โDo I have a chance to redeem myself?โNate stared into her eyes. โNo. I choose the punishment and I decided that this is the only way to redeem yourself.โ"Nate, please...""Section 1 Code of Conduct, Attitude and Behavior in Private?"She sniffed. "I know what it says, sir. I will refer to my master as sir. I will act in obedience and wholehearted honesty.""You are a smart girl, kitten but you are a bad smart girl." He nuzzled her cheek, chills rose on her skin. "Section 1, Punishment."His voice was deep in her ear. "Rudeness, Disobedience, Incorrectly addressing my Dominant.""You know the rules. You don't obey them. That's not fair, is it?" He didn't let her answer.Releasing her he led her to stand in front of the bar. โYou look really sexy in that outfit,โ he commented. "That's too bad."Taking her right hand he raised it to the right corner of the bar and holding her brown-eyed gaze he strapped her hand into the Velcro hold. It was tight, so tight that her skin wrinkled at th
Rachel squeezed her eyes shut as another crack of the flogger caused pain to weave through her body, her breasts were sensitive now and tingling. Every time he cracked the leather flogger against her flesh he ran its leather tip over her nipples, then her navel, over the rise of her mons then smacked it hard on her thighs โIโm sorry, sir,โ her voice cracked and a tear slipped out against her wish.He flicked it over her stomach, smacking her there once before suddenly throwing it across the room and coming to stand directly in front of her, hands wrapping around her body to hug her close. His hot breath fell on her hot skin. Her belly hurt, good thing she didnโt bruise easily because if she did, tomorrow she would have a hard time trying to hide purple bruises.โI donโt want to punish you, Rachel. I assumed your disobedience would make me forget thisโฆthis!โShe didnโt understand him. Couldnโt understand him. He sounded more like he was talking to himself than to her. When he looked u
With her body well-used and fully satisfied, Rachel collapsed on the bench to ride out the final waves of her orgasm. She felt Nateโs cock jerk deep inside her a moment before he withdrew and smacked her ass lightly. Unable to stand for herself she gladly welcomed his strong arms as they closed around her and lifted her, carrying her away from the bench and bar to the bed. Nate gently laid her on the bed. He couldnโt believe how tired he was after that first go. Then again Rachel was a wild vixen when she wanted to be, he was finding it as hard to control her as he was trying to quell the feelings she aroused that he couldnโt understand. When she rolled on her back to smile at him through heavy lids he couldnโt help himself. He leaned down and put a wet strand of her hair behind her ear, his eyes flowing his fingers. โYou are a handsome man, Nathaniel Madden.โ His lips quirked as he supported himself on his elbow to look down at her face. โYour opinion of me
It was a list of children with their ages typed beside their names โ names she was having a hard time pronouncing. The title of the email caught her attention: THE NEW INTAKES. It was a simple title yet it made the warning hairs at the back of her neck rise. She had once had a segment on her show where she talked about him being a slave driver, working the native kids on his diamond mines in Gabore to death. He never acknowledged her accusation but that was much like everything in his life. Nathaniel Madden was known as a private man โ he was probably the most private public figure she knew โ one who gave the media a field day but never tried to deny or confirm any of the rumors about him.She admired him for that but it was one of the things that had frustrated her about him. Who was Nathaniel Madden?The title of the email nagged at the corner of her mind. Why would he need a list of new children in Gabore? New children for what? She suspected it had something to do with his diamond
Nate watched, tensed, from the study window as Rachel dragged her bags, the huge bags dwarfed her small stature. His fingers were clenched into fists at his side, so tight that they popped.Tom saw Rachel and ran smiling at her until he noticed the tears in her eyes. Nate watched his chauffeurโs happy demeanor change to one of concern. He couldnโt hear what Rachel said but before he knew it Tom was carrying her bags to the car. Rachel fought him but eventually, her misery overwhelmed her, and she collapsed on the floor too weak to cry anymore. Tom hurried to her side and assisted her to the car.It was frustrating. He wanted to be the one she leaned on, the one with his arm around her shoulder but the circumstances they found themselves prevented that. If he could turn the hands of the clock. If he could go back in time and get rid of the grudge that ate at his heart when he decided to lure her in. But the deed was done. He couldnโt take it back.He watched helplessly as the car drove
She woke up in the morning two days later, after drifting in and out of sleep, with a splitting headache and rolled over to her side. The sun was bright in the room she once shared with Mabel. On the nightstand was an open bottle of whiskey. She had poured herself a glass the other night when Mabel finally left โ she had cried until her throat was sore so Mabel had stayed in the room with her - but left it untouched before nodding off. Even now as she looked at it her belly churned. Since when did whiskey make her sick? Outside Ermernia was waking up for another day in the field but she wasnโt ready to get out of bed yet, she wanted to wallow in misery a second longer, maybe a day or two, give or take, and she would be great to face the sunshine again. She rolled on her back again and closed her eyes. The smell of the whiskey was really getting to her. Just then the door opened and Mabel peeped in. โHey.โ Rachel cracked an eye open. โHow do you feel?โ โLike shit. Whatโs for break
Rachel stared at the men suspiciously, her eyes registering their official uniforms, all they needed were dark sunglasses to complete their outfits. One had brown eyes the color of strong coffee, the other had hazel eyes that kept darting around as though expecting something to jump out of the afternoon shadows. Their nondescript black car had one last person inside and in front of her viewpoint on the threshold Rachel could see a tightly pulled ponytail.โRivers?โ one of the men said.โOceans. The Pacific,โ she responded. โUnfortunately I donโt have a boat so you both are in the wrong place.โBoth men frowned, wondering if she had a screw loose somewhere. From the car came a bark of laughter. Rachelโs eyes drifted to the car. From the driverโs side came a badass-looking woman dressed in black too with her no-nonsense ponytail swinging as she walked with her block heels making impressions in the ground.โI told you, boys, to let me handle this,โ she said in a strong voice. Her voice
Rachel staggered, a ringing started in her head, loud and annoying like the buzz of a bee. Her mind was in denial of what she just heard but looking at the solemn faces she knew she had heard right. Ben wasโฆno she didnโt want to think it. It wasnโt possible. Surely she would have heard something. Ben was well-known as a producer so his death shouldnโt go unmentioned. Besides that, it just didnโt seem plausible to Rachel that her friend would be dead.โMiss Rivers you might want to sit down.โโI canโt,โ she heard herself say but it didnโt sound like those words came from her. The ringing sound in her head would not stop. Mabel came out of the kitchen wondering what was happening. She was taken aback by the uniformed people in the living room but when she saw the ash pallor of Rachelโs skin that worry flew out the window and she hurried to her sisterโs side.โWhat now?โ Mabel asked Eileen with accusation in her eyes. โHavenโt my sister suffered enough already?โโWe are sorry but we had
It was two days later before they left Gem Hills. Mabel had been lucky enough to sustain only a first-degree burn on her left foot. She had also inhaled a lot of smoke but that had been purged out of her, leaving her with a croaky voice.Nate on the other hand did have a burn on his leg and his skin stung from the heat of the fire but he was lucky to have gotten out with just that much. Especially considering the fact that he was naked at the time of the fire. It could have been worse given that he had been rescued seconds before the roof came crashing down. Rachel supported Nate as they walked to the car with Tom in front. Once again Tom had his proud father smile for Rachel.He assisted her to get Nate into the car and did the same for Mabel. Behind them was James, Nateโs head of security, and two of his colleagues, ready to go with them to the airport.Tshepo had wanted more security men to go with them but Nate had made him see reasons why that would attract more attention than th
โNate? Can you hear me?โHis eyelids fluttered open. His eyes stung and water seeped from the edges.There was an excited gasp beside him. Suddenly soft hands were cradling his face. At first, he couldnโt see but when he blinked rapidly and the blur cleared he saw Rachelโs tear-streaked face. She was crying and laughing.โYou are alive,โ she laughed, kissing his face and hair and his nose and cheeks. He groaned. His skin burned and his chest felt tight. He remembered coughing up smoke and being dragged out of the fire. He remembered Mabel hanging limp in his hands. But what he worried about the most was Rachelโs safety. His hand, though heavy as lead, came up to cradle her face. She kissed his palm and cried.โAre you okay?โ he croaked. โAre you hurt? The baby?"She shook her head violently. โNo I am fine, we are fine. You saved me remember?โHe remembered pushing her outside the burning house. He opened his mouth to speak again but could only cough some more. Rachel left his side to
And he was going to do his best not to fail.By the time they went to bed, it was late into the night and their efforts at thinking of a means to stop Jacob was futile. There was nothing they could do.Mabel let Nate stay with them. Rachel wouldnโt hear of him sleeping on the couch so she invited him to her room where he lay on the tiny bed with his legs dangling over the edge and his arms around her.โYou are such a large man, do you know that?โโIn more ways than one,โ he joked.Rachel laughed lightly but she was thinking again. โWhat if Jacob was to take you to court, hard as his kind of story is to believe, he does have that sheet of paper naming him as Fredrickโs heir, what will you do if you lost your wealth?โ she asked. โI canโt imagine you living in a place like this where your feet dangled over the edge of the bed.โโIโll survive. I donโt worry about the money, I only worry about the children. He will cut off all expenses and enslave them in the mines as Fredrick did.โRachel
It wasnโt the first time in his life he told someone the story of his birth and everything he had been through, but it was the first time he told the story as it was without making himself the victim of circumstances. He told her facts, plain and simple and her face animated what she thought about his story. When he talked about the death of his mother she mourned for her and held him and when he talked about Fredrick selling him off her eyes showed her anger. When he talked about Tshepo, her eyes had widened in surprise. โYou know that GHIA man?โ she asked in astonishment. โHe is like a brother to me.โ โYeah, I got that. You did kind of grow up together in a sense.โ she was amused. โNo wonder he was so concerned about me. He is very protective of you.โ โVera said the same thing,โ he confessed, burying his fingers in the curls of her hair. He enjoyed the feel of her soft body pressed against his. Rachel rose on her elbow to reward him with a questioning glare. โVera?โ โAh, I see
Rachel was watching him as she spoke and she frowned.โI am ready to tell you everything you need to know. The only reason I could come clean earlier, even after it became obvious that I was falling hard again for another woman was because I was genuinely scared of another Vera situation. I truly was ready to come clean until I came into the study that day and saw that you already saw the videos and emails I kept.โโI was hurt, Nate.โโI know,โ he pressed forward and reached for her hand. She wouldnโt let him hold her. He didnโt want to give up just yet. She had every right to be angry but he wanted her back and he was ready to brave through the thorns of her heart to win her back. โI am a bastard for what I did but if thereโs one thing I must do right, itโs to make you happy all over again and I cannot forgive myself until I do that.โShe bowed her head. โForgiving you wonโt be easy.โโI will keep trying until I die if thatโs how long it would take.โShe raised shimmering eyes to his
Mabel left reluctantly and only then could Nate breathe a sigh of relief. He watched her go into town leaving just him and Rachel. But once she left he didnโt know what to say or do. All he had in mind when he left the heart of the city was to see Rachel and now that he was here what words could he say? Would words be enough?โYou keep losing weight. The last time I saw you your suit hung on you and nowโฆat least you shaved this time.โHe smiled at her words. โI donโt think I planned my arrival properly then. I would have fattened myself up on the way if I knew you were concerned about my size.โShe stared at him, her brown eyes dark in the dying light. There was no smile for him. He didnโt expect her to smile and welcome him with open hands anyway. He wanted to convince himself she was alright, he was here now he could see she was doing goodโฆhe should get back into his car and drive off.But he didnโt.โHow is your shoulder?โ she asked.He raised his brows, surprised that she remember
After every session, he began to open up well enough to let the darkness in his heart go. But with every ounce of darkness that left his heart, a void appeared and he knew what he needed to fill that void.Even though Tshepo had warned him not to see Rachel for fear of putting her in danger again, he couldnโt help but yearn for her over and over again. He still had the problem of Jacob defaming him, and spreading lies about him and his involvement with Rachel. Tshepo advised that it was best they continued to let Jacob believe she was dead so that they could keep doing their investigation in private and when they had enough proof of his illegal activities and his partners in crime they could pull the rug out from under him. It wasn't just enough to destroy Jacob, they had to take his cohorts with him too.Nate understood the importance of letting Tshepo do his job but he felt he would die if he didnโt convince himself of Rachelโs safety so he did what he knew best. He threatened Tshep
He needed help.He did. He stared at Veraโs head as she bowed her head crying into her hand to muffle her sobs, unable to move. For a long time he could only watch her and when he opened his mouth to speak his voice was a croak.โYou really think I need help?โShe sniffed and lifted her head to wipe at her eyes. โYou do, Nate. I thought about it for a long time and realized I wasnโt fair to you when I left. Our marriage vows were for better or worse and I broke them, leaving you when I could have helped.โโWas I really that terrible?โโYou are not a terrible person. What you do for those children in Gabore is more than enough proof of that. You give them hope, you make them smile again, and provide more than they can ever hope for. You are a good person but you do take people who care about you for granted. You perceive us as enemies. For a long time, I thought I could change you, I thought loving you and letting you have your way with me for your pleasure would convince you that I wa
It surprised him how easily the media ate up Jacobโs lies. But Nate thought he shouldnโt be surprised at all. It wasnโt the first time the man lied on national television and he seemed so fearless about it too.Tshepo voiced what he was thinking. โIf you are thinking Jacob Henderson has friends in high places you are not wrong. Arresting him will be difficult. I have dug through a lot of his messes in the past and that sex trade of his is far more complicated than you and I can ever think about. We are talking Jeffrey Epstein's type of business. He has senators, tycoons, governors even Monarchs in the palm of his hands. He is an underdog with much more power than the man on the seat.โโSo you are saying you cannot put a stop to his evil?โ Nate asked, annoyed that he already knew Tshepoโs answer.Tshepo shook his head. โNot until I know what his endgame is. There is a bigger picture here, I canโt tell you the details neither can I tell you about my suspicions but keeping you safe is th