Free Sweet: A Dark Love Story by Kit Tunstall, R.E. Saxton Page A

to see him or look at him, and she certainly didn’t want to acknowledge the wanton way she had behaved and responded to his depraved acts. What kind of person became aroused or orgasmed when someone else choked them? It sounded debased, and it made her feel disgusted with herself. Her lips wobbled, and tears welled in her eyes that she allowed to soak into the pillow .
    A moment later, she was freed from the cuffs, and he had removed the toy from her buttocks and washed her carefully between the legs with a warm, damp cloth. Declan pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder, but she refused to look at him. “It’s okay. Subspace can be intense, and coming down afterward sometimes take some time.”
    She turned her head to look at him, aware of the tears still leaking slowly from her eyes. “So this is your idea of aftercare?” Seeing his eyes widen, she shrugged. “You’re not the only one who has read BDSM books, Declan.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t try to tell me this is some D/s relationship. We have no contract or agreement or even safe words. That’s not safe, sane, and consensual.”
    He shrugged. “No, it’s not D/s, but that’s not what we have, or what we’re going for. What we have is complete and utter obsession, and pure aching need for each other.”
    She shook her head, denying his words. “No, you have a captive that you abducted and blamed all the horrible things that happened to you in the past on. I get to be your whipping girl and your source of revenge. We don’t have anything besides the reality of that. I wouldn’t be here if I had a choice, and you wouldn’t want me if I wasn’t associated with Joe Evans and offered you a twisted outlet for your hate, anger, and grief.”
    His lips tightened, and he got up from the bed without looking at her again. “You should make something to eat. It’s been hours since you had anything.” Without another word, and without stopping to grab clothes, he stormed from the room. She watched him go with a hollow pang in her chest, having turned onto her back when he stormed to the door. The urge to cry returned, but this time, she couldn’t explain exactly what emotions motivated it.
    Before, it had been repulsion with herself and fear of her own dark longings, but now it was something more, something complex and dark, and all twisted up with the man who’d put her here. She didn’t know what it meant, or why she felt that way, and she wasn’t eager to probe the emotions to determine a solution. It was an answer she feared more than she feared her own response to Declan and the depravities to which he had introduced her.
    ***
    She had made a bite to eat, forcing herself not to make something extra for him with a sharp reminder of why she was there. It wasn’t to be a polite houseguest. No, she was clearly there to be his whipping girl, his sex toy, and supposedly, the mother of his children. The idea of bringing a child into such a messed up relationship was a horrifying thought.
    She snorted aloud as she made her way back to her room after eating, padding straight to the bathroom to wash off the residual passion and lube from earlier. Relationship was hardly a word she could use to describe this. She had known him all of twenty-four hours, not counting the week she had spent going to the trial and staring at him surreptitiously. That was hardly any time to form any sort of relationship. He had clearly been fixated on her for far longer, but she doubted he had any real emotions for her beyond rage and obsession.
    Why did that thought make her depressed? She shook her head at her own stupidity as she stepped out of the shower, having washed briskly in hot water before wrapping herself in the towel and combing her wet hair in the mirror. The black waves were more like giant frizz balls, but she didn’t care. The only person to admire her appearance here was him, and he hardly seemed worth the effort.
    As she leaned closer to put away the comb and