Chapter 8 : Not Quite Finished Yet...

Rosella…

We ride up to the penthouse in thick silence. The tension within the mirrored walls is palpable. I keep shifting on my feet as Adrian studies me with unreadable dark eyes.

He stands across from me, leaning against the cool glass. His stance open but commanding. Arms crossed over his chest, forcing the material of his expensive jacket to tighten around the ropes of muscles hidden underneath the clothing.

And as though he was not intimidating enough alone, the mirrored walls create infinite images of the dominating man to fill my veins with dread and lust.

Wherever my eyes roll, the multiple reflections of his majestic body crowd my sight. And the sight not only scares me, but also it makes my heart race out of control.

I can see my reflection too. But I don't like the deep blush in my cheeks.

The cluster of intense emotions that I'm feeling right now… let's just say that I don't want to acknowledge all of them. Some of my feelings are appropriate and valid, like anger and loathing, but the others, like uncontrollable attraction and a deep yearning for him… well, those I don't even want to try to understand.

When the elevator, climbing at a sluggish speed, finally comes to a smooth stop, I let out a deep breath and fan myself with my hand. I don't know if it's only me but I think the confined space is way more hot and stifling than it should be.

I wonder if it has something to with the heat producing factory that's smirking at me right now, like the devil himself. I want to stick my tongue out at him but I'm afraid he'll chalk it up to misbehavior and punish me for that too.

So, wisely, I keep my tongue to myself.

“Too hot?” My tormentor teases me with a taunting twitch of his lips as we exit the stuffy lift when the automatic doors slide open.

“Yes and I was wondering why.” I give him a suggestive look, glancing down his suited body. “Now I know.”

“You do?” He quirks up a brow in silent disapproval.

I scowl in response. I'm so done playing pretend with him.

Turning on my heels, I move to hurry. But he strangles my wrist and jerks me back against his hard body before I can sprint away. “What's the sass for?”

I grit my teeth and wriggle in his relentless arms. “Let go of me.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, he swivels both of us around and throws me up against the closed elevator doors. I hiss at the sharp contrasting sensation of being trapped between the radiating hotness of his body and the icy coldness of the metal doors.

“What the hell are you — Ahh!” My mouth falls open with a helpless cry when his hands grab my breast through the thin material of my shirt.

His soft wet lips descend on my exposed neck. Sharp teeth nip my vulnerable skin and make me moan out loud.

“I own you. Do you know what that means? It means I'm your master and you are my slave. You live to serve me, not to tell me what to do. Do you want to know what else slaves do? They beg.” He whispers along my neck, sounding out of breath as I feel his lips curl against my rapidly heating skin.

Before I can try to get away from him, his sensual torture begins and he starts rewiring my virtues with his enticing words and voice.

“Slaves beg to be held closer...” He mumbles softly, lighting up my core with his big warm hands on my breasts, squeezing my sensitive flesh. Fingers twirl my hard nipples painfully and make me whimper in response. “They beg to be kissed harder...” He continues in the same tone before his sinful mouth comes crashing down on mine, sucking on my puckered lips and pulling them between his teeth. I groan in his mouth and he swallows my heated whines with his all-consuming and ravishing kiss. “They beg to be fucked faster…” His dirty, filthy words make me writhe against the cold surface of the door and he easily knocks my feet apart with a swift kick. Wedges his thigh in between my legs and grinds against my already wet core, eliciting more of my dark juices.

He smothers his burning hard body against mine and traps me in every way possible… I feel myself reaching new heights of pent-up desire as he takes me there with every kiss… every touch… every thrust…

“You'll not give me that attitude again. You'll always obey me. Because that's what a slave does. And so will you. Tell me you understand, Esclave. Tell me you won't fight me. Tell me you'll submit to me.” He rasps harshly in my ear, sucking on my earlobe and nibbling it with his teeth.

But when I tilt my head to side to give him more access, he stops. Then in a split second, he's gone. I've lost the provoking hotness, the promising touches and all the dark lust that's Adrian Black.

It's all gone, I've lost it all… he has pulled away from me so ruthlessly.

Feeling utterly lost and cold, I blink like an idiot. My heart continues to thunder inside my chest. I take big gulps of air, trying to control my jagged breathing as my mind starts functioning again.

What the heck just happened!?

In the next blink of my eyes, he's right in my face again before I can collect my shattered thoughts. He invades my personal space like he has a right to do that. But he doesn't touch me. Despite no physical contact, my senses sharpen and hone in on him. His quintessential scent engulfs me and his radiating warmth wraps around my shivering body. I feel another shockwave of arousal spiral through me, making me gush in my panties.

I flush a deep red.

He leans in, his features shadowed by the dull darkness around us, then whispers in a low harsh tone, “tell me you understand, Esclave. I don't take crap from women. Keep that in mind. Always. You're my pretty little obedient submissive, aren't you?”

I stare up at his face with utter bewilderment, grounding my teeth to suffice my boiling temper. I might haven't fully recovered from the daze of my deep arousal but I haven't lost it completely to jump at his beck and call.

He's seriously an asshole. I hate him. He makes me feel such violent emotions in such a short span of time that I'm never in control of any situation. I wish I had a control over myself like him. Then I would pull away from him too and turn off my feelings for him… give him a taste of his own medicine.

Turning my glossy glaring eyes away from his face, I stare in darkness over his shoulder and hiss through my teeth, venom dripping from every syllable. “I'm not a submissive and you can never turn me into one. So, you can go and fuck yourself.”

I prepare myself for him to unleash his temper and prove to me that he's really a heartless monster. Nothing more than a sadistic abuser. He might also crack my skull open against the wall. But he's not getting any kind of acceptance from me.

If he can show me he cares for me then tear out my heart from my chest after getting what he wants, then I can also hold my ground. If he can manipulate me into believing that he suffers more than me and doesn't want to hurt me while making me hurt all the same, then I can also defy him and fight his advances with every resistant atom of my being.

A long moment passes between us, where only our thoughts and wills battle. But when he finally speaks in his deathly quiet voice, I'm not sure who won. “Did you just tell me that you'll never stop fighting me?”

“Yes, I did.” I affirm and squeeze my arms between us to fold them over my chest. Standing taller, I stare at him without blinking. Though I can't really make out his expression. What's going on in his head now?

“Do you promise?” His excited tone makes me wary. It's almost like he's anticipating my response.

I don't dare let his new trick phase me. Holding up my chin in defiance, I confirm, “I do. I promise you. The second I feel treated like an animal,” I drop my arms and push up on my tiptoes to reach his ear and complete my sentence, “I'll bite like one.”

I snap my teeth, just to show him how much I mean my words.

⭐

Adrian…

She's fucking perfect!

I had been right.

God damnit, she's fucking made for me!

I have never felt such an overwhelming need to laugh. Hell, I think I'm feeling giddy like a cheeky girl.

Backing her up against the metal doors, I plant my palms on either side of her head and rest my forehead against her.

“I want you so fucking much.” I breathe heavily, inhaling her sharp crispy scent without the taint of any perfume. God, she's intoxicating…

“You don't have any idea just how much, Esclave, do you? Huh?” I ground out through my teeth, clenching my jaw to control my desire to take her right here, right now. “But you need to be punished. I've been going too soft on you. You're not as afraid of me as you were a week ago. Are you?”

“I was never afraid of you. I'm still not.” She whispers in a low tone, her voice surprisingly stable, given the state of her body. She's trembling like she's about collapse.

I won't let her. I'll be her anchor… Thinks the asshole who's hell set on making her bend to his will and submit. A sardonic smile quirks up my lips. I pull away, ready to get on with my plans I've conspired for my nyx, my goddess.

“We shall see soon. For now, follow me.” I drop my smile and straighten up, smoothing down the lapels of my jacket. I move my hands through my hair then take her wrist and lead her to the dining table.

“Sit.” I nod my head at the wide table and she complies without any hesitation, pulling out a chair and lowering her shaking body in her seat. “You need to eat something first.”

With that, I walk out of her earshot and call down the front desk to place a dinner order for two. After I hang up, I pull up Bert's private number to check on him and Lucas. But before I can dial, my phone buzzes with a call from another private number.

Staring blankly at the flashing screen, I swipe my fingers and pick up the call. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me?”

“I remember all your threats, alright. But this is an emergency.” He speaks in his gravel voice, sounding irritated for some reason.

“What is it?” I enquire tersely.

He responds in the same tone. “We've got an issue here. In the rehab.”

“Rehab… ” Oh shit. I had completely forgotten about all that.

“Today is the release day.”

“I knew you'd forgotten.” He says in a clipped voice and I kick myself inwardly as he continues. “The first batch has been released with their identification cards and passports. Most of them have had their families pick them up.”

“Where's the problem then?” I ask, my mind already sifting through the possibilities. “Don't tell me it's happening again. If I have to go through that once again, I'll probably end up setting that rehab on fire. How the fuck do you handle them that you can't keep them away from knowing about my business?”

“It's not my fault. I've told you so many times to keep them separately but you don't give a shit. And anyways, if you don't want to deal with all of this then why don't you take care of the faculty yourself? Where have you been, Black? Almost a year has passed and you haven't shown your face, neither at the rehab nor at the club. What the hell is going on with you? Is it Balthazar? I thought you'd cut your ties with him. We have all the girls. What else do you want—”

“Mason.” I hiss through my teeth and he stops at once. “I'd really appreciate it if you can keep your mouth shut and listen to me.”

There's deep silence on the line.

Satisfied by his submission, I go on. “My life is none of your business. I pay you and you take care of my rehab. That's it. Don't ever think that you have the right to intrude in my other field of work. I understand it's not your fault. I accept that I haven't been paying much attention. But I'm going to fix this. I'll arrive on this Sunday morning and take it from there. Now, here is what I want you to do until I get there, so listen carefully.”

I spend the next 15 minutes or so dolling out instructions to keep the rehab from falling apart, until I'm physically there to end the never-ending issue of rumours and propositions. As soon as I hang up, I speed dial my PA.

“Leila, I want you to get my private jet ready for me by tomorrow night. I'm leaving for home and I need to get there by morning.”

“Absolutely, Sir. I'll inform the pilot right away and have the plane ready to go on the runway, latest by the evening.”

“Right. Are you still at the club? Has there been any trouble?” I ask quickly as an afterthought.

“No, Sir. Everything's been rolling smoothly. Though the clients miss you a lot and ask for you, rather frequently. I suggest you come back soon. After your last two sessions, there has been a lot of personal bookings for months in advance.”

Shit. “You know what? I'll contact you later tonight and explain what you have to do. For now, just do what I've said.” With that, I hang up and rake a hand through my hair, slamming the other one against the glass wall. Damn it.

My past is finally catching up with me. I knew it would happen. I knew it was inevitable. But I never expected to happen so soon. I'm not ready. I'm not prepared for it. But it seems like I don't have any other choice.

I'll have to face it.

⭐

Rosella…

I stare in confusion as my heart thuds heavily inside my chest, with unfound trepidation.

Something's not right.

I can't stop staring… can't stop looking for some clue to figure out what's wrong with him.

He stands facing the glass wall, gazing out at the beautiful expanse of the city getting drenched by the rainstorm. Lightning bolts through the clouds and I catch a glimpse of his facial expressions when the light flashes across his tall frame.

He's wearing a neutral expression... Unreadable electric eyes, tightly clenched jaw, hard pressed lips… this is his usual.

But the vibes… something's off with his demeanour. I've never seen him standing with such contemplative stillness… physically, he's here but mentally, he's somewhere deep within his conscious mind. I'm not going to say anything about his emotional state, as most of the time time I can't even tell if he feels anything at all.

The longer I watch his unmoving back, the more I feel the urge to break this unholy and dark trance. I don't know why but I want him to threaten me and scream at me or make me suffer… do anything but stand like a lifeless object there.

With shaking resolve, I approach him on wobbly legs, all the while second guessing my actions. What the hell am I doing? Why do I want him to hurt me? I should just leave alone and let him get lost instead of disturbing him and making him more angry. What if he doubles my punishment? I swallow hard as I go against my better judgement and reach out to tap him on his shoulder.

“What do you want, Esclave?”

I shudder at the commanding sound of his deep smoky voice and curl my fingers so that my nails can dig in my palm. The sharp nipping pain distracts me from the wrong thoughts and I clear my throat, thickly before responding in a quiet voice, “The dinner has arrived and the… the servant is asking if you need something else.”

“Hmm. Tell him to pull out my car and inform Michael that we are leaving.” He says as his hands slip in his pockets.

“Leaving? Like right now? But it's still raining and what about my punish—” I slap my hand over my mouth before I can finish.

But I've already said enough to grab his attention. He turns his face to the side and his penetrating electric blue eyes land on me, trapping me within the shock waves of lustful currents. Flashing me a knowing smile, that takes my breath away, he speaks in a low, hypnotizing voice. “I'm pleased to know you've been thinking about me and your punishment. But alas, I'll have to take a rain check. Some urgent business has come up and it's demanding for my attention.”

With a swift twist of his neck, he goes back to gazing out of the window and dismisses me with a cold command. “Go and do as you're told.”

My mouth opens but no words come out. I frown at my own hesitation then with an exasperated sigh and an uncertain glance at my master, I move to get going and inform the service boy.

When I return to the main hall, Adrian is nowhere in sight. I take a few steps towards the glass walls, my eyes darting around, looking for the majestic tall frame that stars in both my best and worst dreams. My head swings side to side but there's no trace of him.

Maybe he is already in the kitchen. Frowning, I move to turn around and make my way to the dining table where I'd left the food cart.

But when I try to turn, I can't. Adrian's big warm hands slap down on my waist from behind and keep me still. My breathing stops for a second and my heart picks up its pace. I tilt my head to one side and try to get a glimpse of his face. But his smoky command makes me snap my head back to the front. “Look straight ahead.”

Slowly, my breathing turns loud and shallow as, slowly, his hands start exploring my body. I bite my lip to hold in my gasp when one of his warm hands cups my breast and gives it firm squeeze.

“I may not be able to punish you tonight, properly. But I'm going to spank your beautiful ass and then make you come in my mouth after we have finished our dinner.”

He gives a warning squeeze to my breast. “You've been such a naughty girl, Esclave… I'm going to enjoy listening to your moans and mewls so much. It's your turn to know how agonizing it is for me to have you in my arms but still unable to make your entire body flush with pain and pleasure… lust and arousal… I want to see your perfect body covered in welts and scars, Pearl. I want you to willingly let me mark you as mine...”

His other hand shoots up to tangle in my hair and wrench my head back, exposing my neck. “Let me possess you, Pearl… I want you so much… I need to have you…”