CHAINS TO FREEDOM.✔

Chapter Twenty-One

When the door closed Louis turned to face Jessica. He noticed she had pinned her hair back up. Anger replaced the humour he had seen in the situation. "Are you challenging me, Jessica?"

She did not answer and as yet had never spoken in his presence.

Louis stood up and let the peas tumble to the floor. He took a step towards her. Jessica stepped backwards.

"There is no challenge here and I will not accept defiance."

The rumble of thunder made its way toward Jessica. The pounding of her heart deafened her. She attempted to move toward the door.

While reaching for its knob Louis' hand took a firm grasp of her arm and pulled her towards him. "You have been transported for seven years. How you serve them is your decision." He held her by the chin to make her look at him. "You have two choices. You either serve me as my housemaid." Raising his eyebrows he added. "Or perhaps you would prefer to serve me in my bed."

He reached out and took her chin gently in his hand.

"Would it please you, Jessica if I no longer took Hannah to my bed?"

She searched his face. She searched for sincerity.

"Yes it would please me."

"Then it is done. But you my sweet Jessica must replace her."

Louis knew he had frightened her. This had been his aim. To threaten her with something that would enable him to control her without physically hurting her.

Jessica struggled to free herself from his grip. He released her chin and wrapped his arm around her body to restrict her movement. She seized that moment to sink her teeth into his flesh.

The pain seared through him. Anger found its way to the surface. "Ah... Damn you woman!" Louis pushed her hard against the door. The force stunned Jessica, causing her to gasp for breath. Louis pinned her body with his. He stretched her arms above her head holding them tightly with his hands.

Jessica's chest heaved in short sharp gasps.

The struggle and closeness of their bodies aroused Louis. His breathing quickened, he took long deep breaths to slow it down. He watched her chest rise and fall. Louis needed to touch her. The urge to feel her skin plagued him. He held both her wrists in one of his hands. Louis took the pin from her hair allowing it to fall over her shoulders. He touched the silky threads then delicately removed the tangled strands from her face. The smell of her was alluring, wood smoke and rosemary, subtle but tantalizing. There were beads of perspiration over her top lip. Louis wiped them away with his finger then gently touched her lips, feeling their soft warmth with his thumb.

Jessica turned her face away from him. She breathed deeply.

The rise and fall of her breasts urged him to run his fingers across her cheek and down her neck to the bow at the top of her blouse. Louis untied this and gently pushed the material open. His fingertips brushed lightly over her smooth clear skin. He softly kissed her neck, tasting her, breathing her in.

"Please...no!" Jessica spoke for the first time.

Louis moved his hand to her chin, seeing the light bruises where his fingers had held her earlier that day. He caressed them; sorry he had hurt her then lifted her face toward him.

The warmth of his breath on her neck and the touch of his fingers and lips on her skin had caused unfamiliar sensations to flow through Jessica's body. To cause it to respond in a way she had never known before. Her nipples tingled, swelled, and stood rigid. There was a quiver deep down in her stomach, a pleasant but disturbing feeling. She did not like the way he was making her body respond to his touch.

"So she speaks." Louis followed a tear as it slowly rolled down Jessica's face. "Do we have an understanding?" He drew in a long slow breath and hoped she would defy him.

Jessica lifted her long dark lashes and looked into his eyes. She noticed their blue depths glowed warmly to display what the tightness of his body against hers implied. She could try and bluff him. To pretend she didn't care and perhaps he would beat her instead. She knew he wouldn't because now she realised his power lay in his calmness.

"I'll do as you ask," she whispered.

"I can't hear you Jessica." Louis moved his body so it pressed a little harder against her.

She immediately sucked in her breath and said, "I will obey you."

"And who am I?" His mellow voice was replaced with sterner tones.

Jessica swallowed nervously. She flicked her eyes away from his and whispered, "Master."

Louis didn't like that she had looked away so he put his mouth close to her ear and sucked its lobe. "I can't hear you."

Jessica whimpered, "Master. You are the Master." She pushed her head towards her shoulder to make him remove his mouth.

Louis chuckled. "Good, we understand each other." He took her by the chin once more and bent down so he could look directly at her face. "If you ever bite me again I will whip your naked backside and take great pleasure in doing so." He let his eyes drop to her open blouse, inhaled deeply then released her and stepped away.

Jessica hung her head and clutched her blouse together; refusing to wipe the tears from her face.

Louis pointed to the pea littered floor. "Now clean up this mess."

She tied her blouse as she moved to where the peas lay. The sound of the door opening told her he was leaving the room. Jessica knelt on the floor with the bowl of peas and began picking up the ones that were scattered on the expensive rug. She touched her ear where he had wet it with his mouth. Hate filled her heart to overflowing.

Louis made his way to his bedroom and sat heavily in his chair. For some reason he wasn't completely happy with the outcome. He ran his hands through his hair. He had wanted her to defy him so much. Because she hadn't he felt her compliance was in some way a defiance in itself. Now he would have no reason to ever touch her again. He laughed quietly and realised he liked her rebellious attitude and hoped he hadn't managed to quash it completely.

Still grinning Louis rubbed the back of his head, stood up and rang the bell.

Alice answered it, curious of why it should be the one from Louis' room. She knocked gently on the door and entered to find Louis undressing. "Yes, Master?"

"Alice I'm not hungry tonight, but I would like some tea. Please apologize to Mary for me"

Alice studied him curiously. "Yes, Master." She turned to leave the room unable to read his face.

"Alice!"

"Yes, Master?" She paused and faced him.

"Check on Jessica, she's still in the dining room." Louis shook his head as if bewildered. "I suggest she retires after she has cleaned up the peas."

Alice nodded and closed the door behind. She went to the kitchen to make his apologies and asked Mary to prepare the tea tray. She proceeded to the dining room to find Jessica on her hands and knees picking up the peas. Her face was flushed. Alice could tell she had been crying. "Are you all right, Jessica?"

Jessica nodded but didn't look at Alice.

"Master Louis says you are to go to bed once you have picked up the peas."

Jessica nodded once more as she picked up the last of them and stood. She glanced meekly at Alice and handed her the bowl. "Thank you, Alice," she whispered, grateful no questions had been asked.

  Copyright © 2019 Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.