14. Aria

14

ARIA

D arkness surrounds me as I wake, feeling disorientated while I try to recall what happened. Then it smacks me in the face—the abduction, the fear, and the stranger who hides behind a mask—obviously the same man who told me this would happen a year ago on my seventeenth birthday.

I'm tied to a bed, my body sore and aching. Shame creeps over me as I recall my submission to my captor. I've always had a twisted side, drawn to the dark and forbidden, especially in the dark romance novels I devoured.

Is that why I reacted the way I did?

Was a part of me hoping for something like this?

After all, quite a few of them involved being taken and dominated by a masked man or multiple, for that matter.

My thoughts drift to my birth father. The violation I experienced at his hands when I was a child. I never told anyone; the shame was too great. He died, and not even my mom knows what he did to me. But somewhere along the way, my mind twisted that traumatic memory into something else. I started having fantasies that made me question my own sanity.

I feel exposed, both physically and emotionally. This stranger witnessed my most vulnerable moments and saw my body's reactions to reading dark and fucked up stuff. I'm terrified but consumed by a morbid curiosity.

What does he plan to do next?

Will he cause me pain or touch me again?

A sick part of me longs to find out.

Footsteps approach, breaking the silence. "Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty. I've been patiently waiting for you to wake up." The distorted voice of my abductor makes my stomach twist.

"Did you miss me, Aria?"Hearing him say my name makes me freeze, remembering that he knows me, yet I'm clueless about his identity.

"Don't be afraid. We're just getting started. I have so much more in store for you." The masked figure moves closer. "You're wondering who I am and why I chose you, right?"

My heart pounds as I desperately search the figure before me for any hint of his identity. "Who are you? Why me?" I ask.

A low, menacing chuckle escapes from behind the mask. "You already know me, Aria. I've been watching you for a very long time."

His words send a chill down my spine. "Who are you?" I repeat, my voice demanding an answer.

"That's not important," he says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a sharp knife. "What I'm about to show you is much more interesting." The knife glints in the dim light as he traces the sharp edge against my skin, leaving a thin, red line on my forearm.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you... much," he purrs, leaning in close. "Do you feel that, Aria? The blend of pain and pleasure? It's exquisite."

As the blood wells up along the line of the cut, my breath quickens. The sting of the blade mixes with the radiating pleasure of being bound and, at this dominant man's mercy.

"Please..." I whisper, not even sure what I'm pleading for.

"There's no need to beg," he says. "I'll give you far more than you could ever imagine."

As the blood slowly trickles down my arm, he leans in, adjusting his mask to lick the wound. Disgust wars with desire as a zap of electricity shoots to my core.

"You like that, don't you?" He teases. "You want to explore how dark this can get."

Shame washes over me. "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm giving you exactly what you've always craved. Soon, you'll be begging for more." With that, he lifts my knee and begins to carve into the back of my thigh, his knife cutting deep, and a cry of pain escapes my lips.

"What are you doing?" I gasp, squirming. My mind turns blank with a haze of pleasure and pain.

"I'm marking you."

Why?" I struggle to focus through the pain.

"No questions." He snaps, continuing to cut me. "There, it's done. My mark on you, a souvenir of our time together."

I whimper, feeling faint as he releases me. "Let me see," I say, trying to move despite being tied up still, desperate to know what he has carved into my skin.

"Not yet. I want you to guess," he teases, enjoying the power play. "Guess what I've carved into your beautiful skin."

Through the haze of pain and desire, I struggle to decipher the shapes. "I-I can't... please, just tell me."

"Come on, Aria. I know you can do it," he says, his fingers tracing the marks. "It's personal, something that symbolizes ownership."

With a shaky breath, I surrender to my vulnerability. "Are they... your initials?"

"Yes!" Triumph colors his voice. "My initials, forever a part of you. A constant reminder that you belong to me and that I can take what's mine whenever I please."

Tears sting my eyes as the reality of his words sinks in. "You branded me?"

"Exactly. It's our secret, a symbol of our twisted bond." His laughter fills the room, a dark melody that sends shivers down my spine.

"Show me," I demand.

"I want you to see my handiwork, but that would give away my identity, and I'm not ready yet."

His red contact-covered eyes burn with intensity. "You're mine. My canvas to mark and do with as I please."

I shudder, goosebumps rising on my skin. Some part of me must've expected this, hoped for it even. I fantasized about it, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would be like this. In my fantasies, I knew who my partner was.

"Please..." I whisper, the word escaping before I can stop it. I want him to continue, to lead me further down this twisted path.

Gently, he grasps my wrist, his gloved hand tender yet firm. The knife appears again, and I flinch as he slowly, deliberately cuts me once more, the blade slicing my skin with precision. The sting is instantly overridden by a burning sensation that consumes me.

Without breaking eye contact, he bends down, his tongue hot against my skin as he laps at the blood. A shiver shoots through right between my thighs.

"S-stop," I whisper.

"You don't want me to stop, do you, Aria?" His voice is filled with anticipation.

I look away, my cheeks flaming. "No," I admit in a hoarse whisper.

Removing his gloves, he reaches for me, his intention clear. "Then let's explore how much more you can take."

His hands claim my breasts, thumbs teasing my sensitive nipples. A moan escapes as he alternates between sucking and nibbling, leaving my nipples aching and my body thrumming. With each touch, he pushes me further down this rabbit hole of desire, his masked presence both tantalizing and terrifying.

His mouth trails kisses down my stomach, his hands spreading my thighs. His tongue teases and licks, driving me wild, and I cry out, my body arching off the bed as he pushes me closer to the edge.

"Please..." I beg, needing something I can't even name.

With a hum, he obliges, his tongue and fingers working in sync. He continues his assault, relentless in his pursuit of my pleasure until I'm a quivering mess, poised on the precipice, teetering between sanity and the oblivion that awaits.

With a skilled stroke of his tongue, he pushes me over the edge, and I cry out, my voice filling the room. My body convulses as an intense orgasm tears through me, leaving me breathless and trembling.

In the aftermath, I lie boneless, my senses heightened, and my skin hypersensitive to his every touch. His kisses trail up my body, a lingering touch that sends sparks skittering across my nerve endings.

"Don't be shy, Aria," he whispers, his thumb brushing my lower lip. "Embrace your desires. Admit that you enjoyed that."

Shame wars with my need to feel desired. I bite my lip, my eyes unable to meet his. "I did," I whisper. "I enjoyed it."

He chuckles. "You've got no idea how long I've wanted to do that. To taste you, to hear you cry."

A shiver runs down my spine, remembering I still don't know who he is. And yet he knows who I am. "I don't even know you."

"You know my touch," he murmurs, his thumb lifting my chin so our eyes meet. "You know the effect I have on you."

I search his gaze to find a clue as to who he is.

"Tell me. Tell me how I make you feel." He cups my chin.

"You make me feel desired," I admit, my voice quiet. "As if I belong to you."

His voice drops to a dangerous whisper. "You are mine, princess. My perfect, willing captive."

Wetness pools between my thighs when the reality of my situation hits me. I'm his captive and plaything, and I've never been more turned on. I yearn to feel the shackles of his possession, to explore the darkness that entwines us.

"I can see the hunger in your eyes." His thumb traces my lower lip. "You want more."

Desire clouds my judgment, and I part my lips. "Yes," I breathe, surrendering to my need. "I want more."

"Say it, Aria. Beg me for more."

I bite my lip. "Please... I want more."

A gravelly laugh rumbles from his chest, sending vibrations through my body. "I knew you'd be perfect, Aria. That's why I chose you."

"Chose me?" I ask, my curiosity battling with my desire. "Why?"

"Because you're beautiful, innocent, and curious—a trifecta I couldn't resist. And your reactions..." He leans in close, his red eyes burning with intensity. "...are everything I'd hoped for."

His lips descend to mine, claiming me in a kiss that promises more secrets to be uncovered and desires to be explored.

He leans down, his masked face inches from mine. "Now, let's find out how much more you can take."