Free Silent No More by N. E. Henderson

onto his back taking a deep breath. A second later,
he’s standing, and striding across the room.
    “Don’t
move. I’m going to fetch a cloth to get you cleaned up,” he says, as he walks
into what I assume is a bathroom. I’m content and happy as I let out a breath I
didn’t know I was holding. 

FIVE
    “Wake up, beautiful.” I hear a soft soothing voice
say to my left, and then I feel a dip in the bed. I’m lying on my front with my
hands snuggled underneath the pillow. I’m comfortable and I don’t want to move.
The sheet is pulled over my bottom, but my back is bare. Nick’s fingers feel
like feathers going up and down my spine. My eyes flutter open to see him
staring down at me. He’s dressed in a grey suit with a white shirt and black
tie underneath his jacket. His hand comes to rest on the small of my back. His
simple touch warms me.
    “I have to leave for work and I don’t have an
alarm clock to set for you.” Panic washes over me, but not because I’m in a man’s
bed, whom I really do not know.
    “What time is it?” I ask, panicking that I might
be late for my meeting at Lockhart Publishing.
    He smiles at me. It’s warm and sweet. He leans
down giving me a light kiss my cheek. “Don’t worry. It’s early. It’s six in the
morning, but don’t go back to sleep.” I start to rise up, but his hand applies
pressure so I can’t move. “And don’t get up until I’m gone.” My confusion must
be evident on my face. “If I see any more of this beautiful skin, I’m not going
to make it to work today and neither will you.” I sense he is serious so I smile
and stay snuggled into the pillow as he walks out of the room.
    I hear the jingle of keys from the living room,
and then a door closes. A minute later, I’m getting out of bed. I’m stunned,
stopped in my tracks.
    Hanging from the knob of the top dresser drawer is
my grey dress, black belt, and jacket. Sitting on top of the dresser drawer is
my new white silk bra and matching panties, along with my nude stockings. My
black pumps are sitting neatly on the floor next to the dresser drawer.
    “When did these get here? How did the man know
what I planned to wear today?” I say out loud with one hand hovering over my
mouth.
    I look around the rest of the room, neatly sitting
on a soft bench in front of the window are the rest of my things that I had in
my room last night.
    What the he...oh, I can’t think about this. I need
a shower and I have to get ready. I turn on my heel and head to the door that I
assume is the bathroom. Opening it my assumption is right and I enter walking straight
to the shower and turn the water on hot. While I wait for the right temperature,
I pee and brush my teeth. My toothbrush from my room has made it up here too. I
guess he doesn’t want me using his.
    Rinsing the remains of my toothpaste off my
toothbrush, I remember the broken mirror from last night. Now it makes more
sense. They have to clean the mess up, but why didn’t he just move me to a
different room?
    “Apparently, this is his hotel,” I say as I remember his orders to the big scary guy. I
assume he is security at The Cove .
    Stepping into the shower, the water feels good
against my skin. I’m not tired. In fact, I feel thoroughly rested. I don’t
remember the last time I felt this good. Maybe I never have. Is this what great
sex does to a girl? I ask myself while applying shampoo. The contents of my
shower did not make it up here, so I use his shampoo and conditioner. It smells
of fresh air after rain; it smells like him. 
    I use his body wash and razor too. Once I rinse
the conditioner out of my hair, I turn the water off and open the door,
stepping out. I towel off and wrap it around my hair. Walking to the vanity, I
grab body lotion and notice the small bruise on my left shoulder. The right one
doesn’t have any evidence of Luke’s attack last night. 
    I can’t believe he did that. He’s never acted like
that in the six years I’ve