Chapter 35

**Rosella…. **

A cool breeze caresses my exposed skin that's not covered by the comforter. I moan as a shiver runs down my spine. Snuggling deeper in the fluffy pillow under my head, I shift in the bed.

“Pearl….”

A deep whisper floats in the air around me. I push at my drowsiness and crack open my heavy eyelids. When everything comes in focus, I lift my head and glance at the door. It's still locked.

I frown.

Where did that voice come from?

Did I imagine it?

Pushing up on my elbows, I rotate my head around and almost jump out of my skin when I spot him. My steadily beating heart picks up its pace as I stare at Adrian, sitting in the armchair in front of the wide open windows.

My hands fist the warm and soft comforter. My breathing accelerates and involuntarily, my eyes drag up and down his scarcely dressed body.

Except for a pair of black sweatpants, which ride dangerously low on his narrow hips, he's gloriously naked. He has removed the wrap from around his head and replaced it with a small bandage to cover the cut. I frown at the tumbler filled with some kind of dark liquid that is held up in one of his hands. He shouldn't be drinking in this condition, I think while watching him swirl the liquid in a mesmerizing motion. His other hand is resting on the arm of the chair, his long steely fingers strumming lightly.

It takes me a moment to move up from his bear chest and shoulders. But when I finally meet his electric blue eyes, goosebumps run down my body. The intensity in his luminous eyes is breathtaking.

His plush lips curl up into a sensual smile when I part my lips to suck in some more air. My breathing hitches at the sight. I'm frozen with my elbows holding up my upper body weight. I can't move. I don't want to move. I'm scared that I'll ruin the delicate moment.

After a full minute of sensitive silence, Adrian breaks it.

“Good Morning, Esclave.” He says in a sultry tone then tossing back his drink, he finishes it in one gulp.

My drunken trance shatters when the word "Esclave" tumbles out of his mouth. I respond to his greeting with a scowl. I avert my eyes and lick my dry lips, feeling way more sober now.

What a fantastic way to remind me who I am dealing with.

Mumbling a small "Morning", I get out of bed and don't spare him any glance as I make my way straight to the bathroom. Wondering how long he's been sitting there, watching me and how the hell he got inside when I had locked the door last night before going to sleep.

I freshen up and take a cold shower before exiting the bathroom with wet hair and a huge robe wrapped around my frame. I notice almost instantly that he's no longer in the room. The armchair is back in its place. There's no trace of him, it's like he's never been in here.

Feeling chilled by my indecision, I walk to the sliding windows and peer outside to find the wide balcony empty as. Was I hallucinating?

My eyes catch the brewing clouds that are rapidly covering the morning sky. I forget about my stealthy Master for the moment. A smile tugs on my lips and I shudder with a mixture of terror and exhilaration when I hear the dark stormy grey clouds clash together, producing lightning and thunder.

I shut the windows then stalk back to the bed, agitated and sit down to worry my bottom lip. What should I do now? Am I allowed to leave the room or am I a prisoner here? What does it mean to be bought as a slave? Balthazar had only treated me like a prisoner.

I stare at the door, not sure what to do. What's the worst thing that can happen if I'm found roaming around the corridors? They'll lock me in here? Restrain me to the bed? Move me from this room to lock me down in that torture room?

I don't know but I think I'm about to find out. Before I know what I'm doing, I'm out of the room, half way down the stairs and wandering towards the door from where distinct male voices are coming. I stumble upon a huge living room and find Adrian and his brother sitting near the floor to ceiling windows, making small talk as they sip something steaming from their cups. They stop talking when their eyes spot me standing just outside the threshold.

What the hell was I thinking when I left the room? I'm suddenly feeling really very nervous and unsure. I don't want to be restrained or revisit that basement area. My shoulders tense up when Adrian says something to his brother in a whisper and placing his cup down, he makes his way towards me.

I stop breathing altogether when he halts just at the border of my personal space. My heart races inside my chest at the proximity of his hot body. He won't touch me, he had given me his words…. Right?

~~~~

**Adrian....**

My esclave is absolutely adorable, even though she's swimming in my robe with moistened long dark hair. I can barely stop myself from sliding my hands in her hair and devouring that sexy mouth of hers.

Watching her sleep was so soothing, knowing that she's still capable of being so relaxed after going through all that. She's taking everything in stride. Nothing has fazed her demeanour yet. But I have every intention of breaking down all of her walls and pulling her out of her shell or she won't ever fall for me.

I had entered her room through the balcony, without waking her up. I wanted to be there when she woke up but then disappear like I'd never been there, making it seem like to her that she'd been dreaming about me. I know it's not the ideal way to soften her heart towards me. It might seem more like mindfucking but my hands are tied, so I'm going to use every trick from the book to make her mine.

My biggest regret so far; promise of not laying even my fingers on her. It's going to take a lot of effort in order to put some cracks in her solid emotional armour. I wonder how much ardour she will have in store for me.

Huh, by her cold and indifferent attitude, I may have to find that out on my own.

“Good Morning, Esclave.” I whisper then wait for the small scowl to appear on her lovely face.

But to my utter surprise and pleasure, she glares at me in a challenging way instead of scowling. “You just wished me in my room and stop calling me that. I'm not a slave and I have a name.”

“I did? When? And what is your name?” I ask her in an amused tone and watch her grimace. I think she's realised that she's just given me a loophole.

She deliberates for a moment, glaring at me with uncertainty. Something like fear flickers in her eyes before she ducks her head and mumbles quietly. “Ella.”

I pause, my face goes blank as I narrow my eyes. Ella? Her real name is Ella…. Well, I had not expected her to reveal her name to me so easily. I stare at her while she shifts on her feet, toying with the belt of the robe and sneaking peeks at me.

“I'm not going to wish you back.” She mutters in a hesitant tone.

“Excuse me.” I stare at her but my mind wanders away.

Something doesn't add up…. If she's Ella then who is Rose Danforth. But then again, Rose Danforth doesn't even exist. Why was my esclave paying for her fake debt then?

What a cluster fuck!

Maybe I should check her background and then try to make sense of this…. And for that I need her last name as well.

“If you're going to insist on calling me that then I'm not going to respond to you.” She meets my eyes evenly but then falters as she continues. “You can call me by that name you use sometimes but not esclave.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask in a baffled voice, masking my amusement. She's fallen.

Her eyes widen as I watch her flush. But soon her expression changes into confusion when I keep up staring at her like I don't have any idea. “You were in my room this morning, weren't you?”

“No. I have been with my brother since this morning.” My tone is neutral when I respond but I can't help the smugness entering my speech when I continue. “Did you miss me?”

She flushes a shade deeper, snapping at me. “No.”

I laugh at her then take some pity on her and drop the topic. We can play games later. Right now, I need some information.

“Tell me your full name.” I demand, smoothing out my expressions as I lead her back down the hall and into the kitchen to prepare her breakfast.

“Why? You don't have to call me by my full name.” She says, eagerly holding onto the new topic to avoid her running thoughts as she takes a seat on the island, across from me.

I can't help but admire her for her audacity. Let's just say that people never get away from me with saying no; directly or indirectly. I appraise my esclave but I'm not ready to make any exceptions for her.

Time to play my next card.

I place her breakfast in front of her then round back to put the kitchen island between us. I don't, by any means, want to break my promise and touch her. I'm holding onto my self-control by a thread. I will have to keep my distance until my medicines haven't arrived. She's just too tempting for her, her naivety and innocence.

I wonder if she's been kissed before. But I instantly feel like punching someone in the face at the mere thought of it.

Okayyyy…. Maybe not the best time to wonder about such things.

I focus back on my Esclave who's about done with her breakfast. A content and satisfying feeling settles in my gut, distracting me momentarily. But within the second, the feeling is transformed into something dark and carnal when I watch her, enthralled as she licks her fingers and sucks them into her mouth.

Holy Fuck! My face wipes to the side as I bite back a grunt. My boiling blood goes straight to my groin, forcing me to take cleansing deep breaths to clear the explicit images of her fingers around my cock, which are dancing around in my head.

“You okay?” She asks me, sounding concerned. “You look like you're in pain.”

That's a huge understatement, I think bitterly. I want to snort at her naivety. It's endearing and infuriating to realise that she has no idea what she does to me.

I manage a stiff "I'm fine" to put her over thinking mind at ease and get myself a glass of cold water. Concentrate, damn you!

“I want to know your full name.” I demand again.

“Why?” She asks me, looking at me over the rim of her glass as she sips the orange juice

Fucking shit! I can't handle questions on top of this sexual frustration.

“Just stop it and tell me your damned name. I own you, you're not allowed to question me.” I snap, my tone biting cold and watch her flinch away, blanching. But I can't care less and prefer making her feel chastised to shoving my cock in her mouth. Though the latter one is very tempting.

“Ella Frost.” She whispers, her eyes downcast and fingers laced on her thighs. A wave of guilt crashes into me as I watch her, sitting over there, looking petty and vulnerable.

Damn it!

I grit my teeth. I know I should apologise and try to make it up for my rudeness but my temper isn't in my control. So, I leave her alone in the kitchen, giving her a command to return to her assigned room after finishing the orange juice.

I don't look back. Just keep walking and approach Bert with her. He immediately leaves to go to the Den and pull up information on Ella Frost. I remain in the living room, staring out of the glass windows at the darkening sky as stormy clouds gather around.

I could have protected her virtue by making an easy excuse that I needed her full name for her passport but I didn't. I chose to degrade her and show her real place in my world. I've never felt like an asshole before today and it's all because of that little girl sitting in my kitchen.

Fuck! I desperately need my pills now…. Or I'll be going back on my words very soon.