my robe in the bedroom, so I had to wrap myself in a towel.
When I came out of the bathroom, a shadowy figure caused me to scream.
At the flash of a silver mask, I clamped one hand over my mouth and pulled the towel tighter with the other.
The last thing I needed was for Oleg to come bursting through the door and see me half-naked.
As the Beast continued staring at me, I took my hand away from my mouth.
“How did you get in here?” I demanded.
“Good to see you again, Sarah.”
“Answer my question.”
“I opened the unlocked door,” he replied.
Shit. Why hadn’t I locked the doors? Probably because I knew Oleg would rather die than come anywhere near my bedroom.
“I want you to leave. Now.”
Tilting his head, he said, “I just came by to see if you’re settling in.”
“I’m fine. Captivity is great, so thanks, kidnapper.” Shooing him with my hand, I replied, “So now you can go.”
“Why were you moaning in the shower?”
I gasped. Oh God, he had heard me. Mortification crashed over me. There was no way I was discussing anything that occurred in the shower with him.
“Get. Out.”
Ignoring me, he pushed off the dresser. “You know, I thought you might be lonely since Maksim had to leave again.”
“I can assure you I’m not.”
“From the sounds you were making in the shower, are you sure about that?”
When his gloved hand came up to push a damp strand of hair out of my face, I smacked him away. “Don’t you dare touch me!”
“How long are you going to hold a grudge?”
Staring at him, I slowly shook my head. “You’re truly psychotic, aren’t you?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“You kidnapped me! You’re aiding in holding me hostage!”
He chuckled. “Since Maksim is paying you and not ransoming you, you’re not a hostage.”
“Fine. I’m a captive.”
He tsked, which made an odd whispery sound in the mask. “We both know you’re neither of those. You were free to walk away earlier this afternoon, and you still are. All you’d have to do is call Maksim.”
“Yeah, well, that’s bullshit considering I signed an NDA.”
He shook his head. “That’s not about keeping you here. It’s just protecting his privacy should you choose to exercise your right to leave.”
And then it hit me. “Wait, how did you know he offered to let me go? Were you sneaking around in the shadows listening in?”
The Beast chuckled. “No, Dr. Whitfield, I wasn’t creeping in the shadows. As one of his advisors, Maksim made me privy to what he was going to say to you. I do work for him, remember?”
As I thought about Maksim’s brothers and Oleg, I couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you still wearing the mask?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” When I didn’t respond, he dipped his head to bring the mouth of the mask against my ear. “To keep the fantasy alive.”
“I have no fantasies that involve you.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Absolutely.”
“You lie to me, and you lie to yourself.”
“You’re an egomaniac.”
“When you were making yourself come in the shower, were you thinking about Maksim or me?”
“Fuck you.”
“I would love you to.”
Jerking my chin up at him, I said, “I wish it had been Maksim I was thinking of.”
“Why? I’m the one who made you come last night.”
I shuddered at the images that his words brought forth. “He’s a better man than you.”
“Oh, I don’t deny that. He’s everything good and decent that I’m not.” Cocking his head, the Beast mused, “I just wonder if he’s a better fuck.”
“I hate you.”
“Oh, I know.”
“No. I don’t just hate you. I despise you.”
“Surely you’re aware that angry sex can be very, very hot.”
Before I could stop myself, I started to lunge at him to shove him away. But he caught me, crushing me against his enormous chest. “You know you want me, Sarah.”
“I don’t,” I replied, in a resolve that not even I could believe.
“It’s okay to want me. I’m what you want–the Masked Man who chases you down and fucks you hard.”
As my need grew, I bit down on my lip before shaking my head. “Not in his house.”
“No one but the two of us will know.”
“What about Oleg?”
“I let him go.”
A tremor of desire and fear shot through me. “So, I’m alone with you?”
He nodded. “And Maksim won’t be home for another hour.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I…I don’t want to betray him.”
The Beast sucked in a ragged breath. “What do you mean?”
“I’m supposed to be here to help him, not fuck one of his men.”
“Has he laid some other claim on you I don’t know about?”
“No. But–”
“Then you’re not his.” His arms tightened around me. “You’re mine.”
As I stared into the dark eyes of the mask, I didn’t want to fight my desire any longer.
Being a good, dutiful daughter, sister, and doctor was exhausting.
I didn’t owe Maksim anything. Nothing in our negotiations had mentioned me staying chaste while in his house.
He certainly hadn’t made any overtures that he might be interested in me in the way the Beast was. He just needed me for my skill set.
After licking my lips that had run dry, I whispered, “Chase me.”
A growl reverberated through his chest. “I thought you’d never fucking ask.”
I untangled myself from his arms and took a step back. The Beast tracked my movements as I grabbed the robe off the bed where I’d left it. After slipping it on my arms, I dropped the towel.
A hiss echoed through his mask as I tied the robe shut.
“Run, prey. Run before I take you right here and right now.”
And with those instructions, I whirled around and sprinted out the door. Skidding into the hall, I didn’t know which way to go. I finally turned right because I knew it would take me back to the main area of the house.
The sound of my bare feet slapping against the hardwood floors echoed through the quiet house. But soon there was another sound. The harsh clash of the Beast’s boots on the floor.
As I ran past the living room door, my heart threatened to beat out of my chest. At the same time, a pulse of arousal resonated in my core.
I ducked into the kitchen and made a beeline for the walk-in pantry.
After shutting myself inside the darkened room, I tried regulating my breathing so the Beast wouldn’t hear me.
Trembling from both the exertion of running and my excitement, I listened for any sound of him. When I heard his bootsteps, I grimaced. As they grew closer to the pantry door, I stepped back from the door. Feeling my way in the dark, I crept over to a corner and pressed myself against it.
When the door flung open, I pinched my lips shut to keep from gasping out loud. As light poured in from the kitchen, the pantry must’ve appeared empty because the Beast turned around, closing the door behind him.
Slowly, I crept back to the door. Just as I reached the threshold, I knocked into something propped on the side, causing a loud commotion to echo through the room. As a broom knocked into my shoulder, I quickly grabbed it.
Before I could put it back, the door jerked open. “Well, hello.”
Since I wasn’t ready to let him win so easily, I smacked him in the face with the broom. “Oomph,” he muttered as his hands came up to shove the handle away. His distraction gave me just enough time to squeeze past him and run away.
“Oh, you’re in so much trouble, my little prey.”
Although I should’ve been scared, laughter trilled from my lips as I ran down the hall past the living room. To my dismay, the hallway ended in a game room with floor-to-ceiling windows without covers. My frantic gaze bounced around to see if there was any exit.
“Shit,” I muttered as I realized I’d reached a dead end.
When I whirled back around to try to escape, the Beast appeared in the doorway. “You have been a bad girl.”
As he started advancing on me, I started backing up until I bumped into the antique pool table. “How should I punish you?”
When I didn’t respond, he tsked at me. “This is the part where you’re supposed to say ‘However you like, sir.’”
“We’re not officially in a scene,” I countered.
“Are we not?”
I shook my head. “We didn’t sign any contracts.”
“I would assume our contract from this weekend is still good.”
“Not after we leave the scene of the hunt.”
“Now I see why Maksim wanted you so badly. He likes that big brain of yours–the one that is immersed in the fine print.”
“As a woman, you have to read and memorize the fine print. If not, you can get hurt.”
“Sadly, you’re right.” Tilting his head at me, he reached his gloved hand out to cup my cheek. “You’ve never had a Dom hurt you, have you?”
“Thankfully no.”
With a gentle squeeze, he replied, “Good. I’d hate to take more on my busy plate by hunting them down and gutting them alive.”
A shudder rippled through me at his brutality. “You would do that to someone just for hurting me?”
“Since I don’t believe in hurting subs, I’d do it for any woman, especially for you.”
At him referencing killing, I wondered if that was what he did for Maksim. “Are you a krysha?”
He chuckled. “Someone’s been doing a little Bratva research.”
With a shy smile, I replied, “I’ve had a little time on my hands.”
“While you work on Maksim’s speech, maybe he can work on your Russian pronunciation.”
I rolled my eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”