Open World (7 page)

Buzz poured everyone a glass of what looked to be cider and raised
his. “To good friends, family and loved ones,” he toasted.

“Here, here,” James replied, tilting his glass to
ward
his friend.

Grace and Faith smiled at the thoughtful toast and tipped theirs
as well. Hope followed suit, still puzzled as to everything that was going on.

Cassandra brought the glass to her nose first and sniffed. When
she moved to acknowledge
the toast, the glass slipped from her fingers and crashed to the table. The
flute broke. Liquid gushed all over her plate and utensils.

Hop
e’s usually non-klutzy cousin seemed unfazed about dropping
her drink.

Buzz on the other hand… His lips thinned. The fire in his gaze
could have melted the steel.

Everyone’s reactions are so odd.
She chalked up the weird actions to the
uncomfortable situation.

“I have no more cider to give you, Cassandra,” Buzz grit out
politely, narrowing his eyes on her.

“That’s quite all right,” Cassandra replied, returning the stare.
“I’m not too fond of cider as it is.”

Hope’s
gaze
darted between her cousin and Buzz. Something weird had
passed between the two of them in their exchange. Cassandra grinned as if she
had won a contest.

Throughout the rest of the meal, Hope kept her thoughts to herself
and stayed silent. Every so often she’d stare out the window at the sky that’d
change from one gray shade to another over the mountains in the distance. It
was the same view the kitchen windows framed. Her family wanted her to tell
them how she’d been rescued from the CWU, but she passed on relating the story,
letting Buzz regale them with the tale. He didn’t embellish a lot, just enough
to seem like he was a knight in shining armor.

“Sir?”
Buzz inquired as he
rose from the table at the end of the meal. “May I speak with you privately?”

“Yes. Come with me to the study
.
” James rose and led the
man out of the room.

Hope nervously helped the other women clear off the table and put
the food away. She had no idea what the men could be talking about, and her
mother added to her unease of the whole evening when she mentioned that the new
family friend might seem honorable but wasn’t. Her girls should keep their wits
about them and not get fooled.

Of course they’d keep their heads clear when it came to the man.

An hour later the men emerged. James laughed and slapped Buzz on
the back.

“Com
e,
my dear, let’s go for a walk,” Buzz said to Hope when he
met up with her in the living room. “So, you’re almost done with your college
degree,” he remarked outside, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze as they
headed in the direction of the park.

“Yes, and I’m so excited.” She wanted to kick herself for sounding
like a silly twit. If she didn’t know better, she would have said she’d drunk a
bottle of wine. “I’m planning on applying to some shows on the Strip as a
dancer.”
At least that was the plan
before this stupid game took over
.
If I ever get back
…
“I’m going to make it my mission to get
a dancing gig either in Las Vegas or LA.”

“Los Angeles? Yo
u
won’t have to go that far. In fact, you won’t need to leave and go anywhere.
I’ll be taking care of
you,
so in essence, you don’t
need college or work.”

“What
do you mean you’ll be taking care of me
?”
A
larm dinged in her mind. She weaved on her feet.

“I want to marry you. I’ve talked to your father. He’s given us
his blessing.”

“You what?
You talked to my
father?”
Unbelievable
.
Alden was the one who was supposed to ask for her hand, not this man. She
didn’t even know him. How could her father do this to her? The world began to
spin, and she swayed.

“Co
me,
my dear. I’d like to sit on a bench and enjoy your company
for a bit.”

He pointed to the common area in the square in front of the
development’s houses. Buzz led her to a secluded area to sit on a wood and
wrought iron bench nestled within some trees along the path. He put his arm
around her shoulders.

“Now, my dear,” he drawl
ed,
d
eep and slow. “Tell me how you felt when you were
with your
love
behind that building and, as you’re telling me, I want
you to put your hand between your legs and knead your crotch.”

“What?” Quiet shock registered in her voice, but her traitorous
body heated with lust.

“You heard what I said.” Kissing the side of her neck, he took her
hand and guided it to the junction between her thigh
s,
and
with
it,
demonstrated what he wanted.

Her breathing and pulse sped up. She closed her eyes. An image of
her and Alden playing with each other came to the fore. The warming, quivering
sensations she had experienced that day returned and idled throughout her whole
body. Betrayed by her mouth and voice, she told Buzz about the feelings, her
sexual dreams and how she had to masturbate quite often to find respite.

“Good.” His heavy breath caressed the delicate spot behind her
earlobe.

Compared to the cool evening air, his breath was hot against her
skin. He traced the rim of her ear with his tongue. She shivered.

“Let me tell you how our wedding is going to be. We’ll have a
simple civic ceremony in your backyard. The men will be in dark suits, the
girls in pink and white. You may have your sister and cousin as bridesmaids.”

“But I’ve had dreams.” Hope panted as her hand and his massaged
her crotch deeper, zoning in on the erogenous area. His hypnotic voice mesmerized
her. His touch along with hers fired up her libido and overrode her logic. “Dream
of wedding…
On beach…
Tiara… Family and friends…” She
moaned.

“I’ve had dreams of my wedding as well.” He worked her clit a
little harder through the fabric of her jeans. “But I think I know how to solve
this.” He gave her one last kiss on her neck and withdrew their hands.

She breathed heavy with dissatisfaction from the unfinished
business. How dare he get her all hot and bothered and stop.

He pulled her up from the bench. “You ready to come with me and
experience all I have to offer? Be with me for all time?”

The sensation of being drunk swelled within her, muddled her mind
to the point she only caught parts of what he whispered in her ear.
Come.
Experience.
Be with
. Sure, she thought, why not.
Might as well make
the most of her time here until Den arrived.
Den. Could Den
be
role playing as Buzz?
She’d have to go along to find out. “Okay. Yes.”

“Wonderful. Come, my bride to be. Let’s hit the road.” Buzz waved
his hand in front of her face, produced a bright white light, and they
disappeared.

Chapter
Six

Dazed, she looked down at the thin gold band with a miniscule
diamond on her left ring finger. It wasn’t the big, sparkling rock she had
always imagined a man giving her. And what happened to the grandiose proposal
she’d always dreamed of with her man on one knee…a couple dozen
roses…champagne…

Holding back tears, Hope looked around the dingy room she sat
alone in. Buzz definitely wasn’t
Den.
The man had
dumped her in a flea ridden motel, God knows where, and left.
Lumpy bed.
Corduroy upholstery that’d seen better days covered
a chair and matching short couch. The blinds seemed like they were coated with
an inch of dust. The scratched mirror over the cracked and peeling laminate
vanity appeared to have been cleaned with steel wool at some point.

Staring at a glass of cider on the counter, she realized she was
shorted on the ceremony, too, not that she could remember one taking place. No
family, no friends, no reception and gifts…her childhood dreams had been
squashed.

Her
husband
hadn’t turned out to be much of a prince
either. Not only did he toss her in the room, he had taken the phone line with
him so she couldn’t call home—if that was even possible in the twisted world
she’d found herself in. Bu
zz
had also told her he’d tape the outside of the door, expecting her to stay put
until he returned, and if she left, he knew people who’d be able to track her
down.

She never should have agreed to go with him, especially without
saying goodbye
to her family. Now she was with an uncaring man, and who knew if
Alden could trace what they’d done or where they’d gone.

I’m a prisoner
. She didn’t need to
crack the door to check if he had secured it. The creak of a dispenser then the
rip and brushing of the tape as he affixed the piece to the door and frame told
her all she needed to know.

Oh, Alden, what have I done? What happened to you?
She l
ay
on
top of the scratchy covers of the bed, finally allowing tears to fall.

Several hours later
,
s
he woke from a nightmare-filled nap when the door
opened. The aroma of barbecue made her mouth water. Buzz placed bags of food in
front of her on the bed. She tore into them and the food as if she hadn’t eaten
in weeks. They ate in silence, and when she finished her pulled pork sandwich,
she frowned at the man before her.

“I want to let my family know I’m all right.”

“Already taken care
of,
my
dear.”
He patted his lips with a napkin, then retrieved the glass of
cider and handed it to her. “They send their love and well wishes. I told them
we’d be out of touch for a bit while we start on our new life together. They
totally understand.”

Her skin crawled at his leering smirk. “Why don’t I believe you?” Thirsty,
she gulped some of the sour tasting liquid. Her face scrunched.

“I don’t know, love, but why would I lie to
you?” He leaned back and, from
the other side of the bed, pulled up a white box. “I want
you to put this on and dance for me.”

“Dance for you?” She took the box from him and raised its top.
Inside lay red and black satin and lace garments.

“Yes, like one of those women at the gentlemen’s clubs,” he
drawled and leaned back on his elbows, eyeing her with a hungry look. “I want
you to dance like that for me.”

“I… I…” Hope fingered the silky material. Her thoughts whirled on
whether or not she could pull off a striptease or lap dance. Most of all, she
didn’t want to dance for him clothed or not. “I don’t know how to dance like
that.”

“You know how to dance, right?”

“Of course.”
She narrowed her
gaze and stuck her hand on her hips.

“You know how to take your clothes off, right?”

“Well,
ye
s. Of course I d—”

“Then just put the two together, woman.”

Stepping back, she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Who
was this cold, heartless monster commanding her to dance like a strumpet? Why
had her father brought him into their sphere of family friends? She stared at
him, wondering how she ever had the slightest thought that he was dreamy and
kissable.

“Don’t shake your head at me.” A low growl escaped him as he sat
up. “We’re married. You’re my wife now. As suc
h, you’re suppo
sed to
listen to what I say. Do what I ask. You’re to do what I tell you to do. You’re
supposed to love, honor and obey me. So go put on the lingerie and obey me when
I tell you to dance!”

His face set in a scowl. Anger emanated from his pores. Fearing
for her safety and remembering how he could make things vaporize into thin air,
she picked up the box with trembling hands and went to the bathroom with it. As
she slipped on the second thigh high stocking and attached it to the garter,
she sighed, wishing it was Alden she was dressing for and not a total stranger.

The outfit was alien to her. The flimsy material gracing her skin
emphasized how little of her body it covered. She felt more exposed this way than
if she were completely naked. The black lace portion across her breasts barely
hid her
areolas, and
the red satin bodice hung just below her bottom. The panties, if they could be
called such, were more a thick threaded bit of fabric. She’d never worn a
G-string before. The back part acted like a piece of floss between her butt
cheeks. She had to fight the urge to pull at it as she walked back out into the
room.

Buzz sat on the edge of the bed, legs draped over the side. He
turned on the portable CD player he brought in with them then leaned back on
his elbows and motioned to her to begin.

Timidly, she started to sway to the music. She had no idea what to
do with her arms and hands so she held them rigid at her sides. Her
apprehension mounted as she gazed at the man on the bed and watched a growing
displeasure consume his features.