Page 49 (1/1)

I don’t know if he loves me back I don’t even know if he’s capable of that emotion How can you love soht? And yet I can’t help feeling that he must care for me, that his obsession with me is not only sexual in nature It’s there in the way I catch hi at me sometimes, in the way he tries to anticipate s me my favorite foods,a hand lotion, he buys it for irl can be He even takes pride inso far as to take several paintings with hi

He also ether I know because he tells me so--and because every ti out of prison That, o beyond that of owner for his possession

"Do you see other women? Out there, in the real world?" I ask hiht when he takesat er My captor is netic appeal that probably drao with a different beauty every night--a thought thatEven with his sadistic proclivities, I knoould have no trouble finding bed partners; there are probably plenty of women who, like me, derive pleasure from erotic pain

He smiles at me with dark amusement, not the least bit put off by my obvious display of jealousy "No,over, he takesthe inside of my wrist with his thumb "Why would I want to fuck someone else when I have you? I haven’t been with another woman since the day we met"

"You haven’t?" I can’t conceal my shock Julian had been faithful to me this whole time?

He looks at me, his lips curved in a sinfully delicious smile "No, baby, I have not," he says--and in that moment, I feel like the happiest woman in the world

I love it when he calls me ‘baby’ It’s a common endearment, I know, but somehohen Julian says it, it sounds different--like he’s caressingcalled ‘h, I know that’s what I am to hi to hiets to touchs I am completely dependent on hi about that appeals to hi beneath the surface

Truthfully, I don’trealization, but some part of me seems to like this kind of dynaic tells me I’--a ret The hands that touch ht death to others, but there is a certain piquancy in that Itmore intense somehow, helps me feel more alive

Besides, despite his need to hurt me, Julian has never truly harmed me--not physically, at least When he’s in one of his sadistic moods, I end up with marks and bruises on my skin, but those fade quickly He’s careful never to scar h I know that blood and tears--my tears--excite his with Beth, she doesn’t seem surprised in the least

"I knew the two of you were ether," she says, giving me a wry look "When you and Julian are in the same room, the air practically sizzles I’ve never seen such cheether is rare and special Don’t fight it, Nora He’s your destiny--and you are his"

She seehtstarts out as normal

Julian is on the island, and we share a delicious thy loveentle, worshipping oddess, and I fall asleep relaxed and satisfied, held tightly in his eht to use the restrooout next to Julian’s sleeping for indigestion Could I have gotten food poisoning soet worse with every ht abdo I don’t want to wake up Julian, but I can’t bear it anymore I need a painkiller of so for him "Julian, I think I’ on the bedside lamp There’s no trace of confusion on his face; he’s as alert as if it’s the"What’s wrong?"

I curl into a little ball as the pain intensifies "I don’t know," I e to say "My stomach hurts"