he anticipated her rage, braced for it, but he hadn't given her enough credit. instead of invective, kitten attacked him with cold and resolute reason.

"you're right, caleb. i am trying to seduce you. i am trying to find a way out of this f**ked up mess you've gotten me into. what else can i do? what would you do in my place?" there were no tears in her eyes, nor was there anger. there was only truth, and the truth was always more powerful. and painful, too.

caleb knew exactly what he would do in her place, because he'd done it. there were times when he had tried to get men to help him, free him, and deliver him from narweh's treachery. he'd listened to the men who bought his body swear they loved him. he'd allowed himself to put stock into the endearments they whispered in his ear. but when it was over, when they'd taken all they could from him, they'd betrayed his trust to narweh. he remembered the way his heart had broken when narweh had used his own words to taunt him as he was beaten.

"i'm sorry i'm so bad at it. i'm sorry you find my attempts laughable, but i don't know how to do it any better. you're all i know. for what it's worth, i'm not trying to make you believe anything. i've never lied to you. when i asked you to make love to me, it wasn't a ploy, and it hurts like a bitch to hear you think otherwise, because -" her voice finally broke, tears bursting past her facade.

caleb felt panic. he had no idea what to do. her words, her presence, and her pain, affected him. he hated it. his memories, the ones he worked so hard to push deep into forgotten recesses of his mind, banged on the door of his consciousness. they connected with livvie, they connected to her suffering, and together, they threatened to undo him.

a shuddering breath and kitten seemed in better control of herself. she wiped at her eyes, took another breath and retreated to her side of the vehicle, her eyes once again focused on the world passing her by. every now and again her chin trembled and she would take another breath to will her tears away.

she had more dignity than even she was aware of and caleb decided, he would never again say otherwise. he wished he had never said it in the first place. his heart was racing, banging harshly in his chest and creating a thumping in his temples that made his head ache. his stomach was also affected, a strange kind of tingling pain churning in his gut.

he had an impulse to offer kitten comfort, to tell her the truth: her attempts were anything but laughable. however, he knew telling her would be putting himself at an incredible disadvantage. just acknowledging how much he wanted to comfort her was disconcerting. still, the thought of hurting her any more than he already had, was too much - too much by far.

"kitten, i -"

she leaned over and twisted the knob for the radio and the annoying voice of the announcer cut caleb short. she avoided his eyes as she returned her focus to the window.

caleb sighed in relief. he had no idea what the hell he had been about to say. the important thing for him to focus on was there would be no more talking for the moment. he wished he could say the same for the next twenty-four hours they would spend together on the road.

it had been an exhausting day. what should have been a nine hour drive had turned into twelve because caleb had had to stop for kitten every so often. with her bruised ribs and collarbone, she needed to stretch frequently, so he stopped along scouted roadways. when they reached the city of zacatecas, caleb had breathed a weary sigh and decided he could finally stop for the night and get some much needed sleep.

kitten had spoken very little during the drive, which proved to be a great relief to caleb. he had traded the doctor's luxury sedan for a sturdy, but dented farming truck, and some groceries. it would offer quite the profit for the farmer, so he asked as few questions as possible, going so far as to pointedly ignore kitten and her bruises.

she slept most of the way. the drugs in her system seemed to numb her pain, though it left her drowsy. caleb made sure to keep a bottle of water next to her and also, that she drank from it whenever she was awake.

zacatecas was a full-blown city, filled with hundreds of thousands of people, many of them tourists. caleb took great care in finding a motel for them to spend the night. kitten had said she wouldn't run from him again, but the look in her eyes, whenever they passed american tourists with families, spoke differently. she would run again, given half the chance. not that he could blame her. "i need to take a shower," caleb said into the silence of the room. "you can either sit in the bathroom with me, or i can tie you up. option's yours."

kitten stared at him hard. "don't trust me?" she taunted.

"not when you're looking at me like that, no."

she sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, her anger emanating off of her like a toxic fog intent on choking him. "i told you i wouldn't run. go take your f**king shower and leave me alone."

caleb closed his eyes and took a deep breath to settle him. they were back to this. well, he thought, this was just as good a time as any to reestablish the rules between them. when he opened his eyes, a warm tingle drifted down his spine and he finally felt like himself again. his gaze fell on the girl and he smiled when she flinched.

"get up," he said calmly, the threat in his voice muted but still present. the girl looked at him for a moment and swallowed harshly. it was obvious her anger had quickly turned to fear.

"caleb?" her voice was small, meek.

"get up. now."

slowly, kitten cast her eyes toward the floor and stood on trembling legs. in fact, her entire body trembled. caleb, at last, felt no remorse, no pity for the girl in front of him. she was his to do with as he pleased. the thought was an aphrodisiac on its own.

"strip," was his command and the girl flinched though his words had been softly spoken. a whimper escaped her lips, but she didn't hesitate to follow his command. slowly, she reached for the waistline of the flowing skirt caleb had selected for her to wear and pushed it down over her hips until it pooled at her feet.

she ignored the panties and slid her trembling fingers to the top button of her blouse, there were more whimpers, but caleb ignored them. he watched, painfully aroused by the adrenaline coursing through him as she gingerly let each button slip through its hole until she reached the bottom. the fabric parted, exposing a tantalizing line of flesh between her naked br**sts. she looked up at him briefly, eyes pleading.

"off with it."

"caleb..."

"that!" he growled with menace, "is not how you address me. do it again and i'll not forgive you."

kitten began to weep, but still stood. "yes.... please...don't...."

"i gave you a choice. if you cannot make it, then i will make choices for you. understood?"

she sniffled, "yes...master." the words seemed painful for her to say, but caleb cared nothing for her pain at the moment. she had defied him for the last time. he watched dispassionately as she slid the shirt from her shoulders and the panties from her legs. she stood, shaking and sobbing, but finally compliant.

"kneel!" he barked for the sake of watching her scramble to obey. he smiled as her knees hit the threadbare carpet and her hands went to cup her br**sts to hide them from view. his heart raced and he nearly groaned at the touch of his palm against his erection, trapped inside his pants.

he stepped slowly and deliberately toward her, watching with sadistic pleasure as she closed her eyes and her lips moved; she made no sound. he pulled at the tie holding her hair back, letting her long, dark mane cascade down her naked body, but hiding nothing.

"do you remember what happened the night you decided to scream out my name?" he asked casually. the girl sobbed as she nodded. he lifted a piece of her hair and wound it around his hand, each turn bringing his hand closer to her scalp and tugging softly, but with ominous implication. "if i wanted you to nod, i'd move your f**king head myself. answer...please."

kitten's chest heaved with the force of her sob, but the answer came through, "yes, master." caleb undid the top button of his pants, jeans, pilfered from the good doctor. "oh. no. please, no, master. please, no."

"don't speak unless it's to answer a question you've been asked!" kitten became silent, lips pressed together. "breathe through your mouth; the last thing i want is for you to pass out without my permission." she gasped, but didn't speak. "how did i punish you?"

the words seemed to affect her like a physical blow and she pulled away from his hand, panicked, but with no place to go. caleb pulled her hair hard enough to force her back into position, but not hard enough to injure. "answer me."

"you...you...i can't!" she sobbed.

"answer the question!"

"you f**ked me!"

caleb slid his zipper down slowly, drawing the moment out for the benefit of them both. "yes, i f**ked you. right in your sexy little ass**le." she gasped at his words, her face a puffy mess from her open-mouthed sobbing. "did you like it?"

she shook her head, "no, master. no."

caleb tsked and brought her head toward his erection, still secure in his underwear, but undoubtedly hot against her skin nonetheless. "liar. you came more than you had a right to. i know because i felt you, hot and clutching at my cock, begging me to come inside you. isn't that right?"