Page 3 of Bound

“All right then, Twenty,” the man says in his liltingaccent. Irish. He sounds Irish. “My name is Beckett, but you can call me Beck.And my mother was actually quite nice. I would prefer you didn’t curse her.Yell at me all you like, but let’s leave my mother out of it. Tell me, whyshould I purchase you instead of these other lovely women?”

What the actual hell does he mean? “I’m being sold? Someoneis selling me like a piece of fucking meat?”

Beck shakes his head. “Language there, darlin’. You’re in amarket, trussed up like a pretty, plump pigeon. Did you think you were justhanging on the chains for show?”

“Your… I apologize, sir. The girl is rather ignorant,” saysthe small man named Reeve, reminding me he’s still here. My stupid eyes won’tleave Beck. Reeve barely comes to Beck’s waist. Compared to Beck, he looks likea boy. A boy with a bushy beard and a pointy red cap. It seems to be a uniformof sort. All the jailers wear them.

“I am not ignorant.” I hate feeling small, and that’s whereI am now. Trapped. I’m trapped and I can’t find my way out. Anger starts toflare through me. I’m always trapped, aren’t I?

“I did not mean it that way.” Reeve’s fists clench inobvious frustration. I noticed that he tried to maintain a soft tone whenspeaking to me or any of the other women. He’s polite, even when I curse him.“The lady is obviously intelligent, though lacking in any kind of manners. Sheis from the Earth plane.”

Beck turns from the smaller man and back to me, his mouthhanging slightly open. He stares at me, as though he’s having troubleprocessing what Reeve just told him. It gives me a chance to study him.

He’s tall. He has to be at least six foot four. I’m onlyfive foot five, and a rather round one at that. The god in front of me doesn’thave an ounce of fat on him. He’s broad-shouldered, his arms thick with muscle,though he doesn’t look like some steroid-crazy gym guy. He’s earned hismuscles. I would bet he hasn’t earned them pumping iron. He works, and at hard,most likely physical, labor. His skin is bronzed from the sun.

If his body is heavenly, then I don’t know how to describehis face. It’s all sharp planes and harsh angles that come together to formsomething truly beautiful. His jaw looks like it was carved out of granite. Buthis eyes are like soft, gray stones in his face. He is, without a doubt, theloveliest man I have ever seen.

It’s too bad he’s a dream, and not one I would have thoughtto have. I’ve never gone for his type before. Beck looks like an escapee from aRenaissance fair, with his open-necked, linen shirt under a leather vest. Histrousers appear to be made from some sort of animal skin, as are the boots thatcome to his knees. A sword peeks from behind his shoulder, held by a scabbardacross his back.

“Is she truly from the Earth plane?” Beck asks.

“Yes, sir. You can see why I called you.” They both stare atme like I’m some rare, exotic creature at a zoo.

Suspicion tickles at my consciousness. Why exactly am Ihere? A million scenarios toss through my brain. I’ve read articles about humantrafficking. Had they led to this particular nightmare? Maybe there’s anotherway out. I’m willing to try anything at this point. I bite my lower lip andlook at the five other girls in the tent with me. They’re all caged in the samefashion, though these women keep their heads lowered and comply with theirjailers’ requests. “You shouldn’t buy me. I’m not very pretty. The other womenare prettier. They’re thinner, too.”

The other women are all blondes. They look like somethingout of a Swedish high-fashion magazine. I do not fit with them. I carry aroundan extra five or ten pounds that never seem to go away. I’m an overblownhourglass in a world where svelte is worshipped.

Beck frowns. It does nothing to mar the perfection of hisface. “Are you cruel then, love? Funny, I wouldn’t have thought that of you.It’s mean to point out their flaws. They can’t help that they don’t get enoughto eat. Why do you think they’re here selling themselves?”

“You don’t want her, Your Highness,” a soft voice says. Ilook over to see the blonde nearest me staring at Beck through the bars of hercell. “She doesn’t understand a thing about our world. She yelled at Cara fornot having all the foods she wanted. I believe she is cruel. I would bethrilled to belong to you.”

Way to throw a sister under a bus. “Yeah, fuck you, too.”

Beck shakes his head and looks slightly disappointed in me.The spark of shame that goes through me is unexpected.

He walks over to the young, waifish blonde. “She is not fromthis plane. She is frightened. Allowances must be made. I hope you all findkind mates today. I hope your mates value you all for the precious gift yougive them, but I must find a bondmate.”

Beck gives Reeve a hand gesture that sends the smaller maninto action. Within seconds, drapes are drawn, and I find myself in a privateroom with only Beck inside. Sunlight pours in through a hole in the top of theelaborate tent that seems to function as some sort of skylight. Now that we’realone, it feels like a spotlight. I’m painfully aware of my unclothed state. Ican feel my nipples puckering under his steely gaze.

“It is not kind to flaunt your beauty to less fortunatewomen.” Beck’s voice is deep and allows no room for disrespect.

I’m not sure why, but I need to know where this is going.I’m here, and he moves me in a way I thought I might never feel again. Maybethere’s more to this than I thought.

If this is some kind of bondage fantasy my libido is playingout, I’m here for it. “I don’t understand. I wasn’t trying to be mean. I wantedyou to buy one of the others. I’ve decided you might be difficult to get awayfrom. I thought you would do it because they’re prettier than me.”

Beck’s handsome face bunches up as he seems to mull mywords. “On what plane are they prettier than you?” He laughs. “Sorry, love. Ido remember hearing stories of where you come from. Food there is plentiful,yet the women starve because the men won’t take care of them.”

I try to relax. He’s the gorgeous god of a man who happensto adore fluffy women. Now I know the real culprit. Romance novels. I’ve beenreading too many of them. “It’s not like that. That woman you talked to, shewould be considered a great beauty where I’m from.”

Which, according to these people, is the Earth plane. Idon’t think they’re talking about a jet.

I also don’t understand why the world seems softer now. Ican’t see the cages now. All I can see is him, and I’m not afraid of him.

Which just proves what an idiot I can be.

“I would have to feed her for a month before I’d evenconsider bedding her,” Beck mutters. “I don’t understand humans. Do human malesnot like breasts?”

He asks the last bit with a distinct huskiness to his voice.His hand comes out, and heat flashes through my system as he palms one breast,his thumb rasping over my nipple. I’m practically hanging from a hook nakedwith the most glorious man I’ve ever seen, and I can’t think straight.