His Slave

11. Agreement

James stares down at me as the shock from my fall wears off, his expression a mixture of concern and... I wouldn't call it anger so much as disapproval. 

"You... if you hadn't... I could've died," I stutter, staring up into his violet eyes. I'm in so much shock from falling that I can't even form a coherent sentence.

"You're lucky I was there," James replies. "You probably wouldn't have died, but you would have been spending several months in the hospital had I not caught you." 

I cringe at the thought. He could have let me fall. What if he hadn't been there? What would I have done then? These questions keep swirling around in my mind. He saved me. I would rather claw my own eyes out using a tiny spoon than admit it, or show him any form of gratitude, but I can't deny that he just saved my life. 

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't run from me," James scolds as he sets me on my feet. "You need to be more careful, Erin," he adds, turning to walk away.

"Thank you." My words are quiet but I know he hears them because he turns back to me, his violet eyes meeting mine. 

"Thank you for saving me," I add. "You're right. I need to be more careful, and I shouldn't have run from you." It takes every ounce of humility for me to admit it, but he's right. 

"Really?" James asks skeptically as if he doesn't believe what I'm saying. 

I shut my eyes for a long time, hating that I feel any ounce of gratitude towards him at all. He stole me from my brother. But he also took me from the one place on this earth that I hated with every fiber of my being. I hated working for the Daltons. Maybe this will be better. Just maybe. 

"So you finally admit that you're wrong?" James asks, pulling me from my thoughts. 

A bit of annoyance resurfaces at his words. "Not about everything," I spit back. "Not about most things." 

James just shakes his head as if he knows I'm not being honest with myself. "Are you hungry?" He asks me, checking the watch on his left wrist. 

My stomach grumbles in answer. "Yes," I reply too quickly. 

James laughs. "Alright. Let's get you something to eat," he says, offering me his hand. 

After a moment of hesitation, I take it, letting him lead me out of the library, to the kitchen. "How long had you been standing there?" I can't help but ask as we pass one of the maids in the hallway.

"About ten minutes," James estimates. "I was just waiting for you to climb down. Except you didn't climb down," he says, giving me a pointed look. "You fell twenty-some feet into my arms and I barely had time to catch you." His scowl is so indignant that I can't help but laugh. 

"I don't know what I was thinking climbing on top of the bookshelves," I tell him, realizing how stupid that was. "I guess I thought you wouldn't find me up there."

"I will always find you, Erin. There isn't a single place on this earth you could hide that I couldn't find you," he says, gesturing for me to sit at a small table in an inlet off of the kitchen. I take a seat and James takes the seat next to me, pressing a button on his watch. A few moments later a debtor, who I'm assuming is the cook enters, bowing slightly to James. He tells her to bring us lunch and she turns and heads back into the kitchen. 

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" I can't help but ask. 

He chuckles, shaking his head. "Because you fascinate me, Erin. You're a wild creature that needs to be tamed," he says softly, brushing his fingers down my neck, sending prickles of heat dancing across my skin.