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  She glared back. “I don’t appreciate you treating me like that. You let another man touch me.”

  “You didn’t mind. Your pussy was wet and pulsing. You came in his mouth.” He sounded accusatory.

  She ground out a wordless sound of frustration. “What did you expect me to do when you forced me into that position? You ordered me to come! My body responded. It would do the same with anyone.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Anyone? Are you that much of a slut?”

  Serena’s breath hissed through her teeth, and she recoiled from him. “I guess I must be. I like it when you touch me.”

  Ian moved quickly, stalking forward as he caught her in his arms, half-carrying and half-dragging her to the bed. He pushed her down less than gently and stripped the dress from her body. His movements were stiff with anger when he removed the harness and tossed it onto the floor beside the dress.

  Serena kicked out at him as he shifted her higher on the bed and straddled her. She fought him and tried to fight the knowledge that she wanted him. She was angry at his treatment, but more than that, she was hurt. He had watched as another man touched her. It didn’t matter that she had physically found the experience pleasurable. Inside, she had writhed with humiliation. It seemed important to give him an equal measure of pain. “I don’t want you. I’ve had enough.”

  Ian tore off his jacket, tie, and shirt, not even bothering with the buttons. They popped off as he ripped, landing without sound against the bed and carpet. “Sure you don’t.” He reached down between them and cupped her pussy, dipping his finger inside. Then he brought it to her face and smeared it across her lips. “Taste your arousal. You’re aching for me. If you really don’t want to fuck, you know the magic word.”

  Tears came to her eyes. “No. I won’t do this. I won’t fuck you, and I won’t confess to something I didn’t do.” She pushed against him with all her strength, but he barely moved. She tried to blink them back, but the tears suddenly streamed from her eyes. “Get off me. Please!”

  Ian stilled, and then his fingers were gently brushing the tears from her eyes. “Don’t cry, pet. What’s wrong?”

  She looked at him through the haze of her tears. Although she was certain it was because of the moisture in her eyes, his expression was gentle. “You hurt me, Ian,” she said in a whispery voice.

  He stiffened. “Was I too rough? I’m sorry, pet—“

  She shook her head, swiping at the tears he didn’t catch. “How could you let that man touch me like that, when I belong to you? I didn’t like it.” She saw his mouth open, and she said, “Don’t you dare contradict me. Yes, I enjoyed it physically, but it hurt me, inside. I don’t like what you made me into with that. I don’t like how I was. I won’t do it again.”

  Ian eased off her. To her surprise, he pulled her into his arms and brushed a kiss against her forehead. “I’m sorry, Serena. I had no right to do that. I should protect you, meet your needs.” He pulled her into his arms, settling her on top of him. “I didn’t like the way you looked at him.”

  She shook her head. “It didn’t mean anything. He’s a handsome young man, but I didn’t want him.”

  “I was punishing you for my reaction.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I won’t do that to you again.”

  She hesitated, trying to gage his sincerity. She had never known Ian to lie. He could be an intractable bastard, with a cruel streak, but he was honest. She nodded. “All right.” She stared down at him, frowning when she realized he was uncertain what to do next. She was in the same situation herself. Did she reach out to him, or should she get up and put some distance between them? She didn’t think he would release her, even if he felt guilty, and she found herself reluctant to be released.

  Tentatively, she bent down to brush a kiss against his mouth. His muscles loosened as he relaxed. When he didn’t push her away, she deepened the kiss and lowered her torso to rest against his. She whimpered when he turned his head, but it was only to shift their positions again. Once more, he straddled her, but not with the air of anger he had displayed before.

  His kiss was gentle when he brought his mouth to hers. Serena closed her eyes and surrendered herself to his kiss, moaning when he cupped her breasts and thumbed her nipples. She arched against him, and her smooth pussy encountered the barrier of his slacks.

  He feathered kisses across her cheek as his hands left her breasts to go to his waistband. Ian pulling away from her followed the rasp of his zipper. Serena opened her eyes and watched as he got up and stripped off his pants and briefs. He retrieved a condom from his pants pocket and sheathed his cock before returning to her. She held out her arms, welcoming him as he came down on top of her.

  Serena cupped his face and sat up partially to kiss him. She parted her thighs when his fingers slipped inside her pussy, stroking her clit and opening until she was flooded with desire. “Master,” she said in a breathy whisper as he parted his lips and brought the head of his cock to her opening.

  “Who do you belong to, pet?”

  She gazed up at his intent expression, surprised to see need in his eyes. She didn’t hesitate. “You. Only you.”

  He thrust inside her, filling her. His strokes were quick and deep, as he swirled his fingers across her clit. “Mine,” he said several times. Each repetition was increasingly guttural as he thrust into her more forcefully.

  “Yours,” she confirmed each time, as she met him thrust for thrust. As the sensations increased, she dug her nails into his back, anchoring herself. When Serena’s pussy spasmed around his cock, she looked up in time to see him throw back his head and give voice to his pleasure.

  A wave of emotion swept through her, bringing tears to her eyes. She didn’t know what prompted the tears. Joy or anguish at the revelation that hit her? She couldn’t deny it any longer, at least not to herself. Her attempts to talk herself out of it, to avoid it, had all failed, despite everything he had done to her.

  She was in love with Ian.

  He thrust into her deeply as he came. His gaze locked with hers, and he said, “Mine,” once more.

  “Yours,” she said, not letting her gaze stray from his. As his cock spasmed, his eyes closed, and she mouthed, “Forever.” She didn’t resist when he kept going. All that mattered right then was the two of them. She wanted to forget the contract and his accusations. She let herself pretend his love was as real as hers, as she obeyed his every whim.

  * * * * *

  Ian watched her as she slept. The air of innocence surrounding her was at odds with the fact that she had spent the last two hours fucking him in every way he demanded. He had pushed her hard, he acknowledged, but he had been tender too.

  Why? Was it because he was embarrassed to have hurt her, or was there more to it? He winced, remembering how his heart had spasmed when she said she belonged to him. He wanted that to be real and permanent. He wanted her to have submitted because she chose to, not because he left her little choice. His original goals seemed to have blurred in the reality of actually possessing Serena.

  He shifted in the hotel chair, and the leash attached to the cuff on his wrist swished against the covers. She murmured something and buried her head deeper into the pillow. A soft smile curved her lips before her face disappeared in the silk. Her dreams must be pleasant.

  He scowled, wondering how she could find anything pleasant to dream about under the circumstances. Perhaps she was imagining how she would spend the money she had received from EverResearch for betraying him.

  His stomach churned, and he clenched his hands into fists, attempting to avoid what he was thinking. It pressed on him anyway, hammering away at his conscience until he admitted to it. It didn’t fit. She didn’t seem like she was cold-blooded or grasping. The air of innocence that had shrouded her for the two years he’d known her seemed genuine.

  Was she so consummate an actress that she could pretend to enjoy his touch, while still maintaining resentment at the way he
had forced her into this agreement? Serena had been a virgin the first time he had sex with her. If he had entertained the idea that it was an act, the smear of blood she had left on his sheets proved otherwise. How could she have remained pure in body, but not in her soul? How could she be the woman Greg’s contact painted her to be?

  It didn’t make sense. His instincts told him something was wrong with his conclusion. Ian didn’t like to admit to being wrong, but knew enough to follow his instincts. He had to figure out what was erroneous with this situation, and before Sunday, when she slipped away from him for good.

  His hand rose of its own volition to stroke her hair. He had looked a long time for a woman to complement his tastes in the bedroom. She sometimes chafed at submitting, but he knew enough about her to know she also enjoyed the parameters he had established. She wanted him to be dominant.

  That didn’t fit. If she were innocent, she should recoil from him, not embrace his every command. A wry smile flashed across his face. Okay, she hadn’t exactly embraced his every order, but she usually complied.

  When he had set out to prove to himself that she was fickle and unfaithful, by forcing her to acknowledge her attraction to Konrad, she had complied, but with a subtle hint of defiance. He knew she wouldn’t have allowed Konrad to fuck her, even if he ordered it. He now knew she had hated that she had responded physically to Konrad. So why did she submit to him, unless she felt guilty or had seized the chance to avoid punishment?

  Yet, how could she still seem so innocent? His hand slipped from her hair to her cheek. He rubbed the silky-soft skin, smiling as she nuzzled against his fingers, without waking.

  She was a mystery, and he knew he had to solve it. The need to possess her drove him, more so than with any other woman he had taken as a lover. It would be all too easy to fall in love with her. He ignored the tightening in his stomach that indicated he might have already done so. He refused to allow his emotions to come into play until he was satisfied with her guilt or innocence.

  If she truly were guilty, her greedy little heart should jump at the chance to remain with him, if he decided to extend the contract. He would offer the enticement of financial security and a lavish lifestyle if she seemed to equivocate.

  He swallowed a thick lump in his throat, imagining how difficult it would be to win her trust again if she were innocent.

  * * * * *

  Serena awoke alone, and the various aches in her body reminded her how she had spent the last two hours of last night, before falling into an exhausted sleep—as if the images weren’t burned into her mind. She shivered with a combination of pleasure and dismay, remembering the things she had done with Ian, how she had willingly submitted to his every demand.

  Where was he? She stretched and sat up, eyeing the room for signs of him. She turned her head and saw a note lying on the pillow. She lifted it, scanning the short missive.

  Serena,

  Something has come up. I’ll try to return before Sunday. Wait for me, regardless of how long I’m gone. I’ve left money and a credit card for you. Buy something sexy for my return.

  Ian

  Her eyes widened when she saw her name, instead of pet. Anger washed away her surprise at the small concession, and she wadded the note into a ball. She wasn’t going to wait for him, no matter his imperious command. Her contract ended Sunday, whether or not he was there. He didn’t seem to have any qualms about leaving her, even after their night together, so why should she stay?

  She was determined to leave, and he had provided the means. She lifted the Platinum card from the stack of Lasënbourg marcs, leaving the bills where they lay. She reached for the phone on the nightstand and had the operator connect her to the airport. Within fifteen minutes, she had booked a flight home for later that afternoon.

  As she packed her things, she tried not to think about the way she had responded to Ian yesterday. Even when angry with him, she had been unable to deny her desire. She shook her head, trying to tell herself it was an aberration, that it meant nothing. Her body had responded to his experience. It was nothing more than that.

  Still, she couldn’t deny a tug of regret when she carried her cases to the door of the suite and turned to look back. Her gaze swept over the room, falling inexorably on mementos of their stay. The rumpled sheets carried the scent of their bodies. The pillow bore the imprint of her head, but not his.

  Serena took a deep breath and forced herself to exit the master bedroom and go into the sitting room. She told herself not to think about being in Ian’s arms as she waited for the bellhop to arrive. The key to forgetting was returning to New York and denying this had ever happened.

  As the doorbell rang, she admitted to herself that it would be more difficult to accomplish than she wanted to contemplate. It would be a long time before she recovered from the sentence Ian had imposed on her. More accurately, it would take her a long time to forget how eager she had been to serve.

  Chapter 6

  Serena lifted her head from where it rested against her thighs when she heard a guard approaching her cell. She watched impassively as the door opened when the woman waved a wand by the electronic keypad. She wondered what was in store for her today. Since her arraignment and imprisonment at Rikers a week ago, no one had come to her cell except to bring food or take her to the shower room.

  “Get the lead out,” the big guard barked impatiently. The fabric of her uniform stretched taut across her massive bosoms. “You have a visitor.”

  She frowned as she got to her feet, feeling the thin fabric of her prison jumpsuit protest as she walked forward. “Who is it?”

  The guard shrugged and indicated Serena should walk faster. She complied, staying beside the woman, struggling to match her long strides. She wondered who had come to visit her, praying it wasn’t her mother or grandmother. With her grandmother’s bad hip, she didn’t need to make the trip from Peoria, and Serena couldn’t bear the humiliation of having her mother see her incarcerated. That was why she hadn’t told either of them about the arrest.

  The guard led her to a private room and unlocked the door. She didn’t speak as Serena slipped past her. The key turned in the lock while she approached the scarred metal table and took a seat. Her nose wrinkled at the stale layer of cigarette smoke clinging visibly in the air, and she sat as far away as possible from the overflowing ashtray.

  The other door opened less than a minute after she arrived, and Serena’s mouth fell open when she saw Ian enter, carrying a manila folder. The squalor of the place didn’t diminish him in his neatly pressed white shirt and khaki slacks.

  She almost hated him for that, as her mouth watered at the sight of a familiar face—even the face of the man who had put her here. She tried to deny the way her heart leapt with excitement at seeing him, while she tried to pretend she hadn’t fantasized about him every night of the past week, even knowing it was his fault she was arrested.

  He took a step inside and froze. “Serena? You look awful.”

  She glared at him, aware of how frizzy her hair was, and the way she smelled, having shunned the showers as much as possible during the past six days, remembering horror stories of prison life. “What do you want? Have you come to gloat?” She bared her teeth at him.

  He abruptly started walking again, stopping only to sit in a chair beside her. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”

  She refused to meet his gaze. “I tried to tell that to the detective who came to my apartment to arrest me, but he didn’t listen.” She shrugged, mentally drawing into herself. “When you can’t meet bail, this is where you end up.” Finally, Serena met his eyes, allowing her anger to show. “Do you think I’d be here if I had one-hundred-thousand dollars, Ian? Or do you think I’m maintaining the appearance of innocence by staying at Rikers?”

  He shook his head and slid the folder across the table. “I know you’re innocent. I’m working on getting you out now. Unfortunately, only a judge can dismiss your case, but I’m posting bail so you don’
t have to stay here another day.”

  She lifted a brow at his rushed words. Her fingers opened the folder, and she stared at a stack of documents with a lot of words and symbols. “What are these?”

  “An electronic trail from my computer to EverResearch’s. This was what incriminated you to begin with.” He tapped his fingers on the table, looking disconcerted. “But the evidence didn’t match the personality of who I thought I had come to know the last couple of years. During our time together at Castle Phantasie, you weren’t at all what I expected. I couldn’t believe you could be that kind of woman. You’re smart and sweet, and endearingly innocent in many ways. You’re a good person, Serena.”

  She eyed him impassively, not allowing a hint of hope to darken her eyes. After the shock of ending up in jail, she didn’t dare put any faith in his words. “What are you telling me, Ian?”

  He threaded his hand through his red hair, mussing the style. “I left you in Lasënbourg to examine the evidence again. This time, I brought in my own electronics expert, and he told me most of the papers I had seen were bogus. It didn’t make sense, so I went to Greg, wanting an explanation…” He trailed off, and his hazel eyes shifted out of focus.

  She held her breath, unable to completely disregard the spark of hope burning in her chest. He must have discovered the truth, or he wouldn’t be here. “And…?” she finally prompted, as his silence stretched.

  “He had company.” Ian’s lips compressed, and he seemed to be gathering his thoughts. “A black-haired woman named Patty…Smith. She was pregnant.”

  A sigh escaped Serena. “She was the one who emailed the files.”

  “More than that, she’s Greg’s fiancée and Everett Smith’s sister. He broke down and told me everything. They’ve been living together for about a year, but kept it hidden. Everett and Patty convinced Greg to help them boost their research division by stealing from my company.”