“Like the view down there?” He smirks, eyeing the carpet where I sat.
I just glare at him. He shrugs and walks over to my bedside table, laying out a tray. “I’ve got you breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry.” I cross my arms.
“You should eat. It’s been a while.” He eyes me.
“I want to leave,” I say through gritted teeth.
“God, you signed willingly, remember?” he argues back.
“You told me I had to!” I protest. “I was shaken up…I was scared, and you made it sound like I’d be dead or something if I didn’t. Look, I have work to get back to!”
Lies. I’m still shaken up and scared, but I can’t give in to those feelings or I’ll freeze. I need to keep a clear head so I can get the hell out of here. I make a run for the door, trying to pryit open, but of course, it auto-locked. That darned keypad. I turn back to Valentin. “Give me the password.”
“No way in hell, sweetheart. Until you learn to accept what’s best for you, you stay right here.” He shakes his head and motions to the tray. “Eat.”
“No!” I stand by the door, shaking my head. “Let me out, you bastard.”
“Didn’t your mama ever wash your mouth out with soap?” he growls in a timber that gallops through my heart. He then walks across the room like thunder, getting so damn close that I back up against the door.
My heart races as he glares down at me, my knees turning a little too soft. God, he’s so close…for a second, I forget this new version of him. I think back to the guy before, buying avocados, and the hopes I had for him.
He places his hands on my shoulders, and when he does, sparks shoot down my arms. Sparks that have no business being there, and I’m so furious at the effect I let him have on me, that from the shock alone, I let him drag me away from the door.
“Eat,” he says, one last time, before stepping out and slamming it shut behind him.
He comes back that night with dinner and fresh clothes.
I must have fallen asleep at some point because a sharp knock jolts me awake. I sit up, disoriented, as the door opens and Valentin appears with a tray and a suitcase in hand.
“Brought you dinner.”
I sit up and rub the sleep out of my eyes. “I’m bored in here. Let me out.”
“In a couple of days, I might,” he shrugs, walking away.
“A couple of days?” I screech, jumping out of bed. “Listen here, you annoying, annoying man, I’m telling you, if you don’t let me out, I’ll scream.”
“Oh yeah?” He whirls at the door, not opening it just yet, and I know it’s so I don’t run. “It’s not like you haven’t been shrieking your lungs out all day and scaring the hell out of my staff. For that itself, I might add an extra day.”
“You bastard!” I clench my fists.
“Love a girl with a filthy mouth,” he grins, in a way that makes all thoughts fly out the window. Then, he turns, like he didn’t just call my mouth filthy with a devilish smile of his own, and slams the door shut behind him.
My heart still races, an unexpected heat slicking up my spine as I go back to my bed and glare at the tray. My stomach growls, but I'm too stubborn to give in. If he won’t open the door, then I’ll set my own terms.
In a fit of rage, I dump the food into the trash can.
There. That'll show him.
***
By the next morning, I'm starving and regretting my little act of defiance. The door opens again, and Valentin returns with breakfast.
“Sleep well?” he asks, setting the tray down. Then, he notices last night’s food in the trash can. “Seriously?”
“Guess what?” I snap. “Being held against my will isn’t optimum for appetite or sleep.”
