There wouldn’t be any more lies between them, not until he’d taken all she had to give.
His lips brushed across her neck, trailing down until they ran the length of her shoulder. A chill rushed over her body, her head turning slightly as her eyes locked to the television screen that had become her never ending horror.
Beaten, abused, alone – the woman whose face was never seen, whose body had been broken beneath the weight of futility.
For her, Alice thought. I’ll live through this only for her. I’m the strong one. I’m the survivor. I’m the one who can endure his violence and his rage.
His greedy hands explored her body, the rough pads of his fingers sliding along her rib cage, feather soft in their pressure, and aggravating in how they claimed her regardless of her acceptance of him. Teeth grazed her neck, a sharp row of enameled bone that warned her with a harsh bite every time she squirmed or tried to move away from the places he touched.
Unable to resist the way he caressed her, Alice grit her own teeth, the muscles of her jaw locking down until pain shot across her cheek. She refused to look at him like he'd demanded, refused to look away from the woman for whom she was tolerating this slow and seductive abuse.
But despite the nagging whispers in her head that she should fight or scream or claw at him with her nails until he had no choice but to pull away, her body responded to the strength of his hands, the blistering warmth of his skin that covered her own, the masculine notes of his scent that melted her to that bed, wanton and desirous for him to fill up the spaces that had long remained vacant, unused and empty.
"Look at me, Alice." The command was a subtle threat, a hissed reminder that she couldn't escape in her head, that every sense she had would submit to the man that worked her into a panicked frenzy.
Her rebellion still an electric spark inside her, she couldn't turn her head, couldn't ignore the tears that were cold and wet against her cheek, couldn't force herself to face her monster.
His fist, still clenching her tangled mess of hair, tugged sharply, pain like spider webs crawling across her scalp, a spreading fire that would never be contained. She cried out when his other hand gripped her chin, forcing her face to turn to him, her wide eyes locked to the icy wrath of deep artic blue, pale and insidious.
"You'll look at the man who owns you, Alice."
Her lip trembled, his hawk-like gaze locking on that one small movement, his mouth opening slightly as he brought his head down to take her lip between his teeth, to bite down and laugh softly when she cried out again.
Pulling up, his eyes admired the swelling where his teeth had just been.
"Such a dirty little mouth you have. I can't wait to enjoy all of its talents."
Her teeth ground against each other and he released her chin to brush his finger along the muscle of her jaw. A whisper soft voice that was so deep it vibrated in places inside her where it didn't belong, "So angry. And so beautiful because of it."
Alice couldn't submit any longer, couldn't suffer the violence of his physical assault while he mocked her with a soft, seductive voice. Her hands flew up to claw at his sides, but Max was stronger...faster. He released her hair to grip her wrists, his strong fingers like steel so tight they threatened to snap the bones.
With minimal effort he locked her arms above her head, his body weight falling down on her until she was pinned between him and the soft mattress. She moved her feet in an effort to find any way to fight against him, but he dug his knees between her thighs, preventing her movement entirely.
"Please," she begged, "please don't do this."
His head angled on a question, the thick inky black of his wavy hair brushing across his shoulder from the movement. "You let me do this. I know you, Alice. You'll beg for it again before long."
Seconds passed, the fight leaching out of her slowly until she was a quivering mess of pain and suffering beneath him.
His mouth brushed the rim of her ear, his warm breath an unwanted caress against her skin. "I'll make it all better, Alice, I promise."
Her arms still trapped above her, Alice closed her eyes when he slipped his pants down from his hips, when the hard, thick reminder of his twisted lust pressed down onto the skin of her stomach. Her tears had turned him on, but it was the small fight she'd attempted that had pushed him into a mindless, toxic fervor.
She didn't dare look away from him again, her eyes narrowed on the shadows that darkened the artic blue, on the blaze of heat that turned the pale color into jewels that sparkled with wicked, malicious delight.
He broke their locked stare to seek out her breast with his mouth, his teeth snapping down on the sensitive tight peak, a cutting pain that forced a moan from Alice's throat as he licked the sting away. He enjoyed the taste of her torment, enjoyed the taste of terror that burst across her skin in sticky beads of sweat.