38
A tired and defeated Rachel put her hand on the doorknob. With merely the slightest pressure of her wrist and the door swung open. In her dazed state, her eyes widened with surprise. She knew Nate’s house was secure, he probably had his security detail watching his house 24/7 but she also knew Nate was a meticulous man, almost mechanical, and he would never leave the door unlocked at…3 in the morning. Damn! Had she been out drinking and talking her sorrows away for that long?
She stepped into Nate’s home, it was fast becoming a place she was familiar with. Rachel noted the darkness in the hallways and the living room. Quiet.
Eerily quiet but she was too emotionally distraught to be scared of the dark as she usually was. She found the stairs through the dark, putting her hands out as feelers to navigate her way. Her mind was dull but she was aware enough to know that she had to walk carefully to not disturb the quiet of the house.
When she passed the library however she noticed the lights spilling out beneath the half-opened door. She wanted to move past it – Nate was probably working late. But out of curiosity she took a step back and peeped through the door. There he was sitting behind the desk with his chin on his knuckles looking right at the door as if he could see her through the opening. She stood there transfixed watching him watch her. Could he see her? Or had he just heard the front door open and assumed she was passing in front of the study?
He was like a statue just watching, waiting.
Then he spoke without moving. “Come in, Rachel.”
She started but she put her hand on the door and swung it open. “I thought you were in busy…actually I thought you would be in bed by now.”
He didn’t respond, didn’t lift his chin off his hands, didn’t blink as she crossed the room to stand in front of the desk. Rachel put a hand on top of one of the chairs in front of the desk and watched him. His shoulders were stiff, and the muscles beneath his white shirt were bunched and tensed yet the one thing that really indicated his anger was the stormy gray eyes.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Where were you?”
“I was at the shoot with Frank…sir,” she said recalling how she was supposed to address him. If anything her response seemed to make him even angrier even though he still didn’t make any move.
“What were you supposed to do after that?”
Rachel’s head was muddy but through the fog in her head and the mist created by the alcohol on her breath, she remembered what she was supposed to have done after the shoot. His words from that morning came back to her. Slamming a hand to her forehead she groaned. “I’m sorry, Nate, I got carried away. I do have a reasonable…”
He pushed back his chair with such force that it fell back and would have hit the ground had it not slanted against the wall.
“I had a dress waiting on your bed for you. You were supposed to meet me at 45th Bistro…”
“Yes, I know that. Something…”
“Don’t,” his voice was strained, “interrupt me, Rachel!”
A slight tremor went through her. His face was reddened further indicating the anger in his eyes. He walked away from the desk and approached her very slowly, his steps measured like a predator approaching its prey. He still had his shoes on, and his trousers from that morning, the only thing missing was his jacket.
“Nate if you will let me explain…” Rachel tried again, her throat working convulsively to work her words out.
“I had a dress ready for you. Do you know who we were going to meet at the restaurant?”
Accepting that he wasn’t ready to listen to her she looked away and lowered her eyes. “Friends,” she answered.
“Louder.”
“Friends.”
“Good.” He moved past her to the shelf, swung it open to reveal the door of THE ROOM, and turned to face her. “Get in here.”
She didn’t hesitate. She walked toward him. She expected him to move aside as she approached but he stood there, face impassive even after she brushed him on her way into the room. Her heartbeat was so loud she could swear the whole of Gem Hills’ could hear it. The room was at it was the last time she saw it but this time it felt oppressive. The weight of the walls pressed into her and all she wanted to do was bolt yet she knew Nate would catch her easily.
Why do I want to run again?
The look in his eyes was scary.
“Nate…”
“That’s not how to refer to me, kitten, remember?”
“Sir, can I explain what happened?”
“No, you cannot. You lied to Francis. There is nothing you can say to redeem yourself.” He closed the door and a click echoed sealing her fate.
Rachel’s chest heaved. When Nate turned around his eyes swept her from head to foot before his eyes came to settle on her heaving chest. His pupils dilated.
“Look at the bed.”
She obeyed. There on the bed was a canary yellow dress, the bodice was slim and the skirt was simply layered and well-tailored. At the foot of the bed were silver heels.
“Take your dress off and put those on,” he ordered.
Rachel turned questioning gaze to his. He watched her his eyes still not revealing anything but his anger.
“Every second you waste adds to your punishment, luv.”
She reached up and unzipped her dress.
“Let me watch you.”
He walked to stand in front of her, standing beside the bar with the cuffs hanging from it. His eyes watched the descent of the gown from her body. She took off her shoes.
“Take off your bra and leave your panties.”
She did as she asked. When she was clad in only panties she pulled on the gown, the soft material caressing her skin making it prickle with anticipation for what he wanted to do with her. She wore the shoe and turned to him for approval.
“You’ve been a bad girl, Rachel. If I don’t punish you do you know what will happen?”
“No sir.”
“You will disobey me again. You read the contract, you know the implications of disobeying me?" he didn’t wait for an answer. “Because familiarity breeds contempt. You will disobey my rules again and I will not have that, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
He reached out his hand to her. “Come here.”
Rachel took steps towards him, holding out her hand to his. He pulled her against him cradling her body against the hard length of his own. One hand caressed her face and swept the stray strands of red hair behind her ears while the other tightened around her waist. The hand on her face made a slow descent to her lips where he pressed his fingers against her dry lips. Rachel unconsciously licked her lips, and Nate watched the movement. Then his fingers traveled down to her throat and he tilted her face up to his.
“I’m going to punish you until you beg for mercy.”
