Primal Instincts_ Volume 2(34)
Author: Nicole Edwards

 

“No.”

 

I huffed. Looked as though he was still playing games.

 

He didn’t elaborate, and I wasn’t sure what to say, so the silence began to settle, growing heavier with each passing second until I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The longer I remained there, the more the ache in my chest grew until my hands were trembling. If I didn’t know better, I would think I was having a panic attack.

 

“Why’d you bring me up here?” I asked, the words coming out fast, my throat tight with unshed tears.

 

“To check in. See how you’re doing.”

 

“I’m fine,” I lied. “

 

“Wayne called in sick today.”

 

I nodded. “Doesn’t change the fact he’s holding it over my head. It only buys me a little time. But I came in all worked up to confront him, and then when he wasn’t here…”

 

“It left you without an outlet?”

 

“Something like that.”

 

“I have some ideas on how to distract you.”

 

I knew I shouldn’t ask, but I did anyway. “How?”

 

“You’ll have to trust me. Do you think you can do that?”

 

It was a loaded question. The problem was, I didn’t trust him not to screw with me, but I did trust that Creed wouldn’t hurt me. I wasn’t sure why I did, but I did.

 

“Yes,” I told him, holding his gaze so he could see my sincerity.

 

His eyes moved over my face like he was trying to determine whether I was speaking the truth. At least a minute passed before he finally spoke.

 

“I don’t want you to ask questions. I simply want you to do everything I tell you to do.”

 

Instantly, I wanted to ask why I couldn’t ask questions, but I swallowed the words before they could tumble out. “Okay.”

 

“No questions,” he repeated. “And once I start, I’m the only one who can stop this. Understood?”

 

Those were the same words he used when he made me masturbate to the sound of his voice. For some reason, they soothed rather than incited. Then again, I’d been safer because I’d been at home alone. Here … with him … Creed could do anything he wanted to me.

 

Would that be so bad?

 

Shaking off the thought, I confirmed I understood by saying, “Yes.”

 

Creed casually pointed to the coffee table in front of us. “Get on the table. On your hands and knees.”

 

My eyes bounced between him and the table. Why? lingered on the tip of my tongue, but I held it in. It took me a minute to conjure the nerve to follow his command, but I got to my feet and stepped toward the table.

 

I glanced at him repeatedly as I got into position, kneeling on the hard wooden surface first, then planting my palms flat. Thankfully, the dress was spandex, so it formed to my body and didn’t ride all the way up in the back.

 

“Good girl.” He sat up. “Now I want you to ease your ass back until it’s resting on your legs.”

 

I sat back on my legs, my feet turning inward to accommodate. The dress inched higher, and I was sure if he were to stand behind me, he’d see more than he should.

 

“Stretch your arms in front of you and rest your forehead on the table.”

 

“Child’s pose,” I said, referring to the yoga position.

 

“Yes.”

 

I got into the position, trying to relax despite every fiber of my being on high alert.

 

“Take a deep breath in. Let it out slowly.”

 

His voice was soothing, and I found myself doing what he wanted, some of the tension easing out of my body.

 

“Do you know what box breathing is?”

 

I answered by talking into the table since my forehead was down. “Yes. It’s when you breathe in for four seconds, hold it for four, then exhale for four.”

 

“Then repeat,” he noted. “I want you to stay like that until I tell you otherwise. Do not move. Do not speak. I will not touch you, so you have no reason to be anxious. Focus only on breathing. If you get distracted, think about how much seeing you like this pleases me. And remember that you’re safe because I’m nearby.”

 

I found the position oddly soothing, so I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, thinking only of him as I held my breath for four seconds before releasing it slowly. With little effort, it became a pattern as my body relaxed into the position.

 

I could hear Creed moving, and I imagined he was admiring me. More than likely, he was working at his desk, but I liked the idea of him being nearby. That he wouldn’t let anything hurt me allowed me to relax even more.

 

A few minutes passed, some of the tension fading, but in one fell swoop, it returned with a vengeance as soon as someone came into the room. Immediately, I wanted to lift my head to see who it was, but I remembered Creed’s instruction. Seeing me like this pleased him. Which meant if I looked up, I’d disappoint him. I was safe. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt me.

 

“You wanted to … uh … see me?”

 

I exhaled a sigh of relief when I recognized Hawk’s voice. I could hear his surprise, but I didn’t detect any anger. A tiny flicker of heat started in my core even as I wondered what he thought of seeing me like this.

 

“I need you to get me everything you can on this.”

 

I couldn’t see them, but I could hear the rustle of paper. I tried to block it out, thinking about an empty beach, endless blue sky, waves building in the distance. I thought about the water, how it moved effortlessly, the waves gently rolling onto the sand before retreating. With so much chaos churning, it was helping. Minutes ticked by as they spoke, and the longer they did, the more I relaxed. As long as I thought about the vastness of the ocean and the serenity of the beach, everything else faded from my mind until I found I could breathe easier. Before I knew it, I was once again focused on box breathing. Four-four-four. Four-four-four.

 

“Journey?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

A soft chuckle sounded, and Creed’s fingers teased the back of my head. “It’s been twenty minutes. I want you to sit up now. Slowly.”

 

Twenty minutes? Wow. It felt like five.

 

I raised up, lifting my head first, then my torso. I peered around the office. Hawk had left. I got back to my hands and knees before putting my foot on the floor. Creed helped me stand.