thecutedara

Kidnapped, Taken to a private island. I never thought this could happen to me. I never imagined one chance meeting on the eve of my eighteenth birthday could change my life so completely.

Now I belong to him. To Julian. To a man who is as ruthless as he is beautiful - a man whose touch makes me burn. A man whose tenderness I find more devastating than his cruelty.

My captor is an enigma. I don't know who he is or why he took me. There is a darkness inside him - a darkness that scares me even as it draws me in.

My name is Nora Leston, and this is my story.

Two Heart

Fortunately, he just looks amused at my daring. "At the moment," he says softly, "I'm into you."


I look away and reach for the rice, my hand shaking slightly.


"Here, let me help you with that." He takes the plate from me, his fingers briefly brushing against mine. Before I can say anything, my plate is filled with a healthy portion of everything that's on the table.


He puts the plate back in front of me, and I stare at it in dismay. I'm too nervous to eat in front of him. My stomach is all tied into knots.


When I look up, I see that he has no such problem. He's eating with gusto, clearly enjoying Beth's cooking.


"What's the matter?" he asks between bites. "You're not hungry?"


I shake my head, even though I was ravenous before he came.


He frowns, putting down his fork. "Why not? Beth said you spent the day at the beach and swam quite a bit. Shouldn't you be hungry after all that exercise?"


I shrug. "I'm okay." I'm not about to tell him that he's the cause of my lack of appetite.


His eyes narrow at me. "Are you playing games with me? Eat, Nora. You're already slim. I don't want you to lose weight."


I gulp nervously and start to pick at the food. There's something about him that makes me think it would be unwise to oppose him on this issue.


My instincts are screaming that this man is as dangerous as they come. He hasn't really been cruel to me, but there is cruelty within him. I can sense it.


"Good girl," he says approvingly after I eat a few bites.


I continue eating, even though I don't really taste the food and I have to force each bite past the restriction in my throat. I keep my eyes trained on my plate. I have an easier time eating if I don't see his piercing blue gaze.


"So Beth tells me you had a nice day swimming," he comments after I've had a chance to eat about half of my portion.


I nod in response and look up to find him staring at me.


"What do you think of the island?" he asks, as though genuinely interested in my opinion. He's studying me with a thoughtful look on his face.


"It's pretty," I tell him honestly. Then, pausing for a second, I add, "But I don't want to be here."


"Of course." He looks almost understanding. "But you'll get used to it. This is your new home, Nora. The sooner you come to terms with that, the better."


My stomach lurches, and I feel like the food that I just ate is in danger of coming up. I swallow convulsively, trying to control the sick feeling inside me. "And my family?" The words come out low and bitter. "How are they supposed to come to terms with it?"


Chapter 16