Chapter Three
Another day, and this time a gift of makeup. Morgan loved the gold-foil wrapping, she also loved tearing into her presents. To her, it was one of her favorite things to do. It was so satisfying.
The makeup was a lot of fun to use as well. She performed her usual skin care and attempted to apply foundation. The makeup kit came with multiple brushes. She used several video tutorials online, but knew it was going to take a lot of practice. It wasn’t easy, although she did enjoy it.
Carver was at breakfast and didn’t speak to her today. He read his newspaper, eating random pieces of breakfast, and like the day before, he finished, got up, kissed the top of her head, and then he was gone.
She didn’t know if she was supposed to feel this way. She missed him. The house seemed so still without him. Although there were people inside, they rarely appeared. If she entered a room and someone was there, they left quickly. She did try to stop them a few times.
At first, it felt nice, having a whole house to herself, but then that changed and it grew old fast.
She was standing in the game room when a gentleman around Carver’s age entered. The moment he saw her, he began to turn away, and she panicked.
“Wait, please don’t go.”
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” he said.
“You haven’t interrupted me. If you turn to look, you’ll see that I can’t play this game. It’s for two players, not just one.” She was at the air hockey table.
“So it is, but I am sure you can come up with a solution that will work for you,” he said.
“No, please, just one game?” she asked. “I would ask Carver, but I don’t know how to ask him.”
The man stopped and turned toward her. “You’d be willing to play a game with Carver?”
“Well, yes, I mean, I assume he would be into playing games. This is his home, right, and this is his game room. So, it goes without saying I would ask him.” She frowned. “Unless you would advise against it? Does he not like questions?”
The man before her smiled. “He is a complicated man, but I have a feeling you are going to be quite the intrigue.”
“What’s your name?” Morgan asked.
“Andy.” He took a step toward the table.
“Nice to meet you, Andy.”
“It’s a pleasure, Morgan,” he said.
He loaded up the game, and within seconds, he had already sent the hockey puck into her goal area. One-nil. She didn’t mind. The second game lasted a little longer.
“So, tell me, Andy, what is it that you do here?” Morgan asked.
“I take care of the house while Carver is busy,” Andy said.
“You’re allowed to tell me this?”
“Yes, you are his wife, and I don’t see you running to the cops, not that it would do you any good. Before you left this house, someone would capture you, report you, or even kill you,” Andy said.
This made her stop defending her goal, to which he slid the puck right past her and into her goal, making it two-nil.
“Kill me?” she asked, a little taken aback.
“Everyone here is loyal to Carver. They believe in him, trust him, and if you even try to hurt him, there will be consequences.”
“I’m not here to hurt him.”
“Then what are you here for?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I’m his wife.”
“And yet, you don’t wear his ring.”
She glanced down at her hand. “I was never given one.”
“And maybe you should ask him yourself,” Andy said.
The third game started and this time, Morgan focused. She pushed the puck away from her goal, he was so close to getting it in, but she blocked each attack and then swung it out. Much to her surprise, she slid it right past his goal, and now it was two to one.
“And with that, I must get back to work, but that is a sign, young Morgan. I have a feeling you’re going to do quite well, especially if you’re not afraid of him.”
Andy didn’t give her a chance to argue. She had loved playing the air hockey, and she was a little annoyed he had left early. She would have loved to play another game.
What did he mean that she was going to do quite well?
She knew the logical side of her should be terrified of Carver. But she just couldn’t be, and it wasn’t even down to the gifts, although that had been so sweet of him. She adored them. But it was more than that. He took care of her and didn’t hurt her.
Carver didn’t leave her to die, whereas her family didn’t give a crap that she’d been ill. All they wanted was their own goa l— money, powe r— and that had gotten them a death sentence.
What did Carver want from her? What could she give him that no one else had?
Leaving the game room, she made her way upstairs, knowing dinner would be served soon. She took a quick shower, applied her skin care, and was tempted to try the makeup, but she opted not to.
She changed into a white dress this time, then made her way downstairs toward the dining room. Stepping inside, she was shocked to find Carver already sitting down. He was typing into his cell phone, but when he saw her, he put it away.
“Evening,” he said.
At first, she couldn’t bring herself to move, but then, knowing how silly it was of her to behave that way, she took several steps toward him and took her usual seat.
He got to his feet and assisted her with her chair. It was these little gentlemanly acts that had her doubting his Beast tendencies. There was more to Carver than met the eye.
“Did you have an interesting day?” he asked.
She wasn’t sure if she should tell him about meeting Andy, the air hockey game, or any of that. Would it be wrong to tell him? Wrong to keep it a secret from him? Morgan hadn’t been good with lies and manipulations.
“I met Andy today,” she said. “He seems nice.”
“Andy is a good guy.”
“Yes, he is, and he is very loyal to you. Also, he is good at air hockey.”
“So he said. Out of three games, he won two.”
She nodded.
“He is not used to winning,” Carver said.
This made her lift her head to look at her husband. Had this been some kind of test? Did she pass?
“Is he playing you?” Morgan asked.
“Most of the time, yes, and no, he can never win when he is trying to defeat me,” Carver said.
He leaned back in his chair, just as she leaned forward about to ask him something, when one of the maids appeared, carrying their food. She’d been so distracted by talking to Carver, she hadn’t even heard her enter.
“Thank you,” she said.
The woman nodded.
Carver said the same, and moments later they were alone.
“Would you like to play with me sometime?” Morgan asked.
“Play with you?”
“Air hockey?”
Carver nodded. “Air hockey is a start.”
She wasn’t stupid. She knew what her words could mean to someone. She hadn’t exactly been thinking them through, and now as she glanced at Carver, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. To remember how his hands felt on her body. He was her husband, after all, and she was his wife. It made sense for them to enjoy that.
Memories of women screaming, begging, of blood being on their pants after being raped, she closed her eyes, squeezing them together.
“Morgan, are you all right?” Carver asked.
She opened her eyes and nodded her head. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just bad memories.”
“Tell me about them,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s right to,” she said.
He stared at her. “You’re my wife, Morgan. Whatever troubles you, I need to know.”
She pressed her lips together and stared down at her plate of food. Beautiful pasta with meatballs had been presented to her. It was one of her favorite meals.
To her, it felt wrong what her parents did, what her family was known for.
“You know that Romone deals in a lot of different … things?” she asked.
“I’m aware.”
“Did you know what my parents dealt in?” Morgan asked.
“I did.”
“I saw them. Some of them were already too afraid to fight. Others wanted their lives back, they would fight and for their trouble they would get punishe d— beaten, rape d— it was a vicious cycle. Sometimes, they would do it just to keep others in line. They picked on the strongest and showed them that even she could be broken.” Morgan shrugged. “I … I knew when I asked you to play with me, what that implied. I know we’re husband and wife and we have roles to play. Sex. I don’t know what you want from me, but thinking about sex is what I remember. The pain those women suffered. The abuse. The torture.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you,” he said.
“I know that—”
“With everything you have witnessed, it makes sense for you to be hesitant. I am not in a rush, Morgan. You’re young, and I am not an animal, well, not when it comes to my wife,” Carver said. “Your family were fucking animals, and now they will not harm anyone.”
****
Carver was aware how fucked up the Rose family had been. He heard the rumors and saw what they’d been capable of, with some of the girls he’d taken the time to rescue. Again, not because he’d been a hero. He wasn’t. The only reason some of the women had been rescued was because it suited him at the time to do so, otherwise, he didn’t give a fuck. It was all a game to him. Cat-and-mouse, with Romone.
He stood in his office and poured himself a large whiskey. He paid for the priority service and he imagined Romone had already opened his present. He wondered what the other man was thinking. Romone was afraid of him, but this is what made the game so much more interesting.
He took a sip of his whiskey as there was a knock at the door. Carver was used to Andy just walking in at the same time as announcing his presence.
“Come in,” he said, knowing Morgan was on the other side.
Her fear of being rude, of being punished, was still palpable. Watching her now, he wished he’d been able to kill her father again and again. He should have kept the old bastard alive a lot longer than he had. It had been some of his quickest work.
“Morgan,” he said.
She had her head bowed in submission, but he wasn’t after a weak, subdued wife. He wanted the fire and passion of a woman who wasn’t afraid of him, by his side. It was still inside her. Morgan hadn’t been completely beaten down. They had tried, but he believed there was a strength in every person, and it took a lot to beat it out of them, depending on how strong they were.
“Carver,” she said. “I want to ask you something.”
“Ask away.” He perched on the edge of his desk. “Can I interest you in a drink?” He held up his glass as if in offering.
“I’ve never drank before,” she said. “I don’t think I will like it.”
“Why? Because your family said you wouldn’t?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
He held out his glass. “It’s whiskey, and I will warn you, that sucker is strong, with a capital S.”
She stepped toward him and reached for the glass. Morgan wore a very cute pair of pajama shorts along with a matching top, with flowers on it.
She took a sip and swallowed, and he watched as her eyes watered seconds before the cough erupted. He was sure to take the glass from her hand, as he didn’t want any of his good whiskey going to waste.
“Oh, wow,” she said.
“I might like to add that whiskey is not for everyone,” he said.
“No kidding, wow, that is like fire. How can you enjoy it?”
He shrugged, took a long sip, and then breathed a sigh of contentment. “You’ve got to know when to enjoy it.”
“Where’s my wedding ring?” she asked.
Now, this surprised him.
“I mean, we are married, right? I am your wife?”
“Yes.”
“But I don’t have a ring, and I didn’t know if there was a reason for that.”
He pulled at the chain around his neck and slid it off. Releasing the clasp, he pulled off the engagement ring, as well as the wedding band.
“Give me your hand,” he said.
She held out her left hand and he slid the engagement ring on, followed by the wedding band.
“I decided against using the one your parents wanted me to use.” He had his own rings he’d wanted to give her.
“They’re beautiful,” Morgan said.
The engagement band was rose gold with small diamonds around the ring. The main wedding ring is a single, large diamond with a slender band. It fit well on her finger, exactly how he knew it would.
“There. All you had to do was ask for them back,” he said. “You did wear them on that night, but I removed them when you passed out. Also, I had a feeling your parents were going to try to steal them from you, and I wasn’t going to have that.”
She rolled her eyes. “That is all they ever try to do.”
“Tried,” he said. “Past tense.”
“Oh, right.”
She dropped her hand down and looked at him. There went her lips, pressed together, and he watched her. Her long, blonde hair was tucked behind her ear, and she looked so beautiful. So pure. She was still a virgin.
“Can I kiss you?” she asked.
Now this did surprise him. “You want to kiss me?”
“You’re my husband, right? I don’t remember if we kissed at our wedding,” she said. “Everything is kind of hazy.”
He waited.
“But, I’d really like to kiss my husband, if you would like it?”
He smiled, put his glass down on the desk, and stood.
She took a step toward him, then another, until she was in touching distance. In fact, she was so close, he could smell the vanilla scent of her body wash.
He already had the next package to give her, wrapped and ready to place at the foot of the bed. Carver also liked to watch her sleep. He never lingered too long, just enough to watch her for a second after he placed the gift on the bed.
“I don’t know what to do,” Morgan said.
He reached out, putting his hands on her shoulders. She didn’t flinch as he slowly traced the tips of his fingers down her shoulders, going toward her hands. He picked them up within his grasp and then placed both on his chest. She didn’t pull away, even as he moved them up from his chest, around to circle his neck.
Morgan locked her fingers together, so that she was holding herself as well as him. With her hands around his neck, it drew her body closer to him, and he couldn’t help but hold onto her waist.
For several seconds, he held her like this. There was still a little distance between their bodies, but then he changed that by sliding his hands down toward her ass and then pulled her close. Body to body. He heard her gasp. Carver was hard.
Being close to Morgan, wanting her, not touching, not tasting, not stripping her naked and fucking her, was a challenge. Instead, he held her, had a hard cock, and was so desperate to feel those lips on his. But, he waited. This was about her, not him.
“Now, when you’re ready, you put those lips of yours onto mine, and that is a kiss.”
“Carver?”
“But, you’re going to kiss me .”
“Why?”
“Because this is what you want.”
“Do you want me to kiss you?” she asked.
“Yes, I do.”
Her mouth was open just slightly, and he waited, wondering if she would cower out. He wouldn’t be angry.
Morgan was new to all of this, and her family had fucked with her head over many years of abuse. Unlike him, who became a Beast, Morgan held onto her goodness. He reveled in pain and death.
She wanted life, love, and happiness. He wanted to give that to her. Even though he knew she deserved better, he wasn’t going to let anyone have that chance. No one would be able to protect her the way he could.
The first kiss took him by surprise as it was fast, and so very … light. Just a simple peck on the lips. Hers on his. That was it, and it was over.
She pulled away from him, and her eyes seemed to go even wider, as if she was shocked. Carver waited, knowing there had to be more to the kiss.
Then, she leaned in closer, breaking the distance between them, and this time there was no rush. She didn’t try to headbutt him with the speed of her kiss. This was slow. Her lips touched his, and she took her time kissing him.
Carver was not going to play coy. Running his hands up, he gripped the back of her neck, and although he promised himself he wouldn’t do this, he also knew he had to be a teacher in this moment. Morgan didn’t have a clue what she was doing, and it was time for him to teach her.
Sliding his tongue across her bottom lip, he felt her gasp, and he took full advantage by plunging his tongue inside, tasting her, touching her. Her grip tightened around his neck, but she didn’t let him go, she held on even tighter. Without any guidance from him, she pressed her body flush against him, and he felt every inch of her this time. Her tits, her stomach, even her pelvis as she pressed against him.
Growling her name, he kept one hand at the back of her neck, and with the other he reached down, gripping her ass, loving the plump flesh within his palm.
He could gladly kiss her all fucking night and explore her body, but there was a knock on the door. Andy stepped inside.
“Sir, we have a situation.”