her bra in two. Before she could process the fact she was still
alive, he slipped the blade beneath the elastic waist of her panties and ripped
them from her body.
Ellis’ eyes were moving in a slow, appraising sweep over her
body, adding a hot layer of shame over Mia’s terror. Though a part of her knew
this was crazy thinking given the fact she probably had only seconds to live,
she hated for anyone to see her naked, even her prospective killer.
But instead of ending it all, Ellis sat down beside her and
reached for her face. Mia flinched and cried out in anticipation of another
blow, but he only drew his thumb along her cheek and said softly, “Hey, stop
crying. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you, Mia. Not like this. As long as
you obey and do as you’re told, you’ll be okay, I promise.”
He spoke so kindly, as if comforting a child, which just
made Mia cry harder. Ellis continued to stroke her cheek, his touch light,
almost soothing. “Shh,” he urged again, placing his other hand on her chest.
“You need to stop crying now. Your heart is beating way too fast. Slow your
breathing. Calm down, Mia. You’re okay.”
When Mia could finally catch her breath she begged, “Please.
I don’t know what’s happening. What are you doing? Why are you doing this?”
Ellis gazed at her without answering. His hand moved from
her face, along her throat and then closed over one breast. His touch was
light, even sensual, if such a thing was possible in the circumstance. “You
have a beautiful body, Mia. It’s a shame you carry this extra weight. It
indicates a lack of self-worth. We’ll need to work on that.”
Mia felt her face heat with humiliation and she tried to
turn her head, but Ellis stopped her, catching her chin between his forefinger
and thumb. “Hey,” he said, his voice still gentle. “You don’t need to blush.
You belong to me now. I’m going to fix all your imperfections. I’m going to mold
you into the perfect woman.”
While Mia struggled to process this chilling pronouncement,
Ellis’ hands began to move over her body, stroking along her stomach and
gliding over her thighs. He cupped a palm over her pubic mound and shook his head,
his sensual lips drawing down in a frown. “I don’t like pubic hair on a woman.
It’s a way to hide, and I want nothing hidden. Every part of you belongs to me
now, Mia.” His fingers closed over her mound and he gripped a handful of curls,
tightening and tugging until she gasped with pain.
“That will be one of the first things we do—wax off all that
nasty hair. You will always be groomed for me. Each morning I’ll inspect you to
make sure you’re completely smooth.”
“Each morning…” Mia echoed, still struggling to process what
he was telling her, and failing.
His hand moved, the fingers slipping down between her legs.
He stroked her labia and Mia was powerless to resist him, her legs spread wide
and bound by the ankles to the bedposts, her wrists securely cuffed over her
head.
“Please,” she begged as she tried to squirm away from his
touch. “Don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what?” Ellis asked, his mouth quirking into a half
smile. He brought his fingers to his mouth and wet them, and then again placed
them between her legs. She felt the press of them at her entrance and she began
to whimper as he pushed them inside her.
“You’re not wet,” he informed her, “but I understand. You’re
frightened and this is all so new for you. I will teach you to move past that
fear, Mia. Resistance of any kind will be cause for swift and severe
punishment.”
“Punishment?” Mia repeated stupidly, fear stealing her
ability to reason or understand what was happening. She was caught in some kind
of horrible nightmare, except she wasn’t asleep and could see no way out.
Ellis nodded. “That’s correct. Punishment. To do less would
be to do a disservice to you as my slave and property. A slave needs to be
trained intensively and