Pet: A Dark Menage Romance Read online

  “Thank you, it’s gorgeous,” she said softly as I shrugged my jacket off. “What’s the occasion? Are we going somewhere?”

  “Dinner,” I told her, and she perked up. I hadn’t really taken her out anywhere. We’d been cooped up in the apartment for weeks.

  She grinned at that. “Where to?”

  “La Maison. I got a table for four in an hour, so you might want to get ready now, Pet.”

  “A table for four? Who are we going with?” she asked, and I walked over to her, smoothing her hair away from her face.

  “Your parents.” I grinned, and she swallowed, hard.

  “My parents?”

  “Yes,” I confirmed. “I spoke to your father a few days ago.”

  “And you didn’t think to tell me?” She was getting feisty, and I gave her a warning look. She backed down right away, and I almost regretted it. “One hour?”

  “Yes, an hour, so be a good Pet and get ready now.”

  She nodded meekly and made a move for the bathroom. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards me.

  “It’ll be fine,” I told her. Her eyes were dancing over my face, trying to understand why I was doing this. “We’ll have fun. I won’t be a dick, promise.”

  “Okay,” she nodded. “I wasn’t worried about… that.”

  “What then?” I rubbed my thumb along the inside of her wrist and she moaned softly.

  “I didn’t think… you’d want to meet my parents. I guess it’s a bit of a surprise.”

  “I want to know everything about you, Pet,” I told her simply. “And don’t worry. I’ll call you Sapphire in front of them.”

  I expected her to giggle, but she frowned instead.

  “What should I call you?” she asked softly.

  “Whatever you want to,” I told her, and let her go.

  She took her time getting ready, but once she walked out into the living room again, I was left speechless. She looked fucking stunning. That mass of hair, tumbling down her back in pretty waves. Her heels were high and her dress was much too short. Perfect. She’d painted her lips a cherry-red I wanted to ruin. I made a promise to myself to do just that. Preferably in the restaurant.

  “Shall we go, Pet?” I asked her, and she nodded.

  I took her hand and led her downstairs to the car. As always, my driver was sitting in the front and the partition was up. She got into the backseat and I followed behind. For the whole ride, Pet fidgeted with the hem of her dress and would barely look at me.

  “Why are you nervous?” I finally asked her.

  She gave me a fleeting look, but no answer.

  “Pet.” My voice held a warning tone. “No fucking secrets.”

  “I haven’t seen them,” she admitted, looking out of the window at the moving city outside. “My parents. I haven’t seen them in a while.”

  Six fucking months, I wanted to remind her.

  Six months of them being worried fucking sick.

  Her father nearly crying with relief when he talked to me on the phone.

  Why, Pet?

  Why?

  I didn’t say a word. Instead, I pulled her into my lap and held her close, her head resting in the crook of my arm while we drove towards the restaurant.

  She nearly stumbled when she stepped outside, but I caught her hand and helped her into the building. I felt so many pairs of eyes on us as we walked inside. And why shouldn’t they look? We were a good-looking couple. Let them fucking stare.

  I led Pet to my usual table. Her parents were already there, fidgeting in their seats. Their faces brightened as soon as they saw her, though her dad’s expression was a little shocked when he noticed the transformation of his beautiful daughter.

  Mea culpa.

  I smiled at them and shook their hands.

  They were both kind people. Simple, but kind.

  The theory of either of her parents abusing her, or even knowing about it, disappeared from my thoughts as soon as we sat down. Pet sat between her mother and me, and the woman, Sylvie, placed a hand on hers and stared at her adoringly.

  “Sweetheart, we’ve missed you so much,” she told her. “You have no idea how worried–”

  “Have you ordered?” I cut in smoothly.

  “Err,” Pet’s father looked embarrassed. “The menu’s in French, I believe. We’re not really fluent.”

  “Would you like me to recommend my favorite?” I asked.

  “That would be fantastic,” Pet’s father, Robert said.

  I ordered for the whole table, though Pet cut in and changed her order from the duck to the chicken. I was pretty sure it was only so she could prove to her parents she was still somewhat in charge. I knew she hated chicken, called it dry every time we had it. But I let her do it, and even gave her a smile.

  The conversation was stilted at first. Her parents seemed desperate to find out what had happened, and Pet kept steering the chat away from that. Sensing the discomfort at the table, I finally took matters into my own hands.

  “Your daughter is absolutely lovely,” I told Sylvie, and she beamed with pride. “I haven’t met a young woman as talented, beautiful or… stubborn as she is.”

  Pet rolled her eyes and my hand sneaked under the table, squeezing her thigh. She nearly jumped in her chair.

  “We always knew Sapphire would be successful,” Robert told me with a grin. “She always had that special something.”

  “Well, you must know,” I said, “I have every intention of pushing her to her limits.”

  Pet shifted uncomfortably but her parents nodded obliviously.

  “I’ll make sure she’s used to her full potential,” I added, almost feeling her discomfort.

  “We truly appreciate it, Mr. King,” Sylvie gave a solemn nod.

  “Please,” I said, “call me Hayden.”

  I fucking hated that name.

  “Hayden,” she smiled.

  “I must ask,” Robert said. “What exactly is your… relationship with our daughter?”

  I stroked Pet’s thigh. Her skin was hot to the touch. Almost scalding. But I smiled smoothly as if the question didn’t bother me at all.

  “I would say we’ve gotten very close in a relatively short time,” I said. “I can safely say your daughter means a lot to me, and I think the world of her. I only hope she thinks the same of me.”

  They ate up my words, though Pet glared at me through the rest of dinner.

  Her parents ate their food with gusto, relaxing with each glass of wine the maître d’ poured for them. Just as well.

  I peppered the conversation with the questions I needed answers to.

  What was she like as a child?

  Did she have any friends that left, maybe moved away?

  Big family?

  Religious?

  I felt her eyes on me. Felt her getting angrier and angrier as the dinner went on. When I asked about her moods when she was younger, she pushed my hand off her lap and pushed her plate away.

  I didn’t give a shit. I needed to know. I needed to know every fucking brain cell in that head of hers if I wanted to make her mine, really mine. And I didn’t give a fuck if she liked it or not.

  Her parents remained oblivious, and answered every question in detail. Not that it helped, or brought me any closer to the truth.

  We said our goodbyes two hours later, with Sylvie and Robert tipsy, and Pet furious.

  “Sapphire, you have to promise to stay in touch,” her mother begged. The wine she’d had added a tone of desperation to her voice as she clung to her daughter’s hand.

  “I will,” Pet said noncommittally.

  “Are you safe?” her dad asked. “Where are you staying?”

  Pet looked away uncomfortably.

  “She’s perfectly safe, Robert,” I promised her father. “She’s staying with me.”

  He seemed both surprised and relieved by that information.

  “And here,” I added, pulling out a business card and scribbling on it. “Pet’s…”


  Fuck.

  “Sapphire’s number.”

  I smiled them a charming smile, and it seemed as if they hadn’t noticed. Pet was glaring at me, though, but I pretended not to feel the intensity of her gaze.

  “Thank you so much,” Sylvie gushed. “Sapphire, I’ll call you next week.”

  “Okay,” Pet said softly.

  She seemed surprised when her parents hugged her, unsure of how to react to the contact. She relaxed after a few seconds, and it pleased me to see it.

  I shook her father’s hand, but her mother surprised me by giving me an extremely uncomfortable hug.

  “Thank you for everything, Hayden,” she said, and I cringed hearing my name.

  “You’re most welcome. And we will see you soon,” I promised them.

  I made sure they got a cab back home and tipped a valet handsomely to drive their car back to their home.

  And then I led Pet into our own car, fully expecting her to lay it on me as soon as the doors closed.

  “What the fuck was that all about?” she hissed.

  No surprise there. “What?” I asked her. “I wanted to meet your parents, Pet.”

  “The fucking twenty-one questions,” she spat out. “Why are you digging?”

  “Why shouldn’t I be?” I asked her. “I like to know my pets very well.”

  My fingers cupped her chin and she groaned, looking away.

  “You make me feel so fucking worthless,” she muttered, and it made me laugh.

  “Yeah, I can see that,” I told her. “Treating you to a new dress, and a nice dinner with your estranged parents. Fuck, I really am a jackass, aren’t I?”

  Her eyes shot daggers at me, and on an impulse, she climbed on my lap and straddled me almost forcibly.

  “You think you pull all the strings, don’t you?” she hissed against my lips.

  I took her wrists in my hands and pinned them behind her. Stroked her pretty neck and made her moan like a needy little kitten. The tough girl act was gone in seconds.

  “I want to take care of you,” I told her simply. “So you better fucking let me, Pet.”

  “So stop making me feel inferior,” she said, a sad tinge to her voice. “Stop talking about… the others.”

  I tugged on her arms in warning.

  “I’m being honest here, Pet.”

  Which is more than I could say for you, I wanted to add, but bit my tongue.

  “Your honesty is hurtful,” she complained, and I laughed against her lips.

  “No,” I told her. “This is.”

  I bit into her shoulder roughly and her hips bucked against mine. She responded to pain like she fucking craved it. I wasn’t sure whether it excited me or made me fucking upset. But the way her body reacted… It was like a chemical reaction. Like she couldn’t fucking help it. Like she needed it.

  I bruised her throat with my mouth and she melted in my hands.

  “I’m going to find out everything,” I muttered against the hollow of her throat. “Every single fucking thing that defines you, Pet.”

  “No,” she protested weakly.

  “Yes,” I promised her. “And by the time I’m done with you…”

  I pressed my thumb down on her throat and she gasped, her breathing ragged.

  “You’re going to scream your secrets at me.”

  “No,” she mewled.

  “Yes.” I was determined about that. “And once I know them all…”

  I could feel the heat of her pussy against my crotch.

  “I’m going to make it all better,” I said, my voice gentle. Her breath hitched at that, and I caressed her neck softly. “I’ll make it all okay, Pet. I fucking promise.”

  Fifteen

  Pet

  The walls in that apartment were closing in on me.

  I felt caged. I felt trapped.

  King was obsessed with my past.

  If I didn’t know before, after the dinner with my parents, it was painfully obvious how badly he wanted to find out what happened to me. And there was no way in fucking hell I was going to tell him. It would ruin everything between us.

  Instead of picking fights with him like I usually would, I just avoided any kind of conversation. We’d never fucked as much as we had during those next few weeks. My pussy was permanently swollen and my ass always bruised, and I didn’t care. I loved it. Every moment I spent with him made me fall for him more, not that I would ever admit it to him – though it was probably pretty obvious.

  I was getting claustrophobic, though. Apart from some shopping trips and the dinner with my parents, we hadn’t really gone anywhere. And while I liked it in his apartment, it was always just the two of us, and it was almost too intense to handle.

  I told him I had to take a day off that morning.

  “A day off?” he asked me with a grin. “To do fucking what, exactly?”

  I fidgeted on the spot. What on earth was I supposed to tell him? That it was getting harder and harder not to beg him to keep me with each day that passed? I was pretty close to breaking already.

  “I’m going out,” I told him. “Maybe the library, maybe the coffee shop, I don’t know.”

  He gave me a contemplative look as he put his tie on.

  “You know I’m not keeping you here,” he reminded me, and I nodded.

  He wasn’t. But I was so desperate to please him I just didn’t leave, in case he needed me.

  “Be back by the evening,” he said. “6 p.m., okay? I want to make us dinner.”

  “Okay,” I nodded. He was a good cook. I liked it when he fed me.

  He came up to me and left a fleeting kiss on my cheek. I felt myself blushing as he took his stuff and headed out of the door.

  And then I was all alone, and the freedom was terrifying.

  I couldn’t even leave for hours. I paced the apartment and spent hours choosing an outfit before settling on a simple summer dress and the Converse sneakers I’d brought with me from my old apartment. If King had seen me in those, he’d be fucking pissed. He hated flat shoes. It made me smile.

  I left the apartment a few hours later, and wandered around the neighborhood aimlessly. I ended up at the train station, unsure of how and why I got there. King always told me to just get a cab and pay with a card he’d given me, but I didn’t feel like it. I didn’t want everything I did to be influenced by him.

  I got on the train and traveled for hours. Aimlessly. Through towns and landscapes that I didn’t know. I changed trains, I changed seats. I stared out of the window not knowing where I was, and it felt good to get lost, if only for a little while.

  I ended up in a small town only an hour or so away from the suburbs where my parents lived. On an impulse, I decided to pay them a visit.

  The ride was too short, and in a mere forty-five minutes, I ended up on the doorstep of my parents’ home. It was afternoon by then, so I knew they’d be home from their jobs.

  I knocked on the door, a knock so soft I almost prayed they wouldn’t hear it, and my visit could go unnoticed.

  But no such luck – the door opened a second later, and my mother’s face lit up when she saw me.

  “Hey, Mom,” I muttered, and she pulled me into a tight hug.

  I usually hated being touched like that, but this time around, it felt good. I let her hold me, lead me into the house, and make a fuss about me coming over. She called Dad downstairs and he seemed just as delighted to see me there. They sat me down in the living room, in the overly stuffed armchair I’d always hated. Mom made some tea and brought cookies to go with it. I crumbled them in my hands, sipped the hot drink, and pretended my head was in the same place as my body.

  It didn’t take them long to start asking questions about me, about King, about us.

  “He’s a real gentleman,” Mom said, nodding vigorously. “We were so glad to meet him, Sapphire. He seems like a wonderful man.”

  “He is,” I agreed softly. “He’s helped me a lot.”

  “Of course we can
’t help but wonder…” Mom and Dad shared an uncomfortable look, and Dad cleared his throat before going on. “We were wondering what exactly your relationship is, with… Hayden?”

  “I…” I looked at the teacup in my hands, my fingers gliding along the porcelain. I knew this cup. I knew every chip and dent and pattern in it. I knew this house. Once upon a time, it used to be a home. “We are together.”

  Mom clapped her hands with excitement, saying, “Together? As in, dating?”

  “I guess you could say that,” I laughed nervously. What the fuck else was I supposed to tell them?

  “Oh, you young people and your no labels,” Dad grinned. “Honestly, Sapphire, I’m so glad you met someone like him. He seems like an amazing person, and a great businessman to boot.”

  I gave him a blank look. I didn’t really know much about King’s job apart from the fact that he owned a building in the city. I’d never been to his office, and I’d never asked for details. It seemed like a minor, unimportant detail that had nothing to do with the two of us.

  “He’s very successful,” Dad went on. “Owns several buildings in the city. I checked him out, on the internet.”

  I almost cringed at his words. My parents were so painfully suburban it hurt, and it was very obvious they hadn’t grown up in the city.

  “He’s a good man,” I said. “He’s taking care of me.”

  “I’m so glad,” Mom smiled and patted my leg. I winced, and she gave me a worried look. “What is it, honey?”

  “Nothing,” I smiled brightly.

  “Well, you’ll have to bring him over sometime soon,” Dad said. “We would love to introduce him to everyone.”

  “Sure,” I lied. No way in fucking hell was I doing that.

  I got up from the armchair, and my napkin fluttered to the floor. I bent down to get it, and when I did, my mom gasped. I got back up and gave her a weird look. She was staring.

  “What?” I asked.

  She was looking at my legs, “You’re hurt,” she said, the worry obvious in her voice and I winced at her words.

  I didn’t even know which part of me she meant. Of course I was hurt.