“Victor,” she whispered as her hard body heaved and went limp in his arms.

Her voice held a breathy, sensuality that stirred him. Yes, it was Victor that had just fucked her senseless. Him. Not Mr. Black. And he had satisfied her.

He carried her to the bed and gently laid her down.

Leaning over her, he pushed her sweat dampened locks away from her shimmering eyes and traced the dip of her sternal notch. She felt small and vulnerable and soft in his arms. She felt right. With his forehead pressed against hers, he stared into her eyes filled with heated desire.

“Often when we’re apart, my cock gets so unbelievably hard when dreaming up ways to push your limits.” She burrowed her face into the hollow of his neck and a low, rumbling growl emitted from her throat. His spontaneous confession and her reaction to it made him laugh nervously.

He paused to admire her laying there warm and content, nestled against him. The thought of fucking her gently made his blood simmer and his body grow tight with need. When he saw the light of understanding in her big, dark eyes at the way his body was responding to her, he nipped her bottom lip and growled, “To be continued…”

13: Accountable

Elsa woke with the sun shining brightly through the sheer curtains. Her body ached deliciously, but her thoughts were a jumbled mess. Her dreams had been tortured with the images of Victor and Nate dueling for her attention. It was not something she ever wanted to see or experience in real life. In her dream, she had felt torn between them, wanting them both and yet, wanting neither.

The chirp of her phone woke her fully. She reached for it to see Nate’s name flash across the screen.

Nate: I stopped by your house last night to talk. Where did you stay?

She tried to swallow the shame that seemed to be permanently lodged in her throat, but only gagged on it. She had been the same place where he had been; with someone else. She knew by the look on his face at the party and the reason for his quick departure, that he had made other plans. And why shouldn’t he? He didn’t owe her anything.

She left the message unanswered and reached for the note and small box that was lying next to her.

You’re more than just a chapter to me. You always will be. Happy Birthday.

-V.

All she could think about was the way Victor’s fingers raked over her body the night before and how hard he had been for her… The look in his eyes as the man sucked him off... The feeling of his body rubbing up against hers… Just the thought of his hands on her gave her more sexual awareness than she had in months. He had given her a night that she would never forget.

She read the note two more times, scrutinizing every word. It was flawless and, no doubt, plotted out methodically. Victor knew how to get into her head and that’s exactly what he was doing. He was fully aware that by giving her what she had asked for, in every sense, it would make it impossible to stop playing his game. How could she after he set off every nerve in her body and fired every synapse in her brain? He also knew what she craved. She knew for certain that he had been watching her at the party and had seen the distance between her and Nate.

And now these beautiful words. But that’s all they were - words on a piece of paper. Letters strung together. No emotion behind them.

He was wrong if he thought she couldn’t see where this was heading… Straight down a road that ended with her getting screwed over.

She fingered the box, the whisperings of temptation prickling at her nerves. Slowly, she untied the ribbon and peeled the wrapping away. Under the lid sat the most sensual pieces of jewelry she had ever seen. She knew immediately what they were, having seen them in a sex toy magazine - a sterling silver pair of heart and crystal embellished nipple shields with a matching labia clip chain.

Her body began to smolder as she touched the set, imaging them on her and showing them off for him. Nate would never have gotten anything like this for her. Never in a million years. She felt a gnawing ache as she tweaked her nipples erect and placed the shields on. They fit perfectly. She slipped her hand between her thighs to try on the pussy clip and the ache turned into something else. A need to be filled by Victor; a yearning to be taken control of and made to submit.

Goddamn him for knowing her so well; for making her body surrender to his wants when her heart and brain wanted to retreat.

With urgency, she dressed quickly and drove to 2500 East Grace Street. With every subtle movement, she felt the effects of the jewelry, making her wet and anxious.

She no sooner put the key into the lock and turned it, when the door flung open. Victor was standing just inside, blocking her access. His whole body tightened and anger flashed across his face. And something else. Nervousness? A blast of arctic air pushed her against him but he quickly nudged her back outside. The shimmering wave of pulsing fury on his face quickly made her arousal abate.

His hard, corded body vibrated with tension. “It’s not your day.”

A hot wave of embarrassment washed over her for having foolishly shown up only to be refused entrance. “I just wanted to thank you for the gift,” she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

A muscle jumped in his jaw as he glanced over his shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

Aggravated and freezing from the winter air, Elsa pushed past him to see a slim brunette staring back at her with hungry, crazed eyes.

Elsa eyed Victor questioningly, but he only stared at her as if daring her to overreact. The faint hint of a smirk on his mouth was like a sucker punch to the gut.

Wanting answers, she lifted her eyebrows and silently challenged the woman. The air was thick with unspoken emotions and Elsa felt the burn of her blue-eyed gaze as it fixed on her.

“Who the hell are you?”

The woman’s tone and attitude grated on Elsa’s nerves. With a mixture of misery for having been played with and resentment, she shot back. “I’m Chapter Eight. Which Chapter are you?”

The woman’s mouth parted in confusion and Elsa turned to face Victor again. Fury pounded and rippled in time to the rapid beat of her heart when she spoke. “I just wanted to say thank you and to tell you that your gift wasn’t necessary. I’ll return them just as soon as I remove them.”

Her words had the precise effect she wanted as evidenced by the feral look in his eyes at the mental image she had just given him.

Gritting her teeth, she fought down the snarl of anger that nearly choked her and stormed out of the house and to her car. With her hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, she felt the heat of humiliation rise to her cheeks. The thought of being only one in a long succession of women he’d exploited and fucked over, stabbed at her.

She had rushed to him like some stupid, lust-struck idiot, playing right into his hands. That fucking note… That Goddamn gift… The way he had taken her the night before and the things he said… All a part of his game.

God, she was so ignorant.

“It’s not your day.”

Recalling his words made her want to scream and keep on screaming until her voice broke. Jealousy tore through her like shards of glass slicing at her soul when she envisioned the woman who looked like walking sex. What the fuck was wrong with her? She had no right to be jealous. No right to feel anything for anyone except for Nate, and she had already massively screwed that up. And all because of Victor and his threats and promises.

“Fuck my life!”

Just as the words rumbled out, she heard a tap on the window. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she turned the ignition and backed away.