A Duet of the Soul

Chapter 25: One More Attempt

*Maria's POV*

"Justin, please don't go," I whispered watching his hand freeze on the doorknob.

Justin looked back over his shoulder to me, raising his eyebrow in question. I raised an arm and held my hand out to him, indicating that I wanted him near me. Justin slowly walked away from the closed the door behind him, but I knew the door was not locked. I slowly stood up from the bed and watched as he closed the distance between us. Stopping with only an inch between us, I could feel his hot breath fall onto my face. I lifted my gaze to meet his green eyes full of lust and desire.

He wanted me, and I was going to use that desire to my full advantage. I reached towards his belt and began unbuckling it, never pulling my eyes away from his. Justin visibly gulped when my fingers made contact with his belt, and his jaw clenched tightly.

"Don't start something if you don't want to finish it, Maria," he warned softly.

"Who says I don't want to finish it?"

His breath hitched in his throat, and he yanked my hands away from his now unfastened belt. He held them tightly between us while asking, "Why now? What's changed?"

I gave him my best puppy dog eyes. "You've been so good to me this whole time I've been here, and while I can't say that I have fully fallen in love with you, I know that every time you talk about marrying another woman it enrages me. This weekend has been a lot for me to take in, but it has also helped me to realize my feelings for you. We got off on the wrong foot last week, and while you have certainly broken the law a few times lately... I don't think the real you is capable of really hurting anyone. The real you is someone I want to be with."

Justin's mouth dropped open a fraction before slamming shut once again. I could tell he wanted to believe me, but he still had his reservations. I needed to persuade him, but I was running out of things to say.

"You said...you said I was yours and he wasn't going to take me from you, right?"

"Right." Justin nodded enthusiastically.

I swallowed back the anger at myself for what I was about to say and do. I didn't want to care about him, but knowing my plan of escape would hurt him, a part of me didn't want to go through with this. He really had been nothing but kind to me while I've been here, but I still needed my freedom. I bit my lower lip and dropped my gaze from his eyes to shyly stare at his chest. "I know you've been respectful of my body, but if I'm to be yours from now on, I think it's time we make it a more permanent situation."

Slowly, I pulled my right hand from his grasp and brought it up to caress his face. I was attracted to him, and once upon a time this moment would have been a dream come true. But how could I feel any positive emotions when it came to this man kidnapping me and keeping me captive? If only we had developed our relationship slowly over time...maybe things would be different. As it is now, though, he may not be as crazy as Adam, but he certainly was crazy in his own merit.

And yet, I had to finally admit, I did feel positive emotions for him. Although a part of me liked his crazy and truly wanted him, I knew it wasn't normal. This wasn't how normal relationships worked.

My fingers trailed down his cheek and draped behind his neck. I slowly pulled his face closer to mine as our eyes slowly closed. His lips met mine in an apprehensive way, but I quickened the pace of our kiss. I could feel the smile on his lips as they crashed into mine, and I knew I had him right where I wanted him. I slipped my tongue into his mouth, and unfortunately, he tasted amazing. I could feel the heat stirring in my lower region, and I silently cursed my body for wanting him.

I needed to keep my brain and body focused on the task at hand or this plan would never work.

His hands found their way around my waist, and he pulled me closer. I felt his excitement press against my waist, and I worried he could sense what my body wanted from him. Quick, Maria, you have to be quick! Now's your chance!

I slid my hands down his chest until they rested on the hem of his jeans. He moaned into my mouth as I gently tugged on them, teasing him with what I planned on doing. I undid his button and zipper and let the jeans drop around his ankles.

Before he had the chance to pull his feet free from the jeans, I swiftly kneed him where it would hurt most, not for the first time this week. He crumpled to the floor, holding himself and gasping for air. I took my chance and sprinted for the door, flinging it open and running into the hall. I heard him screaming my name as he struggled to get up. I pushed myself to run faster, down the hall and down the stairs, until I reached the front door.

There were three locks that needed to be opened, but my trembling fingers moved much slower than I expected. I heard him stumbling along the hall and down the stairs. Finally, the last lock was undone, and I flung the door wide open. Just as my foot crossed the threshold, Justin's fingers caught the back of my shirt, and I was suddenly yanked back into the house before my foot even hit the porch outside.

My body was thrown back into the hallway, landing with a thud against the hardwood floor. Justin feverishly secured all the locks on the door before turning his attention to me. His face was beet red and his breathing was heavy. I could see his body shaking in anger as he stood in his black boxers and tight blue t-shirt. His fists were balled at his side as he leaned against the door to catch his breath.

I temporarily froze as his glare penetrated my very soul, fear coursing through my veins and the blood draining from my face. I knew he had gone easy on me the last two times I had kneed him, but the anger in his eyes let me know he wasn't going to go easy on me this time. Justin had never been violent with me, but I knew he was capable of just about anything. The moment he stepped closer I was back up on my feet and running down the hall towards the kitchen, hoping to reach the back door.

If he caught me I knew I'm as good as dead.

With the pain easing away from his lower region, Justin caught me with no difficulty. He held me from behind in the doorway to the kitchen as I started wailing. "I'm sorry, Justin. I'm sorry! Please don't kill me, please I'm sorry!"

I could hear his ragged breathing in my ear as his arms tightened around me. "I would never kill you, baby girl. You're mine, remember? No matter how many times you hurt me intentionally, I don't kill those I love. After all the care I've shown you, how could you possibly think I would harm you like that? Unlike you, I couldn't live with myself if I caused you any physical pain."

He held me as I sobbed knowing that my only chance of escape slipped through my fingers. Part of me mourned the loss of my freedom, while the other part of me panicked at the possible punishments he would inflict on me for attempting to escape. I had broken two of his three rules, after all, and this wasn't the first time I had done so. There was no way I was going to get off easy this time. 

"What are you going to do to me?" I finally asked.

Justin sighed as he buried his head into my neck. I could feel his bulge growing once again against my back and knew whatever he was thinking wasn't good. "Maria, I don't know what you expect from me. I brought you here to protect you. I know it wasn't the ideal situation, but if I didn't then Adam would have come for you. I have housed, fed, and clothed you. I've given you books and movies, whatever might make you feel more comfortable here. What does the outside world have that I don't that you consistently fight me, try to hurt me, and want to get away from me? Here I thought you were being honest and sincere when you told me you were falling for me, but clearly that's not the case. Do you truly only have hate in your heart for me?"

"I..." How was I supposed to answer that? If I was being completely honest with myself, I didn't hate him, but at the same time I hated what he's done to me. He's stripped me of my freedom, the life I was starting to piece back together. I was thankful for the care he's given me and the fact that he has never forced himself on me, but I am in constant fear that it will all change at the drop of a hat. "I don't hate you. I just want my old life back."

"Alife without me in it." He whispered the statement as fact rather than a question. I could feel the pain in his voice deep in my chest. 

Is that what I truly wanted?