Regarding this scene: EdwardsFirstKiss called it 7 chapters ago. :)
I've be completely lax about responding to reviews lately. Sorry. I'll try to catch up, at least with addressing direct questions. Thanks for all your wonderful feedback!
Bella was consumed by conflicting emotions the next morning. Masen hadn't brought up her unwelcome admirer again, not even when he returned from his afternoon appointments. They endured a stiff and tense dinner in one of the hotel restaurants, showing their faces, but not trying to draw any undue attention. Masen was playing low cards, waiting for the right opportunity to show Edward Cullen's hand.
Waiting wasn't Bella's strong suit. It frustrated her to not know what was going to come next. It made her anxious when she considered that, if an invitation arrived, when it did, her role would be nearly powerless. While Isabella Swan the FBI agent was hoping for success, Bella looked forward to their infiltration into the Volturi with dread.
Their Thursday morning workout plans conjured a similar mixture of emotions. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she was flattered by Demetri's attention. He was an attractive man, but more than that, he had demonstrated compassion and courage toward Marie. He was just the kind of guy she could see herself dating, if it weren't for her current mission. The potential for a conflict between him and her partner's violent alter-ego was tying her stomach into knots.
They reached the hotel gym without incident. She quelled the urge to smile when she saw that Demetri was already there, but he didn't stay for long. Bella was only one mile into her assigned run when her admirer quit his weight-lifting routine, got a drink at the water fountain and left. He shot her a quick wink as he passed in front of her treadmill, but it was not obvious enough to invite any sort of reaction from her possessive and antagonistic "boyfriend."
Bella chanced a look over her shoulder. Masen's features were locked into the scowl she associated with Edward Cullen's irritated face. She couldn't tell if he had been watching Demetri or not. He didn't say anything.
Acting the part of the tyrant, Masen pushed her through a grueling routine of calisthenics. Her muscles were sore, but she was able to keep up, and she was grateful for the break he had given her upper body the day prior. Just as he released her for a water break, the women from their first gym visit showed up, bubbly, excited and absolutely gushing enthusiasm for their workout. They shifted course, walking straight over when they saw her master standing near the mats.
Bella took advantage of the reprieve from his attention to shake out her arms and stretch her back and sides. She took sips of water, taking as much time as possible before she had to return to his side. As she was turning to go, she noticed a folded napkin on the small shelf beside the drinking fountain. It was marked with pencil. Her stomach flip flopped. Looking furtively around, Bella flicked the napkin open so it lay flat on the shelf beside her. She read the faint note out of the corner of her eye as she took one last drink.
Breakfast? Coffee? If you can get away, meet me by the elevators in the lobby at 9:00. Not a date. I just want to chat with a pretty girl. -D
P.S. Smile
Bella couldn't smile. She didn't know what she should do. She absolutely could not meet him. It would blow her cover to smithereens. But should she try to communicate with him in some other way? Let him down easy so she could focus on their mission with a clear conscience? Should she tell Masen about the second note? She was pretty certain that she would not like the results if she did.
When every action will bring bad results, sometimes no action is the best option. Bella decided to pretend she hadn't seen it at all. She casually nudged the napkin into the garbage, grabbed a paper towel to wipe her chin, then dropped it into the bin to cover the note.
Edward Cullen's eyes were boring into her when she looked up. The sweat that coated her skin seemed to turn to ice. She shivered. How much had he seen? How would he react? His groupies had begun their workout, obviously disappointed that he had declined to take an active role.
Marie slipped between the banks of machines and equipment to rejoin her captor, and they left the room without trading a single word.
"You okay?" Masen asked as he locked the door behind them.
"Huh? Yeah. I'm great. Why?" Bella replied with a slight stutter.
"You seem a bit jittery this morning."
"Stress dreams," she said, by way of explanation.
"Are you sure you're up for this today?"
"Yeah. It's fine. Let's stick to the plan."
"Okay. Get a drink, but not too much, and have something to eat. Make sure you use the bathroom now. This could take a few hours, although I really hope not."
"I can hold it for a while if I have to. Just don't leave me there all day."
"I won't. I promise," he reassured her.
Bella ate, brushed her teeth and used the bathroom, then went back out to the bedroom. Masen had worked quickly, altering the appearance of the suite. He had business notes and data strewn around the executive desk. The remnants of a meal sat on the table, with a plate of scraps on the floor beside it. The bedclothes had been straightened, but a nest of blankets lay crumpled on the floor by the foot of the bed.
Masen was dressed in a long sleeved shirt and slacks, but he had rolled up the sleeves and left the top two buttons open in deference to the heat. Bella stripped off her gym clothes, dropping the dirty laundry into the hamper in the closet. She knelt down at the foot of the bed, put her wrists together and raised them above her head.
Masen attached a leash to the ring at the back of her collar and looped it through the bed frame. Using one of his ties, he bound her wrists behind her neck and secured them to the leash.
"That okay? Not too tight?"
Bella wriggled her hands and fingers. Her circulation felt okay. "It feels fine. It's kind of scary that you're so good at this. Did you practice?"
"I've seen it done plenty. Tying a knot isn't really that hard. Making sure it's secure without being too tight is the real challenge."
He pulled the rubber band from her hair, mussing it a bit so it straggled about her shoulders and over her breasts. He took a step back, evaluating the scene.
"Good. Last step. You ready?"
Bella swallowed her trepidation and nodded.
Masen took a rolled sock and carefully wedged it into her mouth. Using another tie, he secured the gag and tied a square knot in the back. With his fingers, he tugged out random strands of her hair, shifted the tie a bit, then stood back again.
"Can you breathe okay?"
Bella nodded. It wasn't entirely the truth. She had to breathe through her nose, and it felt as if there wasn't enough air. She knew it was only panic. She could control it. Bella willed her heart to slow down, taking deep, even breaths. Her lungs gradually relaxed.
The sock tasted of cotton and laundry soap. It sucked up the saliva in her mouth and swelled, pressing hard against her tongue and palate. If she thought too much about it, it made her want to gag. She worked her jaw to the left a right a little. There wasn't much room to move. Swallowing was a chore, but it was manageable.
"Housekeeping starts their rounds on this floor in about 15 minutes. When they enter, I'll be less than three minutes behind them to do damage control. It'll be over before you know it. Okay, Swan. Showtime."
Bella nodded her understanding, but he had already turned away.
Masen gathered his briefcase, phone and keys, then paused at the door. She thought he was going to turn back around and say something, but he just twitched his shoulders and left the suite. Bella heard the latch click into place. She knew that the "Do Not Disturb" sign had been placed carefully on the floor just inside the door. It would appear that the sign had been knocked off accidentally in passing.
Down in the restaurant, Masen would be ordering breakfast. Using his phone, he would be able to observe the hallway from a camera he had planted behind a light fixture. They had timed the return trip from the restaurant last night. Unless the elevator stopped at every single floor, he would be back in the suite before the poor women had figured out what to do.
She was nervous about housekeeping's response. If they took too long to reach the bedroom, the entire scene would be obsolete. However, Masen assured her that the first thing they did in every room was strip the bed and gather the soiled linens. All she had to do was wait.
The minutes ticked by and her arms began to burn. Her range of motion was severely limited, but Bella flexed and relaxed her muscles to keep the blood moving. Every time her thoughts settled on the discomfort of the gag or her bonds, she consciously redirected her thoughts to something cheerful or mundane.
There was no clock within sight, but the band of sunlight from the window crept slowly across the bedroom floor. It had been at least an hour since Masen left. Her fingers felt a bit numb. She wiggled them, chasing the tingling, burning feeling away temporarily.
Her throat felt so dry. The sock was completely saturated with saliva and was almost immovable. Her jaw throbbed. She tried to swallow, but it made her gag. With her eyes watering profusely, Bella focused all of her energy on remembering the words to American Pie. The long verses helped her disassociate herself from her body, and she could almost envision the scene the cleaning ladies would first see when they opened the bedroom door. It was shocking and disturbing. Their first instinct would be to address her verbally. Then they would grow alarmed and want to make sure there was nobody else in the suite. Finally, they would attempt to untie her.
Unless they had knives, it would take them several minutes to work Masen's knots loose. By then, Masen would have returned to play out Edward Cullen's role of the outraged, offended, embarrassed sex fiend with the kinky submissive girlfriend. Marie's job would be to lie, lie, lie, as convincingly as she could. She would assure them that she was okay. She was totally fine. She was not only a consenting adult, but this was what she liked, what she wanted.
As with every scene they had created, the intention was to attract attention but lace it with ambiguity and confusion. Edward Cullen brought Marie out in public, surely that meant she was with him by choice, correct? If not, she would have raised the alarm long ago, wouldn't she? Besides, she wasn't bound in any way. Not visibly. Even when he had locked her in the car in front of Delancy, she could have unlocked the door and climbed out at any time. She could leave whenever she chose. That's what their reason would tell them.
People didn't like to intrude. They didn't like being a nuisance or putting themselves out there to be corrected or embarrassed publicly. Demetri was the only one who had possessed the guts and conviction to speak to her and challenge Cullen. She wondered how long he had waited by the elevators before acknowledging that she wasn't coming. Did he see Masen come down without her? If so, he knew she was alone and choosing not to come to him. Assuming she had even seen his note, of course.
Bella's thoughts whirled in circles, and the sun continued to inch across the carpet. It was getting warm, and she was so thirsty. She was also starting to sense growing pressure in her bladder. The stress of confinement made it feel worse than it was. She could hold it.
What was Masen doing? He must be done eating. How long could he sit in the restaurant, sipping coffee and staring at his phone before people began to wonder? What if he got a call and didn't see-?
Just then there was a sharp knock at the door.
"Housekeeping!" a male voice rang out.
Bella's heart sank. There was only one man on the entire housekeeping staff, and Asshole Murphy had placed him right outside her door. Bella mentally prepared for his reaction. There was nothing else she could do.
She heard the front door open, the slight squeak of overloaded casters and one set of careful footsteps.
"Hello? Anyone here?"
She knew that voice. Demetri! What was he doing here?
The bedroom door swung open, and his eyes found hers. He raised one eyebrow and leaned casually against the door frame.
"Well, I must say, this is a surprise," he said with a slow smile.
Regarding Demetri. . . yeah. A lot of you saw this one coming. He's one sneaky bastard.