Until tomorrow

"Fuck you!" she spat at him.

His face darkened.

"I'm warning you," he said in a low dangerous tone. "You've already made me very angry by your little stunt today. You would be wise not to antagonise me further, sweetheart. I'll punish you if you misbehave like that again."

"What do you mean 'my little stunt'?" she asked.

He took a step closer, but Emma held her ground, looking up at him defiantly with her arms crossed.

"I mean you quitting your job at the club. I thought last time you were giving in to me, but then you decided to try stay away from me. I didn't like that," he said in a low, dangerous tone. "I didn't like that at all."

"So what if I quit. I'm not allowed to quit my job?" she said mockingly.

"I don't care about whether you quit or not, but I care about you trying to run away from me." He took another step closer to her, and Emma had to fight with every fibre of her being not to back away from him. She had faked compliance and obedience last time to escape him, but this time she would stand her ground no matter what.

"You would do well to accept the inevitable, sweetheart," he continued. "You are mine. One way or another, I'll make you yield to me. It is only a question of time." He reached for a strand of her hair, but she slapped his hand away.

"I've told you several times that I'm NOT your sweetheart and I certainly do not belong to you!" she hissed. "I quit because I want nothing more to do with you. Can't you tell that I'm not interested? Can't you tell that I want NOTHING to do with you? Just get out! Get out of my apartment, right now! And never come near me again!"

Mr. Long's face darkened into a thunderous scowl, his eyes flashing gold. Without warning, he pounced, wrapping his long arms around Emma's small body, encasing her completely in his embrace.

"What are y-" Emma's angry outburst was cut off as Mr. Long brought his mouth crashing down on her lips.

Heat erupted all over Emma's body, not from passion, but from a seething disgust and fury at the violation. She attempted to wriggle free, but she was caged in by his arms, pressed so hard against his body that she could barely draw breath.

Mr. Long brought one hand up to grab her jaw tightly, tilting her head back and forcing his tongue into her mouth. She felt her vision blurring, and could barely breathe. For one horrible moment, she thought that she was back in her dream again, being trapped crushed by the scaly coils of the golden dragon. The flaming heat rose in her and she though she would burst into flames at any second.

Just when she was sure that she would pass out, he released her lips. She swayed, dizzy and disorientated, and her knees would have buckled out from under her, if not for the fact that she was still wrapped in his suffocating embrace.

Trying to catch her breath, she wiped her mouth angrily, her cheeks flushed from the humiliation and anger. She tried in vain to break away from him, then in a show of defiance twisted her head to the side, looking resolutely away from him.

This seemed to displease him, for he grabbed her jaw again and turned her head back around, forcing her to look up at him. He lowered his face so that their noses were almost touching. Totally at his mercy, Emma did her best to stare daggers at him. Unfortunately, her attitude only seemed to entertain him. He chuckled.

"Tomorrow, I expect you to see you at the club." His fingers trailed slowly down her throat and tightened threateningly around her neck. "If you don't show up," he drawled, leaning down to whisper in her ear "I will punish you again."

Emma couldn't stop herself from shivering in fear. Smiling smugly down at her, he drew back and brushed a finger across her lips. His eyes lingered on her swollen bottom lip.

"Until tomorrow."

Mr. Long straightened and adjusted his crumpled suit nonchalantly. Then without saying another word, turned around and left the apartment, letting the door fall shut after him with a loud snap.