Mari’s POV
My body responds to him.
It’s the craziest thing to ever happen to me, and I don’t fight it.
Because it feels so damn good.
His lips claim mine hungrily, ravishing them and opening me up to him completely. I gasp, both at the sudden assault and at the heat pooling in my lower abdomen.
I have to be crazy. That’s the only explanation for this entire thing.
My hands find their way to his side, clutching at his shirt and holding on tight. The rest of my body arches forwards, seeking as much contact as I can. I manage to press my breasts against his chest, and damn, does it feel good. It helps that the night dress I am wearing is quite flimsy. Its satiny fabric rubs against my nipples, sending waves of pleasure straight down to my core.
Gods, I need him. Right now. I want him, inside me.
Before I know it, I’m rubbing against him like a cat in heat.
The air smells delicious. If pheromones smelled, that’s how they would smell like, I decide. The smell seems to be emanating from him, from his skin.
What the fuck is this man doing to me?
I feel his fingers on my thigh, pushing my nightdress out of the way. A needy moan slips through my lips as my anticipation builds.
Yes, please, touch me.
His fingers go higher, getting closer to my heat. My heat, and my wetness. My core clenches as another thing registers in my mind.
I’m not wearing any underwear.
His lips release mine the same moment his thumb brushes against my clit. A gasp escapes my lips at how sensitive I am to that simple touch.
Then, he’s probing me with one of his fingers, running it along my slit, soaking it in my dampness.
He leans forward, his lips going for my ear this time around. “You want me.”
“Yes!” My reply is breathy and quick, as if I can’t wait to let him know.
“I want you to remember this, Mari,” he says, his voice a little strained. “How you crave for me. You are mine. Your body is mine. And I’m yours. We belong together.”
“Yes,” I whisper, moving my hips to feel more of his touch between my legs. “Please,” I beg.
He groans. “I can’t wait to claim you.”
Claim me? Does that mean to fuck me? Because we don’t need to wait—
He’s gone.
One moment, he’s here, his fingers all but in my pussy, whispering in my ear.
Then the next, he’s gone, the door slamming behind him driving home the fact that yeah, he just left.
I struggle to catch my breath. My knees go weak and I crumple onto the floor, barely holding my body up.
What is happening to me? With that intoxicating smell of his gone, I feel like I can finally breathe. Like I can finally get my brain working. Dear gods, what did he do to me?
Coming to my feet, I head for a door on the other side of the room. I open it and find a spacious bathroom on the other side.
I peel the nightdress off as I go, then stand under the shower before turning on the water. Cold water rains down on me, and I don’t even flinch. That’s exactly what I need to cool down. To stop wanting him.
To counter the effect of whatever he fed me—because I sure as hell know I wasn’t just about to fuck some strange guy who for all I know kidnapped me.
But then, when I think the cold water is working, I recall the sound of his voice in my ear, telling me I’m his. That alone sends a jolt of excitement down my body.
I shut my eyes tight and shake my head.
No.
I need to get my head straight. I need to stop freaking out, calm down, and ask exactly what’s going on here. He seems to be wanting to explain something. He thinks I’m someone from his past. Maybe we should talk about that first. Once I solve that misunderstanding, he’ll let me go, and all will come to an end.
Stepping out of the shower, I reach for a white towel that’s folded on a shelf beside the stall. I bring it to my nose, and it smells clean, of fabric conditioner. I wrap it around my body. It’s large enough, covering all the way to below my knees.
I grab another one and use it to wring dry my dark hair. While doing so, I walk over to the mirror in the room and look at my reflection.
I wince at the bruises on my face. They are darker today—when is it, anyway? How long have I been sleeping? I tilt my head back, taking a look at my neck. The strangle mark is visible too.
I need my makeup.
Looking around the bathroom, I find no sign of any of my clothes. I leave the bathroom and head back into the bedroom. A quick search around reveals my bag shoved inside a drawer in the bedside cabin. I grab my moisturiser and concealer and head back into the bathroom.
After applying the moisturiser, I carefully dab and apply the concealer to the problem areas. It takes a while to make it look like I’m not trying to hide anything. Done, I head back to the bedroom and return the products to my bag.
I head to the double closet doors in the room and open them, hoping to find something to wear. Nada. It’s empty.
Guess I have to go out there looking for someone who can point me to my clothes.
Ensuring my towel is tight enough, I head to the door and pull it open. He didn’t lock it, so I guess he isn’t holding me prisoner in here.
I’m about to walk out when I notice the man standing outside.
Our eyes meet at the same moment before he looks away quickly.
Why is he standing outside my door?
“Do you need anything, Miss?” he asks, his voice stiff, staring at the opposite wall.
“Clothes,” I tell him. “Who are you?”
“The Alpha asked me to keep watch outside your room,” he replies.
I frown. “The Alpha?”
“Alpha Stefan.”
What is this, a military unit? I’ve heard that term a lot in all those war movies Connor likes watching.
“Are you here to keep me from leaving?”
He shakes his head. “No, Miss. You can go if you want.”
Well, that’s good to know. But I would need clothes for that, sí?
“Know somewhere I can get clothes?” I ask him.
“I’ll buzz the housekeeper for you, she’ll be right here to help you,” he offers.
“Great, thanks,” I tell him. “I’ll wait inside.”
He nods quickly, before producing what looks like a walkie-talkie.
Definitely a military unit.
Going back into the room, I reach into my bag again and retrieve my phone. The screen lights up when I push the button, and I take note of the time and date.
It’s Saturday.
7 p.m.?
Wait, I’ve been out since last night? I unlock the screen. There are some missed calls and messages. They are all from my colleagues at the club asking about my whereabouts.
There’s none from Connor. Did he get arrested? I fucking hope so. Maybe he’s in a police cell right now, and that means he won’t be getting out until Monday. Good. If I leave tomorrow morning, from wherever it is that I am, I’ll get a good head start on him. He’ll never find me.
I tap on Jim’s contact and call him. He receives the phone after a few seconds.
“Mari! Where are you?”
“Hello, Jim. How’s Joseph doing?”
“He’s going to be okay, don’t worry. They removed the bullet, and the doctor said he’ll recover well. They had those guys arrested.”
I sigh. “That’s great.”
“I hope you didn’t take his words seriously. It wasn’t your fault your boyfriend did that. I’m sure if you come by after he gets back, you’ll get your job back.”
“It’s okay, Jim. I had already quit. Last night was going to be my last night.”
“Oh,” he mutters.
“Take care, I gotta go.”
“Take care too, Mari. I’ll tell the girls you’re alright, they are worried.”
“Yeah, please do. Thanks, Jim.”
I hang up and place my phone down on the bedside cabin. There’s a soft knock on the door.
“Come in,” I call out.
The door opens and in walks a middle-aged woman carrying a laundry basket.
“Here are your clothes, Miss,” she says, placing the basket at the bottom of the bed.
“Thanks,” I tell her, sifting through the items. Everything is there, from my socks to my panties. Oh well.
“You must be hungry,” she says, “you’ve been sleeping too long. I’ll wait outside. Once you’re dressed, come and I’ll take you to have something to eat.”
Had I even noticed I’m starving? No. But she’s right. Now that she has mentioned it, I realise that my stomach is empty.
“Okay, I’ll be out in a moment,” I tell her.
She bows slightly before walking out. The little gesture baffles me, but I chalk it up to part of her etiquette training, or whatever. Stefan must be one rich motherfucker.
I pull on my panties, and can’t help but wonder who undressed me. I decide to assume it was the nice housekeeper lady. Once I’m fully dressed, down to my now super clean sneakers, I head to the door and pull it open.
Sure enough, the housekeeper is still standing there, on the opposite side of the hallway from the guard. I close the door behind me, and she leads the way down the hallway. It’s a wide hallway, and it leads to an even wider staircase.
I gape silently at the opulence of the space below.
The golden bannister, the marble floors, the high ceilings with a huge chandelier hanging over the foyer. Oh, and the other massive staircase leading to an opposite wing of the house, connected to the one we just came from by a balcony.
Good lord, am I in a palace or something?