Free Conviction by Leah Cook Page A

that she was up against his chest, her feet barely touching the floor. Gripping her chin tightly between his thumb and forefinger he forced her to meet his glare.
    “A month, Kelly! We only have a month. I can't ease you into this. Or we will all die and Abbey will be sold. Do you understand? There is no time! Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are the only one who is under pressure here.” Spinning back on his heels he returned to the abandoned bags visibly shaking. “I asked you to follow me. Don't make me punish you, neither of us will enjoy it.”
    Kelly squeaked as she practically ran across the room to follow him, the tiny noise almost making the edges of his lips quirk up.
    “I'm sorry, Master James.” Kelly whispered.
    Without answering James guided her into what was obviously his bedroom. It was dark outside but she knew the window faced into the dense bushland behind the house where the sun would rise. The bed was huge. A king size wooden four poster bed with white and beige linen that complimented the floorboards and the white walls, allowing the natural elements of the house to flow. The only thing that stood out to her once she started to breathe again were the addition of metal anchor points to the bed. Four in the bed head, at least eight that she could see in the roof of the bed and there would obviously be more in the foot and sides of the bed.
    What the hell was she thinking agreeing to this? She thought as her heart beat thumped through her body. Abbey, remember just think of Abbey.
    “Unpack your things, the chest over that side is empty. You can store your things there. Once you are finished undress and shower. It's through that door." He said as he pointed to a door she hadn't noticed. "There are towels on the rack, use only the white ones. Meet me in the lounge so we can discuss my rules and expectations of you when you are finished. Oh, and Kelly? Don't put on any clothes.” James left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Kelly again with her mouth hanging open at his final request.
    Taking her time to unpack and refold her clothes into the drawers he had allocated for her, she even found his walk-in wardrobe and hung her meagre items. His unique scent filled her nostrils and she found herself running her hands over his clothes. Each item hung precisely, all the hangers facing the same way, as were the front of each item. As well as being perfectly hung, James had organised his suits by shade, ranging from blacks to greys. Even the gap between each item looked identical to Kelly.
What the hell is wrong with him? She thought as she took in his regimented wardrobe. Kelly curbed the urge to move them all slightly and see if he noticed. Or, if she was being honest with herself, to screw with him.
    She didn’t know many men but she knew that most who lived alone certainly didn’t keep their house as immaculate as this. Kelly breathed in his scent one last time before retreating back to the bedroom. She hadn't packed a lot. Not that James gave her much choice in the matter, standing over her as she picked out items and telling her to put some items back. She would have plenty of time to rewash things as she needed. Knowing that she wouldn't be filling her days with study and work.
    Once she was unpacked she found the bathroom that he had pointed out and went in. Again she was taken aback by its elegant simplicity. A walk-in shower took up an entire wall facing outside, the head large and square, the rainfall variety, Kelly knew she would enjoy the luxury. Her own shower was lucky to put out hot water most of the time and her landlord wasn't in much of a hurry to fix it. Kelly stepped into the shower and noticed the wall wasn't a wall at all but a set of glass doors that opened to the back deck. An image of James showering with the door open to the outdoors filled her mind and she felt herself blush at the thought. Nothing but darkness stared back at her, but being so exposed