Kate walked slowly up the path to her house, every muscle in her middle-aged body sore and creaking. In the weeks since the convention, she had started taking a self-defense class at the local community college; it was more of a work out than she was used to and every class was a challenge to get through. Today had been another challenge...it was exactly one month since her experience at the fantasy convention.
Her mind had been full of disturbing images all day. She had found it hard to concentrate at work and actually looked forward to the strenuous work out to try to purge the dark, erotic scenes from her mind. But even now, as she stumbled on a loose brick in the walkway, her exhausted body gave no peace. She still remembered his hands on her body, his lips, what he made her do...what she did willingly, she corrected herself.
Ever since the convention, Kate had been like a coiled-up spring. The note with the flowers said "See you soon", and she was constantly on alert for the next contact. She found herself staring into dark alleys looking for a shadowy figure, glancing over her shoulder as she walked out of the grocery store and starting whenever the phone or doorbell rang. Whether she was reacting with dread, fear or anticipation she had yet to figure out for herself. But, in a flash of candid insight, the fact that she now every night pleasured herself to dark fantasies of the stranger who took her would indicate there was less dread than her pride would want to admit.
The porch light was out again; she sighed wearily and made a mental note to change the bulb in the morning. The tiny cottage was old and the wiring temperamental; she gave it no further thought. Her key in hand, she walked the steps up to the front door, thinking fondly of a hot shower and bed.
Out of the shadows of the porch came a deep voice, startling her into frozen shock. "Well well well...my little girl's been keeping busy I see." Before she could move, he was there. Strong arm around her waist, one hand clapped to her mouth, just as before. Kate's brain screamed at her to move, to use the moves she had just been practicing a hundred times, to break free...to run. But her body was stiff and unresponsive, as if it were completely separate from her will.
His voice whispered in her ear, "Open the door, Kate, like a good girl. Let's get you inside." Her hand came up to unlock the door; she watched it as if in a dream turn the key and push the door open. He picked her up and set her inside, reaching quickly to grab the key out of the door and then shut and lock it before facing her, putting her keys into his pocket. She just looked up at him, her eyes wide and unseeing. Her brain was busy trying to figure out why she was suddenly relaxed. She realized that the thing she had been so tense about for the past four weeks had just happened; she didn't have to be afraid of the unknown anymore.
The tears that she had been storing up over the past weeks came flooding out. Kate stood in her tiny living room and cried, sobbed, fell to her knees as her body gave in to the torrent of emotion. He swiftly picked her up and held her against his chest, those arms again squeezing tightly, letting her feel his strength. He remained motionless; not petting her, not soothing her, just letting the emotions run their course to completion. When Kate's sobs finally started to subside he laughed softly and murmured, "If I had known little rabbit had missed me so much I would have come to visit her sooner. But you're all hot and sweaty from your work-out...let's go get you ready for MY work out."
He spun her around and, still holding her tightly, walked her forward, down the short hallway, and into the bathroom. There he efficiently stripped Kate of t-shirt, bra, shorts, panties and sneakers. She numbly stood there, her mind blank in the aftermath of her breakdown. Even her sudden nudity failed to shake her from her stupor.
She did, however, gasp and flinch as she felt his warm hands on her flesh. He pulled Kate up tightly against him again, his hands running down her back to gently squeeze her bottom and pull her hips against his. Her eyes came back to focus on his face as she looked up at him, unresisting in his arms. He smiled down at her, that cool amusement she had seen the first time she met him clear in his gaze. In another flurry of movement he whipped the shower curtain aside and with a quick lift and shift he had her in the tub, her back up against the cold tile wall.
"Now, to make sure you don't scurry away..." His deep voice rumbled in her ears as he grabbed her wrists to lift them above her head. Her eyes widened as she saw the metal handcuffs attached to her towel rack; panic started to set in. He had been in her house, her sanctum...the bastard had invaded the only space where she had felt safe the past few weeks. Anger warred with the panic as her mind flew to all the private things she had in the house. What if he had read her journal? What if he had seen the contents of her bedside drawer, where the erotic toys she had purchased the week after the convention were hidden beneath an old flannel nightgown? She had to move fast...one of her wrists was already about to be encircled by a steel bracelet. Her foot lashed out, catching him just below one knee as she started to do a move she had been taught. She heard his grunt of surprise as she grabbed onto one of his arms to swing him off-balance.
It should have worked. It had worked every single time in her self-defense class, even against sparring partners who were ready and fighting against it. But the man didn't even budge. He pushed her hard, back against the wall again, this time leaning his whole body against hers. Now she couldn't even move a muscle; his legs were pinning hers, his chest pressed against her so she could barely breathe. His fingers tightened around her wrists painfully as he yanked her arms back up. She let out a low wail of despair as she felt the dreaded steel close around her wrists...she was caught, done for. His hand came up to grab her jaw, forcing her head back and up to look at him. His eyes that were full of detached amusement before were now sparkling with....what? Was that lust she was seeing? He was still smiling, wider than ever. Oh, dear heaven. Part of her was ready for his retaliation – a slap, a punch, at the very least a torrent of curses and dire threats. But he just stood there, holding her face with one large hand, smiling down at her. He suddenly leaned down and kissed her, hard. His lips and tongue took her mouth with the arrogance of a Viking raider, making her feel very small and helpless. He broke the kiss and stepped back.