Perfectly Too Far (17 page)

The
auction. How dumb, how ridiculous!

Yet,
it bothered her like nothing else, imagining being sold to some other
faceless Dom.
After
all the things Master Onyx showed me... my biggest fear last night
was losing him in the wake of his strange decision to apparently
never claim a Sub of his own. At least, if what that girl Opal said
is to be believed.

Frowning,
Judith brushed a damp strand of hair behind her ear, ignoring it as
the shower moved it back out of place.
I
lost my mind, for a moment. Told him he couldn't sell me to someone
else.
That
memory was horrible as well, being pulled to the ground, chastised
and scolded by his harsh words.

But
that wasn't what haunted her now.

Those
eyes, behind that mask, she'd finally seen them. And in doing so, she
had identified her mysterious, dark temptation of a man. It was
Benedict Vance, her current employer. The very man who had forbidden
her from ever peeking behind that alluring red door downstairs. The
door that had led her to the commanding Master Onyx, opened her mind
to the delicious, sinful world of kneeling at someone's feet.

I
was scared of losing Master Onyx at the auction. But now, I've lost
him anyway. And all because he... and Benedict...
Gritting
her teeth in frustration, she slammed her fist onto the tile wall,
over and over until her knees buckled. Crumbling to the bottom of the
shower, she folded her arms and sobbed.

Why
did they have to be the same person?

She
couldn't go back, not now, not after learning that. The risk of
Benedict discovering that she was, in fact, the girl named
Sparrow—the submissive in training she'd been masquerading
as—was too great.

He
was a cold, strict man. She had no illusion he'd ban her from his
home, revoking the admission letter she needed, once he learned she'd
broken his rule.

Don't
ever open the red door. I should have just listened.

Her
skin was like a prune when she finally left the bathroom, wrapped in
a robe, her ruby tresses bound up in a towel. Judith settled on her
bed, her borrowed guest room, and stared blankly at the wall as she
gathered her plan together.

I
just need to finish the mural for him. Once I do that, I'll... I'll
just leave. I can't do this anymore, play this game, knowing what I
know... and what he'd do if HE knew. If I go back into that dungeon
tonight, or anytime, ever, I'm just playing with fire.

Thinking
of Onyx, how his smooth glove had felt on her throat, his words
whispering wickedly in her ear as he made her body tremble with a
lust she never knew...

No.
If I go back, I'll only get hurt. It's done, it has to be.

Wiping
her cheeks, feeling the dampness on her milky skin, Judith pretended
it was water from the shower.

****

The
kitchen downstairs was quiet, morning light frail and white where it
poured in through all the glass. Judith moved around on soft feet,
the vibe in the air one of respectful solitude.
I
wonder where Benedict is, or Corbin?
Frowning,
she poured herself a glass of milk from the fridge, sipping it as she
stood by the back doors. Outside, the world was green with life.

I
wonder if this will be my last day here. If I finish the mural
tonight, well...
Sighing, she swirled her drink and mumbled softly to herself. “It's
for the best, isn't it?”

“
Is
what for the best?” The voice came from behind her, close
enough his breath tickled her neck. Judith gave a shout, spinning and
dropping her glass onto the tiled floor. Together, her and Benedict
watched the shards of crystal explode everywhere, the milk cascading
around in a white splash.

Her
mouth hung open, brown eyes sharp and frightened as they focused on
the equally stunned face of her employer. Benedict had his hands
lifted, fingers spread like he was trying to protect himself from an
oncoming attack. But Judith could only stare into his sparkling blue
eyes, forced to recall the moment she had seen them last.

Her
mind blurred with the memory of his hand in her hair, her cheek
rubbing into the rug while his words burned her ears like embers.

Oh
god, say something, do something!
Stuttering,
she quickly moved to the right side of the kitchen, grabbing a towel
and bending to wipe the spill. “Oh god, I'm so sorry, I didn't
mean to—”

“
Careful!”
he hissed, reaching down to grab for her shoulders. Judith didn't
listen, she looked at the wet mess as she soaked it up, her hands
rubbing across the tile fast. It was then, as she adjusted herself,
that her bare feet found the inevitable shard of glass.

“
Ah!”
Inhaling sharply, Judith dropped the towel, wincing at the sudden
pain.

“
You
idiot,” Benedict snapped. Before she could respond, to even try
to argue with him, he had wrapped his arms around her and scooped her
up. Holding her close, he looked past her and at the glittering mine
field that was once a kitchen. “Don't you know better than to
move around without shoes on after breaking something?”

Judith
was breathless, her words lost on her tongue. Staring at his face,
she noticed the slight stubble on his jaw, something usually
invisible. But not now, no, not when she was close enough to nuzzle
him.

Oh
shit what am I thinking!

“
Corbin!
Corbin, get in here!” Shouting, the man turned and carried
Judith into the living room, holding her like she weighed nothing.
Pressed against his chest, she inhaled his scent, the heavy olive oil
smell reminding her painfully of Onyx.

Or
really, reminding me of Benedict, too, since they're one and the
same. I need to remember that, I need to...

His
eyes fixed on her, intense and bright. Gingerly, he set her on one of
the couches, kneeling on the rug in front of her. “Let me see,”
he said softly.

“
I—what?”

“
Your
foot, let me see where you stepped on the glass.” He gestured,
impatiently looking over his shoulder, trying to listen for Corbin.
With his sapphire orbs away from her face, Judith was able to clear
her head from the fog.

Licking
her lips, she lifted one leg from where it poked from her bathrobe,
regretting her decision to not get changed after her shower. Benedict
turned back around, his fingers encircling her ankle. When he leaned
in, she felt his breathing, her tiny hairs sticking up like needles.

“
Mr.
Vance, what happened?” Corbin had appeared, standing by the
hallway and looking concerned.

“
Corbin,
grab me the first aid kit. Ms. Flight stepped on some glass.”

“
I
saw the mess in the kitchen, yes, of course.” He was gone like
a ghost. Judith blamed how distracted she was with Benedict cradling
her foot.

He
looked up at her, brows low, his tone exasperated. “Does it
hurt?”

“
Oh,
uh, not much. It's really probably no big deal,” she said,
forcing a smile. He clearly didn't believe her, his eyes squinting at
her heel as he ran a thumb across the bottom. The sensation made her
jump, a shiver rolling down her spine. He brushed the cut, making her
openly hiss through clenched teeth. “Alright, yeah, that hurt.”

Corbin
crossed the rug on silent feet, kneeling beside Benedict, first aid
kit in hand. It was clear, as he pulled out a small bottle and
tweezers, that he was planning on removing the glass himself.

Benedict
had other ideas.

Without
even looking, he reached out and took the items, still peering at
Judith's foot. “Thank you, Corbin. That will be all.”

She
lifted her eyes, watching the calm, emotionless way the chauffeur
remained crouched. Finally, he straightened and gave a slight nod.
His eyes were flat when he glanced at Judith, but she felt a cold
twist of discomfort. “As you wish.” He said no more, only
turned on his perfectly shined shoes and vanished into the kitchen.

That
was sort of weird, did Benedict offend him?

The
man at her feet touched the tweezers to the cut, making her jerk
away. “Ah! Sorry!” She blushed, seeing his face and how
he frowned.

“
You
don't like pain, do you?” he murmured, gripping her ankle like
a vice, keeping her still as he gently prodded at her wound. He was
very focused, she found herself watching how precisely he moved his
hand.

“
No,”
she pouted, “who would like pain?”

“
Sometimes
it's needed, sometimes it has its place.”

She
bit her tongue to keep from commenting. It was impossible not to
recall the spanking Onyx had put her through on her first night of
training.
This
is too weird, he doesn't know that I get what he means. What an
insane game this is. He thinks he's playing with a hidden deck, but I
know all of his cards.

“
There,”
he said, lifting the tweezers, the shard of glass held between them.
Wrapping it in a napkin, he set it aside. Holding a bottle, he poured
the liquid onto a cotton ball, the scent in the air acrid.

“
Peroxide,”
she groaned, even before he pressed the wet, burning blob to her cut.
“Dammit, that stings!”

Benedict
chuckled, pressing a bandage to her foot and winding a small amount
of gauze around it all to keep it in place. “Don't complain so
much. You're fine now, it was a small thing, really.”

I
know, so why did you react like you did? Were you that worried about
me?

Frowning,
Judith set her foot on the floor, testing her weight on it gingerly.
“Thanks, and sorry about your glass.”

“
It's
fine. I didn't mean to scare you this morning. I was surprised at
seeing you so early, was all. Did you have some plans?”

Opening
her mouth, she spoke carefully, taking the time to form her words.
“Yes. I was going to finish the mural today.”

He
kept his face neutral, but nodded quickly. “I see. Have you
given any thought to my offer, then?”

“
Your
offer?” Concentrating, she remembered how he had suggested she
stay on, working for him and painting other rooms in his giant house.
I
can't, I just can't stay.
“I...
think it would be better if I just got ready to focus on college, my
classes. If that makes sense.”

Standing,
he offered her a hand, his expression stoic. “Ms. Flight, I
have nothing but respect for the pursuit of knowledge. I hope you'll
decide to come back in the future, when you have the time.”