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.
"I don't need to be tamed," I reply, glaring at him.
"Everyone else seems to think so," he replies simply.
"Well, everyone seems to think they're better off making my decisions for me also," I spit back.
He only smirks in response. "Erin, you know very little about this world. You think you would be able to fend for yourself, but you wouldn't last a day out there," he tells me, his violet eyes glistening in the fluorescent light.
I want to scream at him that he's wrong. But I know he isn't. When I say nothing else, James continues.
"There are men out there, who, when given the opportunity, would kidnap you and do terrible things to you," he says.
I scoff. "And how are you any different?" I ask, throwing my hands out. "Isn't that what you want me for?"
James frowns. "Contrary to popular belief, I want you for your companionship. My parents are gone most of the time and I have no siblings and very few friends. I'm lonely, Erin," he tells me, staring down at the table. His eyes are filled with sadness.
"Really?" I ask, surprised by his answer.
He nods slowly, not meeting my gaze. "I'll be the first to admit that at some point I will take your virginity, but I want you for your companionship, not just sex," he replies.
"You disgust me," I hiss in response because I don't know what else to say.
James shakes his head, frowning at me. "You're so scared of something so natural. Honestly, it's pathetic." He brushes a strand of my hair out of my face.
"There is nothing natural about keeping someone as your sex slave!" I spit back, pulling away from him.
"The debt program has been running for a long time. Personal slaves are essentially sex slaves. Everyone knows and it is completely legal. And considering that the debt program has been around for more than a hundred years, I would say it is completely natural," he counters, brushing his lips against my ear. "Slave," he whispers possessively, sensually. I can feel the warmth beginning to spread through my core.
"I-I'm not your slave," I stutter, hating these strange feelings welling up inside of me. "Don't call me that."
James chuckles softly, sliding his fingers under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "You are my slave, Erin. Accept it," he whispers tenderly, causing an icy shiver to crawl down my spine.
His words seem to pull me into a trance. "No," I whisper back. "I won't accept it," I reply, shaking myself from his trance.
"You will soon enough," James replies, sounding more sure of himself than I've ever heard him before.
I scoff. "I highly doubt it," I retort as the cook brings us our food. She hurries back into the kitchen, probably because she doesn't want to hear what we're talking about it. I can't blame her.
"Didn't they ever teach you respect?" He asks, glancing sidelong at me as he takes a bite of his sandwich. "At that slave training they forced you through years ago, I mean," he adds between bites.
I nod after a moment of hesitation, wishing he hadn't brought that up. It's the last thing I want to remember. "Debtor training," I correct, swallowing a bite of my own sandwich. "And yes they did. Well, they tried to teach me respect." I shrug. "I guess their training just didn't stick. Not really cut out for this whole slave thing," I ramble on, purposefully trying to piss him off.
James narrows his eyes at me, his lips drawn into a thin, disapproving line. "Do you actually think before you speak?" He asks, injuring my pride.
"That little six week training? That was pathetic. It was nothing compared to what I'm capable of." He's so sure of himself that he makes me believe it too.
I meet his gaze as terror shoots through me. Not from his words, but from how they make me feel. I am... intrigued by his darkness.
"By the time I'm through with you, you won't only be cut out for the whole slave thing," he says, using my own words against me. He leans in close, our noses only centimeters apart. "You'll enjoy every part of it," he adds in that low, dangerous tone of his that makes my stomach twist into knots.
My heart begins to pound faster inside my chest. "No," I stutter, shaking my head. "You're wrong," I say, trying to convince myself more than him.
James lets out a breathy laugh but says nothing else in response. He continues eating but I'm too shaken up to eat anymore. I hate that I'm defenseless against him. He can get to me so easily. Once he's finished eating he pushes his plate back, turning to me again.
"Since you admitted that you were wrong, I'll give you one more chance. If you will agree to play by my rules, I won't punish you for running from me," James says, folding his arms over his chest. "How does that sound?"
I sigh. The last thing I want to do is agree to his sick plans, but I don't want to get punished, either. His punishments could be horrendous. Course, he's probably going to do horrendous things to me anyways. But maybe if I agree to follow his rules I can gain his trust and then I'll be able to escape easier. It just might work. Finally, I nod.
"Alright. I'll follow your rules," I say, feigning a fearful expression. "Just don't punish me."
James nods approvingly, a devilish smirk plastered across his lips. "Good girl," he whispers to me. His words cause the knots in my stomach to tighten.
"So, where do we start?" I ask nervously, needing the distraction from my own feelings.
James smiles wide, that evil, seductive smile that makes my heart beat a little faster. "You can start by addressing me as Master."