"I really should have brought my own groceries." I mention out loud as I close the fridge door. I know my intention was to go straight home after my discussion with Harlan...but my plans went awry the moment I arrived at Harlan's house. I am still not sure if being around Ransom was a good idea or a bad idea.
I look at Ransom. "Don't you have anything to eat in this place?"
Ransom's eyes are fixed on me, licking his lips as he looks up and down with his seductive eyes.
I clap my hands to try and snap his attention on the situation at hand. "Stop trying to imagine ways to...to...entice me stay here." I give him a sullen look.
Ransom looks back into my eyes and pouts like a child who got told he can't have any candy.
"But I like having you here." He mumbles.
"Do you have anything to eat in this house?" I repeat the question, as well as changing the subject which I don't wish to answer.
"There's a baking mixture or something in that cupboard." He darts his chin in the direction of the cupboard. I open the cupboard to find 3 mixtures; 1 pancake mixture, a muffin mixture and a cookie mixture.
I remember the brand names of these mixtures as I bought these when I was staying here. These must all be expired by now. When last has this man gone to the grocery store to buy food?
"That's it!" I slam the cupboard door. "I am going to the grocery store. You clearly need food in this place." I declare.
"Not dressed like that you are not." Ransom remarks, pointing at me.
I look down and honestly...I forgot I was wearing Ransom's t-shirt - and only the t-shirt. I know it is not the best dress-code to go to the grocery store in, but I decide to play around with the idea.
"But I like wearing this shirt. It's comfortable." I whimper.
He arches a brow in a no-way-in-hell-are-you-going-out-like-that look.
I narrow my eyes at him and stomp my foot like a child. "Fine! I'll go change. You are no fun!" I stomp to the doorway of the kitchen and halt, "Oh wait! I can't, because somebody broke my dress." I sarcastically say with a smirk.
"Well then, let's go back to your house first, and then you can go to the grocery store." Ransom retorts.
I part my lips and crease my brows together. "Did you just say I can go to the grocery store? Like by myself?"
"The grocery store is not my thing." He simply states.
"But...everyone goes to the grocery store." I cock my head to side.
"Well I am not everyone."
"Wait! Did you just say that you and I must go back to my house? For what? I am not staying here." I scrunch my face and place my hands on my head.
"Yes that is correct. I will take you to your house and we can get your clothing then, you can go to the grocery store." He says as if I have agreed to his plan.
I place my hands down by shoulder height in confusion. "What makes you think I am going to be staying here?" I ask.
"We are back together. Last night proves that you are not over me." He gives an enigmatic smile.
"Ransom..." I take in a breath, "Last night...I drank a little too much -"
"A little?" He cuts in.
I roll my eyes. "Look...what happened last night...happened, but it doesn't mean that we are back together."
"Then what did last night mean?" Ransom retaliates.
"I...I...I don't know." I lie.
Ransom's smile fades and bows his head. "It meant nothing to you." His voice is barely audible, but I manage to hear those words.
"It's not that it didn't mean anything to me." I keep my voice neutral.
He looks up at me through his lashes and for a split second, I can see the old Ransom back. My Ransom. It's too bad however, that the asshole Ransom is back. "Then what the fuck did it mean? You just said you don't know what it meant." I can hear the anger in his voice.
"What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say that it meant something? That I realized that I want to be with you again?" I counter. "That I want to be a victim to your ways again? You realize that the last time we were together, you hurt me...so much." Just thinking back to those memories make my stomach twist.
"But that is all the past now. We are together." Ransom states with a growing smug smile.
"No, we are not." I utter.
"Yes. We are." His smile grows wider.
I roll my eyes. "This is hopeless." I say.
"Hopeless?" He questions.
"What happened last night...won't happen again. In fact, I want to go back to Harlan's house. Since my car is still there and my notes for my book."
"What about my groceries?" Ransom pretends to pout and then bursts into laughter.
"Do your own damn shopping! Why don't you ask one of the staff members at your grandfather's house?" I snap, rolling my eye s yet again. My temper is rising and I know I need to leave this place before we end up in a screaming match. Once I am home, I will be with my dog and of cause, my friend Lydia.
I turn to exit the kitchen, but Ransom is quick to his feet, and blocks the doorway. He clenches his jaw and straightens his posture.
"Ransom...please -"
"No! You have given me 3 eye rolls and you know damn well what they do to me." He smirks, with his hungry eyes looking down at my body. I don't like where this is going.
"I can't. I need to go and besides, I told you what happened last night will not happen again." I express and bend my upper body to walk underneath Ransom's arm, but he wraps his arm around me and pulls me into his chest which takes my breath away.
"Let...me...go!" I puff, trying to pull away from him, but he is too strong. I should have taken Lydia's advice to go kickboxing again - since I stopped going a few months ago.
"Stop it Evelyn." Ransom takes my hands in his to stop me from struggling.
I roll my eyes at him...but that was a mistake. I know it was.
Ransom pushes me backward and he walks forward into the lounge, and I am pushed onto the couch. Ransom is on top of me and restrains my hands and places them over my head.
"Did you just roll your eyes at me? For the 4th fucking time?" His face inches from mine.
I squirm under him. "Let me go! I need to go!" I urge. I honestly want nothing more than to leave and to get back home. I have errands to run and I cannot stay with him any longer, for I fear I will get roped back into his hostile ways. I look around the lounge and this house is starting to feel unfamiliar to me.
"You have been rolling your eyes at me too many times." His eyes fixed on mine. "Enough is enough!" He looks down at my chest and back up into my eyes. He curls the one corner of his lips.
My eyes widen with realization. "Don't you dare!" I admonish.
He chuckles. "Oh I dare sweetheart."
He hauls me up; he sits on the couch, and pulls me over his knees.
His hands are on my behind and he moves his fingers from cheek to cheek.
"Sto...pl..." I cannot get the words out. I know that if I ask him to stop, it won't happen, because deep down...I want his hands on me. I bow my head down, accepting defeat. My body surrenders to his touch.
"We'll go to 10." Ransom murmurs, his voice low as he pulls his shirt above my behind. He caresses me there with his fingers, and I am helpless, my hands pressed into the carpet at his mercy.
His hand leaves my behind and strikes me...I moan loudly.
"That's one." He murmurs.
He smacks my behind harder this time and I moan again. He hits my behind harder each time he spanks me...and it hurts...it really hurts...the pain is excruciating.
By the 10th time he smacks my backside, I let out a sharp breath. My behind is stinging with pain.
"Good girl." Ransom soothes and pulls me up so that I am sitting on his lap, my legs on either side of his body. He pulls me into his chest and I feel like a rag doll being pulled around on an imaginary string.
"Do not roll your eyes at me for the rest of today, or else you won't be able to sit down." His voice is harsh, but his expression looks like the opposite of his voice tone. He gleefully smiles at me, seemingly satisfied with himself.
He wraps his arms around me, burying his face in my neck.
I mumble against his chest, but I don't even know what I am saying. I do know that I need to leave this house, and get away from Ransom.
"Sshh sweetheart." He soothes.
I turn my face to the side and gasp for air. I am breathless. He usually didn't spank me this hard in the past. He was usually gentle and it felt so hot when he spanked me. Why did he smack so hard? Why didn't he ask me to tell him to stop if it hurt?
I use what strength I can muster and I grab his arms to support myself. I push away from him, but he pulls me back, slamming into his chest.
"No...Ransom...let me go." I practically beg.
"No swee -"
"STOP!" I finally find my voice to scream.
I pull away from him again. I roll onto the couch and stand on my feet, wincing as I stand. I walk toward the staircase and I know Ransom is following me.
"Leave me alone." I sneer.
"Swee -"
"Stop. Calling. Me. Sweetheart!" I say through gritted teeth.
"What the fuck is your issue? Why are you angry all of a sudden?" He asks rather harshly.
I halt at the start of the stairs and arch my brow at him. "Are you fucking kidding me? You just spanked me. Hard! Without asking me if it hurt, because it bloody hurt!" I cry out.
He doesn't say a word, but his expression is disconcerted.
I sigh. "Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to change into my broken dress." I wince in pain as I walk up the stairs.
***
I enter the bedroom in my towel and pace back and forth until an idea of what I am going wear pops into my brain. I see Ransom's sweater he wore yesterday and I decide to put it over my dress. It'll help keep the dress on me without it falling down. Ransom walks in the bedroom just as I put his sweater on - and his scarf too to hide the hickeys.
Just then another thought crosses my mind. "Shit!" I curse. "I don't have any shoes to wear!" I threw the ones I had on away when I was outside Harlan's house. Nice going you idiot!
I look down at myself and honestly, I look like someone who is cheap. Linda is going to have fun mocking me. Oh what joy to look forward to!
Ransom sits on the bed with a tube in his hand, and he takes hold of my hand. "Sit down." He says bluntly.
I pull my hand away. "No." I decline.
Ransom snatches my hand again. "Please sit down Evelyn." He whispers, trying not to scream at me.
I comply and look at him as I sit down.
"Lie on your stomach." He instructs, standing up unscrewing the tube.
I blink rapidly. "What?"
Ransom sighs. "I am not going to hurt you. I just want to rub some cream there." He points to my behind.
I tilt my head to the side. "Rub cream on me? What do -"
"For your ass! I want to soothe the pain. Now lie on your stomach. Please." He irritably urges me.
I cross my arms and Ransom widens his eyes. "Just listen to me for once Evelyn, or so help me I will put you over my knee again!" He rebukes.
I turn around and lie on my stomach on the bed - which I had to neaten before I showered.
"You forgot to put on underwear." Ransom points out as he lifts my dress above my backside.
"I was getting there." I say in a flat tone.
I feel his hands lightly brush the cream on me. The cream is cold against my skin, but it is soothing. The stinging pain starts to subside.
Ransom laughs softly. "Now you have another mark of mine." He sounds triumphant, like he just won a noble prize.
"And you are proud of that? Where else would you like to make a mark on my body?" I blurt. That wasn't the best words to say. Shit!
"Where else indeed." He seems happy about that idea.
I'm glad he cannot see my face, because I roll my eyes.
"Don't get your hopes up because after this, I want to leave." I say.
So...within a course of 24 hours, I have not one, but two hickeys on my neck, and a red behind. Argh! This is what happens when I am with Ransom...alone. I end up with a bruise he made on my skin because he wanted to make a mark so that everyone - or every man I should say - will know that I belong to him. He can really be an asshole.
"How does that feel my girl?" Ransom asks, adding that "my girl" at the end as a means to try and claim me.
"It's helping." I say in a toneless voice.
Ransom taps my one cheek and I moan.
"I remember someone wanted dessert." Ransom's voice turns to seductive.
"As tempting as that sounds, the ice cream has expired and I am not in the mood for dessert." I know my voice is harsh, but dammit! After Ransom hurt me like that, I don't want to be around him. I do fear however, that if I stay here any longer...I will want to move back here again.
I shake the thought out of my mind and wait until Ransom is finished.
I roll onto my side and pull my dress down after Ransom says he is done.
"You're not going out dressed like that." Ransom proclaims.
I groan. "I don't have anything else -"
"Yes you do." Ransom interrupts me.
I wrinkle my nose. "But...I am wearing what I -"
"There are other clothes you can wear." He interrupts me yet again.
I shrug my shoulders. "Wearing your clothes is not the answer." I giggle a little at the thought of putting on one of Ransom's pants, and then it falls off me.
"You have other clothes here." Ransom says blatantly.
I scrunch my face in confusion. "Other clothes? I don't..." My eyes nearly pop out of my sockets. I gasp in realization to what he is talking about. My eyes dart to the cupboard that I once used...Ransom has kept my clothes after all this time?