Buttons and Shame Read online

  “Where?” She immediately crawled into the corner of the cot like a frightened animal. She pulled her knees to her chest, trying to hide behind them.

  I stood over the cot, piercing her with my terrifying gaze. “Get your ass up now.” I grabbed her by the ankle and yanked her off the bed until her back hit the floor. Then I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to her feet. “Do as I say or I’ll make you do as I say.” I yanked her head back so her eyes were focused on the ceiling, my lips pressed to her ear. “Any questions?”

  “No.”

  I released the knot of hair and walked out of the cell.

  She caught her breath then followed me, her eyes on me the entire time.

  I shut the door behind her then pointed to the stairs. “Up.”

  She walked up first, moving until she reached the door. It was unlocked, so she stepped inside.

  My hand moved to the back of her neck, but I didn’t dig my fingers into the skin the way I would have liked. I guided her to the other side of the house, moving past the grand dining room, the vaulted ceilings of the entryway, and the first living room with a large hearth that still burned with firewood.

  I took her to the second floor and into the bedroom she would soon be occupying. The large bathroom had a spacious shower, one with a glass door that opened and closed. I guided her inside then released her once she was in front of the shower. “Take off your clothes.” She’d been wearing them for four days now. They were about to go into the trash—to be forgotten.

  The feistiness returned to her eyes. She stared at me in offense, unable to believe the command I just gave her.

  “Did you not hear me?” I asked through clenched teeth, not wanting to waste time with another argument.

  “I’ll take off my clothes if you shut the door.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not how it works, lovely.”

  “Don’t call me that,” she hissed.

  “What do you prefer? Slave?”

  She raised her hand and tried to slap me across the face.

  I almost let her, but since establishing authority was more important right now, I snatched her by the wrist and yanked her arm to her side. Then I backhanded her across the cheek, slapping her hard enough to make the skin redden.

  She sucked in a short breath at the hit. Her head remained turned the other way, in shock that I actually did it.

  I grabbed her by both shoulders and shook her. “If you don’t want me to slap you, don’t slap me. If you don’t want me to hurt you, do as I say. If you don’t want me to fuck you on that bed in the other room, take off your clothes and get your ass in the shower.” I squeezed her hard before I finally let her go.

  I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for her to do as I commanded.

  She pulled her hair out of her face, her cheek turning red where my palm collided with the skin. Tears weren’t in her eyes, but she finally looked defeated, understanding that obeying my commands was better than defying me.

  She felt the bottom of her shirt but didn’t pull it over her head. She tried to think of a way out of her situation, but unfortunately, there was nothing she could do. She had to pay the price of her brother’s stupidity—even if it wasn’t fair.

  She finally pulled her top over her head, revealing a white bra underneath. Her tits formed a cleavage line down the middle, and it was the first time my cock thickened in interest. I had a long line of women in my life, and I never mixed business with pleasure, but seeing the natural swell of a rack was a bit of a turn on.

  She opened the shower door and turned on the warm water, letting it get hot as she unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her long legs. She didn’t make eye contact as she stripped down to her underwear, full of shame that she was giving in to my demands.

  She hesitated when she was left in only underwear, knowing I was going to see every inch of her bare skin in just a moment.

  I watched her in her black panties, still aroused even though she wasn’t wearing a thong. She had long and slender legs, the kind that would look kissable in heels. Her stomach was lined with muscles, subtle and sexy. Her arms were slender but defined by the grooves of muscle. She must have hit the gym a few times a week, probably to blow off steam after studying around the clock.

  She undid her bra and let it come loose. But before she took it off, she turned around so I couldn’t see her tits head-on.

  I almost commanded her to turn around.

  She set the bra on top of her pile of clothes then reached for her panties. Now she just wanted to get it over with, because she bent over and yanked them off before she stepped into the shower. But she didn’t move quick enough to stop me from seeing the pink skin of her pussy and a glimpse of her small asshole.

  Now I really was hard.

  She got into the shower and shut the door behind her, the warm water greeting her. Her hair clung to her neck once it was wet, and she grabbed a bottle of shampoo and massaged her scalp, ridding it of the oil and grime.

  I watched the water roll down her luscious body, peering through the steam that pressed against the glass doors. My cock twitched in my jeans the longer I stared at her. My arousal coursed through me at a blinding speed. I would have to make a trip to Glasgow to see one of my regulars. My cock needed to be sucked soon.

  She stayed under the water for a long time, much longer than necessary. She probably cherished the feeling of cleanliness. Up until that point, she’d been stuck in the same clothes as the oil built up on her scalp and skin. Now that she had to go without this luxury, she truly appreciated it.

  “That’s long enough,” I commanded.

  She stared at the faucet before she turned it off, ending her shower.

  I grabbed a thick towel and handed it to her, feeling my cock press against the fly of my jeans.

  She immediately covered herself with it, hiding her nakedness even though I’d already seen all the good stuff. She patted herself dry, finally looking at me again with the same displeasure.

  “You should dry your hair. Might get sick.” I pointed to the hair dryer.

  She eyed the hair dryer before she looked at me again. “Like I care about getting sick.”

  “Well, I do. I don’t want you to give it to me.” I smiled, trying to make a joke to wipe off the sour look on her face.

  She just looked angrier.

  She dried her hair quickly, using her fingers to comb through the strands as she kept the towel around her chest. When she was finished, she moved to grab her clothes, which were now gone. “What did you do with them?”

  “You aren’t wearing those anymore.” I picked up the outfit sitting on the bed. “This is what you’re wearing now.” It was a long gray dress with sleeves, made from thick cotton. It was the perfect size for her narrow waist, highlighting her curvy features around her chest, stomach, and ass.

  She tightened the towel around her torso as she stared at the dress in disappointment. “I’m supposed to wear that in the cell?”

  “You could wear it up here—if you behaved yourself.”

  She snatched the dress and headed back to the bathroom.

  “I don’t think so, lovely. You can get dressed in front of me.” I sat at the foot of the bed and leaned back on my elbows.

  The look she gave me was full of even more hatred than ever before. She pulled on the panties underneath her towel and managed to get the bra on in the same way. Then she abandoned the towel altogether and pulled the dress over her head. Even without makeup or styling her hair, she pulled it off.

  She still had an attitude, but at least she was obeying me. “What we do next is your call.” I was tempted to command her to ride my cock, but I didn’t think she would actually do it. She was scared of me, but not scared enough.

  “How so?”

  “Personally, I don’t want to keep you in a cell like a rat. It’s awfully cold and dark down there.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest.

  �
�But if you keep acting up, you won’t leave me much choice.”

  She looked out the bedroom window but couldn’t see anything since it was pitch black outside. It was two in the morning, so dawn was hours away. “What do you want from me? If you aren’t putting me into sex trafficking.”

  She’d finally started to ask questions. “It’s pretty simple. Your brother tried to rip me off during a business deal. He tried to steal four million dollars from me. With the business I run, that kind of betrayal can’t slide. So, I took something valuable from him—you.”

  Her arms slowly moved to her sides, and she forgot about her situation—for a heartbeat. “What kind of business do you run?”

  “I sell intelligence. And he bought it.”

  “Intelligence for what?” she asked. “My brother is a retirement advisor. He travels the world and tries to get people to invest in IRAs and SEPs.”

  The only reason why I didn’t laugh was because I actually pitied her. “Sorry, lovely. He lied to you.”

  She lowered her gaze, her eyes shifting back and forth as her mind worked quickly.

  “When I told him you were the price he was going to pay, he wasn’t happy. But that’s how it goes.”

  She came back to the conversation. “And what are you going to do with me?”

  “That remains to be seen. But I can assure you, it’ll be in whatever way I can cause him the most pain.” I left the bed and stood, towering over her with my height. “It’s nothing personal, London. You’re just a victim in this game we’re playing.”

  The hatred was gone from her expression. Now she continued to think quietly to herself, trying to understand the madness she had been thrown into. She was a prisoner in a foreign land, having no rights whatsoever. Whatever fear she had was hidden deep below the surface. “It is personal,” she whispered. “When you take my life away, it’s very personal.”

  28

  London

  I asked to be returned to the basement because it was the only environment I knew. But the longer I sat in the dark, even with new clothes and clean hair, the more the paranoia began to sink in. I’d put on a brave face for as long as I could, but my strength was fading away. The man keeping me here wasn’t like any other man I had ever met.

  He was strong.

  Smart.

  Powerful.

  When he laid his body on top of mine, that’s when the truth sank into my bones. He was an opponent I couldn’t defeat. I couldn’t use my size or my intelligence against him. When I was cornered like a rat, there was nowhere for me to hide.

  It would be so easy for me to freak out right now.

  But I’m not gonna break down.

  I’m gonna stay calm and try to figure this out.

  Crewe threatened to rape me, but he didn’t. He saw me naked, but he still didn’t force himself on me. He was difficult to read, but even though he granted me some mercy, I knew he was extremely dangerous.

  He had a whole team kidnap me and transfer me to this freezing island. I knew we were somewhere up north, somewhere out of the country. It was so different than the swelling humidity of New York City. I missed the sun and heat so much—like never before.

  My cot was uncomfortable, but the food was tolerable. I suspected if I ate it when it was fresh, it would actually be pretty good. I had a private toilet, so at least I didn’t have to use it in front of anyone. Crewe allowed me to keep some dignity.

  The news about Joseph was terrifying. If he had any connection to a man like Crewe, I had to believe he wasn’t really a retirement salesman. He truly was mixed up with bad people, serious criminals like the man who currently had me trapped.

  But one thing kept me calm.

  Joseph knew Crewe had captured me.

  Maybe I didn’t know my brother as well as I thought I did. But I knew he loved me fiercely, and he would do anything to protect me. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was working on a plan to get me out of here.

  I just had to be patient.

  Staying in this basement would make things more difficult. I had to get to the surface, to check out the rest of the house. If Joseph made his move, having me down here would just make my rescue more difficult.

  So I would have to do something I strongly didn’t want to do.

  I would have to obey Crewe.

  Crewe brought me breakfast the following morning instead of sending his butler, Finley. Dressed in a midnight black suit, his broad shoulders looked utterly masculine. Without being able to see his skin, it was obvious he was packed with lean muscle. He had dark brown hair that nearly looked black, a five o’clock shadow on his chin even though he probably just shaved a few hours ago, and he had an arrogant smile on those full lips. He slid the tray of food under the bars then stood to his full height, something over six feet.

  When I saw my captor for the first time, I was surprised by his appearance. I expected a monster, a disgusting middle aged man who had nothing better to do than kidnap young women. I expected him to be fat and flabby, a fiend who couldn’t get women on his own.

  But Crewe could definitely get women on his own.

  If I saw him on my morning walk to the coffee shop in Manhattan, I’d probably stop just to strike up a conversation with him, hoping it would lead to a date for the weekend. I didn’t have a problem being forward with men. Time was important to me, and I liked to get to the point as quickly as possible. If he wasn’t into me, that was just fine. I would find someone who was.

  Crewe stood at the door of my cell, his hands sliding into the pockets of his slacks. “Morning.”

  I bit my tongue just so I wouldn’t say anything. Something about his air of arrogance just made me want to defy him. It had nothing to do with the fact that he had kidnapped me from my bed and taken me to the other side of the world. Something about him immediately put me on edge and made me want to ignore his requests just to annoy him. He was the kind of man who got under my skin—but I had no idea why.

  He stared at me with his handsome face, his chiseled features and pretty brown eyes. They were mocha, warm and radiant. They matched everything about him perfectly, hinting at a dark core. “Didn’t sleep well, lovely?”

  I knew he called me that just to annoy me. “My day was going pretty well until you showed up.”

  He chuckled, his eyes lighting up at the same time. “I thought I was being a nice guy by bringing you breakfast. Should I have brought flowers instead?”

  “You should have brought cash and a passport.”

  He smiled, amused by my smartass comments. “You’re smart. I guess it makes sense since you’re a doctor.”

  “I’m not a doctor. I would be training to become one right now if you hadn’t kidnapped me.”

  “How far along were you in school?”

  I ignored the question, not wanting to chit-chat.

  He slid his arms through the bars as he relaxed, probably daring me to try something. He wanted any opportunity to exert his power over me. He baited me into making attacks so he could squish me like a bug. “If you calm down, I’ll invite you upstairs. It’s a beautiful house. It’s been restored but the natural history of the castle has been preserved. You seem like someone who would appreciate it.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because you’ve been living in a rat hole for a week.”

  I nearly laughed at his wit.

  “So, what’s it gonna be? Are you gonna play nice?”

  “What does that mean, exactly?” I sat on my cot and kept my knees together so he wouldn’t see up my dress. “Because I’ll never be pleasant company.”

  “That makes two of us. I just don’t want you to attack Finley or Ariel. They’re good people.”

  “Who’s Ariel?”

  He grinned like I said something particularly interesting. “Jealous, lovely?”

  “No, idiot,” I snapped. “I’ve met Finley. I haven’t seen this Ariel person before.”

  “She’s my business partner.”

 
“Oh.” My insides turned in anger. Another woman was in the house, knowing I was locked up down here. How could she stand aside and not give a damn? How could she call herself a woman and do nothing? I hadn’t even met the woman, and I hated her. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. If I’m gonna make a move on anyone, it’ll be you.”

  “Ooh…I hope it’s the kind of move I like.” He winked.

  The fact that I thought he was charming—even for an instant—irritated me. This guy was a psychopath with a good sense of humor. That was it.

  “I can settle for that.” He unlocked the door and opened it. “Grab your breakfast and eat at the table upstairs.”

  I stared at the open door, unable to believe he was actually letting me out. “You’re really so naïve to think I won’t try to hurt you?”

  He grinned like my words had no impact. “Lovely, I’d like to see you try.”

  “Stop calling me that.”

  “Would you prefer Slave?” he asked. “Because that has a nice ring to it too.”

  I couldn’t handle a title like that, so I shut my mouth. Lovely was much better.

  “Lovely it is.” He nodded to the stairway. “After you.”

  I stopped myself from rolling my eyes and reached the next floor. With my plate still in hand, I walked to the table. My plate contained scrambled eggs, a slice of toast, and a piece of bacon. It wasn’t much, but since I wasn’t eating much anyway, it was perfect.

  I didn’t see much of the first floor last time I was released from my cage. I’d been too terrified of Crewe to think about anything besides him. I concentrated on how close he was to me, the way he moved his hands as he walked. In anticipation of a strike, I kept my eyes on him.

  But now I knew I was safe—for the time being.

  “This way.” Crewe led the way into the enormous kitchen. It had two ovens, two microwaves, and enough kitchen space to prepare dinner for dozens of people. A kitchen table sat beside the large window that took up most of the wall. “Would you like some coffee?”