Christmas Captive: A Holiday Romance Page 8

  I’d bounced from foster home to foster home when I was younger, until I finally came to stay with Margaret when I was seventeen. But if I thought the older woman would be kind and caring the way a grandmother would be, I was sorely mistaken.

  From the first day I spent at Margaret’s home, I was a slave. I did everything for her—I cooked and cleaned, I went grocery shopping, I massaged her feet, I ran errands. She had me quit school and take care of her full-time. And always, there’d be the promise on her thin lips—I’d inherit the apartment when she died. A worthy payment for all the years I’d spent waiting for her hand and foot.

  Margaret was sick, she had been since I’d first met her. I prepared cocktails of drugs for her every night, and she never got better, but she never got much worse, either. And before I knew it, I’d turned eighteen, and she’d emotionally blackmailed me into staying longer. What else was I supposed to do? I had no money, no education, and no future. Taking care of Margaret was my only option. And every time she hit me for not being fast enough with her requests, I told myself it would all be worth it in the end, when she’d be—as she used to say—relieved from the constant pain. Then, I would inherit the apartment, and I could finally start taking dance lessons Margaret had always refused to pay for.

  Except as it turned out, Margaret had lied to me from the start.

  She passed away six months before I started dancing at Le Cabaret, and the apartment she’d promised me turned out to be a rented property, not her own. Not only was I thrown out of it within days of Margaret’s passing, but I also found out the only thing I’d inherited was a debt of ten thousand pounds.

  I’d spent four years convincing myself she loved me, but in the end, she delivered the worst blow of all. And to top it all off, I knew her dying was my fault and nobody else’s. A fact I’d have to live with for the rest of my life.

  I’d had no choice but to start dancing at Le Cabaret. I spent painstaking hours on stage to repay the woman’s debt, living with the guilt of her death hanging above me. Some days, I wished I’d died instead of her. It was certainly what I deserved.

  My thoughts were swimming with Margaret and her demise as Grayson and I made our way to the Opera House. He could tell I was distracted, but didn’t bother me, allowing me to be alone with my thoughts.

  But as soon as the performance started, I was hooked, forgetting about my problems if only for an hour or two.

  The performance of the Nutcracker had me mesmerized. Grayson had given me a pair of opera glasses, and I watched the production in detail from our balcony seats. We had a private area reserved solely for us, and we had a wonderful view of both dancers and the audience.

  I was grateful that Grayson allowed me to watch the ballet without interruption. Sometime in the middle of the ballet, his hand snuck to my knee, gently parting the satin of my dress, and holding onto my leg with firm fingers. His touch sent shivers down my spine, making me even more excited for what was to come. I wanted him to touch me more. I was eager to keep playing with him, but Grayson didn't make a move to continue our game from earlier. I kept my eyes focused on the stage, watching the ballerinas twirl.

  Once it was time for the intermission, Grayson gave me a curious look, asking, "You love the ballet, don't you?"

  "I do," I admitted, glancing at him with a small smile playing on my lips. "I've always wanted to be a dancer."

  "A ballerina."

  "Yes."

  "So why not do it?"

  I laughed bitterly. It was all so easy for him. If he wanted something, all he had to do was pay for it. "I never had the money. I learned by myself and went to many, many auditions. But they never gave me a role."

  His brows furrowed as he stared at me. "I want you to dance for me tonight."

  "The way I did at Le Cabaret?" I muttered.

  "No," he shook his head firmly. "The way you want to dance. The way you love to dance."

  My eyes lit up as I looked up at him. He'd just made me happier than he could possibly know. "Thank you, Sir."

  "That's quite alright, Kitty. It will be enjoyable for me. Now, would you like a drink or a snack?"

  I nodded, and he led me out of our private seating area and ordered a bottle of champagne for us. My eyes glittered as he presented me with a flute of bubbly, and I filled my belly with the sparkling drink. Grayson had some too, also getting me a heart-shaped box of chocolate pralines before we returned to our seats.

  "This isn't part of my diet," I teased him as he presented me with the box.

  "I like spoiling you," he shrugged with a mischievous look. "It won't hurt. And you'll dance for me when we get home, so I'm sure you’ll work it off.”

  While we'd been in the main area of the Opera, I'd noticed people staring at us. There were some eyes on me, but mostly, it was Grayson who held everyone's attention. I was quickly coming to realize just how important and influential he was. These people respected him, and what was more, it seemed every person in the building knew his name. I was impressed.

  For the rest of the ballet, Grayson's hand snuck back up my knee, this time inching closer and closer to the spot between my legs that was so very eager for his touch. But he never touched it, not even brushing his fingers against it once.

  Finally, when the performance was over, I clapped louder than anyone else in that room. I stood up with a bright smile, impressed by the wonderful performance. I was deeply grateful to Grayson for bringing me there, and once we left the room in the company of an employee, my hand snuck into his, and I intertwined my fingers with his, squeezing his palm gently. Our eyes met. I didn't have to say a word—he knew I was grateful, and his smile told me he was proud of me.

  In the lobby of the opera, people milled in small groups. Grayson held everyone's attention. I noticed men and women alike watching us closely, and it filled me with a strange sense of pride.

  I thought I saw a familiar face in the crowd, and I had to do a double take to make sure. But there was no doubt about it. Capri, the Le Cabaret dancer who'd told me about Couture House was there, in the presence of a familiar-looking man in his fifties with a shock of dark grey hair.

  She spotted me too, and her worried expression stretched into a smile. But her face fell the next moment as the man seemed to notice her attention had shifted. He reprimanded her, grabbing her by the arm and making me wonder how hard his grip was when Capri winced.

  "Seen someone you know?" Grayson muttered in my ear, and I nodded, turning to face him.

  "My friend, Capri," I said. "She's the one you should thank for making me go to Couture House in the first place."

  "Well then," he smiled broadly. "We might as well head over there and thank her now. I trust you recognize the man with her, too?"

  "I don't," I muttered, feeling ashamed. Was I supposed to recognize him? "Who is he?"

  Grayson smiled widely at me. "He's the other man who almost outbid me at your auction. Come, let's say hello."

  My smile faded. I remembered the gray-haired man then, sitting in the audience as I stood up on the stage in the auction house in Notting Hill. I wasn't exactly thrilled about saying hello to him, but Grayson's lecture on obedience was still too fresh on my mind for me to disagree.

  I meekly followed him to the other end of the room where Capri's smile grew once she saw us nearing her.

  "Capri!" I exclaimed, hugging her close. Her body was stiff under my embrace, as if she were nervous to display any kind of affection toward me. But her eyes spoke volumes, and I was worried to see signs of pain in her once innocent gaze.

  "It's so good to see you," she whispered in my ear when I pulled back from the hug. "So good."

  "Kline," the man with her spoke coolly, but his interest shifted to me after the greeting. "Is this the little toy you picked up for yourself the other day? No, it can't be."

  "Indeed it is," Grayson replied with a smooth smile, proprietorially wrapping an arm around my waist. I felt shivers go down my spine when he touched my exposed back. "
Finding it hard to believe?"

  "Well, she looks much better," the older man chuckled. "She was nothing more than a street urchin at the auction."

  My smile fell. The man was rude, and I didn't enjoy his leering gaze as he devoured my body with his eyes. I didn't like what he'd said about me. As if I was worth nothing before Grayson got his hands on me.

  "From what I remember," I spoke up. "You were more than eager to get your hands on me even when I was just a street urchin."

  "Doesn't she have a mouth on her," the older man smirked, ignoring me as if I were just a useless toy. "You'll have to clip that tongue, Kline. Or maybe I could discipline her myself."

  "No," Capri cut in. "Please don't."

  "Did I ask you a question?" the man hissed.

  "No, Sir, I'm sorry, but-"

  "Then shut up." His tone left no room for arguing and I paled at the way he treated her. I was grateful when Grayson's arm pulled me in closer.

  "We'll be leaving now," he said, nodding at the older man. "Until next time."

  "Goodbye," I whispered at Capri, knowing her tortured gaze would follow me into my dreams. "I hope I'll see you again soon."

  She merely nodded as Grayson led me away. I was too scared to bring up the man or Capri again, but I could tell by his troubled expression, the older man's mistreatment of my friend hadn't escaped Grayson, either.

  The ride back home in Grayson's limousine was quiet and charged with electricity. He didn't take his eyes off me once, staring intently as we drove back to the penthouse. I knew whatever was coming when we returned would include him stripping my clothes off and edging me until I begged for release. There were still a few hours to go, hours where I wouldn't be allowed to come, and I had a feeling Grayson would take the time to torture me so beautifully I'd be desperate for more.

  I wasn't wrong. The moment we arrived back in the penthouse, he undid his bowtie, his eyes devouring me as he said, "Finally alone, Kitty. Join me in front of the locked door in the hallway in ten minutes. Keep on your lingerie, the jewels, and the shoes. Your hair and makeup exactly the way it is now."

  I nodded, feeling goosebumps erupt all over my skin as I closed the door to my bedroom, leaning against it with my back. Carefully, I peeled the red satin dress off me, taking a long, critical look at my body in the floor-length mirror in my room. I looked good—possibly better than I'd ever looked.

  Minutes later, I waited for Grayson in front of the door I'd questioned him about the first time I came to his home. My nerves were getting the better of me, and I was trembling in anticipation when he arrived, his eyes filled with dark intent.

  "Hello, Kitty," he said in his gravelly, sexy voice. "Are you ready to play?"

  "Yes, Sir," I quipped.

  He took an old-fashioned gold key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Curiously, I peeked inside the room, but it was dark. Grayson turned on the dimmed lights a moment later, and my eyes widened in surprise.

  It was a playroom, but it certainly wasn't meant for children. The room had an enormous black and red round bed with a fur throw on it, and several pieces of equipment my imagination quickly worked out to be meant for sex. I felt myself blushing deeply, but I didn't have a moment to consider what was happening, as Grayson's fingers wrapped around mine and he invited me deeper into the dark room.

  "Welcome," he muttered. "I've been waiting to bring you here, Kitty. I think you're going to love it."

  "Yes, S-Sir." I couldn't help stuttering, my nerves getting the best of me yet again. "What do you want me to do?"

  "Everything," came his reply, accompanied by a devilish grin. "Except come, of course."

  Moments later, he'd explained most of the furniture in the room, sending shivers of embarrassment and excitement all over my body. My blood was pumping with adrenaline. I wanted him to do things to me. To hurt me, to pleasure me, to bring me so close to the brink I'd be begging for more. Grayson seemed to sense my feelings, and he gently guided me to the bed, ordering me to lie on my back.

  "Worry not, my Kitty," he spoke up in a low growl. "I won't use any of those on you tonight. It's too soon. This night is all about you."

  I was relieved and disappointed at the same time, but I trusted his judgement. Grayson's fingers slid over my body with appreciation, and I trembled beneath his touch. He slid my thong down my hips, exposing my needy pussy which had been waxed nearly bare, according to his instructions.

  "I'm so fucking tempted to taste you," he muttered. "But first, you have to dance for me."

  "There's no music," I managed weakly, but he merely smiled and clicked his fingers. The sound of the piano filled the room as if by magic. "Well, that will do..."

  "Do you need anything else? Shoes?"

  "No," I shook my head. "This is enough."

  "Then by all means, Kitty," he smirked. "The floor is yours."

  I stood up, taking a deep breath as I waited for the music to wash over me. I remembered the dance I'd performed at my last audition, allowing the memory of it to put me back on the stage where I'd never danced before. I made the music my own and began to dance. Classical ballet moves mixed with my own creations to form a dance designed to seduce Grayson Kline into giving me everything I'd ever wanted.

  While I danced, I felt his gaze on me, eyes following me as I moved through the room, thirstily drinking me in as I twisted my body this way and that. The music carried into another concerto, faster, with a quicker pace. My steps picked up too, and I was twirling on the floor until I came crashing to my knees in front of Grayson at the very end of the song.

  "That was beautiful," he told me with a hoarse voice. "You're a very good dancer, Kitty. Classically trained?"

  "Not yet," I shook my head.

  "I could tell."

  "Oh?" My face fell instantly.

  "Your dance may lack the educated moves, but you make up for it with passion." He smiled at me with affection. "How come you never trained as a dancer?"

  "I could never afford it."

  His face softened at the sound of my words. "I'm sure that will change after your pay day."

  "I hope so." I allowed myself to smile. "Now I just have one request, Sir."

  He sat back in his armchair while I picked myself up. "What's your request, Kitty?"

  I smiled, saying, "I want you to dance with me, Sir."

  "Oh..." He hesitated, pondering my words. But I saw something inside him shift, and he seemed to change his mind. "Okay then. Let's do it."

  "Do you know the steps to the waltz?"

  "Yes."

  "Then what are you waiting for? Let's dance," I smiled wide.

  I hadn't danced with many men, but from the way Grayson held my body, I knew he was confident in his movements, confident enough to spin me on the hardwood without slipping up once.

  I looked up at him with admiration. "You're not half bad. Where did you learn?"

  "I had to learn," he smiled as he held me close. "Part of being a gentleman."

  He was confident and suave, and his grip on me was just firm enough to assert his dominance over me. I leaned into him and he took note, smiling with growing warmth in his eyes. When his lips turned up, I found myself staring at his mouth, wondering when he would finally break this tension and kiss me.

  I was eager to ask, eager to know. But I forced myself to stop before the question could float from my lips. Still, from the amused look on Grayson's face, I knew he'd guessed what I was wondering about.

  As the music reached its crescendo, he leaned in closer. Now his mouth was an inch away from mine. I could feel his minty, cool breath on my lips, and my tongue darted out, licking at the remains of his exhale.

  "You're so desperate, aren't you, Kitty?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "Wondering when I'm going to kiss those pretty, full lips..."

  "I wasn't," I defended myself weakly, and he just chuckled, knowing as well as I did that I was lying through gritted teeth. "I was just-"

  "Maybe I should," he went on. "I want to know i
f you taste as good as you smell..."

  His lips brushed mine then and I froze mid-song, shivering in his arms. "What are you doing?"

  "Savoring you," he muttered before touching his lips to mine again. "And goddamn, you taste incredible, Kitty..."

  I couldn't take it anymore. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him in against mine, deepening our kiss. I could feel the ghost of his smile against my mouth as he responded, his cock jumping between us as I pushed my tongue into his mouth.

  He tasted like every dream I'd ever had coming true. I couldn't get enough. My body melted into his embrace and I allowed his hands to explore my body while we kissed. He grabbed my ass, making me shriek as he carried me over to the bed in the room.

  "I'm not just going to taste your lips tonight," he muttered against my lips.

  I was too far gone to speak. Not trusting my voice, I blushed as a moan tore itself from my lips and Grayson explored my body with his tongue, fingers and eyes. I writhed beneath his watchful gaze and he caged my body, climbing on top of me on the bed.

  "Perfect," he muttered as he watched me squirm beneath him. "So breathtakingly perfect."

  I blushed as he leaned over me, his mouth kissing a line from my lips down my chin, neck, to my chest and then ever lower. I was eager, desperate for his touch, raising my hips to meet his lustful lips and making him chuckle. I wanted so much more.

  Finally, Grayson's lips touched my pussy and I mewled in surprise. I hadn't done anything like that before. Hadn't ever had a man lick me, kiss me... there. It felt incredible, and Grayson's touch was that of an expert, bringing me closer and closer to pleasure as I quivered beneath him.

  "Remember your promise, Kitty," he reminded me. "No coming."

  I whimpered. It was harder than he thought—or perhaps this was the goal of his cruel little game, to push my every boundary until I was begging him for the sweet release of an orgasm. But he'd treated me so well that day, given me everything I'd ever dreamed of, and I wanted to give him back the pleasure he'd offered me. I restrained myself, reduced to a mess of moans as he continued his gentle assault on my body.