50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

Chapter Seventy

    Each moment that passed without a word only served to increase Destiny's fear and anticipation. When Aubrey came to stand in front of her, he held several items in his hands. He looked her in the eyes with a stoic expression on his face. "Follow me."

    She didn't want to move from her spot in the middle of the room. In the middle of the room, she felt safe. The center of the room was the spot furthest from all of the tools of torture. She knew that if she didn't move within seconds of his command, she would be scolded, so she stepped forward and followed him.

    He stopped right in front of a tall, wooden contraption. Contraption was the only word Destiny could think of to describe it. It looked like something from the medieval times. He set down the items he was holding near the base of the large behemoth of a construct. Then he set a hand on her shoulder and moved to stand behind her. He brushed the back of his hand against the nape of her neck before grabbing the zipper on her dress and dragging it down. He pulled the zipper down slowly and parted the two sides of her dress. She could feel his breath leaving a hot, steamy trail down the length of her exposed back. He slid the garment off of her shoulders and down her arms. They both watched the dress fall to the floor. He left her bra and panties on and extended his hand to her. "Come."

    Her brows furrowed. "I'm sorry I mocked you," she apologized.

    The briefest hint of a smile touched his lips. He lowered his eyes and repeated, "Come."

    "I won't mock you again," she promised. "I know I crossed the line."

    "Don't make me repeat myself again, Destiny," he said softly. "I've already repeated myself once more than I should have."

    She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and accepted his offered hand. He guided her up a step and onto the contraption.

    "Face me."

    She turned around and try as she might, she couldn't keep the worry and fear off of her face. Wooden beams were on either side of her as she faced him.

    He bent at the waist to retrieve one of the items he'd set down earlier, an item that looked similar to some of the others. A circular cuff with a chain hanging from it. He bowed his head and walked to the side of the wooden contraption.

    She angled her head, trying to keep an eye on him to see what he was up to.

    "Stare straight ahead, please," he commanded.

    She rolled her eyes upwards and turned her head. She stared straight ahead as he stepped up on the platform of the strange wooden structure. He reached out and grabbed her right hand. He opened the cuff and circled it around her wrist. Then he connected the chain of the cuff to its proper post on the wood beam. She tugged her wrist to test the strength of the cuff. It held.

    "The mocking did bother me," he said as he wrapped a cuff around her left wrist. "But that's not what bothered me most."

    She looked up at him with frightened eyes.

    "What bothered me most was you saying that you would take emotions out of this - that entire portion of the conversation. When you said you would be like another one of my employees." He secured the cuff on her left wrist to the wooden beam and tested it before moving to the pile of items he'd left on the floor. "I don't want you to be some lifeless robot, Destiny."

    "I won't be," she told him earnestly.

    "I didn't give you permission to speak," he said, looking at her over his shoulder.

    She pursed her lips shut.

    He cuffed both of her ankles.

    She stared down at the top of his head, feeling helpless. "I know I'm not allowed to speak, but it's not fair for us to have these conversations when you're doing this."