I

With his penetrating eyes, the Boss looked at Gerthel from head to foot and then he smirked. “You looked so conservative, huh,” he said with a lifted eyebrow. His hand reached for her chin and forced her to look at him.

Swallowing her saliva, Gerthel looked into his eyes and try not to bat. “Indeed, I am a conservative woman. Is it not obvious?” she retorted with bravery. She could not bear not to answer him back. If she can prolong the time in order for the Boss to forget about the real agenda why he called her to be in his room, it will be much better. There was mixed emotion in her, excitement and fear unlike her wolf inside who seemed to be purely excited to meet again their second chance mate.

“I can guess that you did not prepare in coming to me tonight.” It was a statement rather than a question which the Boss let out in a disappointed tone. His eyes never left her.

“My apologies. I was dragged in here without my consent. You see, Sir, I was a free woman, I have my own home when robust men forcefully brought me to that prostitution den, and then here comes your trusted man, buying me off from them just like a bag of fruit,” she said not hesitating to let out what was in her mind. “Let this egotistic Boss know that not all women come to his room to please him,” she thought while trying to never still bat an eye.

His eyes narrowed while looking at her as he let loose his fingers on her chin. “So, you mean, you were just forced to be here?”

“Yes!”

“A lot of women use that alibi to pretend to be hard to get. Your cost was not simply commensurate to a bag of fruit. You are definitely expensive for Ten Thousand Dollars.” His voice has that sarcasm that made Gerthel flare up.

She removed his fingers from her chin and with fiery eyes, looked at him. “I am not pretending. I can return your Ten Thousand Dollars if you will just allow me to go home now,” she said with confidence. “I can definitely pay you that little amount,” she further stated with her chin up.

His laughter filled the four walls of the room. “If you are not ready yet tonight, alright, I will let you go for now. But remember, you cannot use alibis the next time. Get out of here before I change my mind,” he sneered at her, his haunting eyes pierced into her like she was easy prey.

Gerthel practically ran out of his room, when he motioned for her to go. It was a chance that she will never let go without grabbing. She locked her door the moment she entered it, for fear that he might change his mind and follow her inside her room.

She was gasping for breath as she sat on her bed. “Until when could I get away from him?” she thought with a feeling of hopelessness.

II

For around two days, Gerthel felt relaxed. She did not notice the Boss, straying around his mansion.

“Hmm, Mr. Gab, where is the Boss?” she simply asked the Boss’ right-hand man, who looked at her with a malicious grin.

“Why are you asking, Ms. Gerthel? Do you miss him so soon?” he asked with such a malicious grin on his face, unfading.

Gerthel rolled her eyes and gave the man a quick shake of her head. “I just asked, nothing more.”

“Ohh, he is out of the country. He might be back tomorrow or maybe the next day.”

“Really?” she asked while a sigh let out from her mouth. She then smiled at the Boss’ right-hand man and let out a sigh again.

With a raised eyebrow now, Mr. Gab eyed her seriously. “Do not let the Boss ever feel that you are happy that he is not around. Do not let him feel that you do not like him or wanted him. Do we understand each other, Miss Gerthel?”

“Err, alright. My apologies,” she said, as she automatically erased the smile flashing on her face. She excused herself from Mr. Gab and walked fast to her room.

Knowing that the Boss was not around, Gerthel decided to succumb to the inviting water in the swimming pool after a few minutes of having her light dinner. She grabbed the two-piece swimming suit inside her wardrobe cabinet, wore them, and covered her body with a white bathrobe. But then, she opened the cabinet again and got the white shorts she saw, which she put on over her sexy bikini swimsuit. She then walked toward the recreation area quickly, not wanting the guards around to look at her while she was just in her bathrobe.

She sat on the lounge chair first nearby the pool and watched the rounded moon shining upon her. She remembered her best friend Karla, her Aunt Laura, and Uncle Tony and she was not able to control the falling of tears from her eyes. She suddenly missed Karla and her parents, the people she considered her only family. Now, no one is left with her. She is alone and worst, being held captive inside this place. She wiped her tears and stood up slowly from the lounge chair.

“So, I will be having a companion here?” Gerthel’s silence has been broken by such a male voice, which was so familiar now to her.

Gerthel immediately turned around, surprised. In a panic, she hastily covered her eyes with her hands, to the laughter of the Boss, whom she never thought would be arriving so soon. He even came closer to her and hold her hands covering her eyes, then removed them therefrom. She outrightly closed her eyes not wanting to see his almost naked body.

Still holding her hands, he whispered near her right ear. “Open your eyes, and look at me,” he said, his warm breath tickling her.

Slowly, Gerthel opened her eyes and looked at his face. She dared not to look down. “Why haven’t you put on your bathrobe at least while wandering around? You know, the wind is cold, you might catch some colds,” she said in an almost shaking voice.

“So, you care for me eh? Don’t worry even if I am naked in front of you the whole day, I won’t catch a cold,” he said while looking at her with mischief that made Gerthel’s heart spin rapidly.

I

“Ahmm, no, I mean, of course. I don’t want you to get sick,” she shakingly replied, remembering what Mr. Gab had just told her a while ago.

He seemed to have appreciated her reply as his usual cold face suddenly smiled warmly. “Now, let me help you remove your bathrobe, because of course, you will not soak in the pool wearing that, right?” he said with a hint of naughtiness on his tone, again.

“Oh, I can manage,” she said in resistance but his hands already moved and in just a millisecond her robe was already down the nearby lounge chair. He looked at her from her head down and then frowned when he saw her white shorts covering her bikini swimming attire.

“Really conservative, huh?” He chuckled.

“I … I just don’t want the guards to …” she was not able to finish her words because the Boss already captured her lips and kissed her with such passion that made her melt in his arms. She did not know how to kiss back, this is actually her first kiss, and oh, she did not expect that kissing is such a wonderful thing!

He deepened his kiss when he felt her not resisting. He let his tongue wander around her mouth until it caught hers. He gave her a torrid kiss as a finale.

After such passionate and torrid kissing, the Boss looked at her with that unwavering mischief in his eyes. “Let us go down to the pool and swim,” he suggested, and before she could protest, he already scooped her swiftly, to her surprise, and carried her down the swimming pool.

“Are you ready to swim?” he asked her while still carrying her. He did not put her down yet in the water.

“Yes, please put me down now,” she said feeling embarrassed. She knew that there are a few guards nearby.

“In a while, you seemed to be feeling not ready to dip in the water yet.” He continued to hold her in his arms.

“Oh, no need to carry me. I am fine, I am not cold, and I can swim now.” She stammered again and she wanted to reprimand herself, so with her wolf, Thella, who seemed to be doing a jumping jack in delight.

Without thinking twice, the Boss put her down in the water but wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “You think you can still avoid me now?” he murmured as he let his hands slide down her buttocks and pulled her much closer to him.

II

Gerthel gasped some air as her eyes grow wide. She felt his hardening manhood on her stomach as he is much taller than her. “Boss, let us swim,” she whispered with a shaking voice while trying to detach her body from him.

However, instead of letting her go, he lifted her up and cupped her rounded buttocks with his big hands. “Wrapped your legs around my hips, now,” he then murmured in an ordering tone but Gerthel did not move her legs.

“That was your Boss’ order, do it now!” he murmured again as he started kissing her neck.

Gerthel’s breathing became frantic as she tried to think wisely. “Hmm, Boss, let us save the best for last. Please do not take me now, not here, wait for a few more times then I would be the one who will offer myself to you voluntarily and gladly,” she murmured to him while cupping his face and looking at him with such eyes seeking patience and understanding. If she needs to use her charm in this way to persuade him to agree to her request, she will do so, with much more acting.

“Gaddamit. I will be going crazy, woman!” he hissed. The frustration was evident on his face.

Gerthel did not just easily give up. She looked at him, pleadingly, “I beg you, please? Is it not be more exciting if I will gladly surrender to you? Please spare me first today and I promise you, you will not regret it when our first time happens,” she said gently, still cupping his face with her hands, hoping that she could be able to convince him.

He stood there unmoving while his eyes were focused on her. He was looking at her with lust and some other emotions lingering in his eyes, that Gerthel could not comprehend completely. After a while, he sighed and nodded, “Alright, let us just swim now. I will be looking forward to that promise of yours, woman,” he said softly looking at her with squinting eyes. He patted her butt and motioned for her to swim.

Gerthel was able to breathe with relief. “Thank you, Boss. Come on, let us swim,” she said smilingly as she swam away from him. He followed her and after a few minutes, they were already enjoying the water, with the Boss taking some stolen kisses and touches on her, which she could not do anything but accept.

After more than half an hour in the water, Gerthel could feel the wind's coldness overwhelming her whole body already. “Enough for this swim, Boss. Let us dry ourselves now?” she said while she could feel that she was already starting to shiver.

Seeing that, she was getting cold already, the Boss nodded. "Come, let me help you up," he said as he offered his hand. Not thinking anymore, Gerthel took his hand and let him guide her out of the pool.

He then grabbed her white bathrobe from the lounge chair and put it on her. "Go to your room, and get a shower now. Then meet me at the balcony on the second floor, we will have some tea," he said and motioned for her to go.

"Thank you. If you will excuse me now," she said and then walked away from him.

He followed her back with his eyes, with his expression unfathomable. Then he got the big towel he threw on the other lounge chair a while ago and followed Gerthel.

I

He intended to follow Gerthel into her room. He is really getting hot and he wanted to ravish her. Watching her swaying hips, with just a bathrobe wrapped in her body, really turned him on.

However, he suddenly remembered what she told him and stopped walking. He closed his eyes while clenching his teeth and then made a slight turn. This time, he walked straight to his own bedroom.

He showered immediately while trying to release the heat overwhelming his senses. He could not fathom why he was able to agree with her condition. No woman was able to do that to him in her entire life. Women come to his bed willing and able. Always ready to please him, but this woman, this newly bought bed warmer of his right-hand man seemed to be making things difficult for him, but alas, he even got the patience, which he never knew, where he got. He is an impatient man, always, actually. He got what he wanted, anything, anyone, anytime, and anywhere. How dare this woman refused him. Her refusal was subtle that he could not fight against it or act against her wishes. He cursed under his breath and continued showering. “Don’t take too long to be ready for me, Woman!” he sneered while grabbing the white towel on the hanging rock.

On one hand, inside her room, Gerthel just finished showering too. She is undecided if she will still meet him on the balcony on the second floor. As much as possible, she wanted to be distant from him, otherwise, she might be able to give up her defenses so soon, which she really wished, will not happen.

She got a pair of sleeveless cotton T-shirts and leggings inside her wardrobe cabinet and wore them, without the intention anymore of meeting the Boss for tea time. She wanted to sleep and rest. It was just drinking tea and his right-hand man can join him in that.

Sleepiness was already starting to envelop her whole senses when she heard knocks on her door. She stiffens and alighted from her bed, in panic. “Could it be that the Boss was the one knocking? Is he angry that she did not come for the tea drinking time that he set tonight?” she thought while she walked to the door and opened it.

“Miss Gerthel, the Boss is waiting for you on the second-floor, balcony. Please hurry, he was there for around twenty minutes already.” It was the Chief Maid, who come to her room.

“Gosh, alright. I will go now,” she said and got out of the room, without anymore changing her clothes.

Stepping on every stair to the second floor, Gerthel heart was beating wildly. She did not see yet how the Boss got pissed off when disobeyed and she does not want to suffer any result when he got angry.

When she reached the balcony on the second floor, Gerthel take a few deep breaths to relax herself before she approached him.

“Here I am, Boss. Apology if I am late, I did not mean to fall asleep,” she readily said, offering her apologies.

He turned his head and gazed at her nonchalantly. “You seemed to have not known my rules yet inside this mansion,” he then said coldly. He stood up and looked at him with ferociousness. “I am finished drinking my tea, Woman and I don’t have the luxury of time to wait while you sip your tea,” he said further, and then he left her without looking back at her, even once.

II

Gerthel’s mouth became muted, while her feet seemed to have been rooted on the floor, where she stood. She followed his wide and straight back as he headed away from her.

In her thoughts, however, she found a relief that he left already. She then returned to her bedroom.

The Boss’ mood got worse when he noticed that Gerthel did not even bother to follow him to make further amends for her mistake. He wanted to curse the woman for being so defiant and hard-headed. “Maybe you need to feel my punishment, for you to remember to follow my orders and rules in this house,” he thought with his eyes squinting.

Before Andreitte could fall asleep, she heard knocks again on her door. With a bit of frown on her face, she alighted from her bed and opened her door.

“Miss Andreitte, what did you do to piss off Boss Dar?” It was Mr. Gab who came knowing on her door. His expression was cold and one of his eyebrows was raised while glaring at her.

She batted her eyes, unable to look into his eyes directly. So, the Boss’ name is Dar?“ she thought.

“Miss Gerthel! Are you listening to me?”

“Ohh, am… I mean, my apologies, I forgot that he invited me tonight for tea time on the balcony on the second floor. I slept, unintentionally.”

“Miss Gerthel, please be reminded that every word of Boss Dar should be followed. Any disobedience or defiance to his words means punishment or worst, death,” Mr. Gab’s tone this time was firm and authoritative, while his eyes looked at her with intensity.

“I apologize again Mr. Gab,” she bit her lips and bowed her head. She did not think that not seriously considering his simple tea time invitation would end her up in trouble.

“The Boss said, you will be punished Miss Gerthel,” Mr. Gab said in a fierce tone, that suddenly brought fear in her.

She looked up at him and tried to ask while controlling her voice to rattle. “What… what kind of punishment, Mr. Gab?”

“I do not know yet, you will know it tomorrow once Boss Dar called you.”

Suddenly, Gerthel saw herself in her imagination, being tied in both hands, with the Boss holding a long tail of the stingray, ready to whip her back. She batted her eyes, and then she closed them not wanting to imagine more of what will comes next.