Michael stood to his full height and stared down at Carina with a smile that immediately made her uneasy.
"Run, Carina," he advised.
"B-but you...! You said...?" she faltered with wide, imploring eyes.
Carina's heart beat a rapid rhythm through her chest as Michael adjusted his stance to something rather predatory. Readying to give chase.
"I will count to one hundred," he informed her, with a sly grin, his dark eyes alight with excitement.
"Michael, please..."
"One...two..."
"This isn't fair!" Carina argued hotly, stamping a sneakered foot to the soil. "I never...! We didn't...!"
"You played this game with Eduardo," Michael smoothly countered. "I always wanted to play with you."
"I would never have-" she retorted, uncomfortably looking away.
"But now you will," he firmly interrupted. "Ten...eleven..."
"WHAT?" Carina shrieked, stepping back with alarm. "You skipped numbers!"
"You're wasting precious seconds arguing. Sixteen..."
"Stop it! Michael, don't!"
"Don't?" he repeated softly, gently placing his hands on his hips with a sinister air of confidence. "Don't let me catch you, Carina. Twenty..."
"Fuck!" Carina snarled, baring her teeth at him with a last dirty stare before tearing into the forest.
For a short while Carina could only hear her own breathing, the rustling of surrounding plant-life with her desperate movements. But soon there was something else, something which even the blood pounding about her ears didn't mask. It was the disruptive sounds of a much larger person, swiftly pursuing her with an agility she couldn't match.
"Double crossing bastard..." she bitterly muttered, certain she had under a minute before Michael pounced on her to do God-knows-what.
Pausing for two seconds to catch her breath, Carina looked at a tree to her left. There was a surprising variation of them around the island. The one she appraised was sturdy, with a convenient thickness for climbing. Peering further up, she could make out branches which looked like they'd support her weight, maybe. She was about to find out.
Michael reached the base of the tree, staring up at Carina with amused bewilderment as she managed to scramble onto the second branch.
"What on Earth are you doing up there?" he laughed. "Game over. Come down."
"I'm not coming down," Carina wheezed, sweat pouring down her temples from exertion as she lamented losing so much fitness in captivity.
"Yes, you are," Michael said firmly. "Don't make me come up there."
"You said you wouldn't abuse me!" Carina screamed, losing balance. Almost falling backward, she managed to grasp a supporting branch at a critical moment.
Michael immediately lunged forward to catch her. Startled by the false alarm, he raked an angry hand through his dark hair
"Careful, idiot!" he berated. "You'll break your neck, Carina!"
"Maybe that would be a good thing," she said petulantly, but carefully tightened her grip around the tree.
With an effort, Michael took a long, deep breath to calm himself. "Carina, come down. I won't hurt you."
"You told me to run, and-"
"Yes, and I'm sorry. I was only going to catch you, and steal a few kisses. That's all, I promise."
Carina suspiciously peered down at his solemn features. "What about the deal?"
"Yes, Carina, the deal is still in place." Michael pulled a face, remembering his promise. His eyes glinted ominously as Carina cast a hopeful glance around.
"Gavin will not save you," he said sourly. "Now, come down. I apologised, and I meant it. And for fuck's sake, be careful!" he shouted, anxiously stepping forward as Carina's foot slipped on the trunk.
"Don't touch me!" Carina sniped, kicking her ankle out to deter the brush of his fingertips as he reached for her.
"Now, you are being immature," he retorted, and Carina felt his large hands suddenly grip the outside of her thighs.
"Don't touch me!" she raged, but Michael ignored her and finally managed to reach her waist. Seizing her hips, he pulled until Carina lost the feeble hold she had around the tree.
Falling into his arms, she was easily supported like a child, with one hand circling her waist and the other curled under her knees.
Unable to resist, Michael deeply breathed in the scent of her hair at the nape of her neck before pressing a hard kiss under her ear. Before he could do more than that, Carina wriggled free and staggered a little as she spun to face him.
"What are you going to say, Carina?" Michael smiled thinly as her eyes flashed and her mouth angrily opened.
Carina continued to glare, knowing he understood her predicament perfectly.
"You can be nasty, and see what comes of it," Michael slowly continued, thoughtfully smoothing his hands up his hard stomach.
"You can call it quits, and we can resume the old arrangement. Or..." he extended his hand to her. "You can continue to be a good sport, and so will I."
********
Three days earlier
Carina blankly looked around the unfamiliar suite. Sometimes she still expected to wake up comfortably entwined with Eduardo. Now, she resided in Michael's apartment. The living quarters were much larger than her own, with a small gym in an adjoining room, and two balconies. Beyond the bedroom and living area was a small library.
The colouring was quite different - where her room was painted gentle tones of peach and white that natural light cheerfully complimented, Michael's bedroom was pale ivory and blue-slate, which was visually appealing but rather solemn. Carina knew as much as Michael wanted her in his room, she was there by necessity because he was paranoid Gavin might sneak in at night to take her.
Carina tiredly pushed Michael's arm from around her waist and rolled onto her back. She had no idea how much time had passed in captivity, she never bothered to keep track from the moment Michael first kidnapped her. She was far too distraught to consider it.
"Mm?" Michael mumbled, trying to draw her back into his arms, but Carina sulkily deflected his searching hands. "What time is it?"
"How would I know?"
"The clock."
"Oh," Carina said stupidly, as she sat up and glanced around to perceive very large oval clock positioned over the fireplace. It had a gleaming black border that looked like solid onyx.
Michael sighed and stretched, gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. Then without another word he left the bed, and the room, leaving Carina to stare after him wonderingly.
Soon he returned with a breakfast tray, and Carina warily watched him place it before her. Focusing on the tray, she realised it was smaller than the usual one he brought out. It was silver, with the same ornate patterning about the edges, but only laden with food for one. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the small, carefully wrapped package in one corner of it.
"Would you like to be alone today?" Michael asked, only adding to her confusion.
Carina immediately nodded, mildly pointing to the metallic blue wrapped box, encased in silver ribbon. "What's that?"
Michael hesitated. "Something for you." He gave her a tentative look, as though deliberating whether to elaborate.
A day alone, and a present? Carina was so surprised she didn't react when Michael walked around to her side of the bed and kissed her forehead.
"It's your birthday. I couldn't ignore it," he said quietly, then left without another word.
Carina stared glumly at the tray for a long time, suddenly losing all of her appetite. She knew Michael's gesture was meant to be thoughtful, but it only created a surge of painful emotions. He obviously anticipated it would, hence her time alone.
Carina put her face in her hands, but the torture in her mind continued. She had lost track so much that she'd almost missed her own birthday. She was dependent on Michael for the most simple details of her life. This year, she knew Eduardo was going to surprise her with a holiday, and gift her a sapphire necklace he'd carefully designed.
Carlos, more practical than romantic, accidentally disclosed it by revealing Eduardo's prediction that the jewellery would match her eyes. Now, she would never celebrate like before. It was a small mercy that Michael wouldn't rape her on her birthday. But then again, he was a deceiver and she couldn't trust anything he said.
With a shaking hand she reached for the present. Picking it up, she knew without opening it, that it was an expensive pendant. Michael always gave her pendants, it was their thing.
Tempted to throw it across the room, she numbly placed the pretty item back on the tray. Initially when she first laid eyes on the gift, she feared it was a ring that Michael would force on her finger. But this was somehow worse.
