She tensed up. Couldn’t help it. In a matter of hours, this man had turned her perfectly organized world into chaos. She’d seen him kill and that alone scared the crap out of her.
Caleb nodded at James. He moved forward, rustled his head, and then snapped an instruction. One of his guards came into the room.
“I want you to take James for bath time while I speak with Miss Page,” he said.
She looked toward the guard then at Caleb. “I don’t mind taking him for a bath.” The very last thing she wanted was to be alone with this … horrible person.
He was a monster.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said. He nodded at the man, and then just like that, the small semblance of peace she’d been able to find shattered. Her hunger vanished. She put her fork down and looked toward the exits.
Being alone with this man was never good.
Gritting her teeth, she clasped her hands together, hoping she had the strength for whatever was going to come.
Fear traveled up her spine, threatening to make her vomit.
Caleb put his hand down on the counter and started to drum his fingers as he stared at her. She licked her lips, keeping her gaze averted.
For two weeks, this man had changed her life and she had yet to decide if it was for the better.
He kidnapped you. None of this is ever going to be okay.
Whatever happened, she needed to keep her wits about herself.
****
Caleb stared at the woman who’d turned his life upside down.
She was scared. It didn’t take a genius to figure that one out. He didn’t blame her either.
From the moment she’d paid for him to be fed that awful breakfast and refused his money, he’d needed to have her. In his world, he was used to having women at his beck and call.
Grace Page didn’t come from his world. From the moment he left her until he picked her up, he’d learned everything there was to know about her life. Twenty-one years old, parents died in a car crash when she was eighteen. A good student and a kind soul. She volunteered at the animal shelter on her days off. Took extra work to help pay for her kind heart.
There wasn’t a bad bone in this woman’s body. She was kind through and through.
He didn’t think it was possible to find someone like her, but yet, here she sat. Now, he didn’t know what the fuck to do with her. He’d tainted her sweet little heart with enough darkness, but he couldn’t bring himself to let her go. The past two weeks, he’d tried to do just that. To pass her off to someone else, but each time he picked up his cell phone, the thought of anyone else touching her filled him with a violent rage. No one deserved her, least of all him.
Now he had a woman he wanted, simple as that.
The only woman who’d taken the time to care about him, not herself.
What the fuck did he do with that?
Running a hand down his face, he stared at her. She shook from fear, and it pissed him off. He hadn’t raised a hand to her, but she’d seen so much.
“You don’t have to be afraid.”
She looked up, a frown on her face.
He took a seat. “Eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She snorted and then covered her mouth. “I watched you kill people.”
He sighed. “They had it coming.”
“What about the police?”
This time, he snorted. “Believe me, they’re useless in situations like this.”
She shook her head. “Let me go.” Her voice was so soft. He could listen to her all day.
“No.”
Her shoulders slumped.
“Do you not like looking after James?” he asked.
“He’s a great kid, but I’ve got a job and a life. What … what you’re doing is wrong and it’s not fair.”
Fair.
“Life’s not fair, sweetheart,” he said.
She pressed her hands flat on the kitchen counter and shook her head. “I don’t get this. I’ve done nothing to you. Why are you being so mean?”
He raised a brow. “You think this is me being mean?” He burst out laughing, slamming his hand to the counter. “You don’t want to see me get mean. I saved your ass.”
“Why? How?”
“Why and how what?” He kind of expected gratitude. Sure, he’d been the one to hire her, but once they discovered her virginity, they’d tried to blackmail him for more money, and that pissed him off.
“Why did they take me?”
He stayed silent.
“It’s because of you, isn’t it? They took me because of you.”
Again, he didn’t say a word.
“I don’t know you.” She got to her feet, pushing the chair back.
He’d been so pissed off when his chef, Bernaldo, had threatened her. Walking in and seeing her cowering had filled him with rage. Bernaldo was lucky to leave with his life and just a stab wound in the hand. He’d been tempted to cause a lot more damage. Hearing people scream in pain didn’t affect him. It was why Grace was so fascinating.
She was the first woman to ever get under his skin.
“I suggest you sit down!”
“No. I want to go back to my life. You can’t kidnap me.”
He stood up, towering over her. She shrank back. He refused to repeat himself. She was truly safe with him, but if she kept on testing him, he’d have to at least spank her ass. Sure, he’d fucked up big time, but in his world, all he had to do was snap his fingers to get what he wanted, and Grace was at the top of the list.
“I suggest you sit down before I lose my temper.”
“You’re … horrible! You can’t do this. I want my life back. What do I have to do to get my life back?”
Ah, there it was.
He didn’t smile on his face, but inside, he couldn’t help it.
Everyone had a price. Grace had given him the key to how to get her.
He grabbed her arm, none too gently, and began to walk her toward his office. When she started to fight him, he turned, lifted her up over his shoulder, and slapped her ass for good measure, walking her all the way to his office. Guards stepped out of his way, and as he dumped her on the edge of his desk, he didn’t give her any space, invading hers.
With the way he’d put her, her legs were spread with him pressed against her core. He wanted to do a whole lot more to her, but for now, playing with her sounded like a lot of fun.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked. She wriggled, and he saw the moment she became aware of his obvious erection pressing against her pussy. She paused, eyes wide, and he smiled at her.
“I’m a businessman, Grace. I’m not a complete monster, I can negotiate.” A total lie. Everyone feared him. It was how he’d built up his reputation around fear.
“What?”
“You want your freedom, and there’s something I want from you,” he said.
She frowned. “I have no idea what you could want from me.”
He pressed his cock against her. “I know you’re a virgin, sweet Grace.”
“How? What? No!” She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. He didn’t like the tension within her body, so he stepped back. The door to his office had already been shut, and there would be no escape.