Escape From Paradise



My stomach was upset when my patron led me into the dining room for lunch that afternoon. I crawled at his side and he sat on the end next to Marco. I hadn’t slept well the previous night, and my neck hurt. He’d made me sleep on the floor without a blanket. Granted, the temperature in the rooms are always perfect, and the carpets were lush, but I still hated it.

I reached up slowly to rub my neck when I saw one of Marco’s men escorting Jin into the dining room on her hands and knees in a red, strapless dress. When she got within five feet of me she looked up just enough so that our eyes met. Her face contorted into a raging, feral expression.

Oh, shit.

Somehow she knew Josef’s beating was because of me. And she must have added up the pieces and figured out we’d had sex. Jin was yet another aspect I hadn’t taken into account when I seduced Josef. I felt horrid and my guilt was surely written across my face. Her feelings for Josef had to be off the charts because she launched herself forward, taking me completely by surprise.

My ears filled with ringing as we both screamed. She had handfuls of my hair, yanking as we rolled, kicking, kneeing, snarling. I’d never been in a fight before. It was scary to have someone attacking me, wanting to hurt me. I grabbed her wrists, trying to subdue her hands and protect myself by keeping distance between us, but she was a strong and vicious little thing. Her teeth cut into my shoulder and I screeched in pain, bringing my foot up and kicking her back. She came away on her knees with blonde strands between her fingers, panting.

Why the hell wasn’t anyone stopping this? One quick glance around answered that for me. They were too busy watching and laughing, enjoying the cat fight. Marco sat stiffly, unamused, but made no move to end the fight.

Jin raised a hand to slap me and I caught her wrist, but then she swung the other one and clapped me hard across the ear, almost making me vomit. I threw myself at her, trying to wrestle her down with my heavier weight and hold all of her limbs down. She bucked when I straddled her and I brought my face down close to hers.

“Lo siento,” I whispered fervently through my teeth as she thrashed underneath me. “Lo siento.” I’m sorry…

The room cheered, thoroughly entertained at my domination over her.

Jin finally stilled, pressing her lips together and breathing hard through her nose. I watched the fire drain from her, replaced by fear as she realized what she’d done. I wondered if we’d both be punished. My shoulder and scalp were freaking stinging, but I couldn’t be mad at her. I hadn’t been beaten, and I felt like I deserved it.

Someone yelled in Spanish, “Kiss and make up!”

Oh, no.

The girl on girl scenario was yet another thing I hadn’t had to do in my time at the villa. But Jin didn’t hesitate, and I knew she was trying to save face. She pulled her hands from mine, and reached around to grab my ass, pulling me closer. She craned her neck up to me. When our lips met I was shocked by the softness of her mouth, so small. She tasted like strawberries. I relaxed into her, kissing her, my heart still pounding. Jin moved her hips and I met her rhythm, rocking against her. Her body was so tiny under mine. The whole thing felt weird, but not bad…just…very different.

“Angel,” Marco called. I broke the kiss and looked over at him. He nodded to my patron, who was giving me “the eye.” I climbed off Jin and crawled to him, sore all over now as I felt an array of scratches from her nails and teeth across my skin.

My patron pushed his chair back enough to show me his tented pants. Without question I went forward and took care of him.

I felt numb, like I was coming down from a high.

I didn’t think about the people watching.

I didn’t think about how he insensitively grabbed the hair on my head, bringing further pain to my tender scalp.

All I could think about was how much Jin cared for Josef, and how she’d shown more human emotion in that moment than I’d ever seen at the villa. And how strangely grateful I was to witness her beautiful burst of passion.





Months passed. I’m not sure how many. In the early days I’d kept a mental calendar, but that all stopped after the Josef incident. Even though he was a total sweetheart and held nothing against me.

When we’d finally made eye contact for the first time after his beating, he stuck out his tongue at me and freaking winked, like a kid. The tension immediately fell away from my body and cool relief had filled me, but I’d always carry guilt about it. We never discussed it, and even Jin went back to being her normal distant self.

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