Chapter 33 : Hold Still...

***Adrian...***

I force my fingers to curl away from her cheeks before I end up crumpling her jaw. Rage pounds against my temples. And despite the frustration, I smirk lightly, like nothing is wrong with her. Nothing is wrong with me. I even plant a full mouthed kiss on her cheek. Nothing helps. Nothing distracts the line of my disturbing thoughts.

With her body awash in the exotic green shades, my thoughts deviate towards the darker end of my mind. A cool, prickling sensation runs down both of my arms, creating strange sensations in my hands. A sick kind of itch settles over my skin and soul that can't be scratched just by superficial touch and sex.

I want to go as deep as the darkness of the dawn.

I want to chase her sunrise, but not with my hands alone.

I want more… *Something beyond physical...*

Taking a few steps back, I drink in the resplendent sight of her. Hands stretched far above, legs scissored from growing desire. But it's not her smooth, milky skin and rosy undertones that captivates me. It's her blatant expression of femininity that steals my breath away. An astonishing vulnerability that I had no idea anyone was capable of. That knowledge makes her special in my mind and leaves my heart greedy for her. I want to have her, all for myself.

All of her.

Even her screams.

My eyes trail all over her body, criss-crossing from her round breasts to her sleek pussy. I deliberately avoid eye connect, sure that her pleading orbs of darkness would melt my resolve. But… *is it really necessary?*

I meet her panic-stricken eyes, oozing tears that speak for her thoughts and turmoil without uttering a single syllable. Her broken expression pinches my heart. Her body quivers in the restraints like a trapped animal.

“Damn it, Pearl!” Swiping a hand through my hair, I move closer and whip the piece of satin out of her mouth.

She rushes, jolting the chains as she stumbles over words to plead. “Please don't gag me again. I swear I won't speak a word! I'll do exactly what you tell me. I promise I won't argue. Just please, don't. Don't put it back in my mouth!”

I palm her shaking head. Her agonized tears spill over the back of my hands. Both tortured and fascinated by her breakdown, I rub away the moisture under her eyes and lean my forehead against hers.

In a rough whisper, I reassure her. “Shh, it's going to be fine. You're going to be fine.”

She tries to look me in the eyes. I avoid it. “You promise you won't gag me again?”

Unable to lie, I say, “I don't think a promise is what you need right now.” She blanches. “You made a promise to me and you just broke it by asking me that question.” Her mouth opens several times but nothing comes out. I take it as my cue and proceed with my initial plan.

Backing away from her, I reach behind and pluck out the small remote control I had stuffed in my back pocket before the lights had gone out. Dark chocolate brown eyes linger on the small device before snapping back to my face, curiosity fighting to overrule her fear.

“Don't take your eyes off of me.” With that single command, I press a blue button on the tiny device.

The lights lining the stage disappear as iron rods replace them, rising up and up until the stage is completely surrounded by them. Caging in me and my Esclave on the stage with no way out. Esclave struggles to keep her eyes on me. Her fingers tighten around the chains holding up her cuffs.

“You see, Esclave,” I say as I dangle up the tiny controller between my forefinger and thumb. “this is our only way out of this brand new cage...” Her jaw drops when I toss it out through the gap between the bars. “...but not anymore.”

That move makes her snap and she yells at me. “You're insane! Why did you toss it out? How are we going to get out!?”

I grin at her astonishment and underlying fear. *So young. So naïve.* “Who said we are getting out? I plan on keeping you in here for a long, long time.”

She blinks then swallows convulsively. I close the distance between us and stroke her abused cheek tenderly, keeping in mind that I have to reward her for listening to me for once and not taking her eyes off of me.

*I wonder if she's ready to see what else has come out with the cage bars yet.* Tearing my eyes away from her dark ones, I glance over her shoulder and catch the outline of the three, tall wooden frames that carry multiple instruments I have all the intentions of using on my Esclave. I want to see how far I can go with her and how she'll respond to them.

They should be more than enough to explore every inch of my Esclave. I look back down, at my knuckles sliding down her baby soft skin and feel my spine straighten and muscles coil with dark want.

I can't wait to get started.

I can't believe the time's finally here.

*She's finally here.*

**~**

***Rosella...***

Adrian appears to be lost in his thoughts and whatever they are, I don't think I wish to know. Whenever he told me what he was thinking or wanted, it made me want to run to the other end of the world and hide.

But this time if he told me, I won't be able to run.

He has me now, tied and caged in forever.

Licking my dry lips, I try not to lean into his soothing caresses over my left cheek and force myself to focus. I tighten my fingers around the jingling chains and whisper in a tear-clogged voice, “Adrian… come back. Please…”

His hand stops caressing and I bite back a moan full of protests. Slowly, he blinks, once, twice then concentrates on me. The dreamy fog clears from his expression and electric blue eyes darken in the presence of wild green glow.

“You're mine.” He growls low in a voice that brooks no argument. I wisely keep my shut and let him finish, while I ignore the tingles in my stomach caused by his possessive declaration. “And nobody can stop me from having you now.”

Before I can think of anything to say, he swoops down and delves into my mouth to dance with tongue. Caught off guard, I mewl and resist. He groans and kisses me harder, forcing me to open wide for his invasive tongue. My thighs clench together, shoulders tense up when his hands grasp my butt and plaster me against his hot length. The evidence of his raging desire scalds my abdomen with scorching heat. Strong, smooth fingers threaten to tear apart my flesh. I desperately try to hold my ground. Not lose myself into his muscular arms.

He disappears around me with the same surprising ability he had pulled me in with to cloud my senses. I lose my balance and swing in my cuffs, trying to catch my breath. Cold, circulated air from the air conditions hits my perspiring skin and evokes shivers in my body. The loss of his warmth becomes unbearable and brings me well near to my knees, saved only by my handcuffs that hold me upright and arm stretched far above in not an uncomfortable position.

“Try to hold still, Esclave.” His accented voice demands right as something cold and smooth whispers down my back. Frightened, I gasp and cringe away, as much as I can in my restraints.

Adrian doesn't like that, not at all. He strikes. I hear the thing whoosh through the air and connect with my skin with blooming heat. It stings, causing me to hiss like a pissed cat. What the hell *was* that!? I haven't recovered from the first strike when I hear him repeat the same demand and hit me again, this time my lower back. My back arcs, mouth opening in a silent cry.

He does it over and over again, demanding the same thing but aiming lower and lower each time. Confusion and bewilderment at his actions keep me off kilter and the spreading sensation of heat mingling with pain of stings travels all over my body and gathers in my womb, creating unbearable pressure that threatens to shatter all of me.

“Hold still.” He whispers again, voice hoarse with lust that both attracts and repels me. This time when the narrow whip-like thing, now warmed after rubbing against my skin so many times, wraps around the back of my knees to scorch it, I cry out loud but don't move, just hang in there, taking it all without recoiling from it.

A moment later, I hear something hit the wooden floor of the stage with a loud this. A whimper escapes me when Adrian presses against the abused skin of my back, his heat making the sting feel worse. I want to protest, curse him for hurting me like that. But nothing comes out of my mouth.

Breathing through my nose, I rest my head on my arm, not wanting to lean on the man who just tortured me like that and was rubbing the evidence against my ass of how much he took pleasure in doing that. A distant thought keeps nagging at the back of my head. But I can't reach for it. It's just too far away. So I stop trying for now.

“You did better than I thought.” He teases in a brittle voice, softened with sick pleasure. I jerk against him, not wanting his heat or him anymore. But he refuses to back off, winding his arms around my waist and pulling me closer yet. I fight it, god only knows how much I fight it. But I just can't win. Tears swim in my eyes as I betray my pride and turn my face so I'm snuggled into his neck. To my relief, he doesn't taunt or tease, or sprinkle salt over my wounds that he has ripped into my skin.

“Are you done?” I ask in soft hiccups, my muscles rippling with unreleased tension. I don't think, I don't acknowledge. Though on a subconscious level, I know exactly how I am feeling. But I don't understand why. Without reason, if I explored it, I'll surely go mad.

“I'm far from done, Esclave. I've barely begun.” My eyes squeeze shut. Tears ooze despite that. I should pull away, push him away. But I don't. No matter how much I don't want to admit it, I crave his closeness, I need his strength. Somehow, I knew before asking that he was nowhere done with me. According to the things I've sensed he wants, I don't think he'll ever be done.

“I'm just giving you time to process it all. I don't want you to pass out on me when I go down on you.” He confesses and his arms tighten, then slowly start to loosen up. My breathing turns shaky and shallow when he wedges his feet between mine and spreads them wide apart. His fingers are already traveling south, tracing indistinguishable patterns over my skin as they go. *Like the ones on the ceiling.*

“Hmm!” I moan when he reaches between my legs and slides his fingers over my shamelessly swollen flesh, throbbing for touch since he began to hit me.

“So wet. So hot.” He mutters and chuckles darkly, cupping me with his fingers, the heel of his hand massaging my hooded clit. Ecstacy rushes from my sex and spreads in my senses, blurring my thoughts for a moment, intensified by the stings sizzled on my skin. Unable to contain it anymore, I moan with abandon, allowing myself to bask in its painful glory.

Adrian decides I'm having way too much fun and disappears again. This time I break and begin to cry. For real. Sobs wrench out of my throat and stress my lungs. Humiliation by his rejection and shame for wanting the release, needing it, weighs down on my shoulders and I start to wish to be free so that I can wrap my arms around myself because of the helplessness I feel in these cuffs that hold me up and exposed for Adrian's twisted-ness.

But before I can spiral out of control in my hysteria, hands take hold of my inner thighs and spread them even wide. I gasp and open my eyes. Find Adrian on his knees. His charged eyes glare at me with silent accusations. “You really thought I would leave you hanging like that?”

His question rakes over my skin like sharp claws. I bite my lip when his focus diverts to focus on my sex. His steely expression gives nothing away but his dark eyes hint at his thoughts in an obvious way which is hard to ignore. His intentions were made clear the moment I saw him on his knees.

With no hesitation or warning, he leans down and drags his hot tongue through my parted folds. My inner muscles clench around emptiness, my juices threaten to drip over his face. I cry harder, my tears, an emotional rainfall with no end in sight.

“Fuck, you taste divine.” His obscene words have a twisted effect on my psyche, working like fuel for my need for him. *God, I want him inside me. So, so deep.* I choke off on my thoughts when he exposes the center of all my pleasure with his thumb and licks it like he's savoring it's taste and texture. I breathe raggedly, unable to look away from the erotic sight of his tongue and lips feasting on my most intimate part.

*Oh god, so help me…* “I'm going to come!” I screech and lock my jaw. My mind is nothing but melted butter, smooth and incapable of holding onto any singular thought or sensation. It's all so much. Too much.

And then there's nothing. Because again, Adrian has stopped.

I go animal in restraints, completely berserk from need. Wanting claws for nails to free myself and take whatever I wanted to take from him.

“I don't want you to come yet.” His accent is petal soft, when I want it to be harsh and demanding. His thumb drives me insane, massaging in circles, never touching me where I want to be touched and keeping me tethered on the edge. “I want you to come with me nestled deep in your pussy. I want to feel you clench around me, as though you never want me to pull out. Never want to separate.”

I whimper in helplessness. His words enkindle a fire so strong in my soul that I'm afraid it'll never blow out.

“Take me then. Please!! I need it!” I ask and plead. I wrestle and grovel. “I need you…”

But he doesn't listen. Moving back around me, he gets lost for a moment, before reminding me of his overbearing presence through another scorching strike, right on my ass, delivered by a new instrument bigger than the size of his palm and dotted with blunt nails that cause pain so intense that I forget everything but feel it scratching the skin of my bottom like tiny needles.

“Count for me, Esclave.” Adrian pauses to demand.

“I can't. I can't take it.” *God, it hurts!*

He hits me again, driving me on my tiptoes with the force of his blow. I scream in both shock and unbelievable pain, body trembling out of control. “I said count.”

“It's too much.” I yell and earn another hard blow. “Ahh!”

“If you'll make me count, I'll drag it to 20 strickes. Count for me and I'll stop at 15 only.” He brushes the blunt tips over my abused flesh and I whimper in fear of the inevitable pain.

“Only 10.” I try to negotiate in a voice hoarse with tears. *I can't believe I'm really doing this.* “If I count, then only 10 strikes.”

“No.” He hits me again, but not as hard as the last one. Just a reminder. *Bastard.* “That's not an option. Choose one from the two I gave you.”

“Fuck you. I don't want this at all. How can you expect me to choose!?” I burst out. Rage blinds my need for self-preservation.

Horror at my response washes over me as soon as silence cascades. I open my mouth to apologize but Adrian's smooth and utterly smug voice beats me to it. “Too late to take your words back, Esclave. You should've looked out for your smart ass.”