Page 17 of Ruthless Prince
At least I was still alive to feel humiliated,though.
I opened my eyes and dared another look at him, chest heaving with each shallow, petrified breath. As I expected, he was staring down at my nakedness, eyes glinting with ruthless desire in the dark, deep-set holes on the top half of themask.
His lascivious gaze and the way it slowly traveled over my body sent a strange thrill through my veins. Horror washed over me immediately afterward. This was the worst experience of my life. There was nothing exciting aboutit.
The man removed one of his gloves and trailed two warm fingers over my bare chest. “Are you cold, or do you like this?” he asked as my nipples tightened into stiff points. “Don’t worry, I know you can’t answer,” he went on. “I think I know what you’d say,though.”
His voice was tinged with amusement, as if he thought I’d actually admit it was his presence that made my nipples harden. I glared up at him.You wish,asshole.
He seemed to know exactly what I was thinking, because he chuckled and kept stroking me in long, languid movements. My shivering body shamefully welcomed the fire of his skin, even though my heart was racing with fear andfury.
“Turn over,” he said a moment later, slowly pullingback.
At first, I was too frozen with fear to follow his command. He leaned down again and muttered into my ear. “Don’t make me tell youagain.”
My breath caught in my throat as a tear spilled from my left eye and rolled down my cheek. Conjuring up every ounce of willpower I had left, I rolled over and lay on my stomach, turning my head to one side so I didn’t suffocate myself with thepillows.
After I’d settled into the new position, the masked man reached over to my bedside table and picked up a patterned teacup and saucer. They came from a vintage china set which usually sat on a low accent table on the other side of the room. He must’ve moved them while I was asleepearlier.
The pattern on the set was called Blue Willow. I’d loved it since I was a child, because I shared a name with it. Now the sight of it made me feel nauseated because it was held in such a repulsive man’shands.
Obviously, I had no idea if he was actually ugly or not, but his actions told me all I needed to know about his soul. That was as hideous and twisted as theycame.
I remained motionless as he placed the cup and saucer on my upper back, just under my shoulder blades. “I have to leave you alone for a minute,” he said. “If you move even the slightest bit, these will slip off you, and I’ll hear it. Trust me, you don’t want that to happen. Blink twice if youunderstand.”
I did as he said. He nodded. “Goodgirl.”
He stepped away from the bed. For the next few minutes, I heard him rummaging through the drawers on the other side of the room. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if he was just a thrill-seeker who got his kicks from robbing high-profile targets, but then I realized that was just wishful thinking. If he only intended to rob me, he wouldn’t have cut my nightdressoff.
When he returned to my side, he removed the china and placed it back on the bedside table. Only then did I allow myself to take a properbreath.
“Time to get up,” he said. He dragged me off the edge of the bed, forcing me onto my feet. I saw what he’d taken from my drawers now—several pairs of blackpantyhose.
“Walk,” he commanded, jerking his thumb to the left. “I want you overthere.”
My knees were so weak I worried they’d buckle, but somehow I found the strength to follow the order without collapsing. When I reached the spot he’d pointed toward, he told me to lie flat on my stomach. “Eyes forward,” he said as I lowered myself to the soft carpet. “Good girl. Spread your legs a little. Yes, like that. Now bend them at theknees.”
Salty tears rolled down my face and into my mouth as I kicked my legs in theair.
“Anklestogether.”
As soon as I’d done what he said, he wrapped some of the pantyhose around my ankles, tying them to each other. Then he grabbed my arms and roughly pulled them behind my back before attaching them to my bound ankles with another bit ofpantyhose.
I was now hogtied and utterlyhelpless.
Waves of panic peaked in me as I waited for whatever dreadful act came next. I tried to moan the word ‘please’ through the tie in a last-ditch appeal for mercy, but it was barelyaudible.
“What did I tell you about trying to speak?” said the man, crouching in front of me. He radiated heat, power, and the right to possess. “Badgirl.”
When he held up the knife again, I gulped and closed my eyes, head sagging against the carpet. I’d fought him and tried to stop everything, but it didn’t make a difference. My resolve grew weaker with every minute he spent in my world, and it was clear I could never win. No amount of begging or pleading would change that. There was nothing to do now but give up and let him do whatever he wanted tome.
He moved behind me and reached between my legs, skimming the blade of the knife over my inner thighs. I wanted nothing more than to writhe and moan in response, but I stayed as still and silent as possible as he slid the tip farther up and over the most delicate part of me. If I moved even a fraction of an inch, the knife couldslip.
“Look at this,” the man growled a moment later, pullingaway.
I opened my eyes and stifled a sob at the sight before me. My body’s betrayal was stark on the tip of the blade dangling in front of my face, glistening in themoonlight.
“Look how much you love it,” the man went on, voice laced with twisted amusement. “You’re dripping all over the floor for me, you littleslut.”
