It had taken all of her effort to keep her sobs within her chest as she pretended to enjoy the sex. When she opened her eyes, she knew they were watery and was sure Carter saw. So she gave him a soft smile, hoping it would appease him.

But it turned into a frown as he gripped her free wrist and wrapped the restraint around it, securing her in place once again.

"Why can't you just let me go?" She wailed, frustrated that he still didn't trust her enough to at least leave off the padded cuffs.

The inquisitive look he had made her scurry to make her meaning clear.

"The straps." She rolled her eyes. Her voice came out whiny and she felt even more frustrated. "Why can't you leave them off?"

"When I'm sure you aren't trying anything, then we'll move on."

Sloane caught herself before the shock could be obvious. So he is testing me. She frowned at him again before ripping her gaze away and focusing on the beam she stared at all the time.

"What's wrong?" The bed dipped on either side of her as he leaned down, his face filling her view.

"Hmph." She rolled her eyes again and turned her head toward the wall.

His grip was a little too aggressive as he splayed his fingers along her jaw and forced her to look at him "I asked what's wrong?" His tone matched the gleam in his eyes and demanded that she give him an answer.

"Isn't it obvious? I don't want to be left in this room, on this bed, tied down naked!" She challenged, her face was flushed as she lost her temper. A part of her hoped that maybe the outburst would help guide him in the direction she wanted, but another part braced herself for some type of physical punishment from his hands.

He released her and stood, his own temper starting to show. "I already told you why. You behave and things can change."

Something felt lighter when she realized he wasn't going to hit her. And all she had to do was behave, which she knew translated to doing what he wanted.

Before she could form a rebuttal, he grabbed the tray and stomped away, slamming the cellar door.

Sloane let out a heavy sigh, sure she'd just ruined any progress she might have made. Tears born from frustration slid down her cheeks. All I do is cry and sleep.

As usual, her mind kept circling around how she could make him believe that she was falling for him. Or at least trust her enough to let her be free.

She thought she'd done a decent acting job, but now that she'd thrown her little tantrum, she might have ruined any progress she had and would have to start all over again.

Frustrated, she lifted her head and slammed it back down. Things were starting to feel more and more like she was going around in circles.

She knew he'd come back. There wasn't any way he'd just leave her down there. He even said that she might be able to go without the restraints if she behaved.

She realized she had let her true emotions show too much. And she would ruin everything if she kept on. Of course, she kept dwelling on the chance that she already had. She had to tone it down if she wanted to have a chance of making him think she felt whatever he wanted her to. She had to react how he expected her to. That meant getting to know him better, getting closer to him.

After several deep breaths, she managed to make herself focus on just what she would do, how she'd react the next time he came.

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Carter stared at the cellar door, a mix of emotions coursing through him. She was making it difficult for him to believe that she wanted him.

Sure, she had moaned and touched him. But she also kept her eyes closed, creating tiny wrinkles at the corners. Her eyes were glossy, like she was about to cry.

He understood that she wanted to be released, but he still questioned just what she would do if he left the straps off.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to handle her.

The others came to mind before he pushed thoughts of them aside. They had been different. They never showed any signs of desire. All they did was cry and fight, scream and yell. A few of them had even refused to eat. Those had been the least enjoyable to hunt since it was over before it even began.

He didn't want Sloane to have the same fate as the others. He hoped he wasn't casting hopes and wants onto her only for it to all be in his head.

It was going to take a lot of self control and patience, but he decided that he would refrain from physical contact aside from her rehabilitation exercises.

Still staring at the cellar door, he pressed his lips together, not sure he was going to be able to carry out his plan. But he had to try and now was the moment.

He wrenched open the door and stomped down the stairs, into the room. Her startled gasp was his first challenge and he succeeded in keeping a stone face as well as ignoring the sudden twitch in his pants.

He didn't say a word to her and didn't even look in her eyes. He wasn't sure the silent treatment would work or that he’d be able to go through with it, but at that moment, he felt that was his best option. In a few strides, he was at the foot of the bed, unwrapping the gauze to inspect her injury.

The gaping hole had filled itself with granulation tissue and she had a scar marking the spot. It amazed him how well it had healed in a short amount of time. He'd been careful with his research on how to care for the injury, been almost obsessed with his care and attention.

None of the others had ever lasted long enough for their wounds to begin to heal.

"You're gonna practice some more." He unstrapped her again and braced himself for her touch.

Sloane watched his every move, unsure of what to expect and how to react. She made sure to follow his instructions when he released her.

Once again, he started by holding her up and then made her take some steps. This time, he made her practice longer.

Her face scrunched as the dull ache became a piercing pain. She struggled to keep her whimpers to herself. Just when she was about to beg him to let her stop, he stood in front of her.

"You're done for today."

She nodded, relieved to be getting off of the foot. The restraints didn't even bother her so much. Before she could move toward the bed, Carter leaned down and slid an arm around her legs.

Her heart began to hammer, scared this was the moment he had chosen to hunt her. She tried to keep her arms from shaking as she wrapped them around his neck.

He carried her up the stairs and to the bathroom. After standing her in the tub, he stepped back enough to turn the water on. "You should sit."

She was shocked as she lowered herself down. The water felt good, but she was tense, still unsure of what he would do.

Carter poured something into the water, filling the room with a flowery smell. He swished his hand around, careful not to touch her.

Sloane felt her muscles relax a little and slouched down, enjoying the fragrance.

"Wash yourself." He stood up and took a few steps away from the tub.

She didn't want to bathe herself with him watching, but knew she had to. He was testing her. So she grabbed the washcloth from the edge of the tub and squeezed some of the body wash onto it. The blend of smells from the bath water and the body wash had an odd appeal to it.

As the washcloth slid along her body, she watched him in her peripheral. And he watched her.

His face held no emotion which made her uncertain if she was doing this right. She kept on though, questioning if he'd let her soak or make her go back to her prison.

When she finished, he just stood there. So she slid down and allowed her eyes to close.

He decided to let her enjoy a few more minutes of freedom. There was a rested, peaceful look on her face. He wanted to hold her, to give in and strip down, but he managed to control himself.

She gave a small moan and he saw that she was starting to drift off to sleep. He pulled the plug and grabbed a towel. With ease, he lifted her up.

"What…" Her incoherent words trailed off as she nestled against him. "I never know."

"Never know what?"

"Which side of you I'll get."

He wasn't sure what she meant by the statement. Curious, he made a mental note to ask her about it in the morning.

He carried her back down to the cellar and dried her off before putting the straps and shackle back on her. With one more longing look, he felt his heart swell before going upstairs.

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