The Assassin's Bride Ch. 06

Michael stood to his full height and stared down at Carina with a smile that immediately made her uneasy.

"Run, Carina," he advised.

"B-but you...! You said...?" she faltered with wide, imploring eyes.

Carina's heart beat a rapid rhythm through her chest as Michael adjusted his stance to something rather predatory. Readying to give chase.

"I will count to one hundred," he informed her, with a sly grin, his dark eyes alight with excitement.

"Michael, please..."

"One...two..."

"This isn't fair!" Carina argued hotly, stamping a sneakered foot to the soil. "I never...! We didn't...!"

"You played this game with Eduardo," Michael smoothly countered. "I always wanted to play with you."

"I would never have-" she retorted, uncomfortably looking away.

"But now you will," he firmly interrupted. "Ten...eleven..."

"WHAT?" Carina shrieked, stepping back with alarm. "You skipped numbers!"

"You're wasting precious seconds arguing. Sixteen..."

"Stop it! Michael, don't!"

"Don't?" he repeated softly, gently placing his hands on his hips with a sinister air of confidence. "Don't let me catch you, Carina. Twenty..."

"Fuck!" Carina snarled, baring her teeth at him with a last dirty stare before tearing into the forest.

For a short while Carina could only hear her own breathing, the rustling of surrounding plant-life with her desperate movements. But soon there was something else, something which even the blood pounding about her ears didn't mask. It was the disruptive sounds of a much larger person, swiftly pursuing her with an agility she couldn't match.

"Double crossing bastard..." she bitterly muttered, certain she had under a minute before Michael pounced on her to do God-knows-what.

Pausing for two seconds to catch her breath, Carina looked at a tree to her left. There was a surprising variation of them around the island. The one she appraised was sturdy, with a convenient thickness for climbing. Peering further up, she could make out branches which looked like they'd support her weight, maybe. She was about to find out.

Michael reached the base of the tree, staring up at Carina with amused bewilderment as she managed to scramble onto the second branch.

"What on Earth are you doing up there?" he laughed. "Game over. Come down."

"I'm not coming down," Carina wheezed, sweat pouring down her temples from exertion as she lamented losing so much fitness in captivity.

"Yes, you are," Michael said firmly. "Don't make me come up there."

"You said you wouldn't abuse me!" Carina screamed, losing balance. Almost falling backward, she managed to grasp a supporting branch at a critical moment.

Michael immediately lunged forward to catch her. Startled by the false alarm, he raked an angry hand through his dark hair

"Careful, idiot!" he berated. "You'll break your neck, Carina!"

"Maybe that would be a good thing," she said petulantly, but carefully tightened her grip around the tree.

With an effort, Michael took a long, deep breath to calm himself. "Carina, come down. I won't hurt you."

"You told me to run, and-"

"Yes, and I'm sorry. I was only going to catch you, and steal a few kisses. That's all, I promise."

Carina suspiciously peered down at his solemn features. "What about the deal?"

"Yes, Carina, the deal is still in place." Michael pulled a face, remembering his promise. His eyes glinted ominously as Carina cast a hopeful glance around.

"Gavin will not save you," he said sourly. "Now, come down. I apologised, and I meant it. And for fuck's sake, be careful!" he shouted, anxiously stepping forward as Carina's foot slipped on the trunk.

"Don't touch me!" Carina sniped, kicking her ankle out to deter the brush of his fingertips as he reached for her.

"Now, you are being immature," he retorted, and Carina felt his large hands suddenly grip the outside of her thighs.

"Don't touch me!" she raged, but Michael ignored her and finally managed to reach her waist. Seizing her hips, he pulled until Carina lost the feeble hold she had around the tree.

Falling into his arms, she was easily supported like a child, with one hand circling her waist and the other curled under her knees.

Unable to resist, Michael deeply breathed in the scent of her hair at the nape of her neck before pressing a hard kiss under her ear. Before he could do more than that, Carina wriggled free and staggered a little as she spun to face him.

"What are you going to say, Carina?" Michael smiled thinly as her eyes flashed and her mouth angrily opened.

Carina continued to glare, knowing he understood her predicament perfectly.

"You can be nasty, and see what comes of it," Michael slowly continued, thoughtfully smoothing his hands up his hard stomach.

"You can call it quits, and we can resume the old arrangement. Or..." he extended his hand to her. "You can continue to be a good sport, and so will I."

********

Three days earlier

Carina blankly looked around the unfamiliar suite. Sometimes she still expected to wake up comfortably entwined with Eduardo. Now, she resided in Michael's apartment. The living quarters were much larger than her own, with a small gym in an adjoining room, and two balconies. Beyond the bedroom and living area was a small library.

The colouring was quite different - where her room was painted gentle tones of peach and white that natural light cheerfully complimented, Michael's bedroom was pale ivory and blue-slate, which was visually appealing but rather solemn. Carina knew as much as Michael wanted her in his room, she was there by necessity because he was paranoid Gavin might sneak in at night to take her.

Carina tiredly pushed Michael's arm from around her waist and rolled onto her back. She had no idea how much time had passed in captivity, she never bothered to keep track from the moment Michael first kidnapped her. She was far too distraught to consider it.

"Mm?" Michael mumbled, trying to draw her back into his arms, but Carina sulkily deflected his searching hands. "What time is it?"

"How would I know?"

"The clock."

"Oh," Carina said stupidly, as she sat up and glanced around to perceive very large oval clock positioned over the fireplace. It had a gleaming black border that looked like solid onyx.

Michael sighed and stretched, gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. Then without another word he left the bed, and the room, leaving Carina to stare after him wonderingly.

Soon he returned with a breakfast tray, and Carina warily watched him place it before her. Focusing on the tray, she realised it was smaller than the usual one he brought out. It was silver, with the same ornate patterning about the edges, but only laden with food for one. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the small, carefully wrapped package in one corner of it.

"Would you like to be alone today?" Michael asked, only adding to her confusion.

Carina immediately nodded, mildly pointing to the metallic blue wrapped box, encased in silver ribbon. "What's that?"

Michael hesitated. "Something for you." He gave her a tentative look, as though deliberating whether to elaborate.

A day alone, and a present? Carina was so surprised she didn't react when Michael walked around to her side of the bed and kissed her forehead.

"It's your birthday. I couldn't ignore it," he said quietly, then left without another word.

Carina stared glumly at the tray for a long time, suddenly losing all of her appetite. She knew Michael's gesture was meant to be thoughtful, but it only created a surge of painful emotions. He obviously anticipated it would, hence her time alone.

Carina put her face in her hands, but the torture in her mind continued. She had lost track so much that she'd almost missed her own birthday. She was dependent on Michael for the most simple details of her life. This year, she knew Eduardo was going to surprise her with a holiday, and gift her a sapphire necklace he'd carefully designed.

Carlos, more practical than romantic, accidentally disclosed it by revealing Eduardo's prediction that the jewellery would match her eyes. Now, she would never celebrate like before. It was a small mercy that Michael wouldn't rape her on her birthday. But then again, he was a deceiver and she couldn't trust anything he said.

With a shaking hand she reached for the present. Picking it up, she knew without opening it, that it was an expensive pendant. Michael always gave her pendants, it was their thing.

Tempted to throw it across the room, she numbly placed the pretty item back on the tray. Initially when she first laid eyes on the gift, she feared it was a ring that Michael would force on her finger. But this was somehow worse.

Carina was angered by feelings she couldn't suppress - angry that she was tempted to open the gift, that she was curious what theme he chose for the pendant. The memories cut her, and she recalled her dream, and pondered if she really was holding onto Michael's memory. If so, it wasn't intentional.

Carina began to mechanically force small pieces of food into her mouth. But she couldn't eat, her throat constricted when she tried to swallow. Without warning she burst into sobs, the tray and everything around it blurred as tears flooded her vision.

**********

Michael was at the back of the mansion, throwing a ball against the wall. It was his thinking habit, when he had a problem to solve or challenging task ahead.

Right now, he needed to turn things around. Indefinitely keeping Carina as a resentful, unwilling captive was one thing, but now Gavin was lurking on the sidelines, with clear intentions.

Michael knew he had to do something, but there were certain things he was unwilling to do, and things he was reluctant to see through. He could never be physically violent towards Carina. And he did not want to kill Gavin. The predicament became increasingly difficult.

But he was out of ideas. His thoughts circled in a frustrating repetitive dead-end cycle as the ball repetitively battered the wall.

Thud... thud... thud...

The ball roughly pounded concrete as Michael methodically threw and caught it.

'You're the client,' Michael counselled himself. Indulging his imagination, he created an imaginary dialogue that he might have with his professional self.

'What is the brief?' Ethan asks.

Michael paused before throwing the ball again. 'I want Carina to love me.'

The imaginary, businesslike Ethan, shakes his head. 'That's not what I do.'

'I want Carina to stay.'

'How could that happen?'

'Threaten her...'

'That won't work now Gavin has intervened. Convince her.' Ethan is confident.

'How?'

'What do you have that she wants?'

Michael frowned and threw the ball harder as bitterness overwhelmed him. 'Nothing.'

'There's always something. What could convince her to stay?'

'Fear...'

'No.'

'Lies?'

'No.'

"Come on!" Michael roared, throwing the ball so hard it rebounded too quickly for him to catch.

Michael paced the dirt path, resuming his make-believe conversation. What objective approach would he take to this challenge? In his mind's eye, Ethan is smug.

'How do you always get your way? How do you succeed?'

Michael suddenly paused pacing. 'Trap her. Trick her.'

'Yes. How do you trick someone?'

'Deceive them.'

'No.'

'Pretend...'

'No. How would you trap someone, without a facade?'

'Make them an offer they can't refuse.' Michael continued pacing.

'Yes. What does she want from you?'

'Nothing.'

'There is always something.'

'It's more what she doesn't want...'

'Yes.'

Michael cast his eyes to the sky, slightly horrified as the answer hit home. 'I don't want to stop.'

'Then nothing will change. You will lose her.'

'There has to be something else.'

'Not with Gavin around. Make her an offer she can't refuse.'

Michael slowly clawed both hands through his hair, finally accepting the solution.

********

Carina spent most of her free day moping in bed, curled up under the blanket and feeling tears dampen her cheeks as she indulged in a good dose of self-pity.

Eventually, she raised to a sitting position on a deep sigh, wishing Gavin would suddenly appear over the balcony. She didn't know much about him, but sensed he was kind and would be a good listener. Her soft pout formed a sneaky smile as she inwardly acknowledged she would want to do a lot more than confide in him.

"Carina?" Michael asked. Shadowing the doorway, he politely knocked on the open door.

Looking her over, Michael could tell by her puffy face that she'd been abjectly miserable as expected. But before she'd realised his presence, he'd caught the dreamy, mischievous look on her pretty face. The sight was appealing, but not the fact it clearly had nothing to do with him.

"Don't worry," he said curtly, as she apprehensively drew her knees up and tugged the blanket over herself. "I am not going to..." he said, with a meaningful look.

"Then what do you want?" she asked coldly.

"To talk," Michael answered, entering the room and pulling out a chair near the bed.

"About?" Carina bared her teeth.

Catching his lower lip between his teeth, Michael prayed for patience and braced for a difficult conversation. "Forcing myself on you was a mistake-"

"It's too late for apologies."

"Hear me out," he said gruffly. "I am willing to compromise."

"On what?" Carina exclaimed, again close to tears. "You won't let me go. There is nothing you could do to make me-"

"I will respect your bodily integrity. I won't force myself on you."

Carina looked angrily sceptical.

"Of course, I expect something significant in return," Michael slowly continued. "We enjoyed a lot of activities together, platonically. I would like to resume them."

Carina bitterly shook her head. Ease back into her friendship with Michael? She couldn't. But if she refused...

"What exactly do you mean?" she asked bluntly. "What activities?"

Michael shrugged. "Exercise. Sailing. Chess. Tennis-"

"There's a tennis court here? Where?" Carina frowned, distracted.

"On the other side of the property. It's a mess, I'll have to clear it."

"So if I..." Carina pondered, feeling uncomfortably bewildered. "If I do stuff with you, then..."

"I will not rape you."

"Just rape? What about other things?" she asked suspiciously.

Michael smiled. "Clever girl."

"Well?"

"Well..." Michael looked thoughtfully at the ceiling and blew out of a contemplative breath. "I like kissing you."

"Michael, this is-" she snapped, but he interrupted her.

"The best offer you're going to get," he finished her sentence. "So consider it carefully."

Following Carina's thoughts, Michael tried not to laugh at her uneasiness. Resisting her would be difficult, but he knew she had her own issues with the bargain. He knew she was terrified of rekindling any feelings for him. And he also knew Gavin would be watching, and would be insulted if he thought Carina was leading him on.

"I need time to think..." Carina muttered, and Michael chuckled.

"No stalling. No 'cooling off' period. Give me your answer now."

"I want to sleep in my old suite."

"Absolutely not. And you know why."

"But what if you-?"

"I am not a slave to my urges. If I could control myself for as long as I did while we were friends, I can hold off again," he said dryly.

"Fine," Carina said acidly. "But I don't want you to touch me-"

"I said I wouldn't rape you. I never said anything about treating you like a sister," he sneered with growing frustration.

"Fine," Carina looked away irritably, wringing her hands.

"We have a deal?" he inquired, looking searchingly at her mutinous face.

Carina nodded, and Michael gently nudged the blue shimmering, unwrapped present toward her with a warning.

"If you are deliberately unpleasant, if you try to escape or if you collude behind my back with Gavin, I will consider it a renege. Understood?"

Carina nodded again before narrowing her eyes. "How long will this deal last?"

"As long as you stick to the bargain," Michael smiled, his good looks deceptively charming, considering the circumstances.

As long as it takes you to like me again.

**********

Following Michael's 'chase stunt' and subsequent truce, Carina angrily stomped back to the mansion. Michael followed at a safe distance, grinning. As they approached the front doors, Carina spun to glare at him.

"I want to have a bath. Alone."

"Oh, Carina. Really?" Michael replied wearily. "It was just a joke."

"I don't care!" she half-shouted.

"Come on, don't be silly." Reaching, Michael only just stopped himself seizing her arm in the authoritarian way he'd become accustomed.

"Fine," he said slowly, drawing back. Then he walked off, leaving her standing alone.

With her mouth hanging open, Carina watched, amazed, as Michael strode from her sight.

"Amazing!" she breathed, wanting to fist pump the air.

Gleefully running into the mansion, she sprinted up the stairs to her old suite. Turning the hot water tap above the bath, she hummed excitedly as relaxing, scented steam rose from the water. Casting a paranoid glance to the doorway, Carina went to stare at it meditatively. Then her eyes fell on the small table of bath oils, and she smiled.

*********

Submerged in heated water, Carina felt the tension in her body melt away - all her muscular aches and emotional exhaustion. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so optimistic. Somewhat recovered from Eduardo being ripped from her life and her world turned upside down, Carina felt on the verge of good things.

It was a little startling, and very surprising that her future was appearing better than her existence with Eduardo and Carlos. She would soon be a free woman, in every respect. After enough time to reflect on the differences, she realised her attachment to her old life was unhealthy and not likely to end well. But now there was new, exciting intrigue in Gavin, and Michael was going to leave her alone.

Sighing with deep contentment, Carina's satisfied smile widened into a naughty grin, her fingers beneath the water inching down her belly to stroke her inner thigh.

If their brief chemistry was anything to go by, Gavin would rock her world in bed. Carina wondered what kind of lover he'd be. Gavin was physically gorgeous, but somehow more grounded than the attractive men who normally crossed her path.

Although reckless male passion excited Carina, she found Gavin's conservative nature increasingly appealing. Despite his sensible impression, there was a lot of restrained desire that he reined in with some difficulty. At times he seemed surprised by his lust for her, and that was as flattering, as it was hot.

Gently stroking herself, arousal rapidly built as Carina's mind ran through the possibilities. Would Gavin light candles and kiss her all night, slowly thrusting? Or would he let her mount him, and play with her perfect breasts, watching with ardent desire while she teased him? Maybe he would pin her down, run a hand through her hair and hold her steady, kissing her roughly while he fucked her brains out...

Carina moaned, slightly taken aback by how quickly a climax approached. She'd planned to edge for a long time and enjoy a lengthy moment alone. But the wicked imagery flowing through her mind was more effective than she'd anticipated.