Honor Student

If it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul.

~William Shakespeare

Chapter One

My twenty-first birthday had started like any other day. I awoke alone. The house was deserted. No doubt, my Aunt who I lived with had passed out at the bar or gone home with some random stranger. I ran a brush through my long, dark hair until it lay smooth and perfectly straight down my back. I washed my face and picked out something to wear for the day. I decided on a white fitted t-shirt and blue jean shorts. It would be warm again, as was usual in Florida, so I slipped on a pair of brown sandals.

The high school bus pulled up out front and I sat in the garage waiting for it to leave and make its way down the road. I hated being stuck behind it with all of the other kids pointing and laughing at me out of the back window. Once I was sure the coast was clear I backed out of the garage in my beat up white Rabbit.

I turned on the radio and plugged my iphone into the tape deck adapter, and listened to Mozart the entire drive. Classical music had a way of calming me down. I hated going to college. I never felt like I fit in. People treated me like an alien because I had transferred from Michigan just before high school graduation. The truth was I would have given anything to be back there.

I pulled into the gym parking lot just before the eight. I was cutting it close but I did not honestly care. My grades were perfect and I could have a 4.0 without ever attending. Unfortunately, if I did not show up my scholarships could be taken away. I always began my day with a workout. I slinked into the locker room and changed into the oversized t-shirt and baggy black shorts.

Forty-five minutes later, we had finished playing a game of basketball with some girls from a sorority, to which I still do not know the rules. My team lost but I did not care either way. I changed back into my normal clothes and headed across the campus to my first class.

Everything before lunch became a giant blur. The teachers were working on things I had long learned. I sat alone at the end of a big long table in the cafeteria and nibbled at my pizza. I hated this place with a passion. I was ready to graduate and move on with my life. I knew that without my degree I would be forced to stay in this town and work a low budget job for the rest of my existence.

I grabbed my books and headed for my car to grab my history book that I had forgotten. By the time I made it to class, everyone was in their seats and waiting for the teacher to speak. I slinked in and kept my head low as I headed to the back of the classroom. I slipped into my desk and looked to the front of the class.

“Now that we’re all here I’d like to introduce myself. Ms. Gibbs will be out for a few months for medical issues. My name is Mr. Honor.” His hair was dark and just long enough to pull off the ‘just out of bed’ look. His eyes were a piercing blue that matched his button up shirt that hugged his muscular chest perfectly. The top button was undone and you could see a white wife-beater below and dark wash jeans. He was a lot younger than most of our teachers. He looked to be in his late twenties but he had the confidence of someone much older. All of the girls in the room hung on his every word. When he licked his lips, a collective gasp was heard throughout the room.

When the bell rang many of the girls lingered until Mr. Honor made it a point to move everyone along to their next period.

“You, come here for a moment.” He said pointing at me. My breath hitched in my throat as I gathered my books and walked up between the desks to him. He was leaning back casually on the top of his desk and twirling a ruler in his hand.

“Yes?” I asked, the words coming out more high pitched than I intended.

“What is your name?” he asked and for a moment, I could not remember. My cheeks burned a deep crimson as I struggled to have a coherent thought.

“Emma. Emma Townsend.” I blurted out when it finally came to me. He smiled and my heart had completely given up. I did not know how much longer I could stand in front of him before my legs gave out from nerves.

“Emma,” my name rolled off his tongue and it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. “Please try to make it to class on time. Lateness will not be tolerated. Next time there will be consequences.” He said as he continued to spin the ruler in his hand. I was mesmerized.

“Yes, Sir” I replied with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. His lip twitched and he looked to be holding back a smirk.

“Get to class Ms. Townsend.” His eyes locked onto mine. I was not sure what to say so I turned on my heel and made my way to my next class. The rest of the day flew by in a daze. All I could think about was Mr. Honor. I wondered what his first name was and if he was seeing anyone. Not that it mattered. I was a social pariah in this school. Part of that was my fault. I never made an effort to get to know anyone. By the time I had finished my classes, I did not even know what any of our teachers had said.

When I got home, my Aunt Judy was inside cooking something on the stove.

“That smells great.” I said, realizing I had not eaten very much today.

“Food is in the fridge. Make yourself something.” She replied coldly. I rolled my eyes and went back the hall to my bedroom. I started working on my homework but I could not concentrate on anything. My thoughts always went back to him. When the house fell silent, I went to the kitchen to fix myself something to eat. My Aunt had left food and dirty dishes strewn about the countertops, so I set to cleaning before making myself dinner. Once the dishwasher was loaded and the counters wiped off, I made myself spaghetti and sat on the couch to read a romance novel. I spent most of my free time reading. It was a great escape from reality. Unfortunately, all I could picture was Mr. Honor when it came to the hero’s big love scene so I put my book away and opted for reality television instead.

Chapter Two

I woke just after six with my phone’s alarm buzzing in my ear. I had passed out in front of the television in the living room. Luckily my Aunt never came home last night or she would have undoubtedly woke me to lecture me on how uncomfortable it made her male companions to have someone sprawled out on the floor.

I ran through the shower and slid on an old pair of torn up jeans and a tank top. My hair was damp when I left for school but it was so hot out that I did not mind. The air conditioner in my car was no better than having the windows down.

My hair was practically dry by the time I made it to school. I headed towards the gym, taking the long route so I could walk past Mr. Honor’s class. His door was closed, but through the little window I could see him sliding on his long sleeve dark grey button up shirt. I deep black tribal tattoo wrapped around his muscular shoulder and stopped just at the nape of his neck. He turned around as he shrugged the shirt closed and I ran from the window hoping he did not see me staring at him.

Working out was an absolute disaster. Today the girls decided to torture us with dodge ball, but since my mind was elsewhere, I seemed to be hit more than others were. With a fresh headache and a bruised ego, I made my way to my next class. Math was boring as usual and I spent most of the period doodling in my notebook as opposed to taking notes. It was a relief when the bell rang and I could finally get out of the classrooms. I made my way to the cafeteria. There did not seem to be anywhere for me to sit alone so I squeezed my tray on to the end of a table and did my best to avoid contact with anyone. It is not that the people here were horribly mean; I just did not like to invest myself in a relationship that would soon end. Maybe that was because we would all be going off to start our own lives, or maybe because I have a tendency to move around a lot, or maybe I was still learning to cope with the death of my parents. The reason did not matter. I preferred to be by myself. I would probably stay at home locked in my house like a dungeon if it were not for school. Technically, I could drop out at any time, but I only had a few more months left and I knew I would regret not getting my diploma.

The lunch bell rang jarring me from my thoughts. It was time for Mr. Honor’s class and I considered ditching. I was sure he had seen me gawking through the window on his classroom door and I did not want him looking at me as if I was a weirdo. I remembered his threat about being late and reluctantly I headed to class. I slipped in while other students were milling around. He never took notice to my presence and I was grateful. The girls fawned over him as if he was a rock star. He looked embarrassed but something in his expression made me think he enjoyed the attention.

“Take your seats. It’s time for a pop quiz.” He announced and the room collectively groaned. I was excited not to have to talk to anyone, so the quiz was a welcome distraction. Halfway through the period I struggled to come up with answers for half the questions on the quiz. This was unlike me, being that I had already read through most of the book in my spare time. I bit my lip and tucked my hair behind my ear. Someone dropped a textbook near the front of the class with a heavy thud. I jumped in my seat and looked up nervously. My eyes caught Mr. Honor’s as he stared back at me. My heart leaped into my throat and I bit down harder on my bottom lip. He licked his lips in that incredibly sexy way he does before breaking eye contact with me and shuffling through papers on his desk. I looked back down at my paper, but it may have well been in Greek. I wrote down some half assed answers and walked to the front of the class to turn it in just as the bell rang. I sat my paper on his desk and left the room as quickly as possible.

My heart was going a mile a minute so I ducked into the restroom and splashed cold water on my face. I heard a group of girls open the door so I slipped inside a stall to be alone until I could calm myself down. The second bell buzzed and everyone was supposed to be in his or her next class but the group of girls still lingered. I reluctantly opened the door so I could leave.

“Hey! You’re that smart girl in Mr. Nevins class aren’t you?” A girl with long curly blonde hair asked.

“I suppose that’s me.” I answered shyly. “My name is Emma.”

“I’m Claire, and this is Becka.” She replied motioning to the girl with short unnaturally red hair beside her. I smiled and nodded not knowing what to say next, so I turned for the door. “Want to get high?” Claire called after me and I stopped for a moment not sure how to answer.

“Sure.” I replied. I was already late for the next class and coming in halfway through would be worse than not showing up at all. A smile beamed across Claire’s face and she pulled a small mint tin from her bag. She opened it up and pulled out a joint. I had gotten high once before so I knew what to expect. Claire lit the joint and passed it to Becka just as she coughed and sputtered. “You okay?” I asked as her face turned beat red. She nodded and Becka shoved the joint in my face. I took a small hit and struggled to hold it in. My lungs burned from the harsh intrusion and I began to hack and cough worse than Claire had. “Here.” I said holding it out for Claire to take again. She spontaneously broke into a giggle fit. I don’t know what was so funny but her laughter was contagious and soon we were all gasping for air and laughing louder and louder as we passed the joint a few more times.

“Girls” I loud booming voice called from outside the door.

“Shh...” Claire whispered entirely too loudly.

“Come out here right now.” The voice called again and I could tell they were losing their patience.

“You go!” Claire said, shoving me towards the door.

“No!” I protested.

“I’m on probation!” Becka whispered and whoever was on the other side of the door knocked, causing us all to jump and stop talking.

“Fine, fuck it.” I muttered under my breath and the girls scurried off into a stall. I took a deep breath and pushed open the bathroom door. On the other side stood the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on, Mr. Honor. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. He was pissed, but I could not help but laugh.

Chapter Three

“Emma? You think this is funny?” he scolded me. I tried to stifle my giggles and shake my head no, but when I held back a laugh, I also stopped breathing causing me to feel woozy. He grabbed my upper arm and squeezed entirely too tightly, pulling me down the hall towards his room. Luckily, the halls were empty and no one saw how ridiculous I was behaving.

“You’re lucky I don’t have a class this period.” He said as he glanced around the hall before shutting his door, pulling down the little shade that covered the window. It suddenly hit me that I could be suspended, and all the suffering I had been putting up with would be for nothing. He ran his hands through his chestnut brown hair and it fell perfectly back into place. I realized I was staring and quickly looked away as he fidgeted with his ruler. I should have been pleading with him to not report me but my head swirled and I just could not summon the energy to care. I bit my lip nervously and waited for him to yell at me some more.

“Stop biting your lip.” He said angrily and slapped the ruler on the desk, apparently losing his train of thought. I jumped and bit my lip harder by accident, drawing blood.

“I’m sorry.” I said under my breath, not knowing what else to say. I touched my lip and pulled my fingers back, looking at the smattering of blood. He stood up from his desk and walked towards me. My stomach fluttered. He brushed his thumb across my lower lip, his blue eyes locked dead onto mine. I sucked in a ragged breath and held it, afraid that if I moved it would break me from this dream.

“Breathe.” He whispered as he leaned in close enough for me to feel his warm breath across my face, sending a chill down my body. A loud ringing broke the spell and he closed his eyes for a moment before turning to dig his cell phone out from his pocket. I stood there awkwardly as he talked. His answers were clipped and I could not tell if the person he was talking to was male or female. His eyes danced up and down my body as he spoke and I could feel my cheeks burning. I bit the edge of my lip but quickly released it as he narrowed his eyes at me. I decided to start wandering around the room and reading the posters on the wall. I felt rude standing there listening to his conversation.

“You should get to your next class. The bells about to ring.” He said quietly into my ear. His hot breath on my neck made my body melt. I had not even heard him end his call.

“So, I’m not in trouble?” I asked, too nervous to turn around and face him.

“I didn’t say that.” From the tone of his voice, I could tell that he was smiling. I sucked in another ragged breath and nodded my head.

“Yes, Sir” I grabbed my books just as the bell rang and snuck back out into the hall as everyone else filtered out of their classrooms. I could not tell if I was still buzzing from the weed or from my encounter with Mr. Honor. Halfway down the hall Claire and Becka rushed to my side.

“Oh my God Emma I am so sorry!” Becka apologized.

“Who was it?” Claire asked, she had looped her arm with mine and I was not sure if it was a friendly gesture or if she was still too stoned to walk straight.

“Come on! Tell us! Did you get in trouble?” Becka asked, stepping in front of me so I would have to answer.

“I think it will be okay.” I replied, not sure what had just happened. Part of me thought I had made it all up.

“Did you tell them our names?” Claire asked and I could tell all she was worried about was herself. I paused for a moment as they hung onto my every breath.

“No. I did not say your names. You guys owe me big!” I finally said, letting them off the hook. They threw their arms around me and thanked me. “I got to go. I can’t miss another class.” I said as I pried their arms off me. Claire frowned.

“Want to hang out later?” she asked. I did not know how to respond.

“Get to class, Ladies!” A voice boomed from behind us and goose bumps suddenly covered my body. It was Mr. Honor. Claire and Becka reluctantly let go of me and I snuck a glance over my shoulder. His blue eyes burned into mine. I turned back around quickly and made my way into class.

Everything was a blur. I could not keep my mind off him. At the end of class, Becka and Claire were waiting by the door.

“Here’s my number if you want to go out after classes.” Claire said as they followed me down the hall. It was the end of the day and Mr. Honor was standing outside of his classroom as we filed by. I could not help but stare at him.

“We were thinking of checking out that new scary movie everyone is raving about. It starts at eight.” She continued, oblivious to the fact that I was not paying attention.

“Sure.” I said, not really knowing what I was agreeing to. Mr. Honor smirked and I could not help but grin back at him.

“So you’ll come?” Becka asked and I stopped dead in my tracks as Mr. Honor slid back inside his classroom. “Yea, I’ll come. What time did you say?” I asked.

“Eight o’clock. Don’t be late, the place will be packed!” She warned me and I smiled.

“I’ll be there.” I promised and they headed off to the parking lot.

Chapter Four

I sat in my car replaying everything that had happened today. I cannot believe I was stupid enough to get high in school. I was praying Mr. Honor would not tell anyone, but I was certain my secret was safe with him. Still, I could not stop thinking about what he said about being in trouble. What did he mean exactly? As the parking lot cleared out, I started my car to leave. I cranked the radio and sang along Crimson and Clover as I made my way to my Aunt’s house.

I pulled into the driveway cursing myself for agreeing to a girl’s night out with the very girls who used me as a scapegoat. I could not entirely blame them. I was just as guilty for what we did. Besides, had I not done it I would have never gotten to spend extra time with Mr. Honor.

The house was empty and I was glad no one was around to ask me twenty questions about where I was going. I slipped into the shower to get ready for the movie. I stayed under the water, daydreaming until it ran cold. I wrapped a towel loosely around my chest and went to my bedroom to find something to wear. Most of my belongings were in boxes so I had to do a great deal of digging before finding something suitable. I decided on a little black dress and black heels. After getting dressed, I carefully curled the ends of my hair. By the time I was done applying mascara I looked at least a few years older. I sat around listening to music and cleaning the house to kill time. When it seven o’ clock I figured it was a safe to leave. By the time I got to the theater and we got our snacks it would only be a short wait for the movie. I jumped in my car and began backing out the driveway as headlights filled my rearview mirror and a horn beeped. I threw my car into park and sighed loudly. My Aunt pulled her car alongside mine.

“Where ya’ headed?” She asked, as her male passenger looked off, seemingly uninterested and completely wasted.

“Heading to the movies, don’t wait up.” I called over the engines and smiled.

“Oh, we won’t!” She replied and her cheesy grin made me nauseous. I rolled my eyes and backed the rest of the way out of the driveway.

Finding the movie theater in the dark was a lot harder than I had anticipated. I had to text Claire and Becka several times before I finally saw the great big theater sign along the side of the highway. I made three passes around the parking lot before I found an available space. Everyone had come out to see the new horror flick Slash. I suddenly felt self-conscious about my dress and wondered if I should leave quickly before anyone saw me. I could claim my car broke down or ran out of gas. It was too late. I spotted Becka and Claire making their way across the parking lot waving at me to get my attention. I reluctantly got out of the car and straightened my dress.

“Stop tugging at that! You look great!” Becka reassured me. She was wearing a similar outfit in deep purple.

“Thanks.” I said shyly, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Claire asked from behind us, half-joking.

“You look great, Claire!” I said, shooting her a smile. She smiled back and I knew she was just being insecure. She was very much like me in that way. We waited in line outside of the building to get our tickets.

“Do you have that new teacher, Mr. Honor?” Becka asked me but did not wait for me to answer. “God, he is fucking hot!” she said fanning herself. I smiled and nodded my head.

“His eyes” Claire added and I bit my lip and waited for the line to move. After a few moments of gushing over our teacher, they finally changed the topic to clothing, another subject I did not like to talk about. Luckily, the line was moving quickly and we were able to get our tickets and move inside to the next line for our snacks. When all was said and done we had spent over twenty dollars apiece, but Becka and Claire assured me that it would be worth every penny.

Most of the moviegoers were hanging out in the lobby so we were able to score some good seats near the front. I always preferred to sit in the back but Claire insisted that the closer to the blood and guts you where, the better. The lights dimmed and a hush fell over the crowd as the previews started to play. It took an entire fifteen minutes before the movie started, but Becka and Claire had made a list of all the new movies coming out that we would have to go see.

When the movie finally began, the room fell completely silent. Within a few moments they would all be screaming, myself included. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. This was worth every penny and I was glad I had decided to come.

An hour into the film I excused myself to use the restroom. The line curved out of the door. I played on my cell phone and stepped forward as the line moved oblivious to my surroundings. That was until a woman’s giggles broke my train of thought. I glanced up to see a man and a woman locked in each other’s arms. He was kissing her neck and she playfully smacked him on the chest. Just as I realized I was staring the man and woman were kissing each other passionately. His eyes opened and my heart caught in my throat. Mr. Honor was staring back at me and I could not look away. My face burnt red but his gaze held mine. I bit my lip as jealousy bubbled through me.

“Your turn” A teenaged boy called from behind me. I glanced back at the bathroom and saw that the line had completely vanished in front of me.

“Sorry.” I replied and stepped into the small room. I splashed some water on my face hoping it would magically make the blush fade from my cheeks. Of all people to catch making out at the movies, I would have never guessed I would see Mr. Honor. I went to the bathroom and waited around a few more seconds before heading back out the door. I took a deep breath and pulled it open, glancing to the side of the hall quickly. He was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief and headed back into my theater.

“What took you so long?” Claire asked as she handed me back my popcorn and candy.

“The line was crazy.” I replied, but did not elaborate on what else was crazy about it. I sunk deeper into my seat and tried to get back into the movie but my thoughts would not leave him. His burning gaze locked on mine for what felt like an eternity. There was something very creepy about our encounters but I could not get enough of him. Unfortunately, someone else already had him. I spent the next half of the movie trying to imagine what she looked like. She had dirty blonde curls that cascaded down her back and I assumed she was probably in her early twenties. She was no doubt gorgeous if she could hold his attention. My cheeks heated again as I realized she had not held his attention. His eyes were locked on to mine. Butterflies filled my stomach as I thought about what it had meant. In reality, I knew it probably did not mean anything. Perhaps he was embarrassed by seeing a student out of class while in such a compromising position.

Chapter Five

The crowd screamed in unison, jarring me from my thoughts. My popcorn flew from its container and Claire laughed at me.

“Scared?” she taunted. I nodded and smiled. I had no idea what was going on in the movie and at this point, I did not care. I was feeling a little sad seeing Mr. Honor with someone else, not that I had a right to feel jealous, but for some reason, I had thought on some level that he liked me. I shook the thought from my head. It was stupid for me to let myself be caught up in a fantasy. I suddenly missed home and wanted nothing more than to leave this place and never come back. I slunk down in my seat and waited for the movie to end.

Twenty long minutes later the credits where rolling and I could not be happier. We waited for the majority of the other moviegoers to file out before finally making our way towards the exit.

Becka and Claire were rambling on about going to some party and getting drunk. I made up a lame excuse about having a curfew so I could go home. I did not feel much like partying.

The drive home seemed longer than the trip to the theater even though I did not get lost this time. My thoughts flashed to Becka and Claire inviting me to the movies. I was sure Mr. Honor had overheard our conversation. In my overactive imagination, I pictured running into him there. I just had not factored in that he would not be alone.

I was relieved to see the driveway empty when I pulled into my aunt’s house. The last thing I wanted was to hear her raving about the new man of the hour. It was late so I was sure I would not see her again until tomorrow. I stalked into my bedroom and threw my shoes into the corner. I pulled off my dress, not bothering to unzip it and slipped into an oversized t-shirt from my old school.

I grabbed my old yearbook and walked into the kitchen for a drink. I slid the milk out of the way and grabbed a can of soda, along with a cheap bottle of vodka. I carried everything into the living and clicked on the television. I watched on old romance movie as I drank a small swig from the bottle. The alcohol burned my throat and I coughed and sputtered. I quickly chased it down with my soda as tears filled the rims of my eyes. I flipped open the book and ran my fingers over the indents left by the pen my friend’s had used to sign it. My body began to feel warm and I took a longer swig from the bottle, wiping a drip from my chin. I thought about packing my things and heading back to Michigan. I knew it would never be the same there. Everyone looked at me with pity after my parents had died. They treated me as if I was a toddler who could not take care of myself. At least in Florida most had no idea the situation I had come from. Only a few teachers and the school guidance counselor had the gory details. I wiped a wayward tear from my cheek and put the bottle to my lips again. The sadness magnified as the alcohol took effect, but I did not care. I knew if I drank enough I would forget about it all. I flipped through the pages as my tears fell onto the glossy paper. I ran my fingers over the wet marks and the signatures smudged across the book.

“No!” I cried as I wiped harder. I was officially breaking down. I grabbed the book and threw it across the room. It collided with a picture hanging on the far wall causing it to fall and shatter on impact. “Fuck!” I yelled as I stumbled over to the mess to clean it. My vision was blurred and as I grabbed a piece of the jagged glass, it cut me deeply across the palm of my hand and up my wrist. Blood ran freely down my fingers and dripped onto the old picture of my Aunt and Mother. I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing as I hugged the picture tightly.

Chapter Six

“Emma! Dear god! Emma! Call the police!” My Aunt screamed as she shook me. I blinked several times but could not open my eyes fully in the light. The shaking had turned my stomach and I lurched forward, vomiting all over the living room floor.

“Emma! Why would you try to kill yourself?” She shouted through tears as a man in the background talked in a panic on the phone.

“I didn’t…” I whispered but my throat was raw and sore from crying the night before.

“Hush now.” She replied, soothingly as she pulled me into her chest and hugged me tightly. “Grab her some water!” she yelled off to the man in the other room. He quickly appeared with a glass of water. He held the glass up to my mouth and began pouring it down my throat. I coughed and gagged as my Aunt smacked the man hard on the arm. “You’re going to drown her!” she shouted.

“I’m sorry!” he yelled back with irritation but I could tell that he was full of panic.

“I’m fine.” I assured them. “This isn’t what it looks like.” I said with a nervous laugh. My head was finally starting to clear and as I glanced around at the mess I had left, I understood why they were so upset. I bottle of vodka lay open on its side, its contents spilled on the floor. A picture of my deceased mother lay broken around me and I was covered in my own blood. “I was just sad.” I explained as my eyes landed on the crumpled picture of my mother. Tears welled up in my eyes and I swallowed hard, trying to hold them back.

“Here” my Aunt said as she pushed the water back to my mouth. A loud banging came from the front door and my Aunt’s companion hurried to answer it.

“I’m okay, really.” I said after swallowing a sip of water. I pushed to my feet to stand and nearly lost my balance. My Aunt jumped up beside me and grabbed my arm. Two police officers rounded the corner into the living room followed by a three medics.

“What happened?” the tall huskier officer asked but he was looking at my Aunt.

“I don’t know. I found her lying on the floor with her Mother’s picture.” She explained but her words became muffled under her sobbing. “She tried to kill herself!” she sputtered as the medics surrounded me and began checking my vitals and the wound on my hand.

“No! No! I didn’t try to kill myself!” I shouted over their conversation but no one paid any attention to my protests. My tears gave way as I began to panic. “Please! I just want to go home!” I sobbed. The older female medic looked at me sadly. I hated that look. The look of pity I received from everyone after my parents had died. Anger bubbled up inside of me and I began to fight against them. One medic was holding my injured hand and another was taking my blood pressure from the other arm. I felt claustrophobic, struggling desperately to free myself from their hold. The police officer who was talking with my Aunt took notice and began to shout at me to calm down. His partner, a younger female put her hand on her weapon as her eyes darted back and forth between us. The third medic had disappeared and returned quickly with a gurney. The harder I fought the tighter they held me. Within seconds, I was lying on my back strapped to the device. My Aunt’s cries faded into the background as the wheeled me down the hall and out of the front door. The sunlight was blinding and the surge of heat made my stomach turn. The medics slid me into the back of their ambulance and closed the door behind us. The sudden darkness made it impossible for me to see and carsickness took over where the warmth had left off. “Please…” I cried as the older nurse wiped my hair from my forehead.

I took long calming breathes and finally managed to stop crying as the ambulance pulled into the hospital. They pulled me out and pushed me into the emergency room where doctors and nurses where waiting for us. The nurse left my side and talked quietly to a doctor in the far corner of the room. I could not make out anything they were saying but the doctor’s eyes never left my face and I felt utterly humiliated. I let my headrest back on the gurney and stared up at the white ceiling tiles. After a few moments, the doctor was by my side, adjusting his latex gloves.

“How are you feeling today Ms. Townsend?” he asked as he pulled up my eyelids to inspect my pupils.

“Like an idiot.” I replied with irritation.

“Well, there isn’t much I can do for that, but I can fix up that nasty gash on your hand.” he said with a slight smile and I relaxed a little. “You think we can take off these restraints?” he asked and I nodded my head.

“I wasn’t trying to kill myself.” I replied. He began undoing the leather belt like devices and looking over my hand.

“Well, I am inclined to believe you.” He said and nodded to the police outside of the door. They walked away from the opening and he set back to fixing my hand. “I’ve never seen someone try to kill themselves by cutting their hand.” He continued as he pulled a small piece of glass from the wound. I reflexively tried to pull my hand back from him but he held onto it tightly. “This is going to hurt a little.” He warned and I nodded, biting my lip. He cleaned the cut and by the time he was done, I had four stitches and a pink gauze bandage wrapped around my hand and up my wrist. I explained what had happened while he worked and I felt surprisingly better when the process was finished. “Life doesn’t get any easier. You have been through a lot. It’s okay to ask for help.” He said kindly and I assured him that I would talk to someone next time I was feeling sad.

“How are you feeling?” my Aunt called from the doorway. I did not know how long she had been standing there.

“I’m fine.” I answered as I slid off the bed.

“You have no idea…” she began but her words trailed off and I did not encourage her to finish.

Chapter Seven

The ride home seemed to last for hours as I explained to my Aunt what had really happened last night. I was sad, but I never intended to hurt myself. She lectured me for drinking too much and I did not argue. I did not intend to ever touch another drop of alcohol again. All of her sadness was replaced with anger and I preferred it that way. I could not stand to see one more person look at me with pity.

We pulled into the garage and I could not wait to take a shower and go back to sleep.

“Get ready. You still have a few more classes today.” She called from behind me.

“You’re kidding right?” I asked.

“You think you deserve a day off after all you put me through? I’ll be lucky if I ever see Dan again!” she said angrily.

“Dan?” I asked, having no clue what she was talking about.

“My date from last night. You nearly gave him a heart attack!” she yelled down the hall. I rolled my eyes and closed the bathroom door behind me.

I showered as quickly as I could with one arm. It was harder than I had anticipated. Getting dressed was no easier and by the time I was ready an hour had passed.

“Let’s go.” My Aunt called from outside of my room.

“I can drive myself.” I replied. She pulled my bedroom door open and glared at me. “Two hours ago you couldn’t let go of me and now you’re treating me like you hate me.” I mumbled as I gathered my books.

“I don’t hate you. If I did, I wouldn’t care if you didn’t go to school or drank yourself into oblivion.” She shot back. I realized she was right. All this time living with her, I assumed I was a burden to her. It was nice to know how much she cared, even if she showed it by punishing me.

“I’m ready.” I said as I shrugged on a hoodie and pulled the sleeve down to try to hide my pink bandage.

“It’s too hot for that.” She said as I walked by her and down the hall. I ignored her and continued out to her car.

We did not speak on the trip to my school. I kept the window down trying to keep myself cool but nothing seemed to help.

When we arrived, I hoped out of the car and headed towards the building. I heard a car door slam behind me and I stopped and looked back. My aunt was hurrying to catch up with me.

“What are you doing?” I asked, not bothering to hide my irritation.

“I have to sign you in.” she responded and continued to walk passed me. I reluctantly followed her.

“I’m an adult. This isn’t high school. I don’t think I need you to sign me in.” I said but she kept walking. When we reached the office, I hung out by the door as my Aunt spoke to the secretary. Mr. Honor stepped into the office and placed some papers onto the counter. The office assistant turned beat red as she saw him and began nervously tugging at a loose dirty blonde tendril that had fallen free from her bun. He smiled at her and I realized that this was his date from the theater. After a moment, he turned to leave and I tried my best to look anywhere but his eyes, but I could not help myself.

“You missed my class. Come see me after you are done here.” he said seriously. I bit my lip and nodded as he walked away.

“All set. The counselor is going to make time for you. I’ll be back to get you when school is over.” My Aunt called from the counter.

“I can get a ride.” I replied. She waved her hand to dismiss my comment. I left the office and walked slowly down the empty hall to Mr. Honor’s class, tugging nervously at my bandage.

I knocked at his door and waited for him to answer.

“Come in.” he called and I opened the door and walked inside. The classroom was empty and he was removing his button up shirt. His undershirt was black and it matched his tattoo that wrapped his arm and stopped just at his neck. He folded his shirt and laid it over the back of his chair.

“What happened?” he asked as he glanced down at my hand.

“I had an accident.” I replied nervously as I bit my lip. His eyes tightened and his expression was unreadable.

“I saw you at the theater yesterday day. That was…,” he said as his eyes danced up and down my body.

“Awkward” I replied, finishing his sentence. He laughed quietly.

“Unexpected” he corrected me. “Ms. Townsend, do you remember what I said about being late to my class?” he asked and I bit my lip again as I remembered our last encounter in his classroom, alone. He sat down on the edge of his desk and waited for my response. I did not know what to say and after a moment, he motioned for me to come closer. I walked over towards him and sat my books down on a desk in the front row.

“I’m really sorry. It has been a crazy morning and…” I began to explain. He stood up quickly and in one swift motion, he bent me over onto his desk. Before I could protest, his hand can down hard across my bottom. I gasped loudly at the sudden pain as he smacked me once again. His body bent down over top of mine and his lips brushed against my ear.

“Shh…” he whispered as his hand rubbed my stinging bottom. He stood upright again and smacked, this time harder. I curled my fingertips over the edge of his desk as he smacked again and again. I could not breathe and I pressed my lips together to keep from moaning. I was overwhelmed with embarrassment and pain. His hand rubbed gently over me where he had struck. His fingers dipped between my thighs and the pain gave way to pure wanting. As the stinging subsided, he hit again. As quickly as it began, it was over. I lay bent over his desk gasping for air.

“Get to class.” He breathed heavily but it took a moment before I could move. I lay there as he circled the desk and began putting back on his shirt. After a moment, I regained my composure and stood upright. He came back around and grabbed my books, holding them out to me. I took them, unable to look him in the eye and left the room as quickly as I could.

Chapter Eight

The rest of the day, I no longer thought about the crazy morning at the hospital. All I could think about was Mr. Honor. I did not know if I could ever go back into his classroom again and at the same time that is all I wanted to do.

I walked out to the curb in the front of the building and sat down as I waited for my Aunt to pick me up. The students came and went and soon the parking lot was all but empty. The teachers began to file out and I opened one of my texts books and read over the things I had missed. I spotted Mr. Honor walking with the office assistant and my cheeks burned with jealousy. They walked over to her car and talked for a few minutes before he kissed her on the cheek and she got in and left. I went back to my textbook and did not realize he had walked back towards me.

“No ride?” he asked.

“My Aunt is hit and miss when it comes to responsibility.” I replied, irritated that she did not let me drive myself.

“I never miss.” He replied and a shiver ran down my spine. His eyes burned into me and for a moment, all I could do was stare up at him helplessly. “Come on. I’ll take you home.” He said and turned to walk away. He did not give me the opportunity to protest. I jumped up from the curb and followed behind him. He opened the passenger side of a sleek little black sports car and took my books from my hands. I slid in and watched him walk to the driver’s side as I bit my lip. His car smelled just like him and I inhaled deeply, not able to get enough of his scent. He threw my books into the back seat and got in next to me. He looked angry and annoyed that he had to drive me and I suddenly felt self-conscious.

He pulled out quickly and if I was with anyone else I would have been scared, but I trusted him. As we reached the light just off school property, he leaned his body across mine, pausing to breathe in the scent of my hair. I sat frozen in place. He grabbed the seatbelt and pulled it across my body.

“Wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” He said with a smirk and stepped on the gas. I stared at him as he drove, in awe of his perfection. “What happened?” he asked, his eyes darting down to my pink bandage.

“Long story” I replied as I tugged at it nervously. I felt his eyes on me but I did not explain further.

“What happened?” he asked again, this time with irritation in his voice. I sighed heavily and thought about which details I should give him.

“I drank a little last night. I knocked down a picture and accidentally cut myself trying to clean up the mess.” I explained holding up my hand. “No big deal.” I explained with sarcasm. He whipped the car to the side of the road and before I could say anything, he had unbuckled his seatbelt and had turned facing me. His mouth was dangerously close to mine and I struggled to steady my breathing. His eyes were hard and full of anger.

“Do not talk to me like that. It pisses me off and you don’t want to see what I do when I am pissed off.” He barked angrily and I his tone was frightening. My breathing accelerated and I tried my best not to show my fear. He stared at me for a long moment before taking his hand and gently running the pad of his thumb against my cheek and down over my bottom lip, his breath warm against my face. His expression softened for a moment as his eyes danced from mine to my lips. “You don’t want this.” He whispered quietly, warning me. He had no idea how much I wanted him. Ever part of my body ached for him, for his touch.

“Yes I do.” I whispered back, the words barely audible. His hand slid around the side of my neck and back into my hair. His breathing became heavier and uncontrolled.

“You don’t have any idea what you are getting yourself into.” He replied. I could not take it anymore. I needed to feel him. I licked my lips and parted them, breathing in his warm air.

“Please” I breathed. His fingers wrapped tightly in my hair and he crushed his lips against mine. His tongue slid inside of my mouth and I pushed back with my own. I breathed a soft moan into his mouth and he kissed me harder, groaning into mine. Every inch of my body was on fire. I slid my hands over his hard, muscular chest and up his neck. His lips slid down my jaw and onto my throat. I moaned louder and arched my back, pressing myself harder against him. He stopped suddenly, his fingers still wrapped tightly in my hair.

“We can’t do this here.” He said, his breathe ragged.

“Where” I asked as I kissed him again. He captured my lower lip with his teeth and tugged gently, his eyes hooded and full of wanting.

“My place.” He responded pulling back from me and holding my head away from his with my hair. I wanted to kiss him again but it hurt to pull against him. “I have to explain some things before this goes further.” He said and I nodded, biting my lip. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he could have been reciting the ingredients in a stew and it would have sounded sexy. “You have no idea what that does to me.” His words shot pleasure to my most intimate places.

He turned back in his seat, leaving me gasping for breath as he pulled back onto the highway at full speed.

Chapter Nine

We pulled up in front of an old warehouse on the outskirts of town. He hit a button on his visor and a large bay door opened as we drove inside the building. It was dark, except for a few sporadic security lights that lined the huge cavernous room. He got out of the car and I unbuckled my seatbelt as he made his way to my side. He opened the door grabbed my arm as he pulled me from my seat. He closed the door behind me and pressed me back against it, his hand circled around my bottom and pulled me against him. I could feel how badly he wanted me, as he pressed into me harder. His lips hovered above mine as I breathed in his air. “You can say no at any time.” He warned as he hungrily licked his lips. I pushed my hips into him harder and he let out a ragged breath. “Do you understand?” he asked and I nodded my head. His free hand wrapped in my hair and tugged harshly as his lips brushed against my ear. “Do you understand?” he asked again.

“Yes.” I breathed into his ear.

“Yes what?” he asked demandingly.

“Yes, Sir” I replied and he moaned as his teeth caught my earlobe, tugging and sucking on it.

“Good girl.” He replied and his words made me melt. “Follow me.” He said and his body lifted off mine. He held my arm as he pulled me behind him over to an old stairwell at the far corner of the room. We made our way to the next floor of the old, seemingly abandoned building. He grabbed the keys from him pocket and unlocked the deadbolt, pushing the door wide open. I could not believe my eyes. The large room was separated into different living spaces, painted in dark rich browns. It was incredible. “Not what you expected?” he asked as his eyed my expression. I shook my head no, as he pulled me inside and closed the door behind us, locking it again. He let go off my arm and I trailed behind him as he walked to the far side of the room. He stopped at an island in the kitchen. He dug around in the cabinets and I waited awkwardly on the other side. He came up with a bottle of liquor and two small shot glasses.

“Oh, I can’t.” I said, waving him off. He poured shots into both the glasses and slid one closer to me.

“You will need this.” He smirked and slammed back his shot. I bit my lip but decided it was probably a good idea. I gulped back the shot and did my best not to make a face as it burned my throat. He refilled the glasses. “I have very particular taste.” He said as he drank his shot and I followed suit. I looked around the room, taking in the beautiful dark colors and abstract artwork that lined the walls.

“I like your taste.” I said shyly.

“That’s not what I meant.” He relied with a grin as he refilled the glasses. “I like to be in control.” He explained. “But I will never do anything you don’t want me to do.” He continued and the conversation was making me nervous. He walked around the island and placed his hand on my neck, sliding his fingers down over my chest, stopping just before reaching my breasts. I arched my body towards him and bit my lip with anticipation. His breathing was heavy and I could tell he was struggling with whether or not to go through with this. “I understand.” I replied.

“If you understood you wouldn’t keep biting your lip like that.” He replied, his voice low. He leaned in to kiss me, pushing his body against mine. I backed up against the island, the counter digging into my back. I ran my hands over his chest and fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. My fingers shook with nervousness. He captured my hands in his and held them. “Have you ever done this before?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

“I don’t make it a habit of sleeping with teachers.” I replied tartly.

“That’s not what I meant.” He said, and I knew exactly what he was asking.

“No” I replied shyly, looking into his chest, afraid to make eye contact.

He pushed back from me, his expression shone of horror. Feeling embarrassed, I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Look at me.” He demanded but I could not bring myself to do it. “Look at me.” He growled as he took his fingers and tipped my chin up. His eyes searched mine for a moment and he looked just as upset as I was. “I can’t do this.” He said quietly and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He turned his back to me and I wished I could disappear. The alcohol was warming my body and I suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. I knew I could not keep them from falling so I headed towards the door.

“I’ll find my own way home.” I called behind me, trying to hide the shaking in my voice. Mr. Honor followed and grabbed my arm as I reached the door, turning me around to face him. My tears had begun to fall and as he looked at me with sadness, I could not stop them. He stared at me for a moment with pity. I wanted to scream. I pulled my hand from his grip and left, slamming the door behind me. I made my way down the dimly lit staircase. I realized my books where still in his car but I decided to leave them. It was taking all of my strength not to break down and cry. I just wanted to get as far away from here as possible.

Chapter Ten

I pulled out my cell phone and called Becka as I walked down the gravel road back to the main part of town.

“Hey!” she yelled into the receiver. I pulled it back from my ear and turned the volume down.

“Hey! What’s going on?” I asked, shouting back at her. It sounded like she was standing in the middle of a rock concert.

“I’m at the bar with Claire and a couple guys from school. I’m fucking wasted!” she giggled and I could hear people cheer in the background. “You should come! I heard Jeff thinks you’re fucking hot!” I searched my mind, trying to place Jeff but the name did not sound familiar at all.

“Where are you?” I asked but all I could here was laughter and loud music. After a moment, the line went dead. “Fuck” I mumbled to myself. My phone lit up and buzzed in my hand.

“Come get me.” I said as I answered.

“Where are you?” Mr. Honor replied. I pulled the phone back from my ear and read the caller I.D. It said ‘unknown caller’.

“Like you care.” I replied, not trying to hide my anger towards him. I felt completely rejected.

“I just want to make sure you make it home safely.” He replied and I could hear the frustration in his voice.

“I’m not going home. I’m going out.” I answered and clicked ‘end call’. I smiled to myself as I called Becka again. She answered after several rings and told me she was at a local club not far from where I was.

I made it to the club just before dark. The music could be heard from a block away. I was able to get inside with no effort. I walked through the crowded room scanning for Becka and Claire. I could not find them anywhere.

“Buy you a drink?” A man with dirty blonde hair asked from behind me, standing uncomfortably close.

“She doesn’t want a drink from you.” Becka called from a few feet away.

“Hey!” I shouted, so happy to see her.

“Come on, I’ll get you a drink.” She said, wrapping her arm around my waist and pulling me towards the bar. It was so loud I could barely hear myself think. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket as we did a round of tequila shots. I slipped it out and looked at the screen. It read ‘unknown caller’. I pushed it back into my pocket.

“Let’s do another!” I yelled and everyone around us cheered. I drank another down as several boys gathered around us.

“This is Jeff.” Becka said pointing to the drunken person beside her. He was lean but muscular and had an amazing smile.

“Hey!” I said, biting my lip.

“We work out around the same time, at the gym on campus. Let me buy you a drink.” He said, leaning in to whisper in my ear. I nodded and he held up his hand, signaling to the bartender to pour us more drinks. I slammed back the shot, grabbing the beer from Jeff’s hand to wash it down. It burnt but the effects were already taking hold and I just wanted to forget about the rest of the day.

My phone continued to buzz and light up in my pocket but I ignored it. I had made a big enough fool of myself for one day.

“Who’s this?” Claire asked, pulling the phone from my pants.

“It’s no one.” I panicked and reached for the phone. She held it back from me as she hit the answer button.

“Hello?” she answered and my cheeks burnt red with anger.

“She’s right here. You should hang out with us. We’re at the Rapture.” She said as she smiled and shot me a wink. “See you soon.” She hung up the phone, holding it out for me.

“Why would you do that?” I asked.

“You never told me you had a boyfriend!” she replied with mock anger. Jeff made a face and I quickly explained.

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just some asshole.” I said, waving away Jeff’s worry. He smiled and ordered us another round. I drank the shot quickly. The room began to spin around me with the thudding of the base from the music.

“Are you alright?” Claire asked as she grabbed my arm.

“I’m fine.” I replied, pulling back from her. “I just need to use the restroom.”

“It’s over there.” She pointed across the dance floor to a glowing sign that read ‘restrooms’. I nodded and began making my way through the crowd. I was pushed all over the place and by the time I reached the sign I felt like I was going to be sick.

“Are you alright?” A woman asked as I walked through the doors. Why did everyone keep asking me that? I pushed her aside and dashed into an empty stall just in time to be sick. A knock came at the stall door and she pushed it open.

“Can I get you something?” she asked. I shook my head no but she refused to leave me alone. “Come here” she said and held my arm, helping me off the floor. She pulled me over to the sink and rand the cold water. “Splash this on your face.” She said as she pulled my hair back. I did and immediately felt a little better. “Better?” she asked. I nodded my head and grabbed the paper towels she was holding out for me. “I think you should call it a night.” She said and I nodded my head again.

“Thank you” I whispered and turned to make my way back out to my friends.

Claire was practically glowing when I reached her side.

“You ready for another shot?” she asked and the idea made my stomach turn again.

“I think I’ve had enough.” I replied, embarrassed. She frowned at me and Jeff looked disappointed but he seemed to already move on to flirting with Becka.

“Call me tomorrow! We party like this all weekend!” she yelled over the music and everyone around her cheered.

“Okay” I said and made my way to the exit. As soon as the cool night air hit me, I felt more energized. I pulled out my phone to call my aunt who had not seemed to notice I did not come home after school. The phone lit up before I could dial. The caller I.D. read ‘unknown caller’ and I knew exactly who it was.

“What?” I answered angrily, the alcohol making me feel bolder than usual.

“You look like you have had too much to drink.” Mr. Honor replied, his tone bordering on angry. I glanced around the parking lot. He was leaning against his car a few rows away from me.

“I can take care of myself, but thanks for your concern.” I shot back and I could see him smiling.

“I’ll give you a ride.” He answered coolly. I rolled my eyes but decided I did not have much of a choice. All of my friends were entirely too drunk to drive.

“Fine” I replied, and hung up the phone. I tried my best to look angry but he continued to grin and all I could think about was kissing him again. He opened the passenger door and slid into my seat as gracefully as I could manage.

Chapter Eleven

We rode in silence for a few minutes as we made our way down the main strip. The streets were overflowing with people who were out having a good time. I wrapped my arms around my waist wishing I had eaten dinner before drinking.

“Have fun?” Mr. Honor asked as the muscles flexed over his clenched jaw.

“I had a great time.” I replied with more attitude than necessary. He stared ahead choosing not to respond. “Where are we going?” I asked after a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence.

“Back to my place, you need to eat something.” He said as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye. I thought about protesting but I was starving. I knew my aunt would not have much in the way of food at her house.

“I need to call my aunt. If she comes home and I’m not there…” I said as I dug my phone out of my pocket. He reached over placing his hand on the phone before I could dial.

“Send her a message. Tell her you are staying at a friend’s house. It won’t look good that you’re hanging out with your teacher.” He glanced at me, waiting for my approval. I nodded and he withdrew his hand. I sent a quick message letting her know I was spending the night with Becka. I could always say we had a change of plans when Mr. Honor took me home later on. I slipped the phone back into my jeans just as we arrived at the old warehouse. He parked the car and sat for a moment, thinking something over. Whatever it was, he did not share it with me. I felt incredibly nervous around him now. I pushed my door open and waited for him. He motioned for me to go up the stairs, placing his hand on my back as I walked. His touch was electric against my skin. I bit my lip and tried to think of anything besides his touch. As we made our way inside he went to the kitchen and began pulling things from the refrigerator. I sat down at a barstool at the island and watched him work.

He prepared a sandwich with a side of egg salad and a large glass of water. I waved the drink away but he pushed it closer, giving me a stern look. I picked up the sandwich and took a small bite.

“Thank you” I said quietly before taking another bite. He nodded, running his hands through his dark hair. He grabbed the bottle of liquor that still sat on the counter and poured a drink. I watched as he gulped it down and filled another, repeating the process several times. “I’m sorry…about earlier.” I whispered, avoiding his stare. He shook his head and thought for a moment before responding.

“I’m the one who should be apologizing.” He replied. “I should have never brought you here. I can’t do this to you.” My heart sunk at his confession. He gulped down another drink. I felt sick, not from the alcohol but from his words. I pushed back from the counter and headed for the door.

“You said that already.” I said angrily as the tears welled up in my eyes. Being rejected by him twice in one day was too much. I grabbed the door handle opening it slightly before he pushed it closed from behind me. I turned around to face him, a tear escaping my eye.

“I didn’t say I don’t want to, I said I couldn’t.” he explained as he wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb. I wrapped my hand around his and pushed my cheek harder against his palm. “You don’t want this.” He said quietly as my face inched closer to his. I reached out and began unbuttoning his shirt again, this time with steadier hands. His body was hard and toned, his muscles flexed under my fingertips. I pushed the shirt off his shoulders and he dropped his arms, letting it fall to the ground. His eyes turned hungry and he lifted his wife beater up and pulled it up over his head. His body was muscular and tone. His fingers worked quickly to undo his belt as his eyes stayed locked onto mine. He pulled his belt from his pants and folded it over in his hand as he undid the button of his jeans. “You’re being a very bad girl.” His voice was laced with anger and wanting. I suddenly felt panicked when I noticed he still held the belt in his hand. “Come here.” He commanded. I pushed off the door and took a small step closer to him.

“What are you going to do to me?” I asked nervously. He grabbed my uninjured had tightly in his and pushed it against his bulging zipper. I gasped aloud as I felt him pushing back against my fingers.

“I’m going to punish you.” He whispered into my ear.

Chapter Twelve

His words sent a jolt of pleasure through my body, to my most intimate of areas. I rubbed my hand slowly against him as he rocked his hips to meet my rhythm. “That’s enough fun for you. Now it’s my turn.” He said darkly as he pulled me over to the other side of floor into a small bedroom. “In here I am in charge. In here you belong to me.” He explained but his tone changed as he looked at me. “We will take it slow at first.” He said as he walked back over to me. My eyes danced over the room. It was crisp white with a giant bed in the center. A small dresser sat next to it and a chaise lounge sat on the opposite wall. He grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me passionately. I relaxed against him as his hands slid over my hips. I reached out and ran my fingers down his stomach but he grabbed me. “You can’t touch me unless I tell you to. Understand?” I nodded so he would continue to kiss me. I did not care what he said at this moment. All I wanted was to feel him against me.

His fingers slid under my t-shirt and I gasped for air. His mouth left mine as he watched me squirm under his touch. He pulled the shirt up over my head and stood back to look at me. I had not worn a bra that day and felt completely exposed. I crossed my arms over my chest to hide myself. “Move your arms. I want to see you.” He commanded. I slowly put them down at my sides, biting my lip, unable to look him in the eye. “Look at me!” he barked and my eyes shot up to meet his. He stepped closer, his fingers tugging at the waist of my jeans. He kissed my neck and his mouth trailed tiny kisses down my shoulder and onto my chest. His fingers quickly undid the button and zipper of my pants as he captured my nipple in his mouth. I sucked in a surprised breath. He glanced up at me, watching me as his tongue circled again and again. I pushed into him, wrapping my hands in his hair and tugging gently. “Bad girl” He said with mock disappointment. “I know how we can fix that.” He said as he licked his lips and pulled at the belt in his hands. “Lay down.” He commanded and motioned towards the bed. I slid by him, inhaling the wonderful smell of his cologne and crawled on to the oversized bed. It had a dark cherry finish and the head and footboard were slatted. He crawled over me and looked up and down my body as he slid the belt up my belly and over my chest. “Give me your hands.” He said quietly. I held my hands out in front of me. He pressed my wrists together and looped the belt around them, pulling them up above my head and slipping the belt through an opening in the headboard. “That’s better.” He whispered in my ear, kissing along my jaw then sliding his tongue into my mouth hard. I pushed back with my tongue as his hips grinded into me. His hands tugged at my jeans, sliding them farther down my hips, leaving my panties in place. My breathing quickened as his lips traveled down my body, sucking hard as he reached my nipple. I moaned loudly, bucking my hips against him.

“Shhh…” he whispered as he slid his hand inside of my pants rubbing over my panties. I moaned louder and his hand stopped. “I warned you.” He scolded with a sadistic smile. He pushed off me. “Roll over.” He commanded. I hesitated. “Now!” he said with his teeth clenched. I flipped over onto my stomach as my heart raced. He pulled my jeans off and threw them across the room. His hand slid over my backside several times, his fingers dipping between my legs and rubbing over my sex. Suddenly, his hand came down hard across my backside causing me to yell out in pain. “Shhh…” he said again as his hand came down harder. I bit my lip trying to hold back my screams. His hand slid soothingly over my wounded bottom. I felt his warm lips kiss me and then they were quickly replaced with his hand. I was able to hold back, taking the pain in. I wanted to scream at him but part of me wanted more of him. “Good girl.” He whispered into my ear and I could hear his pants unzip as he slid them off. “Now you get a reward.” His body lowered onto mine and I could feel his manhood against my most sensitive areas. He grinded his hips into mine and I pushed back, lifting my bottom. “You want me?” he asked.

“Yes” I breathed. His hips pushed into me harder.

“Yes what?” he asked, his breath tickling my ear.

“Yes, Sir” I replied in a low moan.

“Not yet.” He whispered and his body left mine. I did not like being tortured like this. I tugged at the belt to free my hands but they were bound too tightly. “Roll over.” He commanded and I slowly flipped back over. He stood on the side of the bed completely naked, his hand stroking himself as he licked his lips. “Spread your legs.” He demanded. I slid my feet apart slightly. “Wider!” he yelled angrily. I moved my legs farther apart as I watched him pleasuring himself. He crawled onto the bed, positioning himself between my legs. His free hand slid over my panties, rubbing over me as he mirrored the pace on himself. I grinded back against him, closing my eyes, completely lost in the pleasure. “Look at me.” He commanded, rubbing harder and faster. I gasped but kept from moaning. He leaned in closer kissing my inner thigh. It tickled and I tried desperately to pull my legs in closer but he pushed them back. He kissed slowly along my panty line, breathing hotly over me. He slipped his fingers inside my underwear. “You’re so very wet. I wonder how you taste.” He said as he pulled my panties off to the side slowly began teasing me with his tongue. I arched my back off the bed, trying desperately to get more of him. As I pushed, he thrust his finger inside of me. His tongue continued as his finger moved quicker and with more force. It took a moment to get used to but soon it became incredible. I matched his motions with my hips as he slid in another finger, preparing me for him. I rotated my hips and grinded against his mouth. My body began to shake as waves of pleasure rippled through me. It was like nothing I had ever felt. I lay still as the aftershocks of my orgasm pulsed through me. Mr. Honor moved up the length of my body and slowly pushed his weight on top of me. “You taste amazing. I want you to taste how amazing you are.” He said in a husky voice as his lips found mine. I tried to press my lips together but his tongue forced its way into my mouth. I could taste my salty sweet juices on his lips. I tried to make him stop but every time I struggled, he became more forceful. I bucked my hips against him and he grinded back into me. He looped his fingers in my panties and tugged at them, ripping them off my body. He pressed against my entrance, slowly. He was much larger than I had expected. He held still, partially inside of me as we kissed. When I relaxed my body, he slowly rocked his hips into me. After a few moments, I began to rock mine with his as he pushed deeper and deeper into me. “Harder?” he asked, making sure I could handle him.

“Yes” I breathed and he pushed his hips more forcefully against mine. I cried out and he continued grinding harder and harder into me until he was fully inside. I pulled desperately against the belt, wishing I could touch him.

He suddenly stopped, pulling himself out of me. I watched him as he grabbed at the dresser next to me and pulled a small foil packet from the drawer. He ripped it open and slid the condom down over himself in one quick motion. “If I get to rough you need to let me know.” I bit my lip and nodded. “Answer me!” he commanded.

“Yes, Sir” I breathed in a low moan. He pushed hard, filling me again as he rammed his body against mine. He did not try to be gentle. His thumb found my pleasure spot and he rubbed in small circles. I felt my body tightening around him and he moaned, clenching his jaw as he kept perfect rhythm. My body began to buck uncontrollably beneath him but he did not slow. As I came again he pushed harder and harder, collapsing on top of me as he panted in to my ear.

He lazily reached for the belt and freed my hands.

Chapter Thirteen

I rubbed my wrists gingerly as he got off the bed and pulled on his jeans. He picked up my pants and shirt and tossed them on the bed, not looking me in the eye. I shrugged my clothes on quickly wondering what I had done wrong. He grabbed my torn panties from the floor and slid them into his dresser drawer then quickly exited the room. I finished getting dressed and followed behind him. He was at the island in the kitchen, pouring himself another shot. I walked up behind him, wrapping my hands around his waist.

“Don’t” he said quietly as he pushed my hands away. He slammed back another shot and I felt mortified.

“Did I do something wrong?” I asked, worried that he had not enjoyed himself as much as I had. That was not exactly how I had pictured my first time, but I did not regret it. He did not answer, just stared off into the distance. “I’m going to go. I don’t live far from here.” I said, letting my voice trail off. He poured another drink, never taking his eyes off the bottle. I slinked out of the front door, this time he did not try to stop me. I made my way down the dimly lit staircase. I realized my books where still in his car but I decided to leave them. It was taking all of my strength not to break down and cry. I just wanted to get as far away from here as possible. I pulled out my phone but realized I had no one to call. I crossed my arms over my chest and walked quickly towards my house. The effects of the alcohol had all but worn off and I wished that they had not.

I could see headlights reflecting of the building in front of me as a car pulled up beside me and stopped.

“Get in.” Mr. Honor said angrily. I refused to look at him and began walking faster. His car slowly rolled beside me as I continued. “Get in!” he yelled louder and I could tell he was really pissed off.

“Fuck off!” I yelled back, surprising myself. He slammed his car into park and jumped out. I stopped, wondering what he was going to do as he stalked towards me. He was only wearing his jeans and nothing else. “Leave me alone.” I yelled angrily but he kept coming.

“Let’s go.” He said as he grabbed my arm, pulling me towards his car. I tried to wiggle free, but he tightened his grip. He opened the door and waited for me to comply. I glared at him and slid into the seat. He made his way to the driver’s side and got in, slamming the door loudly behind him.

“I shouldn’t have let you leave.” He said calmly.

“Which time?” I asked and he gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. He glared over at me angrily and I suddenly regretted my attitude.

“I’m no good for you, Emma.” He sighed. I glanced up to meet his eyes. He looked sad and angry, but I was not sure if it was directed towards him or me.

“Yea, I get it. You don’t want me.” I rolled my eyes and fought back the tears that had risen again.

“I don’t want you?” he laughed, his face wrought with confusion. “Emma, I just had you.” His expression turned serious again. “Is that what you wanted for your first time? Some person tying you up? Fucking you and humiliating you?” he asked and I realized he was upset with himself and not me. I relaxed a little and thought over how to answer.

“That’s obviously not what I pictured but I… enjoyed myself.” I said quietly. His eyes lit up at my response.

“I know you did.” He licked his lips and that wonderful feeling shot down through my body to my most intimate areas. I bit my lip and tucked my hair behind my ear.

“It’s not like we couldn’t try it again.” I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment the moment the words left my mouth. He swallowed hard and shook his head at the thought. I had enough of his rejection for one day. I opened my door ready to run off in the dark so I could cry alone.

“Emma!” he called, grabbing my arm so I would not leave. “I didn’t mean I don’t want to do it again, I just can’t give you what you want. What happened back there is all I know. There will never be anything more than that with me. I do not get close to people. I don’t care for people.” He explained and my head began to swim with all of this information.

“Then why are you here? Why not just let me walk home?” I asked. He looked completely caught off guard.

“I don’t know.” His grip loosened on my arm. I nodded, realizing I had made a huge mistake. I had built up Mr. Honor in my head to be someone he never was or wanted to be.

“Good night, Mr. Honor.” I stepped out onto the dark street.

“William” he called after me.

“What?” I asked, turning back towards the car.

“My name is William. Please get back in the car. It’s not safe out here for you.” I thought it over for a moment, glancing around the dimly lit road. “Please” he called, his voice filled with worry. I realized he was right and got back into the car. The last thing I wanted to do was walk.

We rode in silence, only speaking to give him directions to my house. He parked down the road just in case my aunt happened to be home, but the driveway was empty.

“Thanks” I said shyly. He stared ahead, clenching his jaw. I got out and made my way into the house. It was empty and I was thankful I did not need to make any excuses. I walked back the hallway to my bedroom, flicking on the light. As I peeked out the window, I saw Mr. Honor pulling away, his taillights fading in the darkness. Today had been exhausting. I could not wait to crawl into bed and get some sleep.

Chapter Fourteen

The next day I woke up feeling much better than I had the day before. I made my way to the kitchen, getting a large glass of water and some aspirin. My body was a little sore but I did not want to think about why. I gulped them down and walked back the hallway looking for my aunt.

“Judy?” I called as I tugged my shirt down over my panties to cover myself. I knocked on her door, but there was no response. I rolled my eyes and headed back to the kitchen to find something to eat. A grabbed a carton of eggs from the shelf and decided to make myself an omelet. As the butter melted in the pan, I walked back to my room to retrieve my cell phone. The screen said I had three missed calls. I had forgotten to switch the ringer back on last night after leaving the club. I scrolled through the numbers. Two of the calls were from Becka and one was unknown. I smiled but decided to return the calls after I ate.

Halfway through cooking my eggs, my phone rang again and someone banged loudly at the front door. I ignored the call and made my way to the living room, straightening my clothes that I had slept in from the night before.

The banging grew louder and I whipped open the door.

“William?” I said as Mr. Honor stood on the other side.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

“I’m fine.” I said as I walked back into the kitchen to check on my food, leaving the door open for him to follow. “What’s wrong?” He looked like he had not slept at all.

“Why didn’t you answer my call?” he asked, his worry replaced by anger.

“I was going to as soon as I ate something.” I shot back, holding up the spatula. “Why are you here? If my Aunt was home she would call the police!” I pulled out and extra plate and divided the omelet in half, tugging self-consciously at my shirt. I could feel his eyes on me.

“I parked down the street. Has anyone come by here? Anyone who seemed strange?” he asked vaguely.

“Only you” I joked and held out a plate. He rolled his eyes and took the food, following me to the table.

“Why? Is someone looking for me?” I asked and his expression turned hard.

He ran his fingers through his dark hair and let out a long sigh.

“I can’t stop thinking about you.” He said, his eyes locking onto mine. My cheeks burnt red and I glanced down at the table, trying to hide my embarrassment. “Look at me.” He said sternly and I slowly glanced up at him through my eyelashes. He stoked my pink cheek with the back of his hand, sending a rush of pleasure through my body. I bit my lip waiting for him to speak. Without warning, his lips found mine, hungrily. His hand wrapped in my hair, tugging gently.

“We can’t,” I breathed as his lips trailed down my neck. He spun me around and pushed me face down over the table.

“You better show me your room before I fuck you right here.” His words whispered low and deep in my ear as he pulled at my panties. I could not respond. My mind was spinning and all I wanted was to feel his touch. He slipped his finger inside me, pushing me harder against the table.

“Okay.” I muttered between panting breaths.

“Good girl” His breath tickled my ear with each word. I walked back the hallway in a daze, wanting to feel his hands on me again. I was overwhelmed by his forcefulness and the effect he had on me. When we had been together before he struggled to resist our connection but now he had given in to his most primal urges and he was no longer concerned with the consequences. I glanced over my shoulder at him as we reached my doorway.

Without warning, he lifted me in his arms and carried me inside, kicking the door closed behind him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, relishing every moment he let me touch him. He lay me down on my bed and began to unbutton his shirt. I bit my lip as I watched him undress. He tossed his shirt aside, pulling off his undershirt in one quick motion. His eyes danced over my legs as he undid his belt, and I squirmed underneath his stare. He pulled his belt from his pants and his jeans hung low on his hips, undone.

“You have no idea the things I want to do to you.” His words came out slowly as he slid the brown leather belt between his hands. I sat up on the edge of the bed and reached my hand out, rubbing it over his stomach, tracing the muscled that dipped down below his pants. He grinned wickedly down at me as his hands grabbed mine. He pushed me hard back onto the bed, his body coming down on top of mine with enough force to knock the wind out of me. I struggled below him but his weight held me captive beneath him.

“I like it when you fight.” His voice was full of wanting and it sent jolts of pleasure down through my body. I sucked in a deep breath and bucked my hips against him. His grip tightened around my wrists, forcing my hands above my head. He grinded his hips into mine and I could not take not being able to touch him. He slipped the belt around my wrists and tightened it. “That’s better.” He said as his hands trailed down my sides, gripping me at the hips and pulled my down lower on the bed. He flipped me over onto my stomach. My legs hung over the edge. I could hear him shrug off his pants and then his fingers slid along my hips, looping in my panties and pulling the down to my knees that now rested on the floor. His hand came down hard and without warning across my backside, causing me to whimper as I gripped my blanket tightly in my hands. He struck again, harder this time and before I could recover, he forced himself harshly inside of me. I gasped as he leaned over, putting his hand over my mouth to muffle my moans. His body slammed in to mine over and over again. I tensed myself beneath him but he did not slow. He breathed heavily in my ear, and the sound of him enjoying himself made me feel powerful even though I was utterly helpless beneath him. I slipped my tongue passed my lips and ran it along his fingers. His breath caught in his throat and he bit down lightly on my earlobe. His hand relaxed and I slid his finger into my mouth, sucking on it. His thrusting mimicked the movements of my mouth. His free hand wrapped in my hair and he pushed my mouth further. I could feel my walls tightening around him.

“Emma!” My aunt’s voice echoed back the hallway. William’s hand tightened back over my mouth, keeping me quiet and still beneath him. He slid deeper inside of me, slowly.

“Shh…” He whispered into my ear. “We will finish this later. You really need to get your own place.” His weight lifted off me and his hands quickly undid his belt. I lay motionless on my knees, struggling to catch my breath. After he pulled his pants on, he bent over, tugging my panties up my legs as his lips trailed up the back of my thigh. “Go see what she wants before she comes back here.” I reluctantly pushed myself up, turning around to take in the view of him shirtless. “We will finish this later.” He smirked and kissed me gently on the cheek. I nodded and left my room, closing the door quietly behind me.

My aunt was sitting at the table and had begun eating the omelet I had made for William. I sat down across from her and began eating my now cold eggs.

“Thanks for the breakfast! Do not go getting any ideas that this makes up for your little stunt the other day. I’m still mad as hell at you.” I rolled my eyes and nodded as I pushed my food around my plate. I was beginning to wonder if I had gotten in over my head with Mr. Honor.

“What’s wrong?” Judy asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Nothing I just…I was thinking about hanging out with some friends today.” I lied. She glared at me for a moment before responding.

“You should get out more. Maybe get a job, help around here a little. It wouldn’t kill you.” She got up and dumped her plate in the sink, not bothering to rinse it. She wandered into the living room and sat down, turning on the television. “It’s hard work, raising a kid that isn’t yours.” She yelled over the sound of her show. I got up and rinsed my plate in the sink.

“I’ll look for a job today.” I called back and walked back the hallway. I took a deep breath before opening my bedroom door. When I was certain my aunt was still in her chair, I pushed it open slowly. The room was empty. I made my way to the window and glanced out but nothing was out of place. I grabbed a pair of old jeans and slid them on as I thought about how close we had come to being caught. William’s life would be ruined by a scandal like this. I grabbed my purse and decided I needed some fresh air.

“I’m going.” I said and my aunt’s eyes never left the television. I made my way into the garage. I sat in silence for a moment, deciding if it was even a good idea to call Mr. Honor. I decided to send him a text.

This is a bad idea.

I hit send and backed out of the driveway. Before I reached the road, my phone lit up.

It is too late for that. Are you alone?

I bit my lip as I thought about how to answer.

I am in my car.

I turned right and headed into the parking lot of the grocery store across the highway. My phone lit up again as I put my car in park.

Where are you?

The grocery store near my house

I will be right there.

I took a deep breath and cranked up the radio. My heart raced as I thought about him, his eyes on mine, his lips. He was not anything as if I thought he would be. He was rough, uncaring and forceful but I could not get enough of him. I was scared I would not be able to stay away from him. He could lose his job. Even though I was an adult, it was still against the rules for us to be together.

Chapter Fifteen

William arrived only a few minutes later and I realized he must have been waiting somewhere close by. He got out of his car, staring at me for a long moment. I knew I could not turn back. I felt the fire burning between us and I wanted nothing more than to be with him again.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he slowly walked closer.

“I’m fine.” He cupped my face in his hands, kissing me softly on the forehead. Electricity shot between us as he touched me.

“I’ll get you your things. Wait in my car.” His jaw clenched as he spoke. I nodded and walked over to his car.

I turned on the radio as I waited, flipping through the stations to find something upbeat. I settled on an old rock station. I ran my fingers over a dark red rosary that hung from the gearshift. I tried to picture Mr. Honor in a church but it just did not fit. I picked up a small folded paper from the change compartment, glancing out the windshield to make sure he was not coming, before unfolding it.

I know what you are doing. I will make you pay.

I gasped aloud. The door to my car slammed and I glanced up to see Mr. Honor walking towards me, my purse in hand. I quickly folded the note and placed it back where I had found it.

“Find everything?” I asked as he slid the bag in to the back seat.

He nodded and tucked my hair behind my ear. I swallowed hard wishing he would touch me again. His jaw clenched as he put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot.

We rode in silence as we made our way across town. In the daylight, Kippling took on a completely new life. The streets where packed with tourists and retirees who wanted to soak up some warm Florida sun. I stared out the window at the happy families as my stomach panged with jealousy. William placed his hand back on my leg. I was not sure if he meant to comfort me or if he was just claiming me as his territory. I did not care either way. It was nice to be around someone who did not look at me as if I was a puppy that had just been kicked, even though that is exactly how I felt most of the time. The note I had found in the change compartment played over and over in my head. What had Mr. Honor done? Who was after him? I wanted to ask him, but I could not form the words. Too much was happening. I was very self-destructive by nature and I did not want to ruin things for William while my world was continually falling apart.

We pulled into the factory a few minutes later. The building was dark and cool compared to the morning sun outside. I got out of the car as William grabbed my purse. I walked ahead of him up the dark staircase, his hand on my back. The time I had spent with him here only last night, felt like a lifetime ago. William sat my bag on the kitchen island; he disappeared in to his room for a moment, returning with clothes in hand.

“I want to show you something.” He said but I did not respond, just gazed around the expansive building. “Come on” he said quietly, taking my hand and pulling me behind him. He led me to a large brown door on the other side of his living room. He pulled it up, exposing an old elevator. We stepped inside and it began to rise to the next level.

We stepped out in to the large cavernous space. It was dark, the windows blacked out. William walked up behind me, wrapping his hands around my waist. For a moment, it felt like a caring gesture.

“What is this?” I asked as my eyes began to adjust. I could make out large objects staggered throughout the space.

“This is where I play.” He whispered into my ear.

Chapter Sixteen

His hand slipped around my neck, squeezing slightly as he licked his lips. I was breathing heavily and I tried to hide the fear that was rising inside of me.

“I want to hurt you.” He warned. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as he spoke. Part of him scared me but I could not get enough of him. I leaned in slowly, feeling his breath on my lips.

“Maybe I want to be hurt.” His body tensed and he sucked in a ragged breathe. His lips immediately crushed into mine from behind. His fingers tangle in my hair, pushing my mouth harder into his.

“Get on your knees.” He moaned and I dropped to the floor, staring up at him as he undid his belt. He slowed as he unbuttoned them and slid the zipper down, his eyes locked on to mine. “Take me in your mouth.” He instructed as his hands slid into my hair. I slipped my hand into the waistband of his boxer briefs. I tugged them down, freeing him. He was larger than I remembered and I hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do. He wrapped his hand around himself and slowly pushed against my lips. I looked up at him, pushing back at him with my tongue. He breathed heavily, his eyes hooded and full of wanting. He pushed again and I let him slide passed my lips. I used my tongue against him as his hips moved back and forth, slowly pushing himself further into my mouth. He licked his lips and fire shot through me. I opened my mouth wider, allowing him to slip inside fully. He moaned and I began to move faster against him. His fingers knotted tightly in my hair. I felt powerless and completely in control at the same time. “Stop” he pulled my hair just hard enough to make me stand. His free hand slipped down between my legs, sliding his fingers along the apex of my thighs. I moaned quietly wanting to kiss him, but he held my hair tightly, keeping me back.

“Please” I breathed.

“I like it when you beg.” He moaned and I wanted nothing more than to please him. He walked me backwards to the wall and pushed me against it hard. He tugged at my shirt and I lifted my arms so he could pull it over my head. His eyes stared into mine as he undid my pants and slowly pushed them down.

“You will need a safe word.” He said, his mouth hovering over mine.

“A safe word” I repeated back, not understanding.

“In case you want me to stop.” He explained. All I wanted was for his hands to be on my body. I could not imagine asking him to stop.

“I don’t think…” I began but he placed his finger over my lips to stop me.

“It’s just in case.” He assured me. I bit my lip as I tried to come up with something, anything but all I could think of was touching him.

“Flower” I blurted out. He let out a deep laugh.

“Flower” His lips met mine, sending pleasure shooting through my body. I pressed myself against him and tugged at his belt. His breath quickened and suddenly he grabbed my hands, pushing them hard against the wall. He captured my lower lip in his teeth, tugging at it gently.

“Now the real fun begins.” He smirked. He moved my hands higher until cold metal pressed against my wrists. Something tightened around them and I tugged against it, but was unable to pull my arms back down. He stepped back, looking over me.

“You look incredible.” He said with complete admiration. He pulled a cloth from his back pocket and leaned in to kiss me again. He slid the fabric over my eyes and secured it behind my head. I was lost in complete darkness. His mouth left mine again and for a few moments there was nothing but silence.

“William?” I called out but there was no response. My pulse was racing.

“Patience” he spoke softly in my ear. His hand trailed down the inside of my thigh. When he reached my ankle, I felt the familiar cold of the metal click into place. He pulled my legs farther apart and locked my other so I was completely helpless. I bit my lip as I felt his hand run back up the inside of my leg, stopping at the top of my thigh.

“This belongs to me now.” He said as his fingers slid slowly against me. My breath hitched in my throat. “Tell me that you belong to me.” His words were low and calm. “Tell me!” He commanded as he slipped one of his fingers inside of me harshly.

“I belong to you!” I yelled. He laughed sadistically, his breath tickling my neck.

“Good girl” His lips trailed over my shoulder. I involuntarily pushed my chest out towards him, begging for his touch. As his mouth reached my breast, his tongue circled around gently before he bit lightly with his teeth. I let out a gasp of pain and he stopped for a second before continuing on to the next. He bit, tugging with his teeth and I cried out, pulling against the restraints. The metal dug into my skin and I immediately stopped struggling. His lips moved lower and I could feel them curve into a smile. He licked and nipped at my body, his fingers digging hard into my skin.

I could hear a low buzzing sound as something vibrated against me. It was smooth and cold to the touch. He ran it up my belly and around my left breast, causing the nipple to go hard.

“Have you ever played with one of these before?” he asked. I bit my lip and shook my head as he circled it around my chest. He slipped it lower I held my breath as he slowly inched closer to my pleasure spot. The moment it touched me I pulled down on the restraints, trying to back away from the overwhelming sensation. “Shhh...” he whispered, but did not stop. He slid it back and forth between my legs. I rocked my hips slowly with the motion and I could feel his breath on my lips.

“Do you want me to make you come?” he asked.

“Yes” I whispered, moving my face closer to his, wanting desperately to feel his mouth on mine. He pulled back slightly, just out of my reach.

“Yes what?” he asked, his hand moving quicker against me.

“Yes, sir” I moaned. He pulled his hand back and I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could speak the plastic device slid passed my lips. He slowly pushed it in further as his hips pushed against mine. I could feel the length of him against my thigh.

“Deeper” His face brushed up against mine. I opened my mouth wider, letting him slide it in until I felt his fingers against my lips. He pulled it back out slowly. The cold wet plastic trailed down my chest. As it reached my pleasure spot, he slipped himself inside of me. I moaned as he pushed harder and harder. I could feel my orgasm building within. I pulled my legs, trying to bring them in closer. He pulled the toy back and held himself still inside of me, stopping me from finishing.

“Don’t stop!” I breathed. His hips rocked slightly and I pushed against him hard.

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want you.” I was willing to do anything to have him continue.

“You want me to fuck you?” He asked as he thrust hard. I cried out loudly in his ear.

“Yes” I breathed, begging him to continue.

“Ask nicely.” He nibbled my ear and his touch had a direct link to every part of my body.

“Please” I pulled against the restraints.

“Please what?” he pulled back, nearly withdrawing completely.

“Please fuck me.” I begged. He pushed back inside of me hard, slamming my body against the cold concrete wall. The pleasure was overwhelming. I moaned loudly. His lips found mine and he kissed me forcefully as my body tightened around his. He did not slow until the last ripple of pleasure coursed through our bodies.

He bent down and unlocked my legs from the wall. As he stood, he pulled the cloth from my eyes and began to release my hands. He did not speak a word or even look at me. “Thanks” I said as I rubbed my wrists gingerly. He turned his back to me, sliding on his jeans. I quickly gathered my clothes and pulled them on.

He began making his way to the elevator shaft. I followed behind him, not saying a word. We rode down to the next floor in silence.

We reached the lower level and I quickly headed for the bathroom to make myself look presentable. I splashed some cold water on my face and stared at my reflection for a long moment. William had gone from wanting me to acting as if I did not exist again and I was wondering how much more of this I could take.

I took a deep breath and walked back out into the main living area. Mr. Honor was in the center of his living room with the phone pressed firmly to his ear. His jaw clenched and I could not make out what he was saying but I knew he was not happy. I walked over to the kitchen island at sat on one of the stools. The folded piece of paper I had found in his car was now laying on the counter in full view.

“It’s not a fucking joke. If you did this I will find out.” He yelled angrily and ended his call. He walked hurriedly to the kitchen and I sat up, averting my eyes from the threatening note.

“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly as he opened the fridge, grabbing a beer. He slammed the door closed and twisted the top off his bottle. He walked over to the island and shoved his finger into the note.

“This is what’s wrong. This is why I came to see you this morning.” He explained, taking a long drink from the bottle.

“What does this have to do with me?” I asked, confused by his sudden anger. “It was that woman wasn’t it? The one I saw you with at the theater.” The questions poured out of my mouth as I put all of the pieces together. “We have to call the police!” he shook his head and thought for a long moment.

“It’s not that simple.” He replied.

“What are you talking about? She threatened your life!” I stopped short, realizing I was shouting at him.

“She doesn’t seem to know anything about you.” He said as he took another long drink from the bottle. It had not even crossed my mind that this person was a threat to me. I ran my fingers through my hair, but they caught in a giant knot.

“Shit” I said under my breath. Mr. Honor smiled and opened the drawer in the island. He pulled out a pink hairbrush and held it out for me. “Thanks” I smiled, wondering why he had this and whom it belonged to. He grinned and it was hard to remember how mad I was at him just seconds before. Sometimes he seemed so caring but in the blink of an eye, his mood switches to something dark. I wish I could learn more about what is going on being those blue eyes.

“We have to find somewhere safe for you to go tonight.” He said, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Why can’t I stay here?” I asked, but I immediately felt foolish for assuming he would want me to stay. “Never mind” I sat the brush back in my back and stood up from the stool.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to stay. I wish I could lock you up and never let you leave.” He joked, but I knew he had entertained the thought. “The last place you should be is with me.” He explained and I relaxed a little. I always assumed the worst. William walked around the counter and cupped my face in his hand, his fingers stroking my cheeks. “Why do you think so little of yourself?” he asked. His question caught me off guard and I did not really have an answer.

“Why are you so distant?” I countered. He drew in a deep breath.

“That has nothing to do with you, Emma.” I placed my hand on his chest, feeling his pulse race under my fingertips. He grabbed my hand and pressed it harder against his chest.

“You are the only person who has ever made my heart race like this.” His eyes stared deeply into mine. I could not look away, not that I wanted to. He ran his free hand through my hair and tucked it behind my ear.

“You have to go. It’s not up for debate.” He said sternly. I wanted to argue but I knew his mind was made up.

Chapter Seventeen

I called Becka and left her a voicemail letting her know I wanted to hang out. William fixed us something to eat while I waited for her to call me back.

“This is amazing.” I said as I slurped up another spaghetti noodle. William laughed and used his thumb to wipe sauce from my bottom lip. He licked his finger sending that unmistakable feeling throughout my body.

“Eat” he smiled and I realized I had been staring at him longer than I intended. My phone rang and I reached for it.

“It’s Becka” I told William as I answered.

“My Aunt and I had a fight. I just…can’t go back there for a while.” The truth was I did not want to ever go back to that house. “Thanks Becka. I really appreciate it.” I hung up the phone and looked up to see William rinsing the plates in the sink.

“She said I could stay.” I did not want to leave. I wanted to stay here lost in this fantasy with William. With him, I felt like I had a purpose. I felt in control even when he left me completely powerless.

He grabbed my purse from the counter and opened the door. I walked through, hanging my head like a sulking child. If I was not with William, I wanted to be alone, wallowing in my sadness.

“You can call me if you need anything.” He reassured me but I did not feel any better. He opened the car door and waited for me to get in. I kissed him on his cheek, but I let my mouth linger, not wanting to pull back from him. He turned catching my lip in his. His touch made me forget about everything that was wrong in my life. I pushed against him, hungry for more. “We have to go.” He breathed heavily. It was taking all he had not kiss me again. I moved closer but decided against it. If I did not leave now I never would. “I will fix this.” He promised and I knew he meant it.

I nodded and got in my seat. We travelled in silence. The GPS spouted directions and soon we were a few houses away from Becka’s home. There were so many things I wanted to say to him but I could not form the words. “I’ll come for you as soon as I can.” I knew he was trying to comfort me but I could not ignore the sad underlying tone as he spoke.

“I know” I said quietly as I got out of the car, pulling my bag from the bag seat. I watched him drive away, walking slowly until his taillights disappeared down the road before ringing the doorbell.

“Emma!” Becka wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. I barely knew her and the whole scene was too awkward.

“Hey” I said with a smile, tucking my hair behind my ear. She stepped inside and I followed, looking around at the elaborately decorated home. “Nice place”

“Thanks. My mom is really into flowers.” She replied, rolling her eyes. Right on cue her mother stepped around the corner holding a plate of cookies.

“Ohhh…” she laughed and waved off Becka’s expression. “How are you dear? Becka has told me all about your situation. I am so sorry.” She looked at me with that awful expression I had become accustom too.

“Thanks” I looked down at my feet, not wanting to meet her gaze.

“I baked you some comfort food.” She smiled holding out the plate of cookies.

“She doesn’t want to eat her feelings.” Becka replied sarcastically, grabbing my arm and pulling me up the stairs to her room. I smiled back at her mother, feeling sorry for Becka’s rude outburst.

I stood in the doorway of her bedroom. The walls painted a deep purple and heavy matching drapes lined the windows.

“You like?” she asked, twirling around.

“It’s nice. Very…gothic” I replied. I had never pegged Becka for having a darker side.

“It’s not gothic, it’s romantic.” She smiled. I did not get that vibe at all, but what did I know about romance. The closest I had come was being tied to William’s bed. I felt my cheeks turn pink at the thought. I turned my phone over in my hand. I had no missed calls or messages.

“It’s nice” I smiled and she beamed with pride.

“I got something to make you feel better.” She grinned, pulling a small tin out of the stand next to her bed.

“Oh, no” I recognized it from the school bathroom. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not? My mom is oblivious. Besides, you need this after the day you have had.” She pulled out a joint and began to light it.

“What the hell.” I walked over and took the joint, drawing in hard and holding my breath.

“So, where have you been?” she asked, taking the joint carefully.

“What?” I breathed out, caught off guard by her question.

“Where have you been all day?” her tone hung heavy with concern not just general nosiness.

“I needed to get away. I could not sit still. I just…walked.” She nodded and I knew I did not need to elaborate further. Seeing Becka around school I never would have imagined us hanging out and actually getting along. I realized that it was probably my fault we did not become friends sooner. I kept to myself as much as possible, trying not to let anyone get close enough to me to hurt me. The saddest part is that I was actively hurting myself. I was completely self- destructive. I was not always this way. Before my parent’s had died I was happy.

“Where did you go?” she asked, touching my arm.

“Around town” I answered, taking the joint from her hand.

“No” she laughed, “Just now”

“Oh...I guess I was just thinking about all that has happened lately.” I replied.

“I know what will make you feel better. Cookies” She laughed, grabbing the joint and putting it out inside the tin. “Come on” she looped her arm inside mine and sat my phone down on the stand with her box.

“Wait…I need that” I said, reaching out my hand but she waved it away.

“What could possibly be more important than junk food?” she rolled her eyes and drug me down the steps to the kitchen.

Chapter Eighteen

I was relieved to find the kitchen empty. Becka’s mother had gone outside to work on her garden, leaving us free to rummage through the fridge for snacks. Becka handed me the plate of cookies and a few sodas. She grabbed a few more things and we made our way back upstairs to her bedroom.

“So, what really happened to your hand?” Becka asked as she took a long swig from her soda.

“It was an accident.” I replied dryly.

“Rumor around school was you got fucked up on all kinds of drugs and tried to off yourself.” She explained as if talking about the weather. I rolled my eyes and nibbled on a cookie.

“The truth is much more boring.” I caught the light on my phone blinking out of the corner of my eye.

“It always is.” She laughed and I leaned over to slide my phone of the stand, and peeked at the screen. The I.D. on the message read ‘William the Conqueror’. I smiled, realizing he must have programmed that in while I was in the bathroom.

Do you have any idea what I want to do to you right now?

I could not keep my cheeks from burning red.

“What? Who is it?” Becka asked, grabbing for my phone. I held it back and pushed her hand away.

“No one, just an old friend from back home.” I lied. I typed back a quick reply then slid the phone into my pocket.

Who is this? It is so hard to keep my admirers straight.

My phone vibrated in my pocket but I ignored it, smiling to myself.

“Something is up with you.” Becka grinned, but I waved the way her accusation.

“Let’s watch a movie or something.” I said, eyeing up the flat screen at the foot of her bed. The television was enormous. The one in the living room of my house was much smaller and was not one of the new models that could be hung on the wall.

“What are you in the mood for?” she asked, but I could tell she already had something in mind.

“Nothing sad” I warned. The last thing I wanted was to bring down my mood. As Becka dug through her collection of DVDs, I pulled out my phone and checked the messages William had sent.

Not funny. I can think of a few ways to punish you later.

I smiled and sent a quick reply.

Looking forward to it.

“How about something scary?” Becka asked, eyeing my phone.

“Sounds good.” I replied and slipped the phone back into my pocket. I felt it vibrate again but resisted the urge to check it. I was getting whiplash from Mr. Honor’s crazy mood swings. I needed to step back from him and figure out what it was that I wanted from him. Now was not that time. I was too high to think and when I tried to think of him all I could imagine was his lips on mine.

“What are you scared of” Becka said as she plopped on the bed next to me.

“What?” I asked, feeling like she was reading my thoughts.

“The movie. I know its lame but I figured we could get a good laugh out of it.” She explained, pulling a pillow from behind me and tucking it under her head.

“Oh…sounds good.” I replied, laying back on the bed and grabbing a cookie.

The next few hours were a blur. All I could think about was what William was doing. I excused myself to use the bathroom so I could check my messages.

You will be sorry you said that.

My heart thudded in my chest as I thought over sending him another message.

I miss you.

I hit send and regretted it immediately. My phone vibrated within seconds.

Emma, don’t.

I felt a lump form in my throat. Did he not have any feelings towards me at all? I left the bathroom, trying to hide the sadness in my face.

“What do you want to do now?” She asked as she lit the joint again.

“Forget” I said as I took it from her hands and drew a long hard breath.

“Easy enough. Let’s go out.” She replied with a grin. She stared at me anxiously, waiting for my reply. If William did not care, why should I?

“Let’s do it.” I smiled back, not sure it was the best idea.

“Great!” Becka screamed as she grabbed my arms. “We’ll find something hot to wear and I’ll call Claire. I know Jeff will be excited to see you.” She teased.

“What should we wear?” I asked, hoping she had something comfortable in mind.

Chapter Nineteen

After one long excruciating hour of trying on clothes we finally agreed that I was going to wear something that was entirely too revealing no matter how uncomfortable it made me.

“You look great!” Becka exclaimed. I tugged at the tight black skirt, trying to add a little more length. I crossed my arms over my chest, which was now in full view for all to see. “Show some confidence! The guys are going to be all over you!”

“Who says I want that?” I asked as I turned to look in her bathroom mirror.

“Come on.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the bathroom. After waiting a moment at the top of the stairs, to make sure her parents were not around, we snuck out the front door.

Becka drove a small red convertible that looked like a toy. I carefully lowered myself down, trying not to expose myself in the tiny skirt. We drifted out of the driveway so her parent’s would not hear us leave. As we hit the road, Becka revved her engine and took off down the road. She cranked the radio, singing at the top of her lungs along with ‘Highway to hell’. I laughed and sang along with her, finally beginning to relax.

We pulled up outside of Claire’s house about fifteen minutes later. Becka parked along the road and we ducked down in our seats waiting for Claire to sneak out.

“Let me in!” Claire whispered loudly, banging on my window. I nearly jumped out of my seat. I pushed open the door and slid forward as she ducked into the seat behind me. Becka took off before I even had the door closed. “Fuck!” Claire laughed as she tapped me on the shoulder. I glanced back at her as she held out a small bottle of liquor, shaking it at me. I took it from her, sniffing it before taking a small sip.

“This is disgusting!” I coughed, wishing I had something to wash it down with.

“More for me” Becka said as she took it from my hand. I rolled my eyes and pulled my seatbelt over me. As we pulled into the club, we had to circle the lot twice to find a parking spot. I got out of the car as gracefully as possible in my tiny outfit. Becka and Claire looped their arms in mine and dragged me inside. We ordered a round and chatted about all of the hot guys while we waited for Jeff and his friends to arrive.

My stomach twisted in knots as my phone vibrated in my hand.

“Uhh…It’s my Aunt.” I said to the girls as I answered. “Hello?” I asked, biting my lip.

“Bad girl” William replied.

“We just went out for a few drinks. How did you…”

“Stop biting your lip before I bend you over the bar and punish you right here.” He laughed but I knew he was not joking. I spun around scanning all of the faces. Mr. Honor stood at the far end of the bar, slamming back a shot. The girl pretty, blonde girl next to him was eye fucking him but he never looked her way. He stared directly at me. My cheeks burned red under his gaze.

“How did you know?” I asked and I saw his lips twist into a smile.

“I activated the GPS on your phone.” He motioned for the bartender to fill his glass again.

“You what?”

“Don’t look now, but Mr. Honor is at the bar!” Becka giggled in my ear and tossed her red hair to the side. Mr. Honor looked away and I turned back to my drink.

“We are leaving now.” I could see his jaw muscled flexing as he took another shot.

“I’ll be out for a few more hours.” I said cheerfully, as I winked at Becka and hung up the phone. Becka cheered and gave me a hug. I glanced over her shoulder at Mr. Honor who was staring at me angrily. I knew I would probably regret this later, but I was hurt and if he did not care than I was not going to. “More drinks!” I yelled as I finished the last sip of my cocktail. I forced a smile but I knew William was ready to explode. I felt my phone vibrate and I glanced down at it as I waited for the next round.

Last chance

I slipped it into my purse and shrugged my shoulders. I took a long sip from my glass as I felt an arm wrap around my waist. I nearly spilled it all over me as I spun around to see who it was.

“Long time, no see” Jeff said beaming from ear to ear.

“Hey!” I replied, giving him a half hug, carefully not to get too close.

“I was hoping tonight we would get the chance to dance.” He said shyly. I nodded but had no intention of dancing. Sober, I had two left feet at best. My purse vibrated and I glanced down at it, leaving it inside me bag.

I will fucking kill him if he puts his hand on you again.

“You know what? I would love to dance!” I said, grabbing Jeff’s hand and dragging him onto the floor. It was so crowded I had no choice but to be against him as I moved my hips to the music, trying desperately to look like I was enjoying myself. After a while, I almost forgot that I was doing it out of revenge and began to enjoy myself. Claire and Becka joined us with a couple of guys from school and we all laughed and danced together. I turned around, scanning the bar for William. He stood facing me, the pretty little blonde pressed up against him as he whispered in her ear. I felt my heart sink in to my stomach as I stood there, staring back at him. His eyes narrowed.

“Come on!” Becka yelled grabbing my arm. I turned my back to William giving it my best effort to look un-phased, but I was dying inside.

“Mr. Honor left!” Claire said to Becka and I struggled to listen in.

“Not like you had a chance with him anyway.” Becka shot back, flipping her hair. I glanced to the bar. Mr. Honor was nowhere in sight and the pretty blonde that was all over him was missing.

“I’m going to use the bathroom.” I shouted in Becka’s ear. I made my way through the crowd to the far side of the building. For as busy as the place was, the bathroom was virtually empty. I stood at the sink, staring at myself for a long moment. I knew coming out here was a bad decision. I made my way back out to the bar and ordered myself another drink. I sipped it as I watched all of my new friends dance and have a great time. They were oblivious to my absence.

I drank another, alone as stared at my cell phone. No new messages. I pulled up Becka’s number as I watched them.

My Aunt called. She wants to make amends.

I hit send and waited for her to reply.

You better call me tomorrow!

Her message flashed across my screen and I breathed a sigh of relief. She was too caught up in her fun to argue with me. I finished my drink and set the glass down on the bar before making my way outside. The night air was chilly and I cursed Becka under my breath for dressing me up like a living Barbie doll. I pulled up the internet on my phone and tried to search for a cab service. I could not get a strong enough signal so I held my phone in the air. After a moment, I gave up and walked towards the sidewalk in front of the club. A sleek black car pulled up beside me and my heart leapt in my throat as the window lowered. I stopped, waiting for him to say something, refusing to look his direction.

“Get the fuck in the car.” His voice was low and did not waiver. I swallowed hard, fighting back the anger that I had felt when I thought he had left with that other woman. “Don’t make me repeat myself.” I bit my lip and opened the door, never meeting his gaze. He pulled off fast into the traffic and I quickly wrapped the seatbelt around my waist. I hated him, but I knew everything that happened tonight was my fault. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared out into the night as everything flew by in a blur.

When we reached his place, he got out of the car, slamming his door and headed up the steps. I stood by the vehicle, wondering if I should leave. I knew things were going to get a lot worse before they got better, if they did get any better at all. I bit my lip and moved towards the stairs. As I made my way to the top, he stood by the door, his eyes burning into me. I looked at the floor as I slinked passed him.

Chapter Twenty

The floor was almost completely dark. The only light came from a few street lamps that shined through the oversized windows. He walked across the expansive floor and opened the door to the elevator. I bit my lip as I followed. I was terrified to find out what he was like on that floor when he was angry. His eyes narrowed as he waited for me. I bit my lip and walked in next to him, unable to run away. He never looked back at me. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but even on a good day, that was not the best idea.

As we made it to the next floor, I sobered up in the blink of an eye. The devices that lined the floor looked like a medieval torture chamber. He stepped inside the room, glancing at each device. “Come here.” He said sternly, but his voice was low. I stepped out of the elevator and walked slowly up beside him. He was silent for a moment.

“What are you thinking?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. His lip curled into a smirk.

“I was thinking… I don’t know if I trust myself with you right now.” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. I understood immediately. He was worried he would hurt me, really hurt me. His revelation scared me but the thought of His hands touching my body sent an overpowering desire to be with him through my body. I bit my lip and stared up at him, waiting for his decision. He reached over and gently pulled my lip from my teeth, running his thumb along them. He turned his body towards mine and took a long slow breath.

“I trust you.” I whispered as his finger brushed gently along my mouth. He looked disgusted at my statement.

“You wouldn’t say that if you any idea what I thought of doing to you tonight.” He warned. I stepped forward slowly, gaging his reaction. His body tensed but he did not move away.

“Punish me.” I replied, trying to keep my voice from shaking. His eyes locked on to mine and for a moment he was not sure he had heard me correctly. “Punish me.” I repeated, biting my lip again. I reached out and slowly ran my hand down his chest. His muscles flexed under my fingers. He glanced down at my hand and then back to me.

“You remember the safe word?” he asked. I swallowed hard.

“Flower” I whispered. In an instant, my hands were in his. He squeezed my wrists tightly but I fought to hold back from whimpering. He dragged me across the dark floor, walking through the barbaric contraptions. I held my breath as he slowed, taking in each one.

Finally, we stopped in front of a large black device. It had a large incline on one side and two smaller on the other. I struggled to control my breathing, but my chest heaved under my fear.

“Bend over” he said, his face shown of disgust and he did not look me in the eye. I had no idea what this device was so I stood there, looking back helplessly at him. He pushed me forcefully over it, bending me at the waist. He quickly pulled my legs to each incline of the device and locked them into place with leather straps. He made his way to where my face was and I glanced up at him, as panic began to set in. He pulled my arms down and strapped them below my head. I was folded nearly in half.

“William, I’m sorry.” I said quietly. He walked back behind me, out of sight.

“Not nearly as sorry as you’re going to be.” He said angrily. Tears welled up in my eyes as I lay helpless. William pushed my skirt up to my waist and I could hear him begin to undress. The room fell silent for a moment and I thought that he might have changed his mind. I quickly realized differently as pain shot throughout my body. He pulled the belt back, slapping it hard against my bottom. I screamed out in agony but my voice caught in my throat, only a whimper escaping. I tensed my muscles as blow after blow came.

“Stop” I yelled as I finally found my voice but he did not relent. He struck me again and again as the tears poured from my eyes. “Please” I begged.

“Do you have any idea what I wanted to do to you at that club? Any idea what I wanted to do to that guy who had his hands all over you?” he asked in between violent lashings. “I’m sorry” I choked. I realized that in his own twisted way he did care about me. He was hurt. I had hurt him. “Please” I whimpered as a sob escaped my lips. I heard the belt fall to the floor and he quickly undid my leg restraints. He made his way around to the front of me and unbelted my wrists, tipping my chin up with his fingers. He wiped my swollen cheeks with his hand and quickly lifted me off the device. He carried me to the elevator and I buried my face in his neck, crying quietly.

“Why didn’t you use the safe word?” he asked, looking at me like a little boy who broke his favorite toy.

“I didn’t want to upset you.” I whispered into his neck. The smell of him was intoxicating. I closed my eyes and breathed in as much of him as possible. He took me to his stark white bathroom. He stood me just inside the door as he ran warm water into the tub. “What are you doing?” I asked as I pushed the hair back from my face. Mr. Honor’s eyes danced over my disheveled outfit.

“I thought a bath might make you feel better.” He said sadly and I recognized the look on his face. He felt pity for me. I stumbled forward, placing my hand on his chest.

“Please, don’t go” I tried to hold back the tears but one escaped my eye. William rubbed my cheek with the pad of his thumb. I pushed forward, locking my lips onto his. He reciprocated and my mouth grew hungrier for him. I slipped my tongue past his lips but he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back from him.

“Get washed up. You will feel better.” With that, he left the room. I began to cry to myself as I slowly pulled my ridiculous outfit off and tossed it on the cold floor. I dipped my toes in the water, which was perfectly warm. I slowly lowered myself down, the water stinging my sore bottom.

I thought about how my life had drastically changed after the last few days. I had been on a downward spiral, but after meeting Mr. Honor I felt like I had a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to show up to class. Here he was feeling as if he had ruined my life, but I felt like he had saved it. He had saved me. I was finally living.

I washed myself quickly and climbed out of the tub. I grabbed the oversize white towel that hung on the hook beside the sink and wrapped it loosely around my body. Wiping away the fog from the mirror, I stared at my reflection. I was pale, heavy dark circles under my eyes. I pulled open the drawer under the vanity and found an unopened toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. I brushed my teeth quickly and ran my fingers through my hair, trying my best to detangle it. When I looked as good as humanly possible, given the circumstances, I slipped the towel off, letting it fall to the floor. With a deep breath, I opened the bathroom door. I glanced around. Mr. Honor was nowhere in sight but I could hear his muffled voice coming from the other side of the room. I walked across the expansive space to his bedroom door. It was open and he was inside, his back to me with his phone at his ear. He was angry and I wondered if I should sneak back to the bathroom and grab the towel. My arm brushed against the door and it opened wider, creaking. Mr. Honor turned around and his eyes locked on to mine. I bit my lip nervously as I stood in front of him, forcing myself not to cover my body.

“Call me back if you hear anything. I have to go.” He said into the phone as his eyes narrowed, dancing over my body. He sat his phone on the dresser as he walked slowly towards me.

“Emma” he whispered quietly and I could not tell if he was upset. His moods changed so often it was hard to keep track of how he felt about me from moment to moment.

He stopped, inches from me, taking in the view.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked. He laughed at the idea.

“How could I ever be mad at you?” he looked genuinely hurt at the idea. He leaned down, kissing me softly on the fore head. I pressed my head harder against his lips and placed my hands softly on his muscular chest. “I’m mad at myself.” He confessed. “Get dressed. I need to take you home.” He turned to his dresser and pulled out a white t-shirt and an old pair of his dark wash jeans.

“But…you said it wasn’t safe for me there.” I took the clothing from him and held it over me.

“It’s not safe for you with me.” He had a pained expression on his face. I stepped towards him but he held up his hand for me to stop. Running his hands through his dark hair, he let out a deep sigh. “You can have the bed, I’ll take the couch.” He walked passed me and out into the main living space, not giving me the chance to object.

I slipped on the oversized white shirt and pulled opened his drawer to put the pants back in. Tucked between the other pairs was a small picture of a woman with long brown hair. I glanced behind me at the door to make sure Mr. Honor was still out in the main area. I flipped the picture over to see if there was a name on the back. In perfect cursive writing was the name Abby. I tucked it back into the drawer and slid in the extra pair of pants. I crawled into the bed and slipped under the covers. That night I dreamed about Mr. Honor with the mystery woman. I pictured him kissing her and holding her. I awoke suddenly, my heart pounding out of my chest, unable to catch my breath. Mr. Honor stood in the dark doorway, his face hard as stone.

“It was just a nightmare.” I reassured him, biting my lip. I could tell by the look on his face he knew I was dreaming about him. He turned and left the room without saying a word. I fell onto the pillow and drifted back off to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-One

Sun poured through the giant bay windows. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and stretching. The smell of coffee wafted through the air. I climbed out of the bed, realizing my bottom was still incredibly sore as I slid off the mattress. I tugged at the t-shirt as I walked out of the bedroom. Mr. Honor stood by the island wearing nothing but his boxer briefs. He ran his hand through his hair when he saw me. I looked down at the ground as I tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Coffee smells good.” I said, trying to sound upbeat. He grabbed the pot and poured a mug for me, and topped his cup off. I watched him over the brim of my mug as he rubbed his eyes. “Didn’t sleep?” I asked and he looked at me for a long moment.

“I had a lot on my mind.” He replied and I struggled to keep my eyes from dancing over his muscular chest. I took another sip of my drink and sat it on the counter.

“I’m sorry about…everything last night”

“I hurt you and you apologize to me.” He laughed sardonically. “Emma, I am no good for you. I knew what I was doing the first moment I saw you. I should have stopped it. I shouldn’t have let it go this far.” His eyes burned into mine.

“I wanted you just as badly as you wanted me.” I replied quietly. He slammed his hands on the counter between us and leaned in closer to me. I jumped at the loud noise.

“I scare you. Good. Maybe now you will stay away from me.” He’s words cut through me like a knife. I could feel my eyes begin to water and I swallowed hard trying to keep them from falling.

“You don’t mean that.” I replied, stepping around the island.

“It’s for your own good, Emma.” He replied sadly. My stomach twisted into knots. I hated him with every fiber of my being. I wanted to run away from him and never look back, but I would have given anything for him to take me in his arms and hold me. I turned and made my way to the bathroom, crying silently to myself. I grabbed my clothes and pulled them on, not bothering to make sure I looked decent in the mirror.

When I came back into the main room Mr. Honor had finished dressing and was waiting by the door for me. I was thankful that I would not have to walk but I knew the car ride would be uncomfortable at best.

It was painful to sit on the seat and I had to angle my body to the side to bear the pain.

“Emma” William said quietly, noticing my discomfort.

“Don’t” I waved him off, trying desperately not to break down in front of him. The rest of the trip we rode in silence. I was angry with myself as I thought of all the things I had done the night before just to get a rise out of him. I pushed him even though I knew how upset I had made him.

We pulled up to the grocery store just down the street from my house. I opened my door, not waiting for him to put the car into park.

“Emma” William called after me but I did not turn around. I dug through my purse, trying to find my keys. I let go of the strap and it fell to the ground, spilling the contents everywhere.

“Shit, Emma” William said under his breath as he came over to me and began collecting my things. Hot tears stung my face and I held my breath trying not to sob aloud. “I’m just trying to protect you.” He said quietly as he ran the back off his fingers over my dampened cheek. He trailed his thumb over my lower lip, letting it linger for a moment before dropping his arm at his side.

“By hurting me,” I blurted out.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. You didn’t use the safe word.” His voice trailed off as he made a look of disgust.

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about now.”

His eyes softened and I knew it was only a matter of seconds before he switched off his emotions again. It was something that was becoming all too familiar with.

“You deserve better.” With that, his look became hard and unreadable. I knew there was no reason to continue.

“What about the note. What if someone comes looking for me?” Trying to scare him into staying with me was not my best move, but I hoped it would at least make him realize that he cared for me.

“I will take care of that today.” I did not know what else to say. I had officially given up. I turned and got in my car, cranking the radio loudly. I pulled out and made my way out of the parking lot. William’s car sat unmoving in its spot. Maybe he did care about me. Maybe he was hurting as much as I was. I rolled my eyes at the thought and headed back to my house.

Chapter Twenty-Two

My Aunt’s house was empty and I was relieved that I would not have to explain to her why I was dressed like a three-dollar whore. I rolled my eyes cursing Becka for that. I locked the door behind me as the threatening note crossed my mind. How was he going to take care of it? Had the secretary admitted to writing it? A pang of jealousy came over me as I remembered Mr. Honor with her at the movies. I wondered how often they saw each other. I wondered if he had ever taken her to his place. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind as I made my way to my room. I slipped of the ridiculous clothing and grabbed one of my old favorite t-shirts. I glanced across my bed and my memories flashed to William and me. I felt that warm familiar tingling in my stomach, the way I had when he touched me. I sighed and grabbed my phone from my bag, pulling the door closed behind me. The first thing on my list of things to do was to get something to eat. I had not had anything since yesterday and I was beginning to feel shaky.

I grabbed a box of cereal and made my way into the living room. I clicked through the channels on the television, settling on the movie Fear. My mind was lost in my own memories when my phone lit up. I picked it up, hoping that it was William. The caller I.D. read Becka and I frowned, sitting the phone back on the arm of the chair. A few minutes later it buzzed letting me know I had a new voicemail. I was not in the mood to talk. I turned the television up and spent the next hour getting lost in the movie.

As the day slowly burned away, I made it a point to do things for myself. I began by painting my toenails and fingers a matching deep red. The pink bandage made me look like a walking Valentine’s Day advertisement so I slowly pulled off the pink gauze. My hand looked much better than it had. After I had finished my nails, I put on my favorite bikini I had bought when I first came to Florida. It was solid black with a ruffle across my bottom. I studied myself in the mirror, tugging the bottoms trying to cover the long welt marks that marred my backside. I ran my fingers over them. After a few moments, I managed to pull my thoughts from William and head outside. I lay out in the back yard on an oversized towel. The overwhelming warmth from the sun exhausted me and I fell asleep. Luckily, I awoke before burning myself. My skin had a pale pink hue to it and I was certain that it would be brown by morning.

I felt better as the day went on. Pampering myself always made me feel less sad after a hard day. I decided to top off my spa experience by soaking in the tub with a few candles and some slow music.

I filled the tub to with warm water and added some vanilla scented bubble bath. While it filled, I grabbed my phone and plugged it into a tiny radio so I could play some classical music as I relaxed. I could not find anything to light the candles so I settled for some battery powered ones that my Aunt had picked up at the mall. I lowered my body into the soothing water and let my mind drift off into relaxation. The problem was my thoughts immediately went to William. The smell of his skin, his sexy eyes, that devilish smile, every part of him drew me in and left me wanting more of him. I closed my eyes and let the music take over. The sad slow melody of the piano filled the room and I was able to let it all go.

After the water began to cool, I reluctantly pulled myself from the small tub feeling refreshed and less worried about the situation. I made my way into my bedroom to change into something more comfortable. I pulled on a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top and decided a book would finish off the evening nicely. I picked out an old romance novel that I had bought at the local bookstore a few months back, but had never made time to read. As the pages passed I felt my heart growing heavier. As much as I tried to escape what I was feeling, the words in the book touched a nerve inside of me. I spent the rest of the evening crying quietly alone until I fell asleep, exhausted by my own sadness.

The next morning I decided that as much as I wanted to stay home and sulk I could not pass up the opportunity to see him. He had taken over my thoughts and had become an addiction that I needed to feed. I took extra care to make sure my hair was perfectly straight and my makeup was just enough to show him what he was missing. I drove to school in silence. I was so wrapped up in having to actually look William in the eye I did not even realize the radio was not on.

My workout was actually quite bearable. Jeff was not around today and I was thankful I did not have to talk about our time at the club. He was a nice guy, but I wasn’t attracted to him in the least.

As the day went on, I realized that several of my books were missing. It dawned on me that I had left them in Mr. Honor’s car the entire weekend. My nerves were on edge as I sat through lunch listening to Claire and Becka rave about their weekend in the clubs. I picked at my food, never actually taking a bite.

“I still can’t believe Jeff wrecked his car. He is lucky to be alive.” Becka said sadly.

“That’s what he gets for drinking and driving.” Claire chimed in. I rolled my eyes remembering how they passed the liquor around the car that very night.

As the bell rang, I sat frozen in my seat, not sure if I could go to his class. I wanted more than anything to see him but I was scared of his reaction. Sitting through an entire period without him so much as glancing my way would devastate me.

“Come on, you’re going to be late.” Becka said cheerfully as she looped her arm in mine and pulled me from the seat. I dumped my lunch tray and made my way down the hall to Mr. Honor’s class. I stood outside as everyone filed in. I glanced through the doorway to see Mr. Honor leaning against the front of his desk. His eyes met mine and for a moment, time froze. I held my breath and stared at him. He wore a dark black button up shirt that made his blue eyes glow. A male student walked up to him and got his attention. I took a deep breath and slinked inside. I noticed a small stack of books on my desk and could not help but smile. I sat down and fidgeted with my pen, not wanting to look up at him. He began to speak asking random questions about the chapter he had assigned for us to read over the weekend. I let my mind wander as I chewed on the end of my pencil.

“Emma…Emma!” William called and I glanced up to see the entire class staring at me.

“What” I asked, sounding more irritated than I intended.

“Who exacted punishment on the rebels of the North of England reffered to as ‘The Harrying of the North’?” His eyes burned into mine and the entire class sat silent, waiting for my response.

“William the Conqueror.” I blurted out, thinking of his text messages to me. He smiled at our own private joke.

“That is correct Ms. Townsend.” His lips curved up in a devilish grin. My heart leaped into my thoat. “Good girl” I nearly melted out of my seat into a puddle on the floor. Those words had a direct connection to the naughtiest of places on my body. I bit my lip as my cheeks burned pink. His eyes narrowed and I quickly let my lip free. He moved on to other questions and the conversation blurred in my mind. William had a way of taking over my every thought. The bell rang, ending the class in what seemed like record time. I reluctantly moved on to my next class, wishing I could spend his free period alone with him. I spent the rest of the day fantasising about going back and being bent over his desk again. I couldn’t ignore his rejection. I sucked it up and managed to make it to all of my classes. I refused to humiliate myself.

When the day ended I was overcome by sadness. I did my best to have ‘girl talk’ with Claire and Becka, but eventually they made their way to their cars and I was left sitting alone in the parking lot. My phone vibrated, jarring me from my self loathing.

You are incredibly beautiful, even when you’re sad.

I smiled, then suddenly realized I was being watched. I refused to look around.

Is that why you broke my heart?

I sat waiting for what felt like an eternity for his response.

I would give anything to take back all of the pain I have caused you.

Some of the pain we enjoyed.

I bit my lip and waited patiently for his response.

Go home Emma.

I glanced over at Mr. Honor’s car. Angela, the school secretary, was standing by his door and he had gotten out to talk to her. Jealousy consumed my thoughts.

Now!

He texted again. I put the car into drive and sped out of the parking lot. My vision quickly blurred by my tears. As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn’t hate this man so much if I didn’t love him.

Slow down.

His text sent anger coarsing through my veins. As the light at the end of the lot turned green I stepped on the gas as hard as I could. I drove over to Becka’s house to grab the clothes I had left over the weekend. She wanted me o stay longer but the thought of being around anyone else right now didn’t sound appealing. I made up an excuse about having to be home for dinner, even though I was pretty sure that my Aunt wouldn’t even be home.

Chapter Twenty-Three

As predicted my driveway sat empty as I pulled in. I parked inside the garage and made sure I locked the door behind me as I entered my home. I set my books on the table and walked back the hall to my room. I opened my bedroom door and stood in the doorway, unable to move my feet.

“So you enjoy the pain?” William asked, his blue eyes flashed to mine and he had the hint of smile. “Close the door.” He said in a low, commanding tone. I stepped inside and pushed the door closed behind me, leaning back against it. “If Angela knew about you, she isn’t going to say or do anything about it.” He said confidently. He read the look of confusion on my face and answered my unspoken question. “She’s married. The last thing she wants is for her husband to find out she likes fucking other men.” His words stabbed me. I had been hoping that William had never gotten that far with her. I looked down at the ground, biting my lip. “She wasn’t really my type. I like my woman all to myself.” He walked towards me and put his fingers on my chin, tipping my head up to meet his gaze. My heart began to thud in my chest. “Breathe Emma.” I drew in a quick breath as I steadied myself against the door. Every emotion imaginable was flooding through me and it left my head swimming in dizziness. He slowly ran his finger along the line of my jaw, as his other hand slid down my waist. His fingers glided over my hip bone and down my thigh. He stopped underneath of my knee, pulling my leg up suddenly next to him and leaning in hard against me. As his face moved closer he brushed passed my mouth to my earlobe. “I miss the taste of you on my lips.” All of the strength left my body and if he wasn’t pressed so tightly against me I would have melted onto the floor. I let out a low heavy breath in his ear and I felt his body respond against me. He rested his forehead against mine, his thumb tracing my lower lip. I slipped my tongue out, gently touching it to the tip of his finger. A small moan escaped his lips and he pushed his finger back against my mouth. I opened wider, letting his finger slip inside as I gently swirled my around it. His mouth ran open along my face. “I should go.”

“No” I replied with more desperation in my voice than I intended. He smiled, leaning his forehead against mine as he closed his eyes. “I tried to stay away from you Emma, but I can’t. You consume my every thought. After graduation we should get away from here for awhile.” I hadn’t realized that graduation was only two weeks away. More importantly, had William just asked me to go away with him, alone?

“Where?” I aksed, not believing I had heard him correctly.

“Anywhere. It doesn’t matter. Just… far away from this place. I want to wake up to your smile.” His look was serious and I tried my best not to grin like a fool. Inside I was jumping up and down with joy. The emotional rollercoaster this man has put my on from one moment to the next had finally reached its peak. “Say yes.” His bright blue eyes burned with wanting.

“Yes, Sir” I smirked. He pressed his lips hard against mine. Electricity surged between us as I clung desperatly to his touch. “Be a good girl.” He smirked but there was an underlying warning to his words. I moved to the side, and he walked out of my bedroom, leaving my wanting more of him.

I spent the rest of the evening catching up on school work and deciding on something to wear for graduation. Every thought went back to William. He was obviously more emotionally damaged than I was but something about us together worked. He craved control and I needed someone to keep me from being self-destructive.

That night I dreamed of William and I. I pictured us in a small home in Michigan with a white picket fence. We were happy and caring, waving at our neighbors as they passed by, but as the door opened to our quaint little home my thoughts twisted into a gruesome nightmare. Mr. Honor’s face contorted into an evil madmad, whip in hand. The walls where lined with woman, chained and shackled begging to be set free. I sat up in my bed, dripping with sweat and unable to control my breathing.

“Everything okay in here?” Aunt Judy asked as she flipped on the bedroom light. I put my hand up to cover my face from the harsh intrusion.

“I’m fine. Just a bad dream.” I explained. She rolled her eyes.

“It’s always something with you, Emma.” She groaned as she pulled my door shut behind her. I barely slept the rest of the night. As the sun began to rise I got out of bed and got a head start on the day. I brewed a fresh pot of coffee and took extra time to primp myself. Something I hardly ever did before meeting William. I spent the remainder of the morning searching the internet for romantic and secluded places that William and I could go after graduation. I wasn’t sure what price range was suitable, but judging by his expansive living space and shiny new sports car, he had money that did not come from a substitute teacher’s salary. There was so much about him that was a complete mystery to me and I hoped that during our time alone he would let me inside that beautiful mind of his. My thoughts began to wander to his very particular tastes in the bedroom and I wished I knew what had made him this way. He obviously had a very caring side to him but he struggled to keep that hidden from everyone, especially me.

I had wasted away the morning and decided to get ready and head to school. For once, I would actually make it there early. I filled another cup of coffee and headed out on to the highway. I cranked the radio, singing along to Harder to Breathe, the lyrics taking on a whole new meaning than they had before.

The lot at school was virtually empty, aside from a few teacher’s who began to file in. My phone muted as a text message came through.

Eager to learn Ms. Townsend?

I smilled like a drug addict who had just gotten their fix.

You are a great teacher.

There are so many more things I would like to teach you, Emma.

Euphoria swept over me. Every inch of my body tingled with delight. Cars began to fill in around me. I got out and made my way into the school. As a turned the corner in the main hall I ran directly into the school secretary, Angela Brown. I literally ran into her sending my books crashing to the ground around us.

“I’m so sorry.” She clammered and bent down to pick up my books. I bent down, helping gather my things, not able to take my eyes off her. She smiled apologetically. She held out my books, waiting for me to take them.

“Thanks” I said, grabbing my things. She continued on her way, leaving me standing in udder confusion. She had no clue about William and I. So if she wrote the note, what did she mean by she knew what he was doing and that she was going to make him pay? Why would someone who is married make such a threat to a man that obviously needed complete and total control? She had to have known how he would react. None of this made any sense. Perhaps there was more going on than Mr. Honor had told me. Not a shocking surprise considering I knew very little about his past.

I walked down to the gym and changed quickly into my workout clothes. As I sat on the bleachers waiting for the class to begin Jeff hobbled over next to me on a set of dull gray crutches.

“You’re alive” I joked and he looked down at the ground, embarrassed.

“Broke my ankle and got a few bumps and bruises, but I’m okay.” He shrugged and lowered himself down to sit next to me. I stared ahead at the other students as they filed out of the locker rooms. “So…I had fun at the club with you.” I rolled my eyes. Jeff, along with everyone else, didn’t even acknowledge my absense after I had left the dance floor.

“Yea, good times.” I said, pushing off the bleachers and walking across the room. He struggled to get up on his crutches and follow after me.

“Maybe we can do it again sometime?” He asked, a little louder than he meant. I stopped, turning around to look at him.

“I don’t think you will be dancing anytime soon.” I glanced down at his ankle. His cheeks turned red and he rubbed his hand through his hair.

“Hey guys!” Becka called from behind me, putting her arm around my neck. “Hey Jeff.” She winked.

“Alright class, let’s run a few laps.” The instructer called from across the room. We all began to jog the perimiter as Jeff hobbled back to the bleachers. I was thankful for the distraction.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The morning flew by and I was in a great mood. I even finished the disgusting slop they called food during lunch. Nothing could bring me down from the high that I was on. I decided to hit the bathroom before Mr. Honor’s class. I ran my fingers through my hair and applied a fresh coat of lip gloss as the bell echoed throughout the building. I smiled at myself, knowing he would ask me to stay after class for being late. I grabbed my book sand walked down the hall. His door was closed and I peeked through the tiny window. His eyes caught mine, narrowing slightly.

“Ms. Townsend” he nodded as I took my seat. “See me after class.” I smiled and bit down on the end of my pencil. “Everyone clear your desks for the chapter quiz.” The class collectively groaned as he passed stacks of paper back the isles. Mr. Honor took his seat behind his desk and I got to work on the test. My phoone vibrated on my lap and I glanced down to read the screen.

I know just how to punish you.

I bit my lip and glanced up at him. His eyes locked on to mine.

Slide the phone between your legs and leave it there.

I glanced around the room. Everyone was working on their tests and oblivioius to our secret conversation.

Now.

I slipped the phone between my thighs and looked down at my paper. It suddenly vibrated again, sending pleasure shooting though my body. I grabbed the edge of my desk and looked back at him. His lips twisted into a wicked grin as he sent another. I parted my lips, trying not to pant aloud. He licked his lips as the phone virbated again and again. I squeezed my thighs together, trying to stop the sudden rush of pleasure that had taken over my body.

A knock came at the door and he frowned at me. I took a deep breath, thankful the torture was over.

“Come in.” he called across the room. The door opened and a tall brunette walked inside. She glanced around the room and I recognized her face immediately. Mr. Honor kept a tiny picture of her in his dresser drawer.

“Abby” he said, unable to hide the shock in his voice.

“Will” She said in an icy tone. She called him Will? Who was this woman? Why did he have a picture of her hidden away? Mr. Honor stood and quickly led her out of the room into the hallway. I stared down at my test paper, unable to make sense of anything. The bell rang and everyone got up from their seats. I sat still, feeling like I had been hit with a brick. Finally, I pushed myself up, taking a deep breath. As I walked out of the class I came face to face with Mr. Honor and this mystery woman.

“Emma, we can discuss you being late some other time.” His words hung heavy with sadness.

“No. She can stay. I’d like to get to know the woman who is fucking my husband.” She stared at Mr. Honor, never bothering to look at me. Her words ripped though me like a knife. I subconsiously grabbed my stomach as my heart sank. I looked at him, desperatly searching his eyes for answers. His jaw clenched and he looked like he was ready to lose all control.

“Oh, she didn’t know?” Abby said with a laugh.

“Go” He commanded, gesturing for Abby to go inside his classroom. His eyes turned sad as he looked at me. I looked down at the ground and walked back inside.

“I’m not here to ruin your fun, Will. I just came to get what is mine.” She explained, leaning back against his desk.

“I don’t owe you anything.” His voice was low and cold and it sent shivers down my spine.

“I’m sorry. Did you say you are his wife?” I asked, growing increasingly nauseous.

“Ex-wife” Mr. Honor corrected. He was only a few years older than me and I couldn’t wrap my head around any of this. Abby glared back at William and the tention in the air was palpable. I couldn’t picture him with a woman like her. Sure she was beautiful but she was also very strong and demanding, not something I could ever see him putting up with. Everything began to click into place in my head. Abby was the reason Mr. Honor was…the way he was. This woman had done something viscious to this man to make him turn into the controlling man he was with me.

“You really want your little secret getting out?” Her eyes danced between us. “Imagine what the other teachers would say. Imagine…what your father would say.” His body tensed and I knew she had struck a nerve.

“What is it that you want?” I asked bravely when Mr. Honor didn’t respond to her threats. Sme smiled politely at me.

“You know what I want but since that isn’t going to happen, a couple million oughta cover it. Don’t you think, Will?” Her eyes danced back to William, a full on smile spread across her face.

“Where the hell is he going to get money like that?” I asked, my eyes wide.

“Fine” he cut me off, starring at her through narrowed eyes. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Nothing was making sense anymore. Mr. Honor took a step closer to Abby and she straightened her back. “Then you get the fuck out of my life. I don’t ever want to see you again.” Her lips pressed in a hard line and I could tell he had hurt her, but she was trying desperately not to show it.

“You have my number.” She replied, winking at him as she pushed between us and left the room. It felt like all of the air left with her and I leaned back against a desk trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Mr. Honor looked over at me, taking a step closer, but I held up my hand.

“Don’t” I blurted out and he stopped dead in his tracks.

“It was a long time ago.” He explained.

“How long? You’re just out of college and she.. how old is she?” My stomach twisted in knots.

“She was my math teacher in high school.” He confessed. I felt like somone had just punched me.

“And you…you married her?” I asked, trying to make sense of things. He took a step closer.

“I loved her.” His barely audible. That confession was my undoing. As much as I wanted to know about him, I never anticipated it going like this. I needed fresh air. I needed to get away from this place. I pushed off the desk, shoving by him. His hand caught my arm, keeping me from leaving.

“I need to get out of here.” The tears in my eyes threatened to fall at any moment.

“I’ll go with you.” He wasn’t asking for my permission. I knew if I wanted to make sense of this we would have to finish this talk. I nodded my head and he grabbed his things from his desk. As I made it to the parking lot I could see Mr. Honor in his car, glaring at me. I got in my car, taking a deep breath before pulling out onto the main road. I stared out of the front window, trying to avoid his reflection in my rearview mirror. My head swam with all of the new information I had received from Abby. After William’s confession to me this morning that he wanted to be with me, I did not think it was possible to come crashing down from that moment of happiness.

Chapter Twenty-Five

As I pulled up to Mr. Honor’s place my stomach began to twist into knots again. I wanted more than anything to be with him, but after Abby’s threats I knew it was not a good idea. The bay door slowly opened and I pulled my car inside. William’s car pulled along side mine, and the door slowly lowered behind us. I summoned all of my courage and got out of the car. He walked towards the base of the stairs and I followed behind, wondering what would be of us when this was all over.

The trip up the steps was the longest walk of my life. Every possible outcome for us played through my head. When we finally arrived inside I glanced around the room. It suddenly felt much larger and overwhelming than it had before. I took in the paintings that hung sporatically on the walls, and furniture that sat stratigically placed around the floor. How had I not noticed how expensive all of these things must have been?

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” His eyes met mine and I could not look away.

“Do you still love her?” I asked, my voice shaking. He swallowed hard.

“I don’t know.” That was not the answer I had hoped for but I could not blame him for his honesty. I nodded, looking down at my feet. He stepped closer to me and I stiffened my back, not sure how close I wanted him to get. He slid the palm of his hand across my cheek and I leaned in to his touch, closing my eyes.

“I do know that I love you more.” My eyes shot open and I searched his face, not sure I had heard him correctly. “I love you. I wasn’t sure it was even possible for me to care about anyone else again, but I can’t deny how I feel about you.” I stared at him helplessly as I absorbed what he was saying. “Breathe” he whispered and I took a deep breath as he instructed. His face became worried when I did not say anything. “What else do you want to know?” He asked.

“I think you said all I needed to hear.” I whispered. He smiled and kissed me like he had never kissed me before. His hand lost in my hair as he pulled me against him. His other sliding down my back and over my bottom. I placed my hands on his chest and slid the up to his strong muscular shoulders. He did not pull away or try to stop me. “Make love to me.” I breathed into his mouth.

He picked me up and carried me into his room, laying me gently in the center of his bed. His mouth hovered above mine.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” He asked.

“Yes,sir” I moaned and his mouth crashed back into mine. We pulled at each others clothing, trying desperatly to get to one another.

“What do you want me to do to you?” his hot breath sending goosebumps over my skin.

“Kiss me…here” I moaned, tugging his hair gently and guiding his lips to my breast. I arched my back as he hungrily obliged. He had given me complete control and the feeling was overwhelming. His tongue slid in small cirlcles over my nipple. He let his teeth graze me and I moaned loudly in response.

“Where else?” he asked, practically panting. I tightened my grip on his hair and pushed him lower. His tongue trailed down my stomach, dipping into my belly button. I bit my lip and turned my head into the pillow as I pushed lower. I could feel his breath on me and it sent delicious waves of pleasure through me.

“Please” I begged, wanting to feel his touch. His mouth met the inside of my thigh and I arched my back in approval. His lips worked there wasy closer to my center I could barely hold on. His tongue dipped slowly against me and I felt my insides tighten in response. He continued to push against me at a slow steady rhythm as he slid one of his fingers inside of me. I rocked my hips with the motion of his finger, grabbing the blankets in my fists. He increased his speed, sliding another finger inside.

“Come for me” he whispered, as his fingers drove into me harder. I lost myself as the words left his mouth. My body tightened and responded to his touch sending waves of absolute bliss pulsating through me. He climbed on top of me, his eyes full of wanting. He grabbed a foil packet from beside the bed and quickly put the condom on himsef. I could feel him, hard against my entrance as his hand wrapped in my hair. “You belong to me Emma.” His hips gently rocked against me. I gasped at the sensation. “Tell me.” His eyes narrowed. He pushed harder against me, slowly entering me.

“I belong to you.” I whispered back. He pushed harder, sliding completely inside of me, leaving me feeling impossibly full.

“Good girl” He breathed in my ear as he nibbled at my earlobe with his teeth. I slid my hands down his back as his muscles flexed under my fingertips. He did not stop me. He pushed into me harder. I let my nails glide across his skin, coming to rest on his perfect backside. I found his ear with my lips. “ I love you” I whispered, letting my lips brush against him. His body bucked against mine causing all of my muscles to clentch onto him. My body rippled with pleasure as he came, spilling himself inside of me. He collapsed his weight on me as we both struggled to catch our breath.

Everything that had happened today didn’t matter. I didn’t care about William’s past. I only cared about right now and right now I couldn’t have been happier.

Chapter twenty-Six

I realized I must have fallen asleep. I awoke wrapped in a giant white comforter, alone. My body still felt incredibly exhausted but I wanted to find William. I grabbed a t- shirt from his drawar and slid it on, not bothering to put on panties. I walked out into the main living area. I stopped dead in my tracks as I noticed several pairs of eyes staring back at me. I looked at William who jumped to his feet.

“This is Emma.” He said. The man beside him rose to his feet. I tugged at my t-shirt trying desperatly to cover myself. “Emma, this is Mayor Locklin.” My mouth feel open as I suddenly realised why he looked so familiar.

“Pleasure” The mayor nodded and I could see him trying to hide his smirk.

“I’m gonna…” I was too flustered to even form a sentence. I ducked back into the bedroom and pulled on my clothing. After I was dressed I debated crawling out of the window but we were on the second story and I didn’t feel like a hospital visit. I slowly peered around the doorway.

“Emma” William called for me.

“Shit” I muttered under my breath and made my way across the room. I bit my lip as I rounded the large dark brown leather couches. William took his thumb and tugged my lip from my teeth.

“Sit” he said and I sat down on the couch facing the Mayor.

“Emma” The Mayor nodded his head to greet me.

“Mayor Locklin” I replied, trying to hide my embarrassment.

“Please, call me Stephen.” He replied and I let myself relax a little.

“Stephen” I repeated, looking over at William who had taken a seat next to me, placing his hand on my knee.

“Stephen is an old friend of mine from college. He also owes me a favor, which makes him trustworthy.” William grinned.

“Now, how do you propose we get rid of your ex-wife?” The Mayor asked as if he was asking for directions to the mall. The room began to spin around me and I felt myself grow lightheaded as their words grew muffled and distant. This is not what I had pictured as my happily ever after.

“Emma!” William was shaking me from my sleep.

“What happened?” I rubbed my eyes, noting someone had spashed water on my face.

“Are you narcaleptic?” The Mayor asked, and I wasn’t sure it was an attempt at a joke or if he was genuinly worried.

“No” I sat up and pulled at my shirt. William placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Abby, we didn’t mean ‘get rid of her’ like that.” I could hear his amusement in his words. “We just need to figure out how to make her not come back again and again once she has been paid.” He put his hand on my knee to comfort me. I looked up at the Mayor who was looking back at me as if I was an imbecile.

“Right, well, we need to negotiate terms and have your lawyer speak with her. Are you sure this is about the money and not about some sort of revenge?” He asked, his eyes glued to William.

“No, no. She’s the one who broke my heart, remember?” William shook his head at the idea.

“Yea, I know. I just needed to make sure their was nothing else that would come out later.” He stood up and William rose from the couch. “Should be a pretty straight forward arrangement. Are you sure you want to pay her off? You could always let her say what she wants. It’s not like you need the teaching job.” William ran his hands through his hair and nodded.

“You know I can’t let this come out. I would never hear the end of it from my father.”

“I’ll help as much as I can. I owe you that much.” Stephen replied, holding out his hand. The shook and the mayor nodded at me politely before leaving. William followed after him and locked the door.

“You could have warned me that you had company!” I smacked him playfully on the arm.

“You could have warned me that you passed out so easily. Had that happened in the bedroom I would have thought I killed you.” He joked, but I knew I had genuinly scared him.

“Sorry” I looked down at the ground wishing it would swallow me whole. William stepped closer to me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.

“Can I ask you something?” I mummbled into his chest. He took a deep breath.

“Ask away.” I had so many guestions running through my mind but I didn’t know if it was appropriate for me to ask.

“What did you do for the mayor that he feels he owes you?” I looked up at him and he smiled.

“If it wasn’t for me he would have never made it through college. I tutored him, helped keep him on track.” He hugged me a little tighter and I smiled back at him.

“Here I thought you helped him bury a hooker or something.” I joked. He let out a deep hearty laugh.

“No, the dead hookers didn’t start to pile up until after he became mayor.” I slapped him playfully on the chest and bit my lip. I had a million more questions.

“Where are you going to come up with the kind of money she is asking for on a teacher’s salary?” I asked. He sighed and let go of me, running his hands through his messy hair.

“My father. In fact, he is the reason she and I didn’t last in the first place.” He shook his head and the hurtful memory. “Abby started turtoring me senior year. I was more into hanging out with my friends and getting in trouble. I dind’t take my grades seriously. One night on thing lead to another. I’ll spare you the details but my father found out that we were seeing each other. He went to Abby and offered her money to stay away from me.” His eyes looked sad as he stared off into the distance. “She took it and never looked back. To add insult to injury she began flaunting some new guy around town. Everywhere I went I saw them together. It wasn’t until college when she called me and begged for me to come see her. We dated for a few months.” He looked down at the floor, “ We ran off to vegas on a whim and got married. Everything was perfect again until I found out my father had paid her. She begged for me to stay with her but I couldn’t. Now she wants to make my life miserable.” His eyes locked onto mine.

“I’m so sorry.” I took a step closer to him and he held up his hand.

“I don’t want to be pittied, Emma. It was a long time ago. I just want this bitch out of my life once and for all.” I decided to change the subject.

“So, if your father is rich, why are you working as a teacher?” I asked. He smiled a lopsided grin.

“I don’t know. I tutored all through college and I really enjoyed it. There was something really fulfilling about seeing that look on someone’s face when they understand something new.” His mood had shifted now and he was happier. “Plus, I like to be in control, but I’m sure you noticed that. I don’t want to ever get hurt like that again.” He ran his fingers down the length of my jaw and smacked me playfully on my bottom with his other hand.

“Ouch!” I jumped as he pulled my body flush against his.

“I think I answered enough questions for one day.” His mouth hovered above mine. I looked to his lips and back to his eyes, begging him silently to kiss me. He ran his thumb over my lower lip.

We spent the rest of the day in bed together. I was exhausted and starving.

“Go take a nice long bath. I’ll make us something to eat.” He kissed me quickly on the forehead and I made my way to the stark white bathroom. I soaked in the tub until the water turned cold.

“That smells delicious!” I said as I sat down at the kitchen island and twirled my wet hair into a bun.

“Thanks.” He smiled sitting a plate down in front of me. He had made cheese ravioli with a mushroom sauce. I ate every bite on my plate as he watched me, barely touching his food.

“Not hungry?” I cocked my head to the side.

“I was just thinking about how money changes people.” My eyebrows pulled together as he looked at me. It finally registered that he was worried I would take a payoff if I was was offered and the possiblity was there. I could tarnish his family’s reputation if anyone found out about us.

“I wouldn’t do that to you. I’m not that kind of person. I’m not her.” I reassured him, reaching out and putting my hand on his. He stared out my hand for a moment before lacing his fingers in mine and squeezing gently. He nodded his head but didn’t say anything. I understood why it was hard for him to trust. I would just have to prove to him that I won’t break his heart. I pulled my hand back from his and walked in to the bedroom to grab my phone. I came back out to the island and sat back down with it pressed to my ear. He looked confused for a moment.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Aunt Judy? I won’t be home tonight.” I glanced up at William who was looking a little happier. I sat the phone down on the counter top and raised an eyebrow at him. I got up from my seat and walked over to the elevator, swaying my hips slightly. I couldn’t pull the smile from my face as I stepped inside and rode up to the next floor. It was dark and smelled of leather. I walked out into the expansive space, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. I ran my hands over the different contraptions as I contemplated which one to choose.

I slid my clothes off and climbed on top of the cold metal table. I wrapped the leather straps around my ankles, securing them to each corner, leaving my legs spread open. I laid back and stretched my body as far as I could to reach the handcuffs at the top center. I slipped them over my wrists and clicked them into place. I took a few deep breaths and waited for him to arrive. I heard the elevator being called back the the second floor and my heart began to race. A few minutes passed and the doors opened again. I resisted the urge to lift my head and look at him. The steady thudding of his footsteps crept closer and I held my breath when the sound stopped at the foot of the table. I heard the sound of leather sliding against itself as he undid his belt.

“You certainly know how to make me feel better.” He said as he slid his pants over his hips. I couldn’t help but smile. He spent the next hour torturing and teasing me until I wanted to scream. “Say it” He whispered in my ear as his body hovered over mine. I pulled against the restraints, desperate to touch him. “Say it!” He commmanded, his teeth clenched.

“I love you” I panted. He thrust himself into me and I cried out at the sudden pain. His body crashed into mine relentlessly. I tried to pull my knees together as I felt my release building but my body was tied in place.

“I love you” He moaned into my ear. His words were my undoing. Pleasure rippled through my body as my mucles tightened around him. He continued to thrust until he finished, his body falling on top of mine. He kissed me softly as his fingers undid the handcuffs above my head. As soon as my hands were free I wrapped them around him, holding his mouth to mine. I wanted to lay there in his arms forever. His phone rang on the floor and I tried to hold him in place. He grabbed my arms and pushed them down hard against the table by my head. I pushed my hips into him as the phone rang again. He grinned and began to peal himself off me. I pouted, sticking out my lip. He leaned in and quickly bit it.

“I have to get it. It may be my lawyer.” He whispered. I relaxed against the table in defeat. He smiled and grabbed his phone. As he talked his eyes danced over me. I sat up and unhooked my left ankle as he undid the other. He began to pace the floor as I slid off the table and pulled on my clothes. He placed his hand on the small of my back as we made our way into the elevator. “I don’t give a fuck about the money. I want her out of my life.” He said as he ran his hand through his hair. We stepped out of the elevator into his living area. I headed straight for the bathroom to clean myself up and to give him some privacy.

When I returned William was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. I snuggled up mext to him and rubbed his back with my hand. He sat up straight and grabbed my wrist in his hand, his eyes were cold. “Don’t” He hissed. I pulled my hand back and slid to the far end of the couch. ‘I’m sorry” He put his head down.

“It’s okay.” I whispered. “You have a lot on your mind.” He shook his head at my response.

“I know it’s not fair to you and I am trying, but it is hard for me to get close to people.” He explained. I nidded, letting him know I understood.

“I’m here, no matter how long it takes. I’m not going anywhere.” He looked me in the eye and nodded. “So…what did your lawyer have to say?” I asked, trying to change the subject from us.

“He doesn’t think I should pay her. He thinks I should give up my job.” He looked at me sadly.

“What do you want to do?” I asked, leaning in a little closer to him, trying to resist the urge to touch him.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to give her another fucking dime, but I don’t want to quit my job. She wins either way.” He threw his hands in the air in defeat.

We sat silently for a few minutes as he thought over his options. Finally, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. He stood up from the couch and made his way across the room.

“I’ll get you the fucking money but if I ever see your face again, or if you come near Emma I will fucking kill you.” I had never seen him so angry but on the surface he was calm. I pulled my knees to my chest and listened to him speak, wishing I could hear the other side of the conversation. He hung up the phone and disappeared into his bedroom, reamerging a few minutes later with his shoes on and a light jacket.

“Where are we going?” I pushed off the couch and walked towards him.

“You are staying here.” I felt my heart sink. He walked towards me and cupped my face in his hands. “ I am going to go pay Abby and get her out of our lives.” He kissed me on the forehead, pressing his lips hard and lingering for an extra second. “Have you thought anymore about where we are going after graduation?” He asked, catching me off guard. I thought after we had discovered who was threatening William, we wouldn’t need to leave. “What?” His eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

“You still want to go?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? Just pick some place warm. I want you naked as much as possible.” He grinned wickedly and turned to leave. “Don’t answer the door for anyone.” He warned and locked the door behind him. I sighed and looked around.

I made my way back to the couch and clicked on the television as I thought of all the different places William and I could go. I realized that after graduation we and I wouldn’t have to hide, at least not after a while. I perked up at the thought of walking with him hand and hand down the street. I had fallen head over heels with him and I wanted to be able to tell the world. I also thought about the two mimllion dollar payment he was making so he could be with me. He could have ended what we had. There was no proof we had ever been together, but instead he was paying his ex so he could continue to see me. My thought broke off as a knock came at the door. I quickly turned off the television and tiptoed over to the kitchen area.

“I know you’re in there.” A woman called, irritated. I glanced through the peephole to see Angela, the school secretary on the other side.

I grabbed my phone and dialed William.

“What’s wrong?” He asked as soon as he answered.

“Angela is here!” I whispered, walking back into the bedroom to distance myself from the door.

“Shit. She probably saw my car downstairs and thinks I am avoiding her.”

“Your car is downstairs? How did you…”

“Stephen picked me up. He wanted to go with me for the exchange of money. Just stay inside and be quiet. She will leave soon.”

“Okay. What about my car?” I was biting my lip as she knocked again.

“I moved it before I left. It is parked around the building. Emma, I’m sorry about all of this.” I could hear the sadness in his voice.

“No worries” I replied and hung up. I paced the bedroom until the house fell quiet. When I was certain she had left I went back to the kitchen and looked through the peephole. There was no sign of her. I sighed and went back to the couch to watch television.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Shhh…” William whispered as he carried me to his bed. I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

“What time is it?” I asked as I looped my arms around him and snuggled into his chest.

“Just after three in the morning.” He replied as he laid me down.

“How did everything go?” I asked, pulling the covers over me as he got undressed.

“She has the money. Everything is taken care of.” He smiled as he crawled onto the bed behind me, his hand resting on my hip. I relaxed my back into him.

I slept better than ever. The next morning I awoke to the smell of coffee. I reached beside me for William, my hands coming up empty. I sat up and stretched before heading off to find him. He was on the phone and put his finger to his lips to motion for me to be quiet. I walked around him and got a cup from the cupboard and poured myself a cup of coffee. The sugar was on the counter in front of him. When I reached for it he slid it further away. I made a face at him and reached again. He pushed it again. I pulled my self onto the counter so my feet barely touched the floor and grabbed the sugar container. William pressed his body up against mine from behind.

“I’ll call you back.” He said into the phone and sat it down on the counter. I smiled as his hands glided over me, grabbing my hips and pulling me back into him forcefully. I reached in front of me and gripped the counter’s edge as he peeled my panties off and tossed them aside. He leaned over me so I could feel his breath on my ear. “Don’t let go” He whispered as he pushed himself between my thighs, slowly entering me. He pulled back, rocking his hips painfully slow. I bit my lip and gripped the counter tighter as he teased me. His fingertips dug into my skin as he gripped my hipbones. A small moan escaped my lips. “You like it when I fuck you nice and slow?” His words came out matching the speed of his movements.

“Yes, sir” I breathed heavily, arching my back in approval. He slid inside me a little further. “Ahh…” I gasped. One of his hands slid up my spine and wrapped in my hair. He tugged back gently as he pushed all the way in. He quickened his pace and I could tell he was close to finishing. “You feel so good inside of me.” I panted, knowing my words would send him over the edge. I could feel my walls pulsating around him. He moaned, pushing hard against me as we bothe came together. He continued to rock his hips into me as the aftershocks rippled through me. He let go of my hair and I let my face rest against the cold stone countertop as I caught my breath. William stepped back and smacked me hard across my bottom. I screamed and the sudden shot of pain. His fingers slipped between my thighs as he gently rubbed over my wetness. “Mmmmm” I licked my lips and closed my eyes, moving with him. He leaned over me, his teeth biting on my earlobe.

“This” His fingers slipped inside of me and slid back out, “belongs to me.” He rubbed in slow circles as I felt my excitement begin to build again.

“Yes” I moaned, my fingers tightening on the counter’s edge.

“Say it” One of his fingers dipped back inside of me.

“It belongs to you.” I breathed. He laughed a little.

“Your pussy belongs to me.” His words melted me like butter. “Say it.” He slipped a second finger inside of me as he pushed me against the counter.

“My pussy belongs to you.” I repeated. I was willing to do anything for him not to stop. He worked my sweet spot with one hand as his fingers worked expertly inside of me. I cried out in pleasure as he pushed me over the edge again.

Wlliam pulled on my hips to help me off of the counter. My knees felt weak and I leaned back against the island to steady myself. He smiled at me and handed me my cup of coffee.

“Sugar is on the counter.” He smirked and walked to his room.

I couldn’t help but grin the rest of the day. William was perched on the edge of his desk when I arrived. His eyes followed me but he quickly had to turn his attention to a student who had some questions. Every once and awhile he would glance my way and send my stomach flipping with butterflies. At one point he ran his fingers over his mouth and closed his eyes. I could tell his was still smelling my scent on him. I blushed, looking down at my book in front of me.

I held my breath as someone knocked on the door. Williams eyes shot up to me before he walked over to see who it was. Angela stood outside of the room and I could tell by his body language that he was not happy. He ran his hands through his hair at least three times during their two minute conversation.

He re-entered the classroom and picked up in his lecture right where he had left off. I wanted to know what they had discussed but I couldn’t stay after class. People would start to get suspicious and we didn’t need any more people knowing our secret. The day drug on and when it was over I knew I would have to go home for awhile. William and I had drove seperatly so I made my way to my car.

“Emma!” Becka yelled from across the lot, waving. I smiled and waved back as she ran towards me.

“Hey!” I said as she finally reached my car.

“Why haven’t you returned any of my calls?” She frowned.

“Oh…I’m sorry. My phone has been acting crazy lately. I think I need a new one.” I lied.

“No big deal.” Becka replied. “Claire and I were wondering if you wanted to hang out this weekend.” I bit my lip as I thought of the best way to turn her down without hurting her feelings.

“I’ll ask my Aunt and let you know.” I smiled.

“Sure, call me.” Becka said and turned to find her car. I slid into my seat as my phone buzzed with a new message. I pulled it out and couldn’t help but smile as ‘William the Conqueror’ scrolled across the screen.

Where are you headed?

I thought for a moment about driving straight back to William’s house, but I needed to make an appearance at home.

Home

Mine?

I smiled at his words and scanned the parking lot for his car. He was parked several rows away from me.

My Aunt is going to start asking questions if I don’t show up every once and awhile.

He didn’t respond for a moment and I strained to see over the rows to his car. Angela stood by his door and they where engaging in a conversation. I put my car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot, making sure I drove by him. I didn’t glance their way as I made my way to the road and headed towards my house.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I was surprised to see my Aunt in the kitchen when I arrived. She said hello but didn’t even look my way. I walked back to my bedroom as my phone vibrated.

Angela means nothing to me. You know that right?

I rolled my eyes and tossed my phone on my bed.

“I’m going to go lay out.” I called down the hallway.

“Whatever” My Aunt called back. It hurt how distant her and I had become. When I was younger she was my favorite person in the world next to my mother. After she moved away we barely spoke. She was the spitting image of my mom, but their personalities couldn’t be more different. I slipped out that back door and spread my towel on the grass. The sun was beating down and I yawned, spreading out onto my stomach.

“You are going to burn that pretty little ass of yours.”

I jumped at the sound of William’s voice.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I flipped over to look at him.

“You didn’t respond. I got worried.” He looked genuinly hurt. I rolled my eyes.

“You didn’t respond to me earlier and you don’t see me acting like a stalker.” I shot back, regretting the words as they rolled off my tongue.He stepped back as if I had actually hit him.

“You’re mad at me?” He leaned down onto his knees, panic on his face. “She doesn’t mean anything to me. She’s trying to work through her own feelings. She doesn’t want to stay with her husband.” I held up my hand to stop him.

“I don’t care about her marital woes. She brought that on herself.” He swallowed hard.

“Fair enough.” He stared at me expectantly.

“I’m not mad at you but you have to understand all of this is very new to me. I’m not exactly sure what we are doing here but I know seeing you with Angela scared me.” I rambled. I had lost nearly everyone I had loved in my life and it was just as hard for me to trust as it was for William. He leaned in closer to me, placing his hand on the small of my back.

“You have nothing to worry about.” His eyes frantically searching mine. “ I won’t ever hurt you, Emma. I promise. I will never talk to her again if that’s what you want.” I had never seen him like this before. William was always so strong and always in control. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe it was the same person.

“No, I trust you. I’m sorry I just got a little jealous seeing you two together.” His lips found mine as he pulled my body closer to his. I slid my hand into his hair, tugging it gently. He hugged me tighter than he ever had before.

“I thought you were going to leave me.” He said into my ear, his voice shaking.

“I’m not going anywhere, William.” I pulled back to look him in the eye. “I love you.” His lips crashed into mine again.

“I Love you so much, Emma.” I heard a noise from inside the house. William heard it too.

“Go! I’ll call you later.” I whispered. He gave me a quick peck on the lips before leaving. A minute later, my Aunt poked her head out the door.

“I’m going out. See you tomorrow.” I nodded and smiled. When the door closed behind me I laid back onto the towel, breathing a sigh of relief. I listened to her car start and grow more distant. I ran inside and grabbed my phone from the bed. I had several frantic messages from William. I frowned and scrolled past them to write a new message.

My aunt left for the night.

I bit my lip and hit send. I grabbed a towel and jumped in the shower to cool my body down from the hot sun. A few minutes later, I heard the door and I knew William had arrived. I smiled to myself and turned my back to the curtain. I heard the metal rings scrape across the rod as he pulled backit .

“You are so beautiful.” He said quietly. I smiled over my shoulder at him.

“You think you could wash my back for me?” He smiled and began to peel off his clothes. I felt him step in behind me and press himself against my bottom. He reached around me and took my bath sponge from my hand. I let my arms fall to my sides as he ran it down my neck. I leaned my head to the side. He slid the sponge doen my shoulder and over my breast. My chest swelled under his touch. I sucked in a breath as he circled around the other breast and down the center of my stomach. His breathing grew heavier in my ear as he slipped it between my legs. I small moan escaped me and I pressed my hands on the shower wall in front of me.

“Spread you legs.” I did as he told me and her continued to wash every inch of my body. When I was sufficiantly clean, I took the sponge and returned the favor. I rubbed soap over his chest and down his stomach. His eyes burned into me as I slid lower, circling around his backside. It was evident how much he was enjoying himself. I traced the v-shaped muscles down his hips, brushing against his manhood with my hand. He licked his lips, waiting patiently for me to go further. I did, making sure that he was every bit as clean as I was. We rinsed off under the water and I grabbed a couple of towels for us. As we dried off, I noticed William staring at me through the mirror.

“What?” I asked, suddenly feeling shy.

“You’re beautiful.” He said sweetly and I felt myself flush. He wrapped his towel loosly on his hips and reached for mine. I let it slip through my fingers, waiting for what he was going to do. He ran the towel down my arms and across my chest. I smiled at how sweet and gentle he was being. It was a side of him I didn’t get to see very often. When my body was sufficiantly dry, he rubbed the towel through my hair, letting it hang down my shoulders in dark waves. He smiled as he pushed my hair back. “Perfect” He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. As he did, he wrapped the towel around me and tucked it into its self. “Have you thought about where you want to go after graduation?”

“Well”, I walked out of the bathroom to my room and William followed. “ I was thinking maybe the Carolinas?” He smiled.

“I was thinking outside of the states.” I droppped my towel and rummaged through my drawers for a pair of panties, sliding them on.

“I don’t know if that is a good idea.” I shook my head, thinking of how I would explain to my aunt that I had extra money lying around to travel to exotic locations.

“Okay. How about the west coast?” He asked as his hands slid around my belly, sending pleasure shooting to every nerve ending in my body. His lips brushed against my shoulder.

“That sounds nice.” I closed my eyes and tilted my head, giving him access to my neck. He trailed kissed over my shoulder towards my ear. I reached behind me, running my fingers through his damp hair. His fingers ran along the top of my panties, dipping his fingertips under the fabric. “William?” He mumbled a reply into my neck. “Do you trust me?” I turned my head to meet his gaze.

“Yes” He replied, looking into my eyes. I turned around, biting my lip as I pushed on his chest, walking him backwards to my bed. He sat down onto it. I slid my panties down my legs, kicking them off onto the floor. William leaned forward, capturing one of my nipples in his mouth, sucking on it and grazing it with his teeth. I moaned as I slipped my legs on either side of his waist, strattling him. I looked him dead in the eye as I reached between us and guided him inside of me. His fingers dug into my back as I slowly lowered myself onto him. I rested my forehead on his, breathing his air as I slid lower, coming to rest on his lap. With my hands on either side of his face, I slowly began to rock my hips. “Oh, god” he moaned. His hands gripped tightly on my bottom as he began to move me quicker. At this angle the pleasure was almost too intense. I squeezed my eyes closed as I rocked faster. “Look at me” He breathed. I opened my eyes as his hips moved against mine. “I love you” he moaned into my mouth. I kissed him hard, sliding my tongue past his lips.

“I love you” I panted, feeling my finish building. “Ohh” He slowed my hips and my orgasm slowly melted away.

“Not yet” He said, pushing my wet hair back from my face.

“Oh, god, please” I begged, slipping my hand between us and slowly rubbing between my legs. I felt him flex inside of me has he began to move again with the rhythym of my hand.

“I want to taste you” His voice was low and sexy. I lifted my hand, running my fingers over his bottom lip. I dipped one inside of his mouth and a low growl resignated from his chest. In one quick motion, he flipped me onto my back. I pushed my chest up as his lips found my breast. He kissed quickly down my stomach, ending between my legs. I pushed my hips down at his mouth as his tongue expertly found my pleasure spot. I ran my hands through his hair, wrapping my fingers in it and tugging.

“William” I moaned. He moaned back into me sending wonderful vibrations through my body. My legs squeezed around him as my orgasm neared. William slipped his fingers in my as my body convulsed against his lips. After the initial wave of pleasure he crawled on top of me, sliding into my dampness. My body continued to tighten around him as came violantly, crashing into me with as much force as he had.

His finger ran across my eyebrow as he studied my face.

“What?” I asked as his brow creased.

“I just can’t believe how lucky I am.” I smiled and pulled him into me for a kiss.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The next morning I awoke alone. I felt beside my and my fingers ran across a piece of paper that crinkled under my fingers. I picked it up and held it in front of my eyes.

I miss you.

Love, William

I smiled and pushed myself off of the bed to get ready for school.

The last few days began to run together. I spent all of my free time preparing for graduation and getting ready for vacation. I slipped in a few hours to hang out with Becka and Claire, knowing that I wouldn’t make it to any of the graduation parties. William and I were leaving for California the night of the ceremony.

I grabbed a bag and made my way across town to William’s house. I was excited to show him the new white bikini I had bought for our trip. I raced up the stairs to his place and slipped the key he had made for me into the lock. William was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. A small piece of paper hung from his fingers. He glanced up at me as I walked in. I smiled but he didn’t return it.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, throwing my things on the counter and hurrying to his side. I was careful not to touch him. When he got upset he resorted to his old self and became very distant. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and held out the piece of paper. I took it from him and opened it to read the contents.

Before I kill you, I want you to watch her die.

I dropped the note to the floor and clasp my hands over my mouth.

“Oh, my god.” I whispered. William nodded but didn’t look my way. Instead, he stared off in the distance.

“We have to call the police.” I said, my voice shaking. He ran his hands through his hair, debating on what to do next.

“I’ll take care of this.” He pushed up from his seat and headed for the door. I jumped up, blocking his path. I put my hand on his chest. His eyes glanced down at my hand and back to me. I pulled it back, not wanting to press my luck.

“You can’t go over there. You are going to do something you regret!” I could feel the lump forming in my throat and I had to blink several times to keep my tears from falling.

“I’m not going to do anything to her. I just want to end this thing once and for all.” His eyes burned into mine. I bit my lip and stepped out of the way. “Lock the door. Do not let anyone in this fucking house. I don’t care if they are on fire. Do you understand?” He yelled. I nodded and followed him to the door. I watched him disappear down the steps through the peephole. I turned my back to the door and laid my head back against it as I slid to the floor and hugged my knees to my chest.

It felt like an eternity had passed since William left and I kept checking my phone to make sure it wasn’t dead. He hadn’t called or texted me and I was going out of my mind with worry. A rapid knock came at the door above my head. I nearly jumped out of my skin and crawled across the floor a few feet away from it. I turned around and watched as someone wiggled the handle and pounded louder.

“William?” Angela’s frantic voice called from the other side of the doorway. My phone vibrated on the counter and I jumped to grab it, afraid Angela would hear it.

It’s not Abby! I’m on my way!

I looked to the door and back to the phone. I typed as quickly as my shaking fingers fingers would allow.

Angela is here!!!!

Do NOT let her in!

I held the phone to my chest as her voice grew louder and more hysterical.

“I can hear you in there! Please, please let me in!” I bit my lip and walked towards the peephole. If Angela was the one writing the notes than I had no reason to pretend I wasn’t there. If I told her William wasn’t home, maybe she would leave.

“He-he’s not here!” I called out, my voice cracking. She grew silent for a moment then pounded again.

“Please, let me in!I’m going to die!” She shrieked. I stepped back. That was awfully dramatic, even for a woman scorn.

“Go away!” I yelled, trying not to sound scared. “I’m calling the police!” I tried to keep my voice steady. She pounded, rapidly and screamed on last time. After a moment the hallway was silent and I looked into the hole to see if she had left. Suddenly, an eye appeared staring back at me. It wasn’t Angela. I jumped back and put my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. I was breathing so hard I thought I would pass out.

“Are you going to come out or do I have to find my way in?” His voice was menacing and it sent a shiver down my spine. He moved the handle to the door and slammed his body against it a few times, but the lock held. I grabbed my phone and called for William.

“H-he’s in the building..I think h-he killed her..don’t come in here!” I stuttered unable to keep from breaking down.

“Emma, calm down. Breathe. No one is here.” My heart lept into my throat. I slammed myself against the door and looked out. William stood, searching the area around the door, finding nothing out of place. Suddenly, the lit space behind him darkened.

“William!” I screamed. William spun around and the man hit him hard across the cheek. “No!” I yelled, helpless against the door. William recovered and swung hard towards the man. His fist connected and sent him stumbling backwards, but he caught himself just before falling down the staircase. Something caught William’s attention out of view and it was the perfect opportunity for the attacker to strike again. He hit William hard in the stomach causing him to double over and make a gut wrenching moan. William used his elbow to hit him in the ribs. He grabbed him by the hair and pulled his face into his knee. The man swung wildly, blood soaking his face. He connected a few times but William wasn’t about to give up. He kicked out in front of him, his foot landing square on the man’s chest, sending him flying down the steps to the landing below.

“She’s alive!” William yelled. I could hear him talking quietly off to the side by the steps up to the next floor. I bit my lip as I watched their shadows moving.

After a few moments, a text vibrated my phone.

Go to the third floor and wait for me. Don’t make a sound.

I grabbed my things off the counter and stashed them in a cupboard down below. I rode the elevator upstairs. I sat quietly alone in the dark as blue and red lights flashed through the cracks between the windows and the blackout curtains. After awhile, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I was able to make my way around the floor with out running into anything. I came across some shelving in the very back of the room. I ran my hands over the items, examining them. There were whips and chains and a few items I had never seen before. I felt my cheeks burn as I came across a long smooth object that was silver. I twisted the bottom and it vibrated in my hands, causing me to jump. I sat in back on the shelf and continued to look around as my hand vibrated again. My heart nearly beat out of my chest.

Come down, unless you want me to come up.

I smiled. As tempting as it was, ater the night we had I wanted to relax. I hopped in the elevator. When the doors opened, I peaked around to make sure we were alone. William stood alone in the center of his living room. I ran to him, my feet unable to carry me quickly enough to his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he squeezed me tightly, lifting me from the ground. Tears if relief sprung to my eyes.

“Shhh…” He whispered as he stroked the back of my hair. “It’s over.” I pulled back from him and cupped his face in my hands. “It’s over.” He repeated, looking into my eyes. I rested my forehead against his and closed my eyes.

“I was so worried.” I whispered, shaking my head. His grip tightened.

“It was Angela’s husband. The cops took him away. They took it as nothing more than a husband who suspected his wife of cheating. We’re safe now.” He kissed my forehead, letting his lips linger.

“She knows” He shook his head. “She doesn’t know who was in here. As far as she knows it was a one night stand and you left before she woke up.” I took a deep breath.

“How is she?”

“they took her to the hospital to do some scans, but she is going to be fine.” His hand slid up and down my back to comfort me. I didn’t want to leave his arms. He picked me up and carried me to his bed.

Chapter Thirty

My knees were shaking as I stepped out in front of the crowd. I flipped my tassle to the other side as my eyes met Williams. He smiled proudly at me and I couldn’t help but grin back at him. My aunt sat just a few rows away and I smiled and nodded in her direction.

As I stepped off the stage I couldn’t wait to leave. I wanted to run to the closest airport and get as far away from this place as possible. After all that had happened with Angela and her husband, we were due some time to wind down.

I hugged my friends and stood around having idle chit chat while the man I secretly loved walked by. I couldn’t consentrate on the conversation as he moved behind me, his hand brushing against my bottom.

“Are you feeling alright?” Claire asked. I glanced up at her, wide eyed. “Are you alright?” she repeated. I laughed nervously.

“Yea, I guess I’m just in shock that we finally graduated!” My friend’s shrieked around me.

I mingled with the crowd, making my way to my aunt.

“I still can’t believe you are going to California with your friends!” Judy rubbed my arm and for a moment she looked sad. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure my friends were still out of earshot. The coast was clear.

“Yea, We are going to have a great time!” I smiled. She grinned back and pulled me in for a hug. I hesistated before putting my arms around her. I wasn’t sure if she was happy I graduated or happy to be getting rid of me for a few weeks.

I couldn’t get out of the parking lot fast enough. I drove a few blocks away and pulled into the Pizza Palace parking lot. After about ten minutes, William’s black car pulled in beside me. I beamed from ear to ear as I waited for him. He got out of his car and slipped into the passenger seat of my car. He wrapped his hand in my hair and kissed me hard.

“God, I love you” He smiled, his forehead against mine. “Are you ready?” I nodded. I couldn’t wait to get away from this place. He smiled and kissed me quickly on the forehead before getting out of the car and retrieving my bags. I got out, locking my doors as I looked around. No one was in sight and I jumped into the passenger side of his car. He smiled, slipping his hand over mine and lacing our fingers together before heading to the airport.

We arrived in the early afternoon at LAX. I held William’s hand as he pulled me to the baggage claim to collect our belongings. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against him. It was so freeing not having to hide from anyone. After the incident with Angela, he was much more kind. He grabbed our things and we made our way anonymously through the crowd. The only stares we got were from woman shooting William a flirty smile or two.

As we stepped out into the sun a row of cars lined the street with men holding up signs for their passengers. William ran his hands through his hair and let out a sigh. I followed his eyes to a car sign that read ‘Honor’.

“Come on” He smiled, pulling me by my hand behind him. The man wearing a black suit smiled and opened my door for me. I politely thanked him and slid inside. The car smelled of leather and made me think of the third floor in at William’s place. I couldn’t help but grin.

“What?” He asked with a half smile.

“Nothing.” He squeezed my hand tighter as we made our way through the busy streets. I couldn’t take my eyes off the million dollar scenery. Huge gates lined the road where mansions set back in from the streets. Tourists stood out front snapping pictures. Everything here was larger than life. “Have you been here before?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the people outside.

“A lot.” He said with laughter in his voice. I shot him a quick smile as he pulled me into his side. I wrapped my arm around his waist and hugged him tightly. He was in an amazing mood and I was going to take full advantage. There was also something else there. He seemed nervous, which was adorable coming from a man who was so in control. Our car veered off the main road and made a few turns before pulling up to a gate. The driver reached out of his window and punched in a code on the keypad, causing the gate to slide open.

“Where are we?” I sat up, trying to get a better look but William playfully held me against him. The car circled a huge fountain and came to a stop just outside of a large building. My door opened and I looked to William. “Go ahead.” He kissed me on the forehead and released me. I stepped out into the balmy air, taking in the view of the spectacular house.

“This is amazing.” I said in awe as William joined my side. Huge pillars lined the white porch that was covered in beautiful flowers.

“Come on” He smiled, taking my hand and pulling me to the door.

“Our stuff” I motioned back to the car. He made a face at me.

“It will be brought to us.” He said with the wave of a hand. We stepped inside and I had to stop to look at my surrounding. The floor was a white marble with a massive chandelier that hung above. Ahead where two massive identical staircases. William smiled at me. “Overwhelming?” He asked and all I could do was nod. “I figured after the last few weeks we could really use a nice vacation. “Come on. I want to show you our room.” He grinned and made his way to the right staircase. I followed behind him to a door at the top of the steps. He opened it to reveal a room the size of my home. The walls were covered in expensive dark wall papers and massive crown molding. In the center was a giant ornately carved four post bed. I stepped inside and ran my hand over the post.

“So beautiful” I said as William wrapped his arms around my waist from behind.

“You are the most beautiful thing in this house.” He kissed my cheek and I couldn’t help but blush. He was being so different. I could only assume that a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders after the arrest of Angela’s husband. He playfully pushed me back on the fluffy blankets that swallowed me whole. I laughed as he fell on top of me, his fingers tracing my jaw. His expression turned serious for a moment and I let out a nervous laugh. He glanced at the wall behind me.

“What?” I asked, trying to look above my head. He smiled and kissed me quickly.

“I was just trying to figure out how to tie you to the posts. I laughed as someone cleared their throat behind us. William and I both looked to the doorway.

“Your belongings, Sir.” William nodded at the man. “Are you wanting something for lunch?” He asked. William glanced down at me and back to the doorway.

“No, thank you. We will be going out for lunch. Dinner still at eight?” The man nodded and exited the room. I cocked my head to the side but he just smiled. He slid off of me and held his hand out for mine. I slid my fingers in his and he pulled me effortlessly from the bed. “Hungry?” He asked, wrapping his arms around my back. I realized my stomachh was completely empty.

“Very” I said, placing my hand on my stomach.

We changed quickly and made our way to the garage. A small black convertible sat by the entrance.

“You like?” William asked as he hit a button on his keys. The headlights blinked and the car beeped in response. I smiled and nodded as I slid down into the seat. We made our way across town to a small secluded restauraunt. We sat in the front window, watching the passerbys as they didn’t give us a second glance.

“I could get used to this.” I smiled. William’s brow furrowed. “I meant being able to be out in public with you. It’s nice.” I smiled, putting my hand in his. His face relaxed, but I could tell something was on his mind.

“What is it?” I asked, swirling my spoon in my soup. He shook his head as he pushed the food around on his plate around.

“I know all of this is…fun, but it can really destroy someone’s life if you let it.” I knew he was reffering to Abby and my stomachtwisted in knots.

“William, look at me. I didn’t even know this part of your life exsisted. I don’t care about any of this. I love you.” I looked him in the eye as I told him exactly how I felt. He swallowed hard and looked back at his food. I knew he thought he had something special with Abby too, before she took the money and left him broken hearted. “Do you trust me?” I asked, smiling as I thought of the last time I had asked him that question.

“Of course I do.” He said, his expression softening. I smiled.

“I’m not her.” I whispered. He ran his hands through his messy hair.

“Let’s get out of here. I want to show you something.” I smiled and laid my napkin next to my plate.

“Where are we going?” I placed my hand in his as stood from the table.

“It’s a surprise.” He winked at me as he placed some money on the table.

Chapter Thrity-One

We drove out of the busy city onto a hilly, wooded road. The top was down and my hair swirled in my face as the radio blared.

“Almost there.” William yelled over the noise. I smiled at him, squeezing his hand. We pulled off the main road onto a dirt drive. After a few minutes of trees we came to a clearing. William put the car in park and grinned at me. “Come on” He said as he got out of the car and came to my side to open the door. He grabbed my hand and tugged me behind him. We stood on the edge of a massive hill, overlooking the city below.

“This is beautiful!” I smiled as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. I rubbed my hand over his. He leaned in and kissed my neck.

“This is where I go to be alone. I’ve never brought anyone here before.” His grip relaxed a little as he rested his chin on my shoulder.

“It’s amazing. Thank you for bringing me here.” He turned me around in his arms to face him.

“I know I have some serious trust issues but I am trying hard to work passed them. I hope you can see that.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, stoking his hair with my finger tips.

“I love you, William. I’m not going anywhere. No amount of money in the world could compare to this moment right here.” I reassured him. It was almost sad to see a man who seemed so strong and confident so incredibly scared. He pulled me tightly against him and kissed the top of my head. I felt like in his mind he was preparing for the worst. I just couldn’t understand why. After all we had been through, surely he knew I wasn’t about to run now. I pressed my lips into the crook of his neck, pausing to gauge his response. His hips pressed against me. I kissed him again, letting my lips trail up to his ear. He leaned his head into me, breathing out deeply.

“If you don’t stop that now, I’m going to have to fuck you right here.” His voice was low and I knew his mood had changed to the old William. I smiled and bit gently on his ear lobe. His fingers dug into my hips and he spun me around, laying me face down on the hood of his sports car. I spread my fingers out across the hood as I heard him undoing his pants. He hiked my skirt up to my waist and pulled my panties to the side. I bit my ip, bracing for what was coming next. His he shoved himself violantly inside of me, forcing me down against the hot metal. I cried out as he slammed into me again and again.

We made our way back to the massive house, both much more relaxed. The sun had set but the streets were lit up like daylight with all of the stores and restauraunts. William’s phone rang and he answered it, growing increasingly irritated with each word.

I could feel a difference in the air as William punched a sequence of numbers into the keypad and the gates slid open. We parked in front of the house and William tossed his keys to a man waiting on the steps as he pulled me inside.

He didn’t say a word as we made our way up the oversized staircase to the bedroom.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as he closed the door behind us, putting my hands on his chest. He glanced down at my hands but didn’t step back or attempt to remove them.

“I didn’t know they were coming. We can leave right now if you want, get a hotel room?” He ran his hands through his hair.

“Who?” I asked, growing scared by his sudden behavior.

“My parents.” His eyes locked onto mine.

“Oh” I let my hands slide off of his chest. He didn’t want his parent’s to know about me. It was like being punched in the stomach. I had finally convinced myself that we could be a normal couple and all of the air was sucked out of my lungs at once. “Just take me home.” I whispered, truning away from him so he wouldn’t see how badly he hurt me.

“Hey!” He grabbed my arm, forcing me to turn back and face him. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” I pulled my arm back from him, unable to hold back my anger.

“If you didn’t want anyone to know about me, why did you bring me to your home?” I asked, my jaw clenched tight.

“I didn’t know they would come. My father is supposed to be in Ireland on set for the next few weeks.” He looked confused by my sudden outburst. I crossed my arms over my chest. “It’s not that I’m trying to hide you, Emma. I just didn’t want to subject you to my father. He’s not a good man.” I looked him up and down. He looked scared.

“William?” A man called from below and his body went rigid.

“I love you , Emma. I’m not ashamed of you.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the room onto the landing that connected the staircases.

“There you are.” He laughed deeply. A man stood in the center of the foyer. He looked like an older version of William.

“Dad” William nodded his head.

“Who is your friend?’ His father asked. William’s hands were gripping my waist painfully tight.

“This is Emma, my girlfriend. Emma, this is my father, Gerald Honor.” A light clicked in my head as I heard his father’s name. I had heard it and seen in printed on movie posters. He was an extremely successful director.

“Pleasure to meet you.” I nodded and smiled.

“I’m sure it is.” His chuckled and I realized what William was trying to warn me about.

“Well, come on down and greet your mother. She will happy to see you.” Just then an older woman with short curly hair stepped in from the front door.

“William!” She yelled and held out her arms for him. We made our way down the giant staircase and he gave her a long hug. I stood awkwardly off to the side, ignoring the fact that Gerald was looking me up and down.

“Who is this, dear?”

“Mom, this is my girlfriend, Emma. Emma, this is my mother, Martha.” I smiled nervously and held out my hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, Emma.” She smiled sincerely at me and I felt a little more at ease.

“Enough of this. Let’s go eat dinner.” Gerald said, walking away from us. I glanced up at William who shot me an apologentic look. I grinned, trying to ease his worry.

We sat at the oversized table in silence as servers brought us our food.

“This looks amazing.” I smiled at the woman who had placed a plate in front of me. She smiled back, but her face went blank when her eyes caught Mr. Honor’s.

“That will be all.” He said coldly to her and she looked to the ground as she quickly made her way back into the kitchen. He shot me a glare and I looked down at my plate.

“So, who did you two meet?” Martha asked, as she took a sip of wine from her glass. William slipped his hand under the table and rubbed my knee.

“At Kippling.” He responded. His father held his glass at his mouth for a moment before taking a drink and setting the glass down forcefully.

“Well, I think that is nice. Don’t you, Gerald?” Martha was silently pleading with him to be kind. His eyes danced back and forth between us.

“I guess I should get the checkbook.” He said coldly and began to cut his steak. I felt the blood rush from my cheeks as William’s hand gripped my knee tightly. I felt sick. I slipped my hand on top of his and rubbed it soothingly. He muscled flexed under his jaw and I knew it was only a matter of minutes before he lost control.

“That won’t be necessarry Mr. Honor. I, unlike some, don’t put money over love.” I smiled at William who looked positively thrilled I had stood up for myself.

“Playing hard ball, are we? What will it take, two…three million.” He grinned and my blood began to boil. I laid my napkin on my plate and pushed my chair back to stand.

“I apologize, but I need to excuse myself. Mrs. Honor.” I nodded at William’s mother before walking out of the room. I heard William yelling and it echoed off the walls as I stormed up the stairs to get my things.

“Emma” William opened the door and rushed to my side.

“Get me out of here.” I was shoving my things in my bag as tears started to roll down my cheeks. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest.

“I’m so sorry.” He rubbed over my hair as he rocked back and forth. A small knock came at the door.

“Please don’t leave like this, William. We haven’t seen you in years.” Martha begged. She looked on the verge of tears herself.

“She’s not Abby.” He said, squeezing me tighter.

“I know.” His mother smiled, but her eyes full of sadness. “My William is a special boy. Please take good care of him.” I nodded and she turned to leave, pulling the door shut behind her. William ran his thumbs over my cheeks to wipe the tears away.

“Let’s get out of here.” He said quietly, kissing me on the forehead.

We rode in slilence as we made our way to the hotel. I stared out of the window, watching the lights flash by me. William was in a much better mood, considering his fight with his father. I could only assume that part of him had still been worried I would take the money and run without giving it a second thought. I hoped after tonight, that he wouldn’t doubt my feelings for him again.

Crawled onto the bed and curled up in a ball. I was exhausted and my lunch hadn’t set well with me, not to mention I didn’t get the chance to enjoy my dinner. William slipped in behind me and kissed me softly on the shoulder.

“Are you alright?” He asked, his lips against my skin. I nodded and bit my lip.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, pulling me back so he could see my face. He was so concerned, so caring.

“My stomach.” I sighed as I rubbed my hand over my belly. His eyebrows pulled together as he scanned my face.

“I’ll run to the store and get you something for it.” He kissed me on the forehead and left the room before I could protest.

“Emma” William whispered in my ear, jarring me from my dreams.

“What?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.

“Get up” His voice was low and commanding. I waved my hand at him and buried my face in the blanket.

“I’m not in the mood.” I whined. His hand grabbed my wrist and squeezed as he pulled me up.

“Get up now.” His voice was steady but low and I could tell he was not in a good mood. He pulled me towards the bathroom of the hotel and flicked on the light. It was insanely bright and I had to cover my eyes from the harsh intrusion. William set something down on the countertop. It made a loud slap as it hit the stone, causing me to jump. He didn’t look at me. I glanced over to the counter and back at him.

“What is that?” I whispered. I was beginning to get scared.

He rubbed his hands through his hair and over his mouth. “It’s a pregnancy test.” My stomach began doing summersaults.

“But I’m not…I mean…I can’t be” My memory was going thinking of all the encounters I had had with William. My heart sank as I realized we hadn’t always been safe when we got caught up in the heat of the moment and William was blaming me. I bit my lip and stared at him, unable to form words.

“Now” he hissed, his eyes darted to mine and back to the wall behind me. I jumped at his angry tone and grabbed for the stick on the counter. I was mortified. Pregnancy had never crossed my mind. I reluctantly took the test and sat it back on the countertop next to him. My eyes overflowed with tears as I pushed passed him with my shoulder. I began to frantically gather my things wanting desperately to get as far away from all of this as possible.

I glanced behind me towards the bathroom before dragging my things out the door. William didn’t try to stop me. I fumbled with my phone as I made my way to the sidewalk in front of the building. I was in a strange city thousands of miles from everyone I knew with no where to go. I hopped into the first cab that pulled up.

“Where to?”

“A hotel, something inexpensive…but safe” I choked out between sobs. The cabby nodded and pulled away from the curb. We drove for about ten minutes before pulling up outside of hotel.

“Thanks” I said, whipping my tears and handing him some money from my bag. I dragged my things into the hotel, paying with an emergancy credit card.

My phone never rang that night. The next day the I awoke feeling like I had been ran over by a truck. I flipped through the phone book and got the number for an airport to schedule my trip home. I could barely breath, barely think. My heart sank as my thoughts automatically went back to William. I needed to get out of this place before I lost my courage and went running back to him. I scheduled a flight for a few hours away and set off to wait at the aiport. The time flew by and before I knew it I was on my plane headed back to Florida. I slept away the entire trip after spending the night before awake and sobbing.

Chapter Thirty-Two

The plane landed and I stepped out in to the airport. I wrapped my arms around myself and waited for my bags as I stared off into nothing. I gathered my things and stepped out onto the sidewalk. I had nowhere to go. My aunt was not expecting me home for days. I grabbed my phone and looked the screen. I had no missed calls, no messages. I sighed as I scrolled through the small list of numbers on my phone.

Can you do me a favor?

I clicked send and waited for a response. A few minutes later my phone rang and I smiled nervously as I answered.

“Hey, Jeff” Everyone else I knew was on vacation celebrating graduation. Jeff had mentioned that he would have to stay behind. We talked for a few minutes.

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” I sat down on the curb and waited for Jeff to arrive. I slipped a flat orange container from my purse and pushed a tiny pill through the foil and popped it in my mouth. I realized that I was on the sugar pill week of my birth control, but I took it anyway to keep routine. My stomach was twisting in pain. I closed the pack as I thought of William. If he had known I was on the pill he wouldn’t have flipped out the way he did, but in a way I was glad it happened. He had turned cold and heartless at the drop of a dime. I couldn’t be with someone like that. Jeff’s car pulled up to the curb and he grinned from ear to ear when he saw me. I smiled back, trying to look happy. He jumped out of his seat and quickly took my bags, loading them into his trunk.

“That should do it.”

“Thank you, Jeff. You really helped me out here.” I smiled. He gave me a one armed hug. I almost pulled back from him but it was nice to have someone care for me. I turned up the radio as soon as we got in the car to avoid the awkward conversation as to why my eyes were puffy and red and I needed a place to stay.

“This is it.” He said, pushing open his apartment door. It was small and dark but he kept it clean.

“It’s nice” I smiled. He scratched the back of his head.

“My roommate is gone for vacation, so if you want you can take his room he won’t mind.” I nodded my head as I looked down the hallway.

“Thank you, Jeff.” I drug my back back to the room and sat it on the bed before walking back into the living room.

“So…” He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at me.

“I’ll explain it over a beer, okay?” I held up my hand, not wanting to let my thoughts linger on William.

“Deal” Jeff flashed me a smile and grabbed two beers from his fridge, making sure to open my bottle before handing it to me. I chewed on my lip as I pulled my legs under me on the couch. I took a long sip as Jeff stared at me.

“So?” He said, trying to get me talking. I explained my situation, leaving out certain details like names and sexual habits.

“Wow” His eyes looked down at the floor.

“yea” I sighed, afraid to look him in the eye. He pushed off the couch and made his way across the room. He returned a few seconds later with a bottle and two small glasses.

“We are going to need something a lot stronger.” He smiled and I immediately relaxed. I had judged him a little too harshly when I had first met him. He was going out of his way to help me and make me feel better.

“Thank you” I said, my eyes pressed shut as I gasped. The liquor burned my throat and for a minute I thought it was on fire. Jeff laughed and drank back his. “So, what about you?” I asked, watching him pour another round.

“I really liked a girl once, but she was busy carring on a secret romance with some asshole who broke her heart.” His eyes flashed up to mine. I smiled nervously and took the glass from his hand.

“To assholes and the idiots who fall for them.” He bumped his glass against mine and we drank them down. My phone rang and I froze in place, my eyes wide as they locked onto Jeff’s. He shook his head and grabbed the phone from my hand.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you. You missed your chance.” He hung up the phone and held it out for me. My jaw fell open and I blinked several times trying to erase what had just happened. My phone rang again and I quickly hit the switch on the side to mute it.

“Another?” Jeff asked, holding up the bottle. I nodded, handing him my glass. He filled it and I slammed it back, holding my hand out for a refill.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” he laughed and filled our glasses again, spilling some on my lap. The shots slid down my thoat easier now and my head was beginning to feel light. Jeff stumbled into the kitchen and grabbed a rag to clean up his mess. He rubbed it on my lap, his breath reaking of alcohol on my face.

“Woah! I got it!” I took the rag from his hand and rubbed it on my jeans. “Shit” I muttered.

“I’m so sorry.” Jeff stumbled to his feet.

“I should go change.” I stood up, falling back against the couch to catch myself. I stumbled back the hall, leaning against the walls for support. My phone lit up and vibrated in my hand.

“What?” I slurred into the phone. William was breathing heavily.

“What’s wrong with you?” He hissed angrily. I made a face at the phone.

“What is wrong with me?” I pointed to myself as I stumbled into the bedroom.

“Are you drunk?” He asked, sounding concerned.

“Hey, if you need a shirt or something I can grab you one of mine.” Jeff called from the doorway.

“Who the fuck was that?” William yelled in my ear. I pulled the phone back from my face.

“My friend” I said as angrily as I could.

“I’m five minutes away. Come outside now!”

“How did you…” I rememebered he was able to track my phone and rage boiled inside of me.

“Here” Jeff held out an oversized Kippling shirt.

“Thank you” I took it from him and stumbled. He caught me by my arms.

“I think you should lay down.” He said, inches from my face. I pushed him back from me.

“I’m fine” His grip didn’t loosen as he pushed me back towards the bed. “I said I’m fine!” I lost my footing and tumbled back onto the bed. Jeff landed on top of me, his hands groping at me. “Get off of me!” I screamed. A loud banging came from down the hall and in an instant Jeff was pulled off of me. William slammed him against the wall, causing his head to crack loudly against it.

“Mr. Honor?” Jeff slurred, in shock. William pulled back and hit Jeff hard across the face. Blood flew from his nose on impact. He held him by his shirt and leaned in close to him.

“If you ever hurt her again I will kill you.” Jeff pressed himself against the wall, terrified. William stared at him for another minute before letting him go and holding out his hand to me. I slipped my fingers in his and he grabbed my things, dragging me from the apartment. As soon as we reached the sidewalk I lurched forward, vomitting all over the ground.

“Well, I guess you know that you’re not pregnant.” He said dryly. I looked at him for a long moment.

“I knew all along.” I glared at him. He swallowed hard and opened his car door.

“Let’s go” he said, no anger in his voice. I slipped into my seat and slammed the door.

“Just take me to my car.” I felt his eyes on me and he took off fast down the road. My stomach was churning and I wanted to beg him to go slower, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

Chapter Thirty-Three

After taking a shower and eating something I felt a lot better but my heart still ached and the cause of it was sitting just a few feet from me.

“I want to go home.” I said, pulling my knees to my chest.

“Give me a chance to explain.” He said, his voice panicked. I glared at him.

“What is there to say?” I could feel my chest growing heavy as I relived what had happened in my mind.

“I know you deserve better than me.” He looked at me and waited for a response. I didn’t say anything. “Can I hold you?” He asked. His words caught me off guard. I wanted to scream at him and run out of the door but I sat, frozen in place. William slid closer on the couch and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me down on him as he laid back. He sighed, pushing my hair back from my face.

“Abby was pregnant.” He whispered. My blood ran cold.

“What?” I asked, in shock as I twisted to see his face. His eyes were pink and swollen like he had been crying since I left.

“We had just found out.” He smirked at the memory.

“You have a…” He shook his head before I could finish my sentence.

“She took the money, remember? She didn’t have room in her life for me and our…” His voice trailed off. He pressed his eyes closed, trying to forget. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just…couldn’t.” A tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek. I wiped it with my thumb, staring into his eyes.

“I’m so sorry.” I whispered. He ran hands through his hair as he sat up.

“You’re sorry? Emma, I damn near ruined your life in the short time that I’ve known you.” He was angry with himself and on the verge of breaking down completely.

“William, everyone has a past. Mine isn’t that great either but it made you who you are today. The man I love.” I put my hand on his chest. His heart was beating wildly.

“You still love me?” His face was pained as he braced himself for me to break his heart.

“More than anything.” I smiled as I looked down at my hand on his chest, thinking of how far we have come in this short amount of time. “I belong to you.” I said quietly. His eyes began to burn and I could tell his mood was shifting. He grabbed my hand and held it tightly against him.

“I love you more than anything, Emma. I don’t want to ever feel the way I did when I thought I had lost you forever.” I smiled and leaned in to kiss him. His lips pressed hard against mine. “Marry me”

‘Honor & Obey’ will be available soon!

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three