Women had an agenda. Some admitted it, others didn’t, but they all wanted something from a man – whether it was riches, fame, security. The list went on and on. Men were simple creatures. They wanted their needs met, their women to satisfy them. If most guys were honest, they’d admit that they didn’t believe in love.
He wasn’t a bad guy; he was actually being kind to them by letting them know up front how he felt and what he expected. The small voice in his head called him a fool, but he quickly pushed his conscious down, and escorted Ari from the room. He had a couple stops on the way to her apartment. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be in the dive for long.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Where are we?” Ari asked as Rafe parked the car in an underground parking garage. He’d had to use a card to enter and there were cameras everywhere. Rafe was a lot of things, but she didn’t figure him for a kidnapper.
Maybe he’d grown tired of waiting on her to sign his papers and he’d decided to lock her away until she finally consented. Her stomach knotted as he climbed from the car and walked around to open her door.
She warily stepped from the vehicle and waited for an explanation. He simply smiled at her as if he had everything under control, then held out his arm. She was too worn out to fight him, especially when she knew she’d lose anyway, so she did as he expected, then allowed him to lead her to a set of elevators. He did all of this without answering her question.
Rafe swiped a card against a black box and the elevator doors instantly opened. Ari eyed him with question as she stepped inside the sleek elevator and he pushed a button. They began climbing floor after floor in an almost never ending smooth ascent. She was relieved when the small chime announced their arrival. Glancing at the number highlighted on the elevator buttons, she realized that they were on the sixteenth floor.
“This way, please.”
Ari wanted to put her foot down, but considering they were in what looked to be an apartment complex, now wasn’t the time for her to defy him. Even though he always promised her that all she had to do was say no and he’d stop, it wasn’t him she was afraid of; it was her reaction to his touch.
She didn’t think she’d be able to tell him no, and she really hated herself each time she detonated in his arms. It made her feel cheap and dirty – not the woman her mother raised her to be.
He pulled out another card and slid it where a doorknob should’ve been, and the door easily opened. Whatever had happened to keys and knobs? She guessed it was too ordinary for Rafe to enter a building with good old-fashioned deadbolts. She wouldn’t be surprised if there were laser beams to strike down trespassers.
“Are you going to tell me where we are?” she snapped as she walked inside and found herself entering a large living room area.
“This could be your home. I’ve had it leased for months,” he responded as she turned to look at him. She was appalled at how confident he was that she’d cave to him.
“You’re wasting your money. I don’t want your apartment. Please take me home now,” she said as she turned back toward the door.
“Look around, Ari. What have you got to lose?” Though he spoke softly, the tone in his voice told her he wasn’t making a request. It was a command. He wouldn’t let her leave until she searched every inch of his lovers shack.
“So, this is where you chain your whores up and do unimaginable things to them. It looks a bit too home and garden. I was expecting a dungeon with whips and chains hanging on the walls. Of course, I haven’t seen the rest of the place, so that might just be through a secret passage,” she snapped as she began moving toward the hallway.
“I don’t need whips and chains, Ari. I’m quite convincing,” he whispered in her ear, making her jump. She hadn’t realized he was right on her heels.
“Yes, you’re a manly god who all should fear and bow to. Whatever was I thinking?” she said as she turned to bat her eyes at him. He glared at her in response.
“One of these days that tongue will get you in more trouble than you know how to deal with.”
“Is that a threat, Rafe? For a man who doesn’t punish his women, you sure use a lot of intimidation.”
Rafe pushed her hard against the wall, his body blocking her from moving as he gazed down at her, his eye color almost fully purple. Her heart rate quickened and her breathing became shallow at the hunger mixed with rage that shone through his dark depths.
“I never once said I don’t punish, Ari. I do punish, and I will delight in teaching you obedience. What I’ve said is I don’t cause pain,” he growled before his head bent and he took control of her lips.
She pushed against his chest, knowing there had to be a bed nearby, and within a few minutes she’d be a goner if he continued ravishing her mouth. Just as her knees began to grow weak, he pulled back, his breathing ragged.
“Finish your tour,” he commanded as he turned and walked away. Ari leaned against the wall for several more seconds as she heard him open a cupboard. When she felt confident in her legs moving without her sinking to the floor, she moved further down the hall and walked through an open doorway.
Her eyes widened at the four-poster bed centered in the room. It was stunning with thick posts and a deep purple comforter. Purple was her favorite color. It had to be a coincidence. There was no way he could’ve known that. She wanted to run her fingers over the cover and see if it was as soft as it looked, but since she’d never sleep in that bed there was no point in torturing herself. She’d never have this life of luxury.
That isn’t true, she snapped at herself. When she finally did finish school and got the job of her dreams, she’d make an excellent salary. When she was secure, she’d treat herself to those things that made life a little easier. She’d also treat her mother and make up for all the years of sacrifice she'd given.
Ari turned to leave, not daring to look in the bathroom where she knew there would be a large tub calling her name, and that’s when something caught her eye. She turned back to the bed and looked up.
Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. Her hand came up and covered her mouth as she took a step closer. What really unsettled her was that it wasn’t horror she was feeling, it was the beginning stirring of excitement.
“I can see by the way your body is tensing that you won’t be as opposed to my lifestyle as you vehemently say. I think the thought of the things I want to do to you turn you on and you’re just too afraid to admit it – to me or yourself.”