The days fell into a nerve-racking routine for Gabriella, with Torquemada playing with her like a cat plays with a mouse. Teasing her with torture and humiliation and at the same time, treating her like a lady. She knew it was all a ploy to gain her trust so that she would let her guard down. She was not that gullible and watched his every tactic, learning his thought processes. He wouldn't catch her off guard, but perhaps she would be able to play the part of trusting fool and he would be the one caught off guard.
Each day she was allowed free roam of the ship, while she knew he watched her every move, so she tried to appear relaxed and serene. While in actuality her nerves were stretched to the breaking point and her mind screamed for him to make his move. The game was wearing her down mentally, but she refused to show it or let him win this game!
In the evenings, she was given her choice of beautiful dresses to wear, with all the garments, shoes and jewelry a woman could need or want to dress the part of his female guest of honor. Little did he know that she always picked a dress that allowed her to hide the tiny dagger so that it was always within her reach. that alone brought her some measure comfort. Dinner each evening was always a palates delight, especially given that they were in the middle of the ocean.
What Torquemada had not taken into consideration when he started his little emotional game was that Gabriella was no ordinary woman. The longer he played this game, the more time she had to consider her options and contemplate his next possible move. She knew that once he caught on that this wasn't working the way he had anticipated this game would be over and the torture would begin.
Torquemada watched Gabriella stand in the bow of the ship the wind whipping her long blue-black hair, the sun kissing her skin turning it to a golden hue making her enormous green eyes appear even darker and she became more alluring. Yet, he could find no sexual desire for her, she was a grown woman, and in his perverseness that held no appeal for him. He much preferred helpless, someone who held no real challenge to him. He cursed her silently for thwarting his plans of all those years that he had searched for her. Now that he finally had her within his control, she still held the upper hand, and he knew he must not let her know that.
He could just picture her disgust and hear the laughter if he tried to force himself up on her and his flaccid member would only hang limp between his aging thighs. He had some powders he had picked up on one of his travels, that should it come down to it, he could partake of that in a glass of wine and he would be up and throbbing, but he much preferred to have his cock twitching and throbbing because of her begging him for mercy.
In the meantime he would bid his time and watch and learn all he could about this strong woman. For he had no doubt that he could break Gabriella's spirit and diminish her to a quivering, begging mass of humanity, for he had done so with men that were generals and kings, men of power. He chuckled to himself, she was but a woman, and she dared to think she could best him. He knew that if he could ever see fear on her comely face that it would provide sexual stimulation for him.
Little did he know that he really did not know this woman, for she was forged of steel thanks to the atrocities she had seen this demon thrust upon family and friends and that her resolve to see him dead only made her stronger. She refused to let herself dwell on thoughts of Rayne, it made her to feminine and vulnerable to her emotions, and she must remain emotionless at all costs.
So, she walked the decks to keep her muscles active and her thoughts at bay. That evening as the two adversaries sat across the table from one another eating the meal that the cook had prepared for them Gabriella was disgusted by the slurping and smacking sounds coming from Torquemada. It was all she could do to force the food down her throat and she only did so because she knew she would need all the strength she could muster. For she knew he grew impatient and would soon make his move, she only hoped it would be his last!
"Gabriella, you are more quiet than usual this evening, is something on your mind?"
Gabriella looked at him, her thoughts screaming "On my mind? Why yes, as a matter of fact I was contemplating the many ways I could slit your despicable throat!" But instead she demurely said "no, I suppose the salt air has made me sleepy, there is nothing else on my mind." She watched his face closely beneath a fringe of eyelashes to see if he was gullible enough or vain enough to believe the drivel that had just fell from her mouth. She could tell by the confident look on his hideous face that he indeed believed every word she allowed to grace his ears. She was thankful that he did not have access to her inner thoughts and schooled her features to not give away anything she was really feeling or thinking.
Torquemada sat back watching her, looking for a glimpse into her inner workings, and saw nothing other than a simpleminded female who thought she could beguile him into letting her go unscathed for all the trouble and frustration she had put him thru. It never entered his mind that his captive might be as devious and beguiling as he himself was. He was in for a very rude awaking.
