Wednesday
His internal alarm clock told Marcus that it was time to wake up. He stretched and yawned heartily. Throwing his blanket aside he sat up. Coffee. He strode to the kitchen, rolling his shoulders trying to smooth out his muscles that were stiff from spending the night on a less than comfortable sofa. Damn. Glad I'll sleep in my own bed again tonight. Marcus opened the refrigerator and pondered the contents. He didn't need to eat, but his guest should keep her strength up. Speaking of... time to go and wake her up.
He entered the bedroom without knocking, flicking on the light. Gasping in shock, Jessica sat up straight, eyes widening a little as she took in his scantily clad figure.
"Good morning sunshine," Marcus said cheerfully. "I'm going to take a shower. Coffee's in the kitchen. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, I'll be out in ten minutes."
Jessica stared at his retreating back, snapping out of her daze when she heard the shower starting to run. This is wrong on so many levels... but that man is fine! She shook the thought. How sick am I? She dashed across the living room to try the entrance door, but found it locked. No surprise there. She turned to the only other door she hadn't opened yet and figured that had to be the kitchen. Looking around the space she saw that it was one of those huge model kitchens you saw in magazines, complete with a kitchen island in the middle and a dining table large enough to seat at least ten people. She noticed a theme though: white. The floor was white, the cupboards were white, everything was white except for the kitchen counter, which appeared to be a dark marble. The whole room had a cold and clinical feel to it, like nobody ever used it. She rummaged through the cupboards to find a mug for the coffee. After a moment's hesitation, she took out two mugs and poured the coffee in them. Jessica eyed the liquid warily. What if it's poisoned? Wait for him to drink it. Yeah, that makes sense. She took the mugs from the counter and went to sit at the dining table, placing Marcus' mug across the table in front of her and waiting until he showed up.
Marcus towelled himself dry and considered the coming day. He'd have to go to work, obviously, but before that he had a bunch of other stuff to take care of. Not the least of which was making sure his little houseguest stayed put and did as she was told. He donned a black pinstripe suit, a white shirt and a blue tie and stepped out in the hallway. Showtime.
When he entered the kitchen, Marcus was pleasantly surprised to see that she had prepared him a mug of coffee. He'd thought it prudent to ease her into her new situation, but she was doing better than expected. Sitting down in front of her, he studied her features. She tried to keep her face unreadable, but Marcus' trained eye picked up on faint traces of fear. Phew. Where's the fun if they're not scared? He downed his mug of coffee and watched her pick up her own mug after a few seconds. Smart girl.
"Okay, Jessica. This is what's going to happen today." Marcus stood to place his mug in the sink. "I'm leaving for work in fifteen minutes. I'd appreciate it if you had dinner ready by seven." Jessica looked at him, puzzled by his request. "You're going to need clothes and toiletries. Hold on." Marcus disappeared into the living room for a moment and re-emerged carrying a large pile of various items. "These are catalogues from several clothing stores and some warehouses. Order whatever you want. You'll need food and other things to cook. I'll leave it to you to figure out what. Keep in mind that you might be staying here a good long while." He took a box from the table and unpacked a laptop. "This is yours. It's only connected to mine so don't get your hopes up. You type in anything you want to order and I'll see that you get it. Understand?" Jessica nodded silently. "Good girl. Questions?"
"I can't cook," she confessed in a small voice. "I really can't cook." Please don't get mad, don't get mad, don't get mad. She repeated the mantra over and over in her mind.
He dismissed her concern. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Now, if you need anything or if you have a question, you can reach me through that." He pointed at the computer. As an afterthought he pulled out one of the catalogues and handed it to her. "I strongly suggest you order abundantly from this one. Can't wait to see you in some of this stuff." It was the Victoria's Secret catalogue. Jessica panicked.
"What do you want with me? Why don't you let me go? If you're gonna rape me then just do it! Get it over with!" She stood suddenly, knocking over her chair and facing him. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Rape you?" Marcus sounded genuinely surprised. "Goodness, no. Why on earth would you think that?"
"Then what's the lingerie about?" Jessica huffed.
He smiled. "I just thought you'd like something nice to wear, that's all. Don't make a big deal out of it."
Jessica almost felt guilty. Almost. The bastard had kidnapped her and now he tried to win her over by... by doing what exactly? She just didn't get it. Throwing all that money around, offering her clothes... in exchange for what? A poorly prepared dinner when he came home? A guy looking like that couldn't find more willing cooks? For God's sake, he was the hottest man she'd ever seen and somehow he'd felt the need to kidnap her and make her his own personal house slave? A house slave that was allowed to order clothes and other stuff worth tons of money? It made no sense whatsoever, thereby confirming her earlier suspicions that the man was a basket case.
"What's this about, Marcus?" Jessica tried again. "What do you want?"
He seemed to weigh his words carefully. "Let's say you're here for... entertainment value."
Well that's enlightening. Only in the sense that it isn't. Don't say anything. Don't make him mad.
"I gotta run." Marcus turned on his heels to leave the kitchen. "See you tonight."
After a few seconds, she heard the front door slam. She sank down to the floor and started to sob uncontrollably for what seemed like hours. After a while even the hiccups died down and she tried to collect her thoughts. What did she know so far? She hated to admit it, but she knew nothing. Nada. Except that his name was Marcus Hamilton and that he probably was filthy rich. And that he looked good in a suit. And without a suit. Other than that, she only had her intuition, which told her that the man was insane, and on top of that: evil. But he can't be. He's... eccentric. That's gotta be it. Either way, he's got you trapped and you need to get out of here before something irreversible happens. Like, say, you dying. Acknowledging the fact that her inner voice was right, she tried to come up with a plan. She started up the laptop and padded over to the sink to drink some water. After that she opened the refrigerator door to take inventory. Disappointing. Nothing but some orange juice and two apples. She took out an apple and bit into it. Walking back to the dining table she couldn't help but shake her head ruefully. She wondered if she'd ever see her parents and sister again. Parents! Excitedly she opened the internal mail program and typed a short message to Marcus.
Marcus,
Would
you please inform my parents that I won't be coming to visit them for
a while? They need to take care of my dog for me. They live at 2304
Berkel Road, phone number is 818-5456.
Thanks,
Jessica
She prayed her parents would pick up on the fact that she asked them to take care of her non-existent dog, and that they would at least think it strange that a complete stranger informed them of her absence. After that, it would only be a matter of time until the police found her. A chime indicated that Marcus had sent a reply.
Consider it done. Smart move about the dog... I'll let it slide this time but don't be getting any ideas.
M.
Her heart stopped beating for a moment as she read the line that crushed the hope she'd felt at her sudden clarity. Now her only hope was that her parents would figure things out on their own. Marcus was smarter than she'd initially thought, so maybe he'd found a way around the whole 'complete stranger telling parents about their daughter's whereabouts' thing too.
She got up and started wandering around the apartment aimlessly. She closely inspected the bedroom she had slept in last night and found another room down the hall, some kind of study slash library thing. She didn't recognize any of the books, and frankly the room was quite boring, albeit lavishly furnished. Her decision made, she walked back to the kitchen and sat at the dining table, reaching for the catalogues. Might as well bankrupt him, she thought grimly. Another chime from the laptop indicated an incoming message. Unsurprisingly, it was from Marcus.
How's the ordering coming along? Am I poor yet?
She decided to play his game.
Not yet... but getting there. Whatcha doing?
It only took a few seconds for him to answer. As far as she could tell from five words, he sounded pleased.
Boring meeting. What's for dinner?
The weirdness of it all bemused her. Here they were, sending messages to each other as if they were in love. She could almost pretend that he hadn't brutally kidnapped her and confined her to some basement dungeon. Granted, a luxurious and lavish dungeon, but a dungeon nonetheless.
Don't know yet. Any suggestions?
He didn't answer straight away. Jessica worried she'd taken it too far, trying to sound amicably while he had to be aware of the fact that she was feeling resentful towards him. Finally the chime sounded.
Surprise me.
A thought hit her as she thought about cooking. Supplies. Bowls. Pans. Knives. She opened some drawers to expose their content and soon she found what she was looking for. Knives. She took out the largest and laid it on the counter. Kneeling in front of the lower cupboards, she opened them and fetched a heavy saucepan. She held the handle in her hand and swung it a couple of times. It isn't much but it has to do. She typed a reply to Marcus' earlier message.
I will.
Jessica had lots of time to kill, and she figured Marcus would get suspicious if he didn't receive her order list. She made a list of groceries she would need for the rest of the week, sent the list to Marcus and then started thumbing through the catalogues. By lunchtime she had listed everything. Eight pairs of shoes, too many tops to name, skirts, jeans, regular pants... That would have to do for now. Toiletries were up next. Gleefully, she ordered several perfumes, hair products, make-up of various shapes, colors and sizes, shower gels and other assorted goods.
That left the Victoria's Secret catalogue. Briefly she toyed with the idea to just let Marcus order her underwear to save her the trouble; but in case her escape plan did not pan out she didn't want him to think she would sleep with him. The thought brought her back to their conversation that morning. She was here for entertainment value. What does that mean? It lends support to the whole lunatic theory, but isn't he too... coherent to be absolutely apeshit crazy? He seemed to be very determined and purposeful, rather than acting on a whim. Well, if everything went as planned, she'd be free of him tonight. She chose virtually every item she liked and clicked on the 'Send' button.
She thought out the details to her plan. He would come home from work and she would stand next to the door, knocking him out with the saucepan. If that didn't work, she would use the knife. She didn't want to kill him if she didn't have to; he hadn't touched her after all. Yet.
The sound of someone at the front door startled her out of her thoughts. The door opened and two men entered, carrying large crates of groceries. She was stunned by Marcus' carelessness.
"I've been kidnapped, I'm being held here against my will," Jessica blurted out. The men just looked at her in amusement and carried on unpacking the crates. She tried again, desperation creeping into her voice. "He's going to kill me! I want out! Help me!"
One of the men smiled at her serenely while he deposited the last item on the kitchen counter. "We know. We don't care."
After the men had left Jessica sunk down on the sofa. This meant that there were other people aware of her presence, which made escaping just a teeny bit more difficult. What had she gotten herself into? Resolve settled on her features. It still wasn't impossible. Marcus would be home by seven, which meant that the office building would not be as crowded as it would be during the day. And who knows, maybe these two were Marcus' personal assistants in cases like hers; that would mean they were the only ones who knew about her. The longer she thought about that, the more it made sense. After office hours those two would be gone and she would walk out of the building through the front door.
Resigning to the fact that she had six more hours to kill, she nosed through the groceries looking for something to eat. She planned to prepare the food as Marcus had asked, not wanting to alarm him that she wasn't staying for dinner. Because of her lack of experience in the cooking area, she was at a loss for recipes. Well, she'd warned him. She spent the rest of the afternoon taking a catnap and trying to figure out how to prepare lasagne. After she woke up she decided to take a shower and then shove the food in the oven. A quick glance at her watch told her she had one more hour until Marcus came home.
At a quarter to seven Jessica heard a soft ding that indicated the opening of the elevator doors. She quickly grabbed the saucepan and positioned herself behind the door. As Marcus walked through it, she swung the saucepan full force and connected it with the back of his head. He didn't go down. She dropped the pan and took out the knife.
Marcus turned around grinning menacingly. "You really don't understand, do you?" He lashed out with his fist, sending her flying into a wall. "Apparently we're going to have a little talk." He picked her up by the waistband of her jeans and flung her onto the sofa. "Seeing as you're really not that bright and this is the second time you act up today, I'm tempted to just forget it and end it right now."
Jessica was a shivering mess. He'd hit her. He'd thrown her halfway across the room. No man was that strong. She heard his steely voice through her jumbled thoughts and could barely make out the words. End it right now? Would he let her go? Marcus picked up the knife and examined it. Oh. End it. She closed her eyes, praying it would be quick.
"What? No begging?" Marcus mocked, toying with the knife. "You won't be getting off that easily, little girl."
"I'm sorry," Jessica whispered contritely. "I didn't think."
"You're right." He moved to sit down next to her and his voice softened. He raised the knife to her cheek and caressed her with it. "You want to know why? You panicked. It's understandable, but this is the last time I will tolerate it. Now run along and tend to dinner."
Still scared to death, Jessica went into the kitchen obligingly. She set the table for two and took out the oven dish. It didn't smell half bad and she hoped to hell it would taste good as well. She opened the door to the living room. "Dinner's ready."
Marcus was glad the girl had shown some backbone, providing him with the opportunity to establish the fact that he wasn't exactly human. Also, it made breaking her that much more fun. If she really had just resigned to her fate like she'd tried to make him think by sending those messages, he'd have to dispose of her tonight. It was no use keeping her around if she wasn't entertaining. He entered the kitchen, loosening his tie a little. Mmm, lasagne. She sat down across from him.
Patiently he waited for the inevitable question. He could tell she was gathering her courage, and he was curious about how she would broach the subject. Spooning vast quantities of food on his plate, Marcus observed her as she toyed with her food. Never one for waiting long, he decided to throw her a bone. "What's wrong?"
You mean besides getting hit and flung across a room by some freak of nature? She had to bite her tongue to keep that bitchy reply from getting out. Trying to keep her tone timid, she asked, "Who are you?"
"You know who I am. What you really want to know is what I am, isn't it?" Mutely, she nodded. "I'm not exactly human. You can't hurt me but believe me, I can hurt you. You haven't seen one percent of what I'm capable of."
Jessica believed him. Not wanting to talk, she cast her eyes downward and took a bite of her food. Yegh! It tasted awful. Now he'd get mad again and maybe kill her and she'd never see her family again and they would never know what happened to her. When he remained silent, she glanced up to see him savoring every bite.
"It's delicious," he praised. "I love lasagne."
Yep. Definitely a nutcase.
"Oh by the way," Marcus continued. "Your things will be delivered tonight. I had to pull some strings but I figured you'd need at least some of it tonight, so..."
"Thank you," Jessica said politely.
"No problem. Eat something," he ordered softly.
Jessica obediently picked up her fork and knife, cut off a piece of lasagne and ate it. Yegh! Did he really like that garbage? She shoved the plate aside. "I think I'll just make a sandwich. Can I leave the table?"
"Of course." Marcus had helped himself to another serving in the mean time. "What's for dessert? Is there ice cream?"
She mentally glossed over the groceries she had ordered. Was there ice cream? She stood to leave the table. "I'll go check." Jessica peered into the freezer and reached for a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream, taking it out and carrying it to the kitchen counter. Marcus had finished his dinner and was looking expectantly at the bowl of ice cream. Right now he reminded her of a little boy about to open his Christmas presents, all but bouncing in his chair. Not a trace of evil on his face. She opened the cutlery drawer to retrieve a spoon and started scooping ice cream in a smaller bowl. She stuck the spoon on top of the dessert and carried it over to Marcus.
"Mmm. Thanks." He brought a spoonful of ice cream to his mouth and savored it, licking his lips sensually and closing his eyes. Jessica stared at him mesmerized and gulped. Bad. Bad thoughts. He's insane and he wants to kill you. Do not go there. You're sick, you know that?
Marcus voice shook her out of her self-deprecation. "Don't you want some?" He offered her his spoon. She started shaking her head, but the look in his eyes hardened and she didn't dare refuse. Nodding, she raised her hand to take the spoon from him, but he swatted her hand away lightly and brought the spoon to her lips. "Open up." She obliged, tasting the sweet chocolaty goodness on her tongue. Mmm. This is the stuff. He finished his dessert in silence.
As she started collecting the dishes Marcus put a hand on her shoulder. Startled and scared she looked up. "I'll do the dishes," he announced. "You've had a rough day. Go ahead and watch some TV." He gently steered her towards the living room door. Not wanting to say anything to raise his ire again even though he seemed pretty reasonable right now, she perched herself on the sofa and flicked through the channels on Marcus' wide-screen TV.
Marcus placed the dishes in the dishwasher, softly humming a song. I was right. This is so much fun. That look in her eyes is priceless. Can't wait until tonight... Suddenly it dawned on him that he was going about this the wrong way. Scaring her into submission and encouraging her to behave accordingly was not the way to go, not if he wanted to enjoy this for a long time. He wanted her to break, not to bend. He needed to encourage her to talk freely, speak her mind and feel comfortable in his presence. Then it'd be entertaining to see how she'd react to his true nature.
A knock on the door told Marcus the goods had arrived. He walked over to the front door and opened it. Taking in the massive pile of boxes and bags he couldn't help but chuckle. Underneath Jessica's girl-next-door exterior was a woman that appreciated the good things in life.
"Do you want me to unpack this, Mr. Hamilton?" his assistant asked.
"No. You can leave." Marcus waved his hand to indicate that the man was no longer needed. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Marcus started carrying everything inside.
Jessica had gotten up from the sofa and shuffled over to him, eyes cast downward. "Let me take that."
Marcus dropped the boxes he was holding in the bedroom and turned to face her, lifting her chin with his hand and squeezing it hard. "You're not my servant. Act meek like that again and I'll show you what real submission is." Tears welled up in her eyes and he savored the sight for a while before he let go of her. "That being said, I would appreciate it if you'd clear your new clothes away while I carry your stuff inside. Just put them in my closet. Feel free to rearrange it if you need more space." Leaving her to digest his change in attitude he went to fetch the rest of the items.
After a couple of hours Jessica folded the last of her new tops and deposited it on the shelf next to Marcus' shirts. Okay, that looks majorly weird... She had already shelved her toiletries in the bathroom and contemplated whether she would take a shower before going to bed. Her watch told her it was just after 10 pm. Marcus was watching TV; she could tell from the muffled sounds coming from the living room. Sitting down on the edge of the bed for a moment, she buried her head in her hands. She didn't know what to do anymore. Just when she thought she had figured out what to do to avoid his anger, she had messed up again. She touched her chin gingerly. It was probably going to bruise. Well, it would match the black eye I'll have in the morning. What had he told her? Stop acting meek... Then how should I behave? What does he want exactly? Should I ask him? She could just picture Marcus throwing another fit if she did. Although him throwing a fit was not what she was most afraid of... Okay, the knife had been scary, but it was his cold and cruel tone that frightened her the most. The thinly veiled menace behind his words, and the way his mood could change on a dime. She almost wished he'd just pick a mood and stick with it, even though it would mean that he would be like that all the time. It was so hard to anticipate what he was going to do or say next, he never did what she expected. When he was being nice, she could almost forget he had kidnapped her.
Jessica sighed wistfully. Wish I knew what he wanted from me. Right now, there was nothing she could do to avoid irking Marcus. Submission angered him. Trying to kill him angered him. Can you really blame him for that? She'd bet good money that defiance angered him. Should she just act like herself? And what did that entail? Should she ask his permission to use the shower or would he consider that too docile? Given his reaction earlier, she guessed it'd be best if she'd just take the shower without asking. Taking a deep breath she got up, fetched her new nightie and padded to the bathroom.
Marcus heard the shower starting to run and smiled appreciatively. Momentarily he contemplated chastising her on her audacity just for fun, but he decided against it. At this moment the most important thing was to get her to feel comfortable in his presence. Although hilarious, chiding her would prove counter-productive in achieving that goal. Besides, tonight would be entertaining enough without it. He stretched his long legs and propped them up on the table, leaning back into the cushions. Waiting for the shower to stop running he flicked idly through the channels on TV, but nothing caught his attention. Ah. Finally. Time to go to bed.
He turned the TV off and walked over to his bedroom, quickly shedding his tie and shirt. Peering into the walk-in closet, he decided on wearing his light grey suit with a color-matched tie tomorrow. He took the garments from the rack and hung them on the railing in front of it. Upon hearing the bathroom door, he turned around and watched Jessica come into the room, oblivious to his presence. She wore a short midnight blue silk nightgown that was definitely clinging to her body in all the right places. The delicate perfume of her shower gel only added to the inviting picture she presented. He swallowed, scolding himself for being so easily distracted.
Marcus stepped out of the closet. "Look at that... Money well spent if you ask me."
"Oh!" Jessica squeaked, startled by his sudden appearance. "I didn't know you were in here. Do you need something?"
You. The sudden thought made him pause. He could give in to his urges tonight, but then she'd lose her appeal to him and he'd have to dispose of her. That wasn't high on his list right now. He wasn't done with her yet and he wouldn't jeopardize the coming weeks for one night of sex. He could get that anywhere. He could take that anywhere. He'd always been rash and impatient, acting on impulse rather than a carefully laid out plan, but it was time to find out if this plan could bring him more satisfaction than his usual manner could. It was never too late to change course, after all. Marcus knew that if he'd set to seducing her, she'd be his before too long, but he wanted her to take the first step. He wanted her to be fully responsible for sleeping with him while knowing and accepting he was evil. If he'd seduce her now, she could always tell herself she hadn't really wanted it. Marcus hadn't felt so excited about something in decades and he wasn't about to spoil it for himself.
Her furrowed brow reminded him she had asked him a question. "No. I'm just gonna take a shower too." Acting on his words, he strode over to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Taking a quick shower Marcus wondered how long it would take for her to cave in. He had noticed her checking him out when he'd walked into the bedroom in his boxers that morning. If he wasn't mistaken, she found it difficult to tear her eyes away from his chest just now. Centuries of experience seducing women itched at his fingertips but he couldn't put it to use. She had to make the first move. Doesn't mean I can't play around a little. He turned the faucets off and towelled himself dry. Boxers or commando? He smirked at the thought. It'd be a sure-fire way to chase her out of his bed, but that completely went against his plans for tonight. Boxers it is. He flipped off the bathroom light and walked over to the bed, getting in behind Jessica and turning off the light on the nightstand.
"What are you doing?" Jessica shrieked in alarm.
"Going to sleep," Marcus stated matter-of-factly. "It's my bed after all."
"Okay, I'll take the sofa." She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
He reached out to seize her arm in an iron grip. "You're not going anywhere. Now be a good girl and lie down."
Okay, be yourself. Don't be docile or meek or submissive or whatever. Just tell him you don't feel comfortable with this. That's what he wants, right? Is it? Jessica gathered all her courage. "I'd really rather not."
Marcus raised his eyebrows in surprise. That's... interesting. Resisting the urge to smack down her resistance like he had done before, he just stayed silent. His hand still held her arm in a tight grasp. It only took her a few seconds to start fidgeting, nervous about his lack of reply.
"I'm just not comfortable with it," she opted for a non-explanation.
"Why not?" Marcus inquired curiously. "It's not like I'm asking you for a blow job." He felt her flinch at his deliberately crude words and smirked.
"Wouldn't get one if you did," she muttered under her breath, trying to pry his hand loose.
"What was that?" Her voice had been barely a whisper; even so, Marcus had heard her. However, he chose to ignore her insolence, instead opting for a wiser approach: asking her to repeat herself. If she'd repeat it, she'd be downright defiant and that was something he could not tolerate. Defiance meant that she had given up and was trying to get herself killed. If she'd make up something else, it meant that she was starting to loosen up and that his new attitude was proving effective.
"I said that I'm not used to sharing a bed," she quickly amended.
"There's nothing to it. Come here." He tugged at her arm, causing her to fall back on the bed. Lifting her up slightly, he positioned her so that she was facing away from him and his body spooned around hers. His arms enclosed her tightly. "See?"
She was completely rigid in his arms, which led Marcus to suspect that she hadn't been lying about not being used to sharing a bed. Unable to resist the urge to poke fun at her a little, he pulled her flush against his body, one of his hands resting on the soft silk just beneath her breasts, the other snaking down to her belly. Jessica drew in a surprised breath and stiffened even further.
"Please, let me go sleep on the sofa," she pleaded with him, trying to turn in his arms to face him.
"Let me think. No." To emphasize his words Marcus gripped her tighter, to the point of bruising. "You're staying in my bed. It gets lonely here at night."
"Fine, I'll stay here. Not like I have a say in it, is it? Can you at least let me breathe?" Jessica huffed. Looks like he doesn't mind me talking back. Good. I can talk back. God knows I can. A grim smile formed on her lips. If I don't die from suffocation first.
Feisty. I like it. Marcus loosened his hold on her a little, making sure she could breathe, but at the same time still holding her much tighter than any human man would. He liked her there and he wasn't about to let her get away from him while he was asleep. Not that that would happen. She was starting to relax a little. He nuzzled into her neck, smelling citrus fruits. Mmm. He purred. Feeling the rumble in his chest was apparently too much for her because she jolted slightly.
"Relax, Jessie." Both her and his eyebrows shot up at the endearment. Where did that come from? "I'm not going to hurt you. Let's talk for a while."
This is definitely turning into one of the weirdest kidnappings ever. Talk? She was being spooned by some sort of incredibly sexy superhuman, who had hurled her across the room and threatened to kill her only hours ago and now he wanted to talk? Okay, appease him. She was glad he hadn't gotten angry with her earlier when she hadn't immediately complied with his demands, but she was smart enough to figure out that he wouldn't take kindly to being defied every chance she got. Still, she was at a loss what to talk about, so she remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate on topics of conversation.
Marcus nudged her shoulder with his chin. "Tell me about your life." His words were accompanied by puffs of warm air caressing her skin. She shivered involuntarily. Not knowing where to start, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"I like my life. I mean, I had friends and I went to college..." Her voice trailed off when she reminded herself that calling him on the things he had taken away from her might not be such a good idea when she still had the whole night to survive.
His low voice close to her ear sent another shiver down her spine. "Go on."
"I studied... study at UCLA, um... majoring in environmental sciences. My sister and I like to play tennis together. I love classical music and I used to play the piano but I haven't practiced in ages --"
Marcus interrupted her with a soft chuckle. "You sound like a personal ad."
"That's 'cause I don't know what to tell you. Can't you just ask questions?" Jessica proposed.
"Sure. Let's start easy. How old are you?" Marcus suddenly wondered.
"Twenty-one last April. You?" she replied without thinking.
"Older than that. So you have a sister? What's her name?" Marcus was enjoying himself. This game would prove enlightening. If he'd manage to keep his tone level, she'd never realize that he was storing this as information that might come in handy in a later stage.
"Michelle. She's three years younger than me. She used to be a real brat but lately she's been kind of like my best friend. I guess we both got a little older you know?" Jessica babbled.
"Mm-hm," Marcus murmured while his thumb drew lazy circles on her belly.
Jessica wished he would stop touching her like that. It was distracting and she wasn't sure if he just liked the feel of the material or that it was a conscious effort to try to make her feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, she liked it way too much. He was holding her captive for God's sake! This was definitely not the time to go all Stockholm syndrome. Still, when he touched her like that and he was being friendly, she couldn't help but forget about her predicament. Sick, sick, sick, she chastised herself. Aside from the whole kidnapping thing, there was also the small factor of him not being human. She didn't know what he was exactly, but had she ever given any thought to it, she was sure that being human would have ranked number one on her wish list for possible love-interests. But there he was, touching her and generally being too close for comfort and she was shivering like a teenager in anticipation of her first kiss. She cursed her chastity. If she'd had more experience with men, he wouldn't have such an effect on her and she would have been able to keep her head clear and maybe even come up with a plan to escape.
She sighed. "Next question."
Marcus smiled into her hair. She was becoming agitated and her heart was beating faster. It seemed like his close proximity didn't leave her entirely unaffected. "Do you want to go to sleep?"
"God yes," Jessica seized the opportunity. "I mean... I'm pretty tired."
"I know what you meant," Marcus said in an even tone. "It's okay. There'll be plenty of time for talking later."
Yes, 'cause you've got me trapped here and it's not like I can go anywhere, Jessica thought wearily. She was glad he didn't push though; it still felt way too strange to tell him about her life, knowing it was all too possible he would be the cause of her never going back to it again. God this is tiring. Sometimes she actually began to like him, forgetting what he was and what he had done to her. Then reality would kick in again causing her to question her behavior, her actions, her feelings, everything that might raise his ire to the point of killing her. Not to mention that she felt ashamed and guilty for being attracted to him. Like I said. Tiring.
Marcus placed a soft kiss just below her ear. "Sleep tight."
The feeling of his lips on her skin jolted her out of her thoughts, a flush of heat rushing towards her belly. Crap. "You too." She was proud of the fact that her voice sounded steady. After a few minutes Marcus' breathing became regular and deep, signalling he had fallen asleep. Jessica allowed herself to relax. Sleep. Tomorrow is another day; you'll have more than enough time to berate yourself. His arms around her made her feel safe despite herself and soon she too was asleep.
/She stood in the street in front of her parents' house at night, waiting for them to come out and greet her. Her feet felt heavy and her breathing was constricted. Sound emerged from the open window in the attic. She wondered if she should go and check it out. Screams pierced the night air, shaking her and setting her into motion. She dashed across the garden to the front door. It was locked. She frantically ran around the house searching for another way of entrance, but finding none. Finally she gave up and sank down to her knees on the front porch. The door opened. Marcus appeared in the doorway, blood smeared on his face and hands, inviting her in with a smile. She followed mutely, knowing what lay ahead. As she ascended the stairs to the attic, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. His handsome features had vanished, revealing a face of pure evil. It wasn't human, or anything that looked remotely human. It spoke but the language wasn't familiar. She called his name. "Marcus." He released his hold on her and she ran upstairs to check on her parents. Entering the attic a horrific sight greeted her. Blood splatters were everywhere, painting the room a blotchy red. Boxes containing treasures from her youth were torn, their contents scattered across the floor. Looking closer, she spotted her sister lying in a corner, blood pooling from a wound in her chest. A hand on her shoulder startled her and she screamed./
Marcus was jerked awakeby a gut-wrenching scream. Jessica writhed wildly in his arms, trying to free herself from his grasp. He tightened his hold on her. "Shh. You're dreaming. It's just a nightmare." He lifted one of his hands to stroke her hair, trying to soothe her. "Relax, Jessie. I'm here. You're safe." The irony of his words did not escape him. Her movements stilled, informing him that she was awake.
"You killed her," Jessica accused in a small, sleepy voice. "You killed my sister and you were smiling."
"It was just a dream." His tone was neutral. "Go back to sleep."
"Are you... going to kill me too?" The words came out barely a whisper.
Probably. Recognizing that that was not the most appropriate answer if he was to gain her trust, he refrained from saying the word. "Don't worry about that. I like having you here." It wasn't a lie; he just didn't know for how long.
"Promise me... you won't hurt them..." She fell asleep again.
Well, that was a promise he could keep, although technically he hadn't agreed to anything. There was nothing in it for him if he killed her family, not yet anyway. Right now it would only serve to alienate her instead of making her feel comfortable. Marcus pulled her closer to him and inhaled her scent deeply.
Apparently she already trusted him enough to fall asleep again in his arms, even though she'd just had a nightmare about him killing her sister. The girl never ceased to amaze him. She had to be terrified -- which he didn't mind in the least -- but still she wasn't afraid to talk back -- which he thoroughly enjoyed -- and she seemed to have resigned to her fate -- which was convenient. Yes, I've made the right choice. Definitely. He would lay low for a while and then break her. One of these days he'd have to come up with a fun plan for that. A smile graced his lips as he too fell asleep.