IN HIS KEEPING: TAKEN
: Chapter 7

Sylvie gasped when he turned on her bedside lamp, bathing the room in light. ‘Please leave! This is my room. I don’t want you here!’ she said with all the authority she could muster. All the while crushing the pillow to her chest in a vain attempt at modesty.

‘Don’t you?’ he said, leering at her. ‘I think you’re lying to me Sylvie. I think you want me here very much!’ He reached out to her, but she pushed his hand away. ‘Why are you crying?’ he demanded to know.

‘None of your damn business!’ she spat the words at him. ‘Leave me alone!’

‘I expect an answer. Why are you crying?’

She didn’t say a word at first, just sniffled, and glared at him. She could only imagine how pathetic she looked. Hair in a tangle, eyes red from crying, nose running. ‘I want you out of my room now!’ she screamed at him.

‘I’m not here to play games. I want to know what’s wrong. Why you’re behaving like a weepy brat!’

‘How I behave is none of your damn concern. I don’t have to answer to you!’

‘Oh, but you do. I’m your employer…remember? And as for my leaving your room, this is my house. I can go anywhere in it I like. So stop behaving like a two-year-old having a tantrum and tell me what’s wrong!’

‘I don’t have to tell you a goddamn thing. GET OUT! It’s two o’clock the morning, I’ve been up since six. I’ve been at your beck and call all damn day. I hiked a mountain and a waterfall at your behest. I’ve been dunked for your amusement and the amusement of your dipshit chums. I’ve run my ass ragged stepping and fetching for you and your friends. Waiting on anyone and everyone. I’m exhausted and I want to get some sleep. So if you think I’m going to jump out of this bed to do your bidding, you’ve got another thing coming. I’m not taking any notes for you, not doing any research, not correcting your manuscript, or fixing your frigging typos. I am done for the day! Finito! Comprende! The ‘help’ is going to bed. Now go away and leave me alone.’ She turned her head to the wall, refusing to look at him.

He stepped closer to the bed, his brown eyes glaring down at her reproachfully. It was apparent he was none too pleased with her. But she couldn’t have cared less. If he was trying to intimidate her it wasn’t working. Screw him! She glared right back at him.

‘I know a little girl who’s behaving very badly, very badly indeed. She’s not just cranky and irritable, but sassy, and slightly tipsy as well. A little girl who’s coming perilously close to being insubordinate.’

‘What’s the matter? Are you deaf? I told you to get out! What are you doing here anyway?’

‘I thought that was obvious…I want you!’

‘Want me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?’

‘I want to be with you tonight!’

‘Well…you’re shit outta luck on that one!’ she snorted. ‘Want me? Really? Could have fooled me! I thought you wanted to be with that skank Seanna!’

‘Seanna means nothing to me!’ he said through clenched teeth.

‘Nothing? It didn’t look like that to me. Perhaps it was the fact that her tongue was halfway down your throat,’ Sylvie hissed. ‘Or that I watched her massage your leg with her cunt!’ she shouted, bursting into tears. ‘News flash pal: I don’t want you! I wouldn’t spend the night with you if you were the last man on earth. You’re a fucking prick! Go back to your whore! That’s where you belong!’ she screamed.

Connor didn’t say a word as he reached down, grabbed her arm, and flipped her, pillow and all, onto her stomach. Sylvie didn’t know what was happening until she felt the first searing smack connect with her backside. She yelped and tried to wriggle away, but he had her pinned to the bed with his free arm. She screeched, cursed, and kicked to no avail.

‘Stop it you bastard! You son of a bitch!’ she bellowed. ‘Let me go! You let me go right now!’

‘Not until you stop acting like a willful child and start listening to reason.’ He punctuated his words with five more smacks to her bottom. His handprints showed pink on her pale white skin.

Her ass felt like it was on fire! She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping someone would hear her cries and come to investigate. The staff lived in apartments over the garage and in cottages scattered around the grounds. His guests were going to be sleeping in the 3-bedroom guesthouse down by the lake. Most of them would still be drinking and dancing at the bar in Connor’s boathouse. There was no one around to hear her screams. So who did she expect to save her? Sylvie let go the pillow, flailing her arms in a vain attempt to slap him, hurt him the way he was hurting her. But he remained just out of her reach. She kicked and thrashed around on the bed; but it did no good. She was at his mercy. Another five hard slaps hit their target. The more she fought him, the harder he spanked her. She’d lost count, but thought he’d whacked her at least 20 times, maybe more. His hand felt like a hard wooden paddle as it slammed repeatedly down on her butt. The skin on her behind was scorching hot. She was sure it was blistering and peeling off. The pain was awful. She’d never be able to sit again as long as she lived. Sylvie was sobbing, whimpering. All the fight had gone out of her. She just wanted him to stop.

‘Now, are you going to behave and hear me out?’ he scolded. He rested his hand on her bottom. She shrank from the pain of his touch. He could feel the heat emanating from the swollen mounds of flesh. He’d done a good job of it. Every inch of her backside was now a bright rosy pink interspersed with a dozen or so bright crimson handprints. He hadn’t wanted to spank her. Not yet at least. Not like this. He’d wanted to take her to bed, make love to her. But she’d left him no choice. How could his plans for a romantic evening have gone so awry? He wanted to ravish her. Pleasure her; not punish her. But at the same time, he couldn’t allow her to behave this way: ranting, raving, cursing. Why did she have to be such a spoiled, stubborn, willful little brat? He wasn’t about to put up with her childish tantrums. She’d better get that through her head from the get-go. It was a painful lesson, but it had to be taught, and teach her he would! ‘Well, are you ready to listen to reason or do we need to continue your instruction in proper behavior and good manners?’ When she didn’t answer immediately Connor gave her two more hard spanks for good measure. She shrieked in pain.

She wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. Tell him she’d call the police and send his sorry ass to jail. But she didn’t. She just nodded her head meekly. She had no idea what was happening to her. Her emotions were like scattershot going out in all directions. Jealous rage. Love. Lust. Hatred. Want. Need. Fear. Shame. Hopelessness. Sadness. Feelings of betrayal. Inadequacy. Longing. Loss. What the hell was happening to her? Why was she acting like this? She was trembling and shaking. She wrapped her arms around the pillow again and hung on for dear life. Her head was pounding. Sylvie felt like she was having a nervous breakdown. She began sobbing pitifully into the mattress.

He sat down on the bed and lifted her gently onto his lap. Sylvie didn’t try to push him away. She was too exhausted to fight him off. She winced and whimpered when her throbbing bottom touched his rock hard thighs. ‘Are you ready to listen now Sylvie?’

She sniffled, then nodded. Her nose was dripping buckets. Her cheeks streaked with tears.

Connor handed her a tissue. Then began to gently rub her back. ‘Sienna means nothing to me,’ he told her as she blew her nose and wiped away the tears. ‘We’ve dated, but there’s nothing between us. Sienna loves to be outrageous. Loves being the center of attention. She’s a tease. Manhandling every man she comes across, rubbing against them, patting their ass, grabbing their crotch. It’s a game to her. If it wasn’t me, she would have seduced Nathan or gotten it on with Drake. That’s the way she is. You don’t need to be jealous of her.’

He knew she was jealous? Well, of course he did! How could he not, she’d been so blatant about it. She’d never been able to hide her emotions. Did that mean he knew the rest? Did he know how she felt about him really? That she liked him? Maybe even loved him? That she wanted him? Her face turned scarlet. The tears started anew. She had to know. ‘Did you sleep with her?’ she sobbed, barely able to push the words past the lump in her throat.

Connor’s hands gently touched her cheek and forced her to look at him. ‘Yes. I’ve slept with her. I’m not particularly proud of it. But it is what it is. I can’t take it back. It was long before I met you. I’m no choir boy. I’ve been around the block a few times, yes; but I’m no player, no ladies’ man, no Casanova! I don’t operate like that. I like you Sylvie. I like you a lot. I have from the very first day I set eyes on you. I just want to be close to you. I have no intention of hurting you.’

Sylvie didn’t know what to say. She wanted to believe him.

Connor stood up, lifting her in his arms. She didn’t struggle. Just stared at him, her eyes big as saucers. She looked frightened, confused, but he’d soon remedy that. Once she was lying naked beneath him, he’d do away with her doubts and fears. He strode from the room, carrying his precious cargo, and made his way down the darkened hall. Sylvie was trembling. She was scared to death, so conflicted. What should she do? Part of her wanted to yell, scream, struggle, slap his face, bite him, fight him, do anything to get away from him. But there was another part of her that wanted him. That wanted this. God help her! She’d fallen under his spell!