The Assassin's Bride Ch. 03

Carina was abruptly deposited onto the bed, and Michael briskly gripped her ankles, yanking her back to him when she tried to crawl away. Seizing the front of her shirt, he ripped it open, sending the buttons popping in all directions.

"You destroy everything that I wear!" she raged, as her shorts gave out a sharp, rending noise and were torn free and discarded.

"I'll buy you more," he said dismissively, now focused on her deliciously naked body.

"Maybe I liked this outfit!" she said shrilly, slapping his hands away from her chest. His fingers closed about her wrists and held them against the mattress.

"We both know when it was legal, you wore as little as possible," he smiled against her elegant neck. With no comeback to the truth of his words, Carina squealed angrily.

"There's no one to impress here," she complained, wistfully thinking back to her pastime of provoking men from afar.

"There is me."

Carina snorted.

"Just because I can hold you accountable for teasing, does not mean I'd enjoy the sight any less," he said swiftly, tugging his shirt upwards and undoing his trousers.

"I like a safe distance. That's what made it fun, you know that," she fumed, uselessly pushing at his strong shoulders as they closed in on her.

"Well, in that case, I'm afraid your cruel hobby is over," he said smoothly, then he seemed to forget their conversation as he pressed forward, his cock finding her pussy and slowly stretching it wide.

"Urgh," Carina grunted, straining under him. The material of his shirt stimulated her chest with his movements, causing her nipples to harden. "Please...Michael..."

"Mmm?" he moaned distractedly, kissing up her neck and jaw. "You know when I first saw you," he breathed, thrusting at a faster pace. "You brought all kinds of cheesy 'falling from heaven' idioms to mind. As I got to know you, I felt it was more likely you crawled out of the Earth, rather than fell from the clouds. Such an exquisitely beautiful, inherently wicked tease, the way you tortured men with your existence. That's when I knew you were the woman for me."

"That is not flattering!" Carina said waspishly, beginning to sweat from the heat of him against her, feeling the energy sapped from her body as she futilely resisted. She heard Michael laugh, the sound slightly hoarse from his passion. His hands left her wrists and wandered over her breasts.

Risking an upwards glance, she saw his eyes tightly shut, his brow furrowed with intensity.

"Don't- don't come inside me Michael!" she said anxiously, noticing he began to thrust urgently, his cock throbbing and stiffening inside her.

"What will you do to stop me?" he teased, slowing his thrusts, flicking his thumbs across her nipples. "What will you barter, for me to comply?" he panted, opening his eyes to watch her breathlessly.

"You're revolting," Carina gasped indignantly, trying to detach his cock from her. "This is a real low point, even for you."

"You look so hot, when you're desperate," Michael callously observed. But he didn't have time to torment her. Forcing his mouth on hers, he withdrew his cock at the same time. Trapped in his kiss, Carina felt the familiar warmth of his cum streaking across her belly as he pumped his cock above her with one hand.

The disgust on her face was so apparent, he burst out laughing.

"I really do have to hustle," he said, as though that was a worthy explanation for his behaviour. Reaching for a box of tissues by the bedside, he wiped her belly in his usual clean-up routine.

"I suggest a long, hot, relaxing bath," he said, his eyes mischievously glowing at the reminder of the last time he'd ambushed her.

Checking his watch again, he quickly did up his trousers. "I'll see you soon," he murmured, bending to kiss her. Carina scowled and turned her face away, but he seized a handful of her hair and forced her to hold still while he kissed her long and deep.

"The door will unlock after half an hour," he said against her mouth. "Remember there is nowhere for you to run safely, and I will be watching." After giving her a last warning look, he hurried from the room, the door locks clicking into place on the other side.

Half an hour later, Carina jumped as she heard the timed locks automatically unlatch. Comfortably curled up on one of the lounges near the dining area, she continued to read one of the books selected from a neat pile on the coffee table, now and then reaching out to pick at the platter of food Michael had left behind. She vaguely wondered when he had righted the overturned table from the first evening and cleaned up the mess.

Eventually, she went to run a bath, trying to block out the fact Michael advised it. It definitely relaxed her, and she settled at the other end of the tub, where she could see the door, just in case. She could also view the sky through the clear screen above the shower. Breathing in the lemongrass-infused steam rising from the water, she idly watched the grey sky turn blue and bright, then become dulled by faint streaks of pink and orange as evening approached.

By the time she decided to get out, the sky was darkening, and drops of water fell against the clear screen as it lightly rained. Her fingers and toes were shrivelled like prunes. After drying herself thoroughly, she moisturised, admiring her slender, firm body in the large mirror. This wasn't an entirely distinct experience from the life she was accustomed to. Of course, there were less people to talk to, and no freedoms. But she had lived the privileged life of a kept woman, and was content to be left alone in luxury for periods of time.

She read for a while on the balcony, enjoying the soothing sound of rain pattering the trees. Soon it was too dark, the suite lights no longer brightened the pages to visibility, and harmless bugs began to pester her as they were magnetically drawn to the glow of interior lights.

Wondering how to keep up her fitness regime in her new surroundings, she strutted about the suite naked, contemplating incorporating aspects of her other life into this one, until she found a way out. For fun, she decided to try a handstand. Tentatively bending over, her hands firmly settled on the cool tiles, and once she was sure of a stable pressure, she gleefully pushed up. But before she could straighten completely, her balance wobbled and she quickly dropped back down before she collapsed. Casting a paranoid glance to the camera on the ceiling, she hoped Michael didn't trawl through every minute of footage.

Carina ran a comb through her damp hair, turned out the lights, and climbed into bed, surprisingly relaxed. It was nice to be alone and comfortable. Again she acknowledged the arrangement with Michael had its similarities to the way she lived before, except the blaringly obvious - she didn't want to be there.

Dreamily dosing off, Carina's cry lodged in her throat as something leapt onto the bed. At the same time, a hand closed over her neck and cruelly squeezed.

"I will release you, and you will not scream," a deep voice calmly spoke above Carina, almost muffled by the blood pumping in her ears. A moment later, the intruder stealthily backed off the bed and seated himself nearby while she gasped for breath.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Carina took a moment to clear her throat and find her voice. "I-I'm Carina," she winced hoarsely.

"What are you doing here?"

Completely bewildered, she stared at the man by the bed. Shaking her head briskly, she tried to recover the from the shock of being pounced on in the night, by someone other than Michael.

"What are you doing here?" he repeated sharply.

"I'm a prisoner," she weakly replied, squinting at him in the dark. As her eyes adjusted, she could vaguely make out his features in the moonlight. "Are...are you here for Michael?"

Perhaps he was hired by Carlos to rescue her. Hope fluttered in her chest.

"Michael?" the man echoed suspiciously, dashing her confidence. "Don't you mean, Ethan?"

"If that is his name, I wouldn't know," Carina said bitterly.

"Why did he leave you alone here, and not take you with him?"

Carina shrugged. "Because I would run away."

The man slightly tilted his head, as though amused.

"You're a slave? Did he buy you? You look very expensive."

"No," Carina snapped, her lip curling with disgust. Though it was quite dark, she tugged the blanket up to shield her body from his interested perusal. "He kidnapped me."

"From where?"

"His last shitty job," she snarled.

"He took you from an assignment?" the man exclaimed incredulously, clearly taken aback.

"So many questions -- why don't you ask him yourself?" Carina threw at him, massaging her bruised throat.

"Because we both know he is not here," the visitor smoothly answered. "I was expecting the place to be empty, until I saw..." he finished the sentence by clearing his throat, and Carina sensed his eyebrows were raised. Remembering she pranced about the suite naked, and the failed handstand, she felt her cheeks redden.

"If you knew he was gone, why did you strangle me, and tell me not to scream?" Carina said irritably.

"Habit," he shrugged carelessly.

Carina jerked upright, registering that she was being presented with a critical opportunity.

"Take me with you!" she begged, as excited adrenaline coursed through her body. "Or tell me how to get out of here."

The man ignored her and stood, glancing around. "If you're a prisoner, I'm guessing you can't help me find what I need," he pondered aloud.

"You're not here to kill him?" Carina exclaimed, flabbergasted.

The man gave her a look that suggested she was being overly dramatic.

"Of course not. We know each other."

"But how-" she began.

"No more questions," he cut her off, checking his watch. The light temporarily illuminated his face, and Carina saw he was very good looking, with blonde hair and chiselled features. Before she could decipher more, the light blinked out, taking his image with it.

"Take me though a fucking interrogation, but don't worry about my questions," she muttered sullenly.

For the first time, the man laughed. "I can see why he took a shine to you."

"Please," she said earnestly, gazing up at his tall, dark figure. "Please just tell me how to get out of here."

She could tell the man's handsome face screwed up with cynical thoughtfulness. "Hmm... nah. I don't want to get involved with his dirty laundry."

"I'll tell him you were here!" she threatened heatedly as he strode to the door. "He'll come after you."

"Honey, he'll know I've been here without you opening your pretty mouth," he chuckled, hitting the lights.

As the room immediately brightened, Carina perceived he was very fit, and slightly exerted from climbing the balcony. He wore a small, black backpack, and his stretchy, olive t-shirt was damp with sweat, rain, and streaks of wet dirt. His hair was slicked back, as though he'd poured water over himself to cool down. Perhaps she had spent too much time with Latinos, but Carina believed she looked into the lightest, most piercing blue eyes she'd ever encountered. Following his comment about her mouth, she realised the pale blue eyes lingered on her full lips, her dishevelled long hair, before dropping to her cleavage. Next moment, he was out the door.

"At least tell me why you are here!" she shouted after him, but he was gone.

Scrambling out of bed, she tentatively poked her head out to stare down the wide corridor. Bracing to chase after him, Carina remembered she was naked.

Swearing furiously and not caring if he heard, she darted back into the room for clothes. After clumsily dressing in black leggings and a loose, pink t-shirt, she tore back into the hallway, looking right, then left.

"Where are you..." she muttered, sprinting to the staircase on the right, pausing to listen for sounds.

The property was quiet in the night, and she stilled on the second landing, hearing an unmistakable rustling of movement. Peering around the corner, she saw the man crouched down, rifling through his backpack. Sticky patches were applied to the closed door, connecting wires to a small machine on the floor. Checking his paper, he picked up the little machine and began to press buttons.

Carina slowly crept up on him, wondering what he wanted from the room. It looked like an ordinary door that could have opened to anything, an office or a bedroom. It wasn't protective steel like the food larder.

"Go back to bed," he instructed, without turning around. He sounded impatient and mildly frustrated, as though whatever he was doing wasn't working.

"No," Carina said defiantly, sidling closer.

"Bed. Now," the man said, an authoritative tone creeping into his voice.

"Or what?" Carina said, resolutely crossing her arms.

The man put the gadget down and stood to his full height. Carina instinctively took a step back as he approached, seemingly much taller than she'd gauged by the sight of him from the bed.

"Do you make a habit of taunting strange men?" he asked, slowly closing the distance between them until she realised the wall was at her back.

"No," she said timidly. Although clearly nervous, her voice was distinctly petulant.

The man smiled disarmingly at her, and folded his arms across his wide chest. "I think you do. Have you seen Ethan open that door?"

"Maybe," Carina lied, her chin raised arrogantly. "Tell me how to get out of here."

"Tell me how to open the door," he murmured. "And I'll teach you how to handstand."

Mortified, Carina stared at him with speechless outrage.

"You're not afraid, are you?" he remarked with narrowed eyes. "Not in the civilian way, I mean. You're not rattled by a man, like me, showing up in the night. Very curious. It makes me wonder where he found you."

Carina stared back, not giving anything away.

"So, Carina," he continued quietly, moving closer when she chose not to answer. The sound of her name on a stranger's lips, spoken with easy confidence, made her slightly giddy. "Can you open the door, or not?"

Carina was nervous and excited. Ribbons of adrenaline-fused thrills curled in her belly and began to pool down her lower body.

"Why are you flushed and panting?" he asked, but there was a warmth in his eyes that told her he knew.

"Tut-tut," he teased, leaning toward her mouth. In close proximity, Carina felt her heart might leap from her chest. She hadn't felt this kind of chemistry since she first met Eduardo.

"Your eyes are an interesting colour," he observed, sounding objectively curious. Carina smiled up at him engagingly, silently inviting him closer.

Soon enough he accepted, his head lowering until their mouths were centimetres apart. Pausing, his eyes raised to a camera in the hall, then back to her dazed, beautiful face.

"Ethan won't be pleased," he grinned wickedly, and kissed her.

Carina's mouth immediately opened, and the man deepened the kiss. She felt dizzy, vaguely aware of his large hands sliding up her back, and felt like her body was slowly melting to become light as a feather that might float away.

"I've hit a dead end here," his deep voice whispered against her lips, and Carina opened her eyes breathlessly. "Or have I?"

Carina didn't answer, but slid her hands up his thick arms and shoulders, to entwine behind his neck. She wondered if he could feel her heartbeat thundering across her chest.

"Something of a honey trap, aren't you?" he said softly, eyeing her with both amusement and desire.

Carina closed her eyes and almost moaned at the electric excitement created by his toned chest against her breasts, and something else hard and firm pressing against her abdomen. His warm breath travelled tantalisingly down her neck, and he gently kissed the sore point he'd grasped earlier.

Carina trembled with lust when one of his hands slipped under the shirt, the heat of his palm gently paused on her slender waist. Though his touch was mild, it generated a burning warmth on her bare skin, and she ached for his hand to move higher and cup her breast. Her nipples were hard, her chest extremely sensitive, and Carina suspected she could actually come if he caressed her breasts while kissing her.

The scent of his skin was alluringly male, with a familiar hint of soap that she couldn't place. With his mouth moving down the side of her neck, Carina's legs almost gave way. It was one of the most uniquely erotic scenarios of her life, engaging so sensually with a complete stranger. A potential enemy, or saviour. The danger of it made her lightheaded.

"Sorry," he gently apologised for his earlier brutality, his mouth gently brushed against her soft, bruised skin.

Then he released her and abruptly moved away, seemingly unaffected by the encounter. He marched back to the door and methodically packed away his things, pulling the stickered wires free of the door with resolute snaps.

"I want you to help me, Carina," he said, concentrating on his small back pack. Then he straightened, and looked back at her. His mouth formed an attractive, winsome smile, and Carina's heart fluttered. "I'll be back."

She merely gaped at him when he brushed past her and made for the stairs. "You can tell Ethan what you like," his voice floated up to her from the stairwell as she followed him down. "Be warned - he has ways to get the truth from people."

"Wait! What is your name?" Carina stumbled down the stairs in time to see the oak doors swing gently closed behind him.

By the time she pushed the doors open, there was nothing but the night to greet her. Pouting her disappointment, Carina slowly made her way back to the suite, annoyed she didn't get a proper look at him. Inwardly she admitted she was mostly upset she couldn't double check if he really had an erection. Though she was confident it nudged her, the man didn't seem particularly enamoured by her charms.

Back in bed, wide awake, Carina felt like she would never sleep again. The new intrigue thrilled her, her pussy was drenched. Laying back under the covers, Carina gently stroked herself, thinking of the man. Her fingers were quickly soaked whilst her mind replayed her interaction with the visitor. She wanted to kiss him again, and wondered if he merely toyed with her.

So long as he helped her escape, it didn't matter. She remembered the man's apparent indifference to her magnetism that drove most men crazy. But she remembered the delicious heat of his kiss, his erection. He was hard, she was almost certain she didn't imagine it. If only she had been less dazzled, and more brazen. Her breathing intensified as her mind wandered into fantasy.

"Mmmm," she smiled naughtily, beginning to finger herself. She wanted to push him onto the bed, delve into his pants and find his cock. She wanted see his wide, toned chest tremble with lust for her; to see his light blue eyes roam her breasts, admire her face while she slowly lowered onto his cock. She wanted to fuck him all night long, with his large, warm hands touching her breasts the way she craved earlier. Her smile widened evilly as she imagined Michael watching them on camera, fists clenched with a trembling rage, his face twisted with fury. Carina shuddered, slowly thrusting against her hand as the wicked image brought her to climax.

The man said he would come back. It was an enticing treat she looked forward to with anticipation, like a schoolgirl with a new crush. It was a world away from the dread she experienced when Michael said he would return for her. Whatever happened, one thing was certain. When Michael was away, she would always be naked.

The next two days passed without incident. Carina cheerfully enjoyed her free time in the lounge, on the balcony, in the bath. Only once she sun baked on the front lawn with a book, wondering if she was being watched by someone other than Michael. The newcomer was always in the back of her mind.