His deep timbre brings me back to the present. When I meet his gaze, his dark brows furrow. "Are you not hungry?" he asks.
I glance down at the chicken dish in front of me. I had been daydreaming for so long that I haven't even taken one bite of it yet.
Instead of having dinner downstairs in the dining room, my meals have all been in my room the past few days. When Maria and another member of the staff brought in a table and two chairs around dinnertime, I asked her what was going on.
"You're having dinner with Master Lucien in your room tonight," she had told me.
I didn't even have to ask her why. I knew why. No one trusted me to not try to run away again…even though I couldn't possibly get away. I know that now.
And as I glance down at my plastic utensils sans knife, of course, I know that Lucien doesn't trust me either. But if I have any hope of getting off of this island, I need to gain his trust.
Using my fork, I spear the piece of chicken and tear off a piece before sticking it in my mouth and chewing slowly. The meat is so tender that I don't even need anything stronger than a plastic fork, thankfully.
I can feel Lucien's stare on me as I eat. He's always staring. Always watching. And it's unnerving.
With as much resolve as I manage to muster, I meet his stare. "Were you serious about letting the other girls go after you…after you were finished with them?" I ask, almost choking on the words.
His eyes narrow for a moment before he answers. "Yes. Of course."
Slowly, I set my fork down and swallow hard, fighting down the urge to vomit. Hanging my head in shame, I whisper, "I'm…I'm ready now."
I feel a heated blush creeping up my chest and to my face as I feel Lucien's intense stare on me. I expect him to stand up and attack me like a wild animal, but he remains seated and quiet.
When I finally get the courage to look at him, he has an unreadable expression on his face. He grips the delicate stem of the wine glass in his powerful hand and takes a long swig of the red liquid.
Every movement he makes is like a choreographed dance --- practiced, thoroughly planned out and perfectly executed. He exudes confidence and power, but there is something about his eyes that make me think he wasn't always this way. I can see the same emotion behind those dark orbs that I see reflected in my own quite often --- pain and fear.
When he finally sets down his glass, he utters the exact opposite of what I had been expecting him to say.
"You're not ready yet."
"W-what?" I falter. Here I was ready to give myself to him, and now he's telling me no? I don't get it. He doesn't think I'm ready yet? I'llneverbe ready. Surely he has to understand that.
Feeling embarrassed by throwing myself at him, I shrink into myself, not able to meet his eyes. The promise of going home is flying out of my reach with every passing moment, and I just want this all to end. "Don't you…don't you want me?" I ask, finally getting the courage to meet his stare.
His dark, broody eyes devour me. "Of course I do," he says confidently. "But you're not ready to give me what I want, Adeline."
The sound of my name coming from his mouth causes me to shudder. Quickly, I admonish my traitorous body for feeling any sort of attraction towards my kidnapper. It's justwrong. So very wrong.
After a few more moments of silence, Lucien finally speaks. "Eat," he demands before turning his attention back to his food.
I watch him for several seconds before stabbing a piece of chicken with my plastic fork. I chew the meat angrily, fuming over what just took place.
CHAPTER 14
LUCIEN
ADELINE SEEMS TO finally understand the rules now. She doesn't appear to beplaying dumbanymore, which is a relief.
And the sooner I get what I want, the sooner I can get her out of my fucking system and the sooner I can send her away.
She has turned my world nearly upside down in the short time she's been here, and I can't imagine making this a long-term thing.
"You would keep me here? Forever?"
Her question makes me grin. I lied when I said I would keep her here forever, and she was naïve enough to believe me. I like to think that eventually I would grow tired of her games and return her to New York, but a small part of me wonders if that's true.
I never waited long with the other women, but none of them truly toyed with me or tested me the way Adeline has. Most were in a rush to get our transaction over with. Only one thought she could stay here with me, but she knew the rules. I don't keep used goods.
