Unfold Me (5 page)

“Shh.” He presses his finger against my lips, then rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. “It’s not that.”

“Then wh...” Before I can say anything, he brings his lips down to mine, his tongue plunging into my mouth. His hand winds into my hair, tugging and twisting.

I break away from the kiss, breathless. A smile tilts Isaac’s lips up as his hand roams down my breasts and toward the waist of my pants. I grab his wrist before he can slip his hand into my panties and see how wet I am, and I dig my nails into his skin.

“Let go of me. Now,” I say, giving him a hard look.

“Is that really what you want?” He plants another kiss on my neck, and I fight the urge to throw my head back and enjoy the sensation.

“Yes,” I say.

He steps aside, his eyes troubled.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” My whole body is shaking, and I’m doing the only thing I know: I’m turning my arousal into anger.

“That’s what...” He frowns, a flush creeping across his cheeks. “I thought you wanted it to be like this. I...”

“Well, I don’t.” I hurry past him and get inside. When I get into the kitchen, I wait to see if he’ll come after me. When he doesn’t, I find a bottle of vodka I have hidden in one of the cupboards. I take a big gulp directly from the bottle and let it burn its way down my throat. I can’t stay with Isaac, and I can’t send him away or leave him alone. His actions right now confirmed what I suspected; he’s going through withdrawal, and he’s trying to ease it up with sex because he doesn’t know any other way.

Maybe I should try teaching him some yoga, but right now I’m too hot and bothered to do anything, and if I get close to him again, I might not tell him to stop. Would having sex with him be such a terrible thing? I run my hand over my face. God, I can’t believe I just thought that. I really need to go outside to clear my head because my mind has already turned into mush. It feels as if I’m thinking things in circles and getting nowhere. But how can I ensure Isaac doesn’t try to hurt himself or do anything else while I’m gone? I can’t exactly get him a babysitter or call Lilith to look after him for a while. I’ll have to do something else... something Lilith wouldn’t be pleased to hear if she ever found out.

***

“Here. This should help you calm down.” I offer Isaac a cup of hot chocolate. “And we can forget today ever happened, okay?”

He eyes me for a moment but then takes the cup and takes a sip. Good. I keep the smile on my face as I sit across from him. Now all I need is to wait for him to drink the whole thing, and then he’ll fall asleep. For the first time ever, I’m glad Archer’s men talked about giving me a mix of pills when they kidnapped me, so I at least know that taking a sleeping pill won’t do Isaac any harm except make him really, really sleepy. Sleepy enough that he won’t wake up until I return home. Somewhere deep inside me, I’m aware how wrong this is, but I’m apparently not smart enough to come up with a better plan... or I’ve drunk too much vodka.

I wipe the smile off my face and wait. When Isaac places the empty cup on the table, rubbing his eyes, I know the pill is already starting to work, so I pick up the empty cup and carry it to the kitchen, then head to my room to get ready. Isaac should be asleep by the time I’m ready to go.

***

I smack my bright red lips together and give myself a once over in the mirror in my room, then straighten my tight black cocktail dress with shiny sequins that perfectly hugs my curves. After I slip on my black high heels and grab my purse and my black leather jacket, I go to the living room and find Isaac asleep on the couch. A smile pops up on my lips when I see the steady rise and fall of his chest. Oh, yeah, my plan is working perfectly so far. After placing a blanket over him and making sure he’s comfortable, I head for the door, so happy I could cry.

***

I enter the first decent bar that I can find that I’ve never been to before, and take a quick look around. I don’t see anyone familiar, so I take a seat on one of the high stools at the bar and order a tequila. It takes exactly six minutes for a semi-handsome guy to lean on the bar next to me with a broad smile on his face.

“Hey, beautiful,” he says, his dark brown eyes sparkling, “Can I buy you a drink?”

“Sure.” I give him my best flirtatious smile, twirling a strand of my hair around my finger, all the while looking at him under my long, mascara-covered eyelashes. I gulp down another shot as soon as the bartender puts it in front of me.

“What’s your name?” he asks, his hand brushing against my bare thigh.

“Mia,” I say the first name that comes to my mind. “Yours?”

“Eric,” he says.

“Nice to meet you, Eric.” I toss my hair over my shoulder so he can see more of my cleavage. His eyes are filled with hunger, and I know I won’t have to waste time on talking to him first. “Wanna join me at my place?”

“Yeah,” he says, surprise flashing in his eyes, as he runs his hand through his short dark hair.

“Come on.” I tap him on the shoulder and get to my feet, swaying my hips as I stroll toward the exit. Eric follows me eagerly. When we reach the motel where I permanently rented a room, he looks at me in surprise.

“You live here?” he asks.

“Yep.” I open the door of the car and get out. “Are you coming?”

“Um... yeah.” He fiddles with the car keys and gets out, nearly dropping them. For a moment, I wonder if he’s afraid, but then he confidently approaches me and places his hand on my ass. I turn around and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. He tastes like lemon and alcohol, and I close my eyes.

We barely make it to the room, and my jacket and dress hit the floor. Eric shoves his tongue into my mouth as he unbuttons his pants, and I reach into his pocket for a condom. Tugging on his shirt, I lead him to the bed. His eyes widen as I push him down onto the bed and climb on top of him. He grabs my hips and tries to roll me over, but I shake my head.

“Don’t move,” I say, I pin his hands above his head. When I slide myself onto him, I close my eyes. After the pleasure shakes my body and the tension leaves my shoulders, I let go of Eric and roll over, panting.

“Wow, that was...” he says, trying to wrap his arm around me, but I move away and sit up.

“I know.” I start picking up my clothes and toss Eric’s shirt at him. “Get dressed and get out.”

“What?” He gapes at me.

“You heard me. Go.”

He sits up and reaches for his pants, a slightly bewildered look on his face. “Can I call you sometime?”

“No.” I go to the bathroom and turn toward Eric before I close the door. “Just make sure you close the door behind you.” I slam the door before he can say anything, and I hope he’ll be gone by the time I’m out. As I get in the shower and let the cold water run down my body, I bang my fist against the tiles. Damn it, Archer.

I rub the shower gel into my skin but no matter how hard I do it, I have a feeling Archer’s hands are still on me, on every inch of my skin, exploring, touching, probing... I push back the tears that are forming in my eyes. All I can feel is the emptiness inside me, like a deep hole in the pit of my stomach that is black and wants to swallow me whole. No matter who I sleep with, I can’t forget the man who ruined me. Part of me wonders if I’ll ever be able to actually feel anything for anyone or if Archer will keep his hold over me even when he’s gone. Gritting my teeth, I turn off the shower and roughly dry myself with a towel. When I open the door, I’m glad Eric is gone. At least this time I won’t have to explain why I think we would never be good for each other or why there won’t be a second time.

When I get back home, I dump my jacket and the bags with groceries in the hallway and go to the living room. My heart skips a beat when I see Isaac isn’t on the couch where I left him. The blanket is thrown across the couch, and I immediately rush toward my room. I stop breathing when I find Isaac sitting on my bed with my little black notebook in his hands. He looks up at me, his teeth bared, his face red from anger.

“Where did you find that?” I choke out, my legs rooted to the spot.

“In there.” He nods toward a hole in the wall behind the radiator, and I grind my teeth together. “I know a thing or two about hiding places. I’ve been living with Raphael for years.”

“I told you not to touch my things!” I yell, curling my fists. I can’t believe he’s found my secret hiding place. I haven’t even put it in the safe in case someone tries to rob me and picks up the damn thing.

“You said I didn’t know anything about you... well, now I do.” He glares at me, gripping the notebook in his hand and getting to his feet. In two quick strides, I close the distance between us and try to snatch the notebook, but he lifts his hand and moves it out of my reach.

“Give me that!” Heat fills my cheeks.

“Why? Do you have another name to add to your list?” he spits. “I’m impressed, though. That’s a nice number of guys you fucked.”

“That’s none of your fucking business!” I snarl. “You don’t have the right to go through my things and read my private journal! In fact, you shouldn’t even be in my room. I never wanted you here!”

“You’re right,” he says. “I don’t have the right, but I have the right to know what you’re planning to do to me. And now I know.”

“What are you talking about?” I blink at him in confusion.

“I know why you want me to stop taking the pills and why you won’t have sex with me.” His face is serious.

“I’ve no clue what you’re talking about. Just give me the damn thing.” I try to grab the notebook again, but he doesn’t let me.

“Stop pretending. I read your fantasies. Every single one of them.” He clenches his jaw. “And I think I know which one you have in mind for me.” He cocks his head to the side, his nostrils flaring. “Tell me. To whom do you plan to give me?”

“You know nothing.” I cross my arms and glare at him. “You’re being paranoid. None of what’s in that notebook refers to you. Why would it? That wasn’t meant for you or anyone to read.”

“Don’t lie to me.” He shakes his head.

“I’m not...” I press my lips into a tight line and count to ten. “You see what those pills are doing to you? You’re going through withdrawal and it’s messing with your mind. How many were you taking before the auction?”

“No, that’s not... that’s not it,” he insists. “You want my head clear so when you let some guy fuck me, you can have your little twisted fantasy.”

“What?” My jaw hangs open as my eyes go wide. “I’m not going to give you to anyone! It’s over. You’re not anyone’s slave anymore.”

“Am I supposed to believe that after you drugged me?” he yells, and I close my eyes for a moment. “Yeah, I know what you did. Did you think I wouldn’t be able to tell?”

“No, I...” I reach for the notebook. “Give that back to me!”

He waves the notebook above his head. “Maybe I should just read your fantasies on the balcony so everyone can hear what kind of person you...”

I raise my hand and he just watches me, waiting for me to hit him. Taking a deep breath, I let my hand drop. “Give me the notebook. Now,” I say as calmly as possible.

“Or what?” He raises his eyebrows.

I chew on the insides of my cheek. “Or your friend Caleb will suffer the consequences.” I hate myself the moment the words leave my mouth, but Isaac drops his hand and offers me the notebook as if he’s relieved his suspicions about me are true. I take the notebook, and he leaves without another word. As I stuff the notebook back to its hiding spot, I wonder if I should have just gone with Isaac’s earlier theory. He’s risked everything for his friends, and he isn’t stupid enough to thwart their chance at freedom, even if it means he never gets his.

Still, I can’t have him searching through my room again, so I get the key. I find Isaac in the living room, and his face is so serene that I’m not sure what to think. “You’ll be sleeping on the couch from now on,” I say. “My room will stay locked, and you won’t go anywhere near there.”

“Yes, Mistress,” he says mockingly, but I ignore it. If it’s easier for him to think that I’m one of the monsters, fine. I can be a monster.

A click coming from the hallway makes me frown, and I glance at Isaac, who’s eating the last bits of his breakfast. The sound of a door scraping against the floor has me up on my feet, my heart thudding in my chest. No one except for my parents has the key to my apartment, and I know they would’ve called me first and wouldn’t just barge in. Isaac raises an eyebrow at me, and I lift my finger in front of my lips, listening.