Dark Perception: The Corde Noire Series (32 page)

A knock on her door snapped her out of
her daze. Wiping away her tears, she stood and stretched for the
doorknob.

“
Are you all right?” Nathan
bounded in the door.

“
No,” she sniffled as he
held her against him.

“
I’m sorry you had to
suffer through that. But at least you finally see him for what he
really is.” He ran his hand over her hair. “He doesn’t love you,
Melinda. If he did, he would never have just walked
away.”

Melinda leaned back and explored his
deep brown eyes. “How did you know that he…?” She stopped and
looked to the intercom by the door. The yellow button had been
pressed down. “Were you listening?”

“
Damn right I was. I hit
the intercom before I left you alone with him. I had to listen in
and make sure he didn’t hurt you.”

She backed out of his arms. “Nathan,
that was a private conversation between Jack and me. You had no
right to listen in.”

“
I had every right,
Melinda.” His tone turned cold. “He came into my building and
attacked me. I should have had Phil toss his skinny ass out on the
street! But I knew you needed to see what he truly was: a spiteful,
selfish, spoiled child.”

His words stung, but Melinda thought
it best not to stand up for Jack. She had learned enough about
Nathan to know she should never challenge him. She didn’t want to
make him angry.

“
He was wrong to attack you
like that,” she began, keeping her voice steady. “He was just
upset. I told you how protective he was of me, but you’re right. I
needed to see him for what he is. It’s over.”

A flicker of suspicion shone in his
eyes. “Is it over … truly?”

She raised her head, trying to appear
confident. “Yes, I’m over Jack.”

Nathan uttered a relieved sigh. “He
was just trying to put a wedge between us. He’s jealous, that’s
all. Jealous of what we have.”

Curiously, she studied his face. “What
exactly do we have, Nathan?”

“
You know what we have,
Melinda.” He touched the black collar around her neck. “You’re
everything to me.”

Rubbing her hands together, Melinda
posed the question Jack’s visit had roused in her. “Do you love me,
Nathan?”

He stared at her for a moment,
seemingly confounded by her question. “Is that what you need to
hear? That I love you?”

She slowly nodded her head, hoping she
wasn’t overstepping her bounds, but Melinda needed to know. She
needed to feel justified for staying with him.

“
Sometimes a woman needs to
hear the words to know it’s true,” she reasoned.

He stepped up and grasped her arm. “I
could ask the same thing of you, Melinda. In all the time we’ve
been together, never once have you told me how you feel. You told
Jack you couldn’t walk away from me, but you never said anything
about loving me.” His wintry stare burned into her. “Do you love
me, Melinda?” His grip tightened on her arm.

Wanting to appease him, Melinda was
about to tell him what he needed to hear, but then she hesitated.
She had to sound convincing, not frightened.

“
I love you, Nathan,” she
firmly declared.

He let go of her arm. “Do you?
Somehow, I find your words rather hollow.”

She stepped closer, entreating him
with her eyes. “You have given me everything I’ve ever dreamt of.
How could I not love you?”

“
Those are things, Melinda.
They don’t prove you love me.”

Taken aback, she dropped her eyes.
“What do you want me to do, Nathan?”

“
Give yourself to me. All
of you.” Her eyes shot to his. “Be mine in every way and promise
never to leave me.”

His lurid grin turned her stomach.
“What are you asking?”

His mouth hovered in front of her
face. “Prove to me you love me. Marry me.”

Melinda recoiled as if she had been
kicked in the gut. Was it supposed to feel like this when a man
proposed? Would she have reacted this way if Jack had asked her to
marry him?

“
Do you want me to beg like
Jack?” His grin slipped away. “Most women who are in love don’t
hesitate to reply to such a proposal.”

“
I … I’m not hesitating. I
guess I’m just a little surprised, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting
for you to—”

“
I love you, Melinda.” His
voice was soft and reassuring.

She gazed into his deep brown orbs,
but she didn’t see love. There was something sinister shining back
… and it horrified her.

“
Are you sure, Nathan? Are
you sure you want me?”

He threw his arms around her. “Marry
me. Say yes and I will never question your loyalty
again.”

Could she marry a man who raised more
doubt in her than certainty? Perhaps the disappointments inflicted
by others had hardened her against the joys of life, making such
moments seem less fulfilling. She assured herself this was right.
Here was a man who could grant her every wish. What more was
there?

“
Yes, Nathan. I’ll marry
you.”

He suffocated her with a long,
unrelenting kiss. When he finally let her go, Melinda felt a little
dizzy.

“
I’ll buy you the biggest
diamond I can find, and we’ll plan any kind of wedding you want.
Spare no expense.” He touched his forehead to hers. “How does a
honeymoon in Rome sound to you?”

Her mouth fell open.
“Rome?”

“
It’s the most romantic
city I know. Perhaps we can go on to Paris and then London. I want
to show you the world, Melinda.” He paused and his brow furrowed.
“After I put this deal to bed, we can go anywhere you want. Once
the Market Street papers are signed, we can start planning our
wedding.”

“
If that’s what you want,
Nathan.” She was about to slink away when he pulled her back into
his arms.

“
We need to celebrate,” he
said, and kissed her neck.

“
What did you have in mind?
I don’t have any champagne.”

“
Let’s do something
new.”

Her body stiffened. “New? What do you
mean?”

Nathan began unbuttoning her blouse.
“Just something different. You want me to please you, don’t you?”
He slid the silk blouse over her shoulders and let it fall to the
floor.

“
Of course, Nathan.” She
reached for his shirt, but he held her hands.

“
No.” He kissed her
fingers. “I’m going to take care of you.” He undid her bra and
tossed it to the floor. He gently ran his fingers over her erect
nipples. “I’m going to make sure you’re always safe.” His hands
went to the zipper on her slacks. After pushing her trousers down
to her ankles, he reached into her underwear. “Spread your legs for
me,” he whispered.

Melinda kicked away her shoes and
spread her feet. While his fingers went to work, probing her
delicate folds, she groaned.

Tugging her underwear from her hips,
Nathan spun her around and then shoved her against the door.
Forcing her legs further apart, he drove three fingers deep into
her.

“
You like this,
baby?”

She slapped her hands against the
door. “Faster, Nathan.”

As he relentlessly moved his fingers
in and out, the orgasm rose from the depths of her
groin.

“
I can feel you coming,” he
murmured in her ear.

But right before her climax hit,
Nathan withdrew his fingers.

She opened her eyes. “Don’t
stop.”

He kissed the back of her neck.
“Patience, baby. We’ve got all night.”

“
Please, Nathan.” She
reached down and shoved his hand deeper into her.

“
You want me to go on,
don’t you?”

“
Yes, Sir.”

Nathan spun her away from the door. He
brought her hands together, and when Melinda glanced down, she saw
him securing her wrists with a slender, silver chain.

She tugged at the chain. “What are you
doing?”

“
Teaching you a lesson, my
darling.”

Her heart rose in her throat.
“What?”

He pulled on the chain, leading her to
the sofa. “Did you enjoy kissing Jack?”

She stumbled behind him. “Nathan, it
wasn’t like—”

He pointed to the floor in front of
the sofa. “Get on your knees.”

“
You can’t believe that I
would—”

He tugged at the chain, cutting her
off. “Do as I say!”

Terrified of what would come, Melinda
kneeled before the sofa.

“
Face the sofa,” he ordered
as he moved the coffee table aside and stood behind her. “I’m the
only one who can satisfy you.” He lifted her bound hands and placed
them on the sofa cushion. “I’m the one who will decide when you
will feel pleasure … or pain.” He ran his hands down her back until
they came to rest on her round bottom.

“
What are you going to do?”
she breathlessly begged as he spread her legs apart.

“
I’m going to show you how
much I love you, Melinda.” He slapped her butt right across the
seat, hard.

Melinda cried out.

He put his fingers to her lips. “Not a
sound, baby. Not a single sound.”

He rammed his fingers into her, making
Melinda grunt. Nathan pressed into her back and moved his fingers
slowly in and out.

Arching as the tingle of her orgasm
grew steadily stronger, Melinda was rocking her hips against his
hand, urging him to move faster. She groaned as the pleasure
undulated through her. Then right before her release, he removed
his fingers and spanked her ass.

She curled into the sofa. “You
bastard.”

He smacked her again. “Careful. You
don’t want to make me angry.”

Nathan forced his fingers into her
once more.

Melinda lurched forward. She clung to
the seat cushion of the sofa as the orgasm migrated up her spine.
Just when she felt herself coming close once more, he stopped. The
pain of the slap on her butt was so intense, tears filled her eyes,
but she didn’t make a sound.

Nathan flipped her around to face him.
While kissing her chest, he slipped her bound wrists over his head,
forcing Melinda to lean on him.

“
I like this game.” He
drove his teeth into the side of her neck.

Melinda whimpered and reciprocated by
biting his chest. Nathan laughed, grasped her thick red hair, and
yanked her head back.

“
Is that any way to treat
your future husband?” He thrust his fingers back into her. “I think
you need a reminder of who is in charge here, darling.”

Once again, he brought her to the
tipping point, and then abruptly stopped. While her breath slowed,
he kissed her neck and brushed his thumbs over her nipples. When
she finally relaxed against him, he shoved his fingers painfully
inside her.

Nathan repeatedly finessed her to the
edge of orgasm, but never allowed her to come. Every time he jerked
his fingers away, the ache between her legs became more
excruciating. Soon, Melinda was soaked with sweat and her muscles
were cramping. When he finally removed her hands from behind his
neck, she collapsed on the sofa.

He arched over her. “Beg me to finish
this, Melinda, and I will.”

“
Please, Sir, make it
stop.”

“
Am I the only man for
you?”

She crumpled to her side, exhausted.
“Yes, Sir,” she moaned.

“
Good girl.” He stood up
and tugged on the silver chain, forcing her to her feet. “Come with
me.”

Melinda struggled to her feet, her
muscles quivering. Nathan led her down the short hallway to the
storage room. Turning the key in the dead bolt, he opened the door
and urged her into the stark white room.

He unzipped his jeans. “Get down on
all fours.”

Too tired to argue, Melinda did as he
asked.

When Nathan plunged his cock into her,
she once again came alive with yearning. Melinda wanted to curse
her body for enjoying him. She was so aroused, the slightest
movement from him sent tremors throughout her being. With every
penetration, he compelled her closer to a powerful orgasm. She
whimpered, struggling to hold back, refusing to let him have the
satisfaction of manipulating her. She wanted to be able to resist
him, to show him she could be the same determined Melinda she had
once been.

“
Don’t fight me, baby. You
know you want to come, and I will fuck you until you
do.”

Unable to defy him any
longer, the avalanche of release overtook her.
The
only thing she could register
were the pulsations in her groin. Melinda gave one long guttural
cry and collapsed on the white-tiled floor.

Nathan patted her backside. “Good
girl.”

Rolling over, she glowered up at him.
“Do you enjoy humiliating me?”

“
I wasn’t humiliating you.”
He stood up. “I was proving a point.”