When I woke up the next morning, Crewe was gone.
I still didn’t know his schedule. Sometimes, he was there when I woke up, and sometimes, he wasn’t. A breakfast tray was usually brought to my room, but eating alone wouldn’t help my situation.
I looked through the closet until I found a tight pink sundress and a nice cardigan. It was a little fancy, but it hugged my curves in a way that made them noticeable. I did my hair and makeup, putting more effort into my appearance than ever before.
I walked downstairs and saw Dunbar in the massive entryway, exactly where his post usually was. I did my best to ignore him as I walked across the large room and toward the rest of the castle. Crewe was probably in the drawing room or in the courtyard.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I ignored Dunbar’s cold voice and kept my head high.
“I asked you a question, bitch.” He made his way toward me, his heavy footsteps amplified in the room.
Before he could grab me and start another war, I turned around but kept my distance. “I’m looking for Crewe. He’s not worried about me running, so neither should you.”
His bushy eyebrows connected in a single, straight line. He had a large nose that was the size of my fist, and he had a large mole near his chin. He wasn’t pretty to look at it, and he was definitely mean. “When it comes to cunts like you, I’m always worried.”
If he touched me, I was gonna kick him in the balls as hard as I could. “I just want to speak to Crewe. As his woman, I have the right to do that.”
“You aren’t his woman,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re just one of his whores.”
My temper snapped like a stretched rubber band. I clocked him right in the nose, giving him a powerful right hook that he had no idea was coming. I felt his nose break under my hit, and I got unbelievable satisfaction out of the damage. “Call me that again, and see what happens.”
He staggered back as the blood dripped down his face. It took him a second to understand my hit was the source of the damage. Once everything came into place, he looked at me like he wanted to kill me.
Like, actually kill me.
He pulled out his gun.
Shit. “Crewe!” I ran as fast as I could even though I could never outrun a bullet. If Dunbar caught up to me, I was dead meat. “Crewe!” I had no idea where he was. I just hoped he was in the castle and he could hear me.
Dunbar charged me down and shoved me hard to the ground, making me slide across the tile. “Let’s see how you look with a bloody nose, bitch!” He grabbed my neck and squeezed so hard I couldn’t breathe. He raised the butt of his gun and prepared to slam it down onto my face.
Fuck, this was going to hurt.
“Get. Off. Her.” Crewe’s authoritative voice was enough to stall Dunbar’s hand before it hit me. He stopped just inches away from my face, the metal of the gun nearly crushing my nose. The force would have set off a geyser of blood and permanently scarred my nose.
Dunbar stayed on top of me but dropped his weapons. “But she—”
“Get off of her.” Crewe kicked him in the stomach so he would roll off me. He kneeled down and examined me even though I only had a few scratches on my arms from falling onto the stone. “Lovely, are you alright?” His powerful arms wrapped around me. He examined my face for any bruises.
“I’m fine.” I looked at my arms and saw the burns from sliding across the floor.
Dunbar got to his feet and wiped the blood onto his sleeve. “She was trying to sneak away—”
Crewe held up his hand and dismissed him. “Disappear.”
A grimace stretched across Dunbar’s face, an explosive anger he could barely bottle inside. He wanted to get a word in but knew defying Crewe was a bad idea. He holstered his gun and finally walked away, his shoulders stiff with threat.
Crewe’s hands pulled my hair off of my face as he examined me. “You’re sure you’re alright?”
I nodded. “I was walking by, and Dunbar said some stuff to me—”
“I’ll handle him. Don’t worry about him anymore.”
I hoped that meant Crewe was going to fire him. Dunbar had had it out for me since the day I came around. This was the third time he’d hit me.
Crewe helped me to my feet before he cradled me into his chest. One hand moved into my hair, while his other hand wrapped around my waist. He looked down at me like he was examining me again, making sure I was okay. “If Dunbar had left a scar on you, I would have killed him. I can’t have a bloody date to the opening next weekend.”
I was automatically offended by the statement. He didn’t care about my safety, just about my presentation. Making him fall for me seemed even more unlikely now.
His thumb brushed along my cheek before he lifted my chin. “What happened?”
“I was walking by, and he called me a whore…so I punched him.”
He sighed and shook his head. “No wonder why he came after you.”
“Well, I don’t appreciate being called a whore. Anytime I leave the room, he treats me like a criminal.”
“What were you doing?”
“Looking for you.”
“Did you tell him that?”
“Yes. I’m telling you, the guy just hates me.”
Now that he knew I was okay, he looked down at my outfit. He seemed to like it because his mood picked up slightly. “You look pretty.”
“Thanks…” The compliment seemed sincere, and that made me melt like butter.
“What did you want to see me for?”
I shrugged. “I missed you…” I held my breath after I said the words, unsure how he would receive them. I was jacking up the affection, and I was afraid he would recognize its lack of sincerity. I went from telling him off all the time to needing him. He wasn’t stupid, so he might catch on.
But he didn’t seem to find it suspicious. His eyes softened in reaction, and his thumb moved to the corner of my mouth. He stared at my lips before he leaned in and kissed me, a soft and gentle caress that made me feel like something more besides his prisoner. “Here I am. At your service.”
“Can we have breakfast? Then go back to the room.”
“I already ate.” He looked down my dress to my cleavage line. “But I have some time…”
I climbed on the edge of the bed with my legs spread apart and my heels still on.
Crewe came up behind me, and he stilled when he realized I didn’t have panties on. “Jesus Christ…” He undid his slacks and allowed his cock to come free, pulsing and thick. He positioned himself at my entrance then shoved himself inside me in one fluid motion.
I leaned forward slightly and closed my eyes, surprised how incredible he felt. “Crewe…”
“Lovely, I love it when you say my name.” He gripped the back of my neck and shoved my face into the mattress, making my back curve at a deeper angle so my pussy was more accessible to him. He let his dick rest inside me for a second before he began to thrust.