BLAKE: Captive to the Dark (13 page)

“What about the other one you mentioned?”

“Operant Conditioning.” Bill crossed his arms over his chest. “That one’s more behavioral based and could possibly help with her reliance upon you. There
are four main methods used for helping to adjust a patient’s behavior—positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative reward.”

My eyes widened.
This, I could do. Before I realized it, I was already walking toward the door. “Thanks, Uncle Bill. You’ve been a great help. I should really be getting back, I’m sure Kaitlyn is going crazy. I’ve already been gone a while. Don’t want to start out with being gone too long. Fear hierarchy and all.”

“But…Blake
?”

I waved and rushed out of the door, not forgetting to make the gesture toward
my aunt. It didn’t take me but a few minutes to come bursting through the boutique door. Macey jumped as she placed an item in the fancy white and pink bag. As my eyes scanned the counter, I knew there was going to be a problem. Seven bags. How in the hell was I going to get that home? Not on my bike. Shit. I needed a car. After Kaitlyn’s episode, I didn’t trust her not to have another one while we were riding. “Looks like we’re set.”

“
She
is, that’s for sure.” Macey beamed a smile.

“Can you hold onto it for a while? I just realized there’s something else I needed to take care of. It might take a few hours.” I headed to the counter. “Here. I’ll pay now.”

I pulled out my wallet and handed her my debit card. “You close at five?”

“Yep, you planning on picking it up after then? I can stay here a little late if you need me to.”

I looked down at my watch as she ran the card through. “No, it shouldn’t take me that long. I just wanted to make sure.”

“More shopping?”

My eyes cut up, debating on how much to say. “Just a trade-in.”

She paused in handing me the receipt. “You’re trading in the bike?” She glanced toward the door. “Because you can’t get the bags home?”

It sounded ridiculous put like that, but there was more to it. “No. I’m trading it in because my girl needs something safe to ride in. Plus, I’m over it. I can always buy a new one later, if I want.”

“Wow.” Macey handed me the small piece of paper. “You must really like this girl. Bikes are your trademark. You’ve had one since high school.”

“Things change.” I pushed the receipt in my pocket and threw her a smile. “I’ll be back soon.”

And
, I would. If they took too long, I’d just buy the fucking car outright. Kaitlyn needed me and I couldn’t deny that I missed being away from her. I took out my cell and dialed the house phone. The moment the machine picked up, I tried to calm my racing heart. “Kaitlyn, it’s me. Pick up the phone.” The machine was in the room. I knew she’d hear it. “Kaitlyn.” My voice grew louder as the pulsing raced even faster. Why wasn’t she answering? Just as I went to hang up, her voice broke through.

“Blake?”

A deep breath left me. “Yeah. I was calling to check on you. How are you doing? You okay?”

“I’m good.” Her response didn’t sound
like it. The scratchy tone couldn’t be hidden.

“Listen, I’m going to be gone for another hour or so. Can you hold on that long?”

A laugh left her, but it didn’t sound full of joy. More like a tick done out of nervousness. “I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t bullshit me, kitten. Are you going to be okay?”

A sniffle had me closing me eyes.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. This is good. It really is,” she rushed. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard. But I did need to be by myself. I needed to see how I would react once I was alone. Now
, I know.”

I straddled the bike, kicking up the stand. As I balanced it, I couldn’t stop the overwhelming need to get home. She’d suddenly sounded stronger and I wasn’t sure how to take that. I knew I wanted her better
, but there was still that small part of me that fed from her need. “And what do you know, Kaitlyn? What has it shown you?”

“That I’m going to be okay. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but at some point, I’ll be back to normal. Or
, at least, more so than now.”

“You will be. I’m going to help you. But
, to do that, I need to be in town for a little while longer. I just wanted you to know that everything was okay. My number should have shown up on the Caller ID. You call me if it becomes too much, okay?”

There was a slight pause. “Okay, Blake.” I licked my lips, forcing myself not to say what I wanted to.
Blake.
No. I didn’t want to hear my name out of her mouth. Not after she’d moaned Sir into my ear as I was biting against her neck. Fuck this lovey shit. I wanted the feisty Kaitlyn back. The one who bit my chest and raked her nails against me. The more I thought about it, the more I was dying to experience it again. Especially since my uncle believed it was likely my comment of sending her back triggered the episode.

“Blake?” There was a slight purr to her voice, as if she somehow knew what was on my mind. My cock hardened at the memories of us together.

“I’m here.”

“Hurry home?” There was that weakness seeping through. Well, she’d done well being alone so far. I had to give her that.

“I’ll be there as fast as I can.” I hung up the phone, knowing what I had to do. My uncle would probably have a heart attack if he discovered how I’d twisted his advice into my own needs, warped the fear hierarchy to what I wanted to make of it. This could work if I played it right. It had to, for Kaitlyn’s sake. She’d be a slave again, in every way, and I’d enjoy every minute of her fighting the sudden lack of freedom.

Chapter 10

Kaitlyn

To find myself, I needed to remember who I was. No matter how much I didn’t like it, I gazed into the mirror. The face that stared back was almost unrecognizable without make-up. I couldn’t ever remember going so long without the stuff. If I went into public, I almost always wore it, even if it looked natural.

Dark circles underlined my round eyes. They were slightly on the swollen side and looked a little bloodshot. My nose was the same one I’d always had. Straight, more thin than round. And, of course, there were my full lips. The cut on the inside from Blake’s bite was visible.

I took it in, trying to hide a smile. No. Better to not think about what we shared. We were
just friends.
My eyes rose. The defined cheekbones were something I wasn’t used to. Not without the contouring the make-up artists usually did. I’d always had a full face. Chubbier, for my field. Hell, Mickey would probably jump to sign me up…if I didn’t have my scar.

I leaned in closer, taking it in even more. The long
, thin line was still slightly pink even though it’d happened a month ago. How much longer would that last? I sighed. Probably a while. At least until I got it fixed. If I even could. I wasn’t naive to the fact that I couldn’t afford it, no matter the cost.

The sound of the front door had me jerking back.
Blake.
I paused at the thought of racing for the living area. How pathetic would that be? Poor guy was probably dying for me to get better so I could leave. For heaven sakes, I’d begged him to keep me like a little kid would beg for candy. It was time I got better. For the both of us.

“Kaitlyn?”

The need to hurry only made me slow my steps as I exited the restroom. “I’m here.”

“You okay? I thought you’d hear me walk in.” His mouth twisted as he took in the big T-shirt I was wearing.

“I did hear you. I’m sorry.” I pulled at the shirt. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind.”

Blake laid two handfuls of bags down on the bed. My eyes got big as I saw Boutique under the name.

“Are those for me?” I cut him off before he could even get the words out of his open mouth. I didn’t wait, I climbed onto the bed and began pulling clothes from the bags. I wasn’t sure why I was so excited. Clothes were just that, but suddenly they meant so much more coming from him.

“I figured you’d be here for a while, so…”

My attention went back to him and I couldn’t stop from standing. A part of me wanted to launch myself at him and hug my arms around his wide chest as tight as I could. If it wasn’t for the detaching I was trying to do, I probably would have.

“Thank you.” I kissed his cheek and sat back down, continuing to pull the rest out. “You don’t know ho
w much this means to me.” I froze at the small make-up kit. My legs twitched to run back into the restroom and try it on.

“It’s the least I could do.”

His words broke my focus. “Least you could do? Why do you say that? You’ve done more than enough. I should be paying
you
to babysit
me
. I’m not usually this clingy, I promise.”

Again, a weird expression crossed his face. I turned back to the clothes and scanned the numerous dresses. There looked to be one in every color. Some were strapless, others had spaghetti straps. While a few were more formal, the rest looked like perfect outfits to wear anywhere. The lengths varied. Most would fall around the knee, but three were the maxi style and would go down to my ankles. The solid colors were nice, but a gray and white chevron pattern caught my attention and I grabbed it.

In one swift pull, I removed Blake’s shirt. At his loud exhale, I froze and looked up. The stare that I connected with had my lungs locking up. Here I was, completely nude, standing before a man I wanted, but who’d ended what we had for fear of hurting me. Such bullshit. The thought made me mad, yet I couldn’t deny it was probably for the best.
Just friends.

“Actually, we don’t have plans, right? Maybe I’ll just go experiment with this for a while.” I grabbed the make-up and dress, and headed into the restroom so I’d at least be out of view. The privacy didn’t last. Blake appeared in the entrance, leaning against the frame.

“I didn’t buy that make-up for you to cover yourself up. Macey put everything together for me. Had I known she’d of slipped it in there, I would have gotten rid of it before I got home.”

My eyes went back to looking at the box
. “But, I want to wear it.”

Blake pushed of
f the frame and took a step inside. “Not your choice. No make-up.”

“It is my choice,” I snapped. “You’re not Sir anymore. Or did you forget?”

The heaviness that entered the room upon his look nearly had what I wanted to say disappearing, but I wasn’t going to back down. “You have no power over me, Blake. Not anymore. That was your doing. Not mine.”

“Give me the damn make-up.” He held out his hand and panic made my mine shake. I didn’t want him to take it away. What if something in the box got rid of my scar? At least the majority of it
?

“I will not. And you’re not taking it away. If you do, I’ll never forgive you. I need this.”

A growl tore through the restroom as he surged forward, ripping the box out of my hands. “You’re beautiful without it. In time, you’re going to learn to see that because I’m not stopping until you do.”

“Give it back.” I lunged forward
, trying my hardest to take it back. Pressure gripped my arm, pulling me into the room.

“No,”
he bit out. “Never. Now get moving to face your punishment. Crawl the whole way. You are in so much trouble. Sir is back in effect. From here on out, you’re going to obey whether you like it or not.”

The floor felt like it fell out from beneath my feet. This wasn’t part of my plan. How was I going to get better if I was still his
, completely? Blake was my weakness. My crutch. I’d convinced myself of that. At one point, I thought he could give me the strength to get better, but could he? Or was I just using that as an excuse? I was so confused.

Fire exploded across the left side of my ass and I jumped at the contact.

“I said, crawl. Now.”

The weakness in me soared, revitalized at his commands. His need of me. Part of me wanted to obey, gladly, while the root of who I was screamed to defy him. Draw out his darkness until I knew it was all he had left to possess. Then there was the piece that had me wanting to put my foot down and tell him that brief moment of pleasure we shared was over. But
, I was here. Under his roof. I knew the rules. And unless I was ready to go home, I didn’t have an option. I think I liked that. Maybe a little too much. I started to lower when hesitation stopped me. “No.” I stood back up and turned toward him. “Why should I play your game when—”

Suddenly
, Blake’s hands were all over me. One locked into the hair at the base of my neck while the other clamped over my mouth, pushing down tight. I was slammed onto the bed so fast, the room blurred as we spun.

“
You still haven’t learned. Let me tell you what I discovered today.” He forced my legs apart, wedging himself between them. “I jumped the gun calling it quits. What got you so upset was thinking I was sending you away, so I’ll fix that right now. You’re going to stay. Period. You’re option to return is now revoked.”

I felt my eyes go big. He couldn’t do that. Yet, the more I stared into his eyes, the more I was starting to believe that what he was saying was the truth. Why did I want this? Why was I getting wet at the thought? My head moved to the side as I tried to dislodge his hand.

“Nope. No talking, kitten. There’s only one thing I want out of your mouth and that’s sounds of pleasure.”

His hand moved
, his lips instantly replacing them, crushing into mine. My head jerked to the side and I moved back, glaring at him.

“You can’t jump to decisions like that.” I opened my mouth to go on, but his lips muffled my words. At the suction of my lip being sucked on, I pushed my pussy down against the hardness of his cock. The friction of the jeans had me moaning. “No.” I broke free again, only for him to clutch to my face, making it impossible for me to move.

The power that met me as he lifted a few inches and peered down was what I’d been longing to see. Yet, I was torn.

“
No
isn’t an answer you have the privilege of using anymore. I’ve claimed you. You belong to me. It’s what you wanted, for me to keep you safe. Protect you. I will, Kaitlyn. I’ll fucking kill for you.”

My head tried to shake back and forth. “I don’t want anyone dead. If I did, I’d do it myself. That’s not why I chose to stay with you. Safety, yes. But, also, the security of your presence. I just need to get back on my feet. To find myself. Then
, you can go back to your normal life. I know you don’t want this. Not like you say.”

“Are you not listening?” His teeth tugged at my ear lobe. “You’re never going back, kitten.
Not ever
.”

Something inside of me kicked into gear as if a switch had been flipped. I began to fight, regardless of who he was. No one was keeping me against my will again. It was all fun and games at the dropped threats, but if he was serious, I wasn’t ready to be a captive again. Not a real one.

“Get off of me. You’ve lost your mind.”

A throaty laugh was combined with his hand pulling my arms over my head. “How is that so? I warned you from the beginning.”

“You said I’d have two weeks. The time isn’t up yet.”

The side of Blake’s mouth lifted into a smile that told me what was happening wasn’t going to end here. He wanted me, and fuck if I didn’t want to let the threat he carried play out.

“The fact that I gave you a time limit to begin with speaks volumes. Think about it, Kaitlyn. Who says, I’ll give you two weeks and if you’re still here, you’re not leaving? No one. It doesn’t matter anymore, though, does it? Just forget all of what you thought you knew. Remember nothing of your past. Your life is only just beginning. You’re
my
slave now. In every way I see fit.”

The weight of his body was suddenly gone and I was being pulled up and pushed back to the ground before I could let his words sink in. Carpet was under my knees and fingertips
. I dug into the thick fabric, letting my mind race. Was this real? Was he serious? Or was this some sick game he was playing and once we were finished fucking, things would go back to normal? I wasn’t sure, but my body was loving this more than my mind.

“Now, crawl.”

Slowly, I made my way to the door, feeling the burn under my knees increase with each slide of my legs. The sensation turned me on when it should have had the opposite effect. What was I doing? I shouldn’t be enjoying this. I was hot one minute, cold the next. What he was doing was degrading. No less embarrassing than having me face the corner like a child. Yet, I couldn’t get over the fact that here I was, naked, with Blake behind me, watching me crawl to a room that had done nothing but bring me pleasure.

The short hall broke into the living room and the rebellious part of me kicked in. I pushed to my feet and raced for the front door. Blake’s arms were wrapping around my waist before I even got close.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” I was tossed back to the floor like a sack of potatoes. “Crawl. Now. You pull that shit again, you’ll be shackled to the bed.”

Shackled
? Like before? My wildest nightmares were starting to come true, and with the one person I trusted the most. It was like a slap in the face, opening my eyes. A sickening feeling almost made me gag. Tears stung my eyes and rage sent me launching to my feet and throwing myself at him.

“How could you? Why?” My fists swung, but were easily deflected. The hand that grasped my throat cut off all air and I was suddenly being forced back toward the long hallway. My toes barely touched as he moved faster.

“It has to be done, kitten. In time, you’ll understand why.”

My nails broke the skin around his wrist, right by the other wounds that were healing. Fire engulfed my lungs with each second that went by and I almost sighed in relief as air filled me once again. The cuffs that hung above sent me into fighting for my life. Before, I knew Blake wouldn’t hurt me. This man in front of me, I wasn’t sure he was the same person who’d rescued me. Whatever had happened in the time he’d been gone from the house had changed him, and in my opinion, it wasn’t for the better.

“One more hit and I bring out the whip.”

Blake could have been choking me again for all the oxygen that refused to come. The crippling fear had me stopping immediately as I remembered the leather cutting through my back.

Something resembling pain flashed on his face, but was gone just as fast. Had I imagined it? If he didn’t like the thought of it, why was he doing this?

“Now raise your hands and take your punishment. You have an hour in the cuffs. The extra time is
for trying to run and putting up a fight. I was sure you knew better than that.”

I wanted to hurt him for giving me an ultimatum I had no control over. The whip
scared me so much, it could have been the equivalent of a hell spawned demon. I couldn’t take the lashing. I might never come back from that.