Penny sat as still and quiet as she could, no longer sobbing, no longer fighting the ropes tied so tightly around her wrists and ankles. She didn't press her tongue against the gag in her mouth anymore, either; it only made her start to choke, and she wanted to be utterly silent, some small part of her hoping that they would forget about her, that no one would come back and make good on the threats they'd left behind.
Drying tears stained her cheeks with their high-boned perfection, and her big tawny brown eyes were swollen and red-rimmed from the crying and wordless begging she'd done earlier. Her dark brown hair was tousled and hung partially in her face, wild and uncombed, and her clothes stuck to her body, sweat running between her ample breasts. It was hot in this dark room, but she was too scared to care about her comfort level at this point. She was more worried about her life.
Penny's father was into some bad stuff, she knew, but she hadn't realized it could be dangerous for her and the rest of the family. She'd assumed she was safe, tucked away in her college dorm on the tightly secured campus. But last night, at the frat party, she'd been kidnapped. It wasn't one of the huge blowouts with group orgies and drunken brawls, just a few friends getting together and dancing, laughing. She'd thought it was safe.
Now, she regretted having gone, looking around at the room, the only light a sliver of sunlight peeking through a black curtain over a tiny window. In the dim light, it looked like a fairly standard motel room, and that made her nervous but not nearly as nervous as the fact that she was strapped to the bed. Her wrists were bound behind her back around a post on the headboard, and her feet were tied slightly apart to rungs on the footboard. It was a vulnerable position any way you looked at it, and when her captor had left with that sinful smile of his, she'd lost all hope of coming out of this safe.
Even as she thought about it again and wondered just how much money her father owed the man, the door opened, and bright light filled the doorway around a silhouette. She couldn't see anything but the bright light and a dark shadow of a tall, muscular figure, and she had to squint at the sudden light, wondering just how long she'd been in here, having lost track of time.
The man stepped forward and closed the door behind him, and Penny's first reaction was relief, for this was not the man who had bound her. It was another man, one she didn't know but who felt slightly less evil. Then, he took another step toward her, and she flinched, her nerves tightening her muscles again, her stomach clenching in fear.
He spoke, his voice deep and raspy, coming from a long throat set above a chest so muscular it stretched the cloth of his black T-shirt so that the seams looked like they would tear if he flexed at all. "I'll take the gag out and give you some water if you promise not to scream." His lips were full and moved sensuously, seemingly out of place in a very angular, masculine face.
Penny felt weak, and she wanted the gag removed, needed moisture in her throat, so she nodded, weakly, hoping he wasn't taunting her. While he seemed less frightening than the other man, he still had an aura of strength and malice.
He moved toward her, seeming to hesitate a moment, then settled on the edge of the bed, almost gingerly. He reached for the lamp on the bedside table and turned it on, the light giving off a dim glow in the still darkened room. It wasn't much, but it allowed her to see the man more clearly. His eyes were midnight blue, so close to black it was eerie, and his hair was dark waves that fell just over his eyes. He flipped his head, tossing the curls back in an almost feminine movement and yet still seemed utterly masculine and...scary.
He reached out both of his giant hands, and they snaked around behind her neck, working at the knot in her gag until it was loose. He drew the cloth down, removing it from her mouth slowly and letting her work her jaw a bit, trying to moisten her lips and remove the stiffness. He stood and moved across the room toward the mini-fridge she could now see, reaching in and grabbing a bottle of water. He opened it, then came back to his perch on the bed and held it to her lips.
The water trickled in, and Penny almost choked, trying to swallow past the dry lump in her throat. He backed off, giving her a moment to get control of herself, then offered more. She drank greedily until the bottle was only about half full, then pulled away. A splash of cold water landed on her chest before he pulled it away, and she gasped at the sensation.
He sat the bottle on the nightstand and reached out to touch the spot where the water had landed, just above her nipple, and she jerked away, though she couldn't actually avoid his touch because of the bindings. His fingertips brushed across her breast, and he muttered, "Sorry about that." He didn't pull his hand away but rather trailed his fingers down her stomach toward the space between her legs, his touch gentle but unwelcome.
It made Penny whimper slightly, and she asked, her voice a coarse whisper, "What do you want from me?"
He smiled, a cross between a predatory snarl and an embarrassed grin. "I want your body." He palmed her, through her jeans, his hand large enough to cover her, and he squeezed lightly. It made her whimper again, and he made a shushing noise. "You don't have to be scared of me."
She shook her head, and when she spoke, her voice was slightly louder but very shaky with emotion. "I don't even know you, how can you do this to me?"
The man withdrew his hand quickly, as though a snake had bitten him, and he frowned. "Eric, my name is Eric. I should have introduced myself." He offered his name and apology politely, as if they were meeting at a club or a party, and it only served to make Penny more apprehensive. What was this man planning to do to her? If he was going to be so kind, so careful in the way he addressed her, could she talk him out of touching her again, or doing anything more?
"Please, Eric, please don't hurt me." Her voice was pleading, groveling, and she was not ashamed. She didn't want to be used by a stranger. "Please, I'm sure my father will do whatever you ask to get me back, just don't hurt me."