Under the eyes of the curious staff, I was brought inside the villa, where Thomas was waiting with a stony face. The glimpse I got of him before entering the room told me that he wasn't angry. However, that changed when he saw my hair.
He stood up elegantly and went to a drawer. There, he pulled out a rod, and I began sweating.
"What do you think you are doing?"
Thomas turned around, and I clearly saw that he was furious from the look in his eyes. When he came closer, I flung the sunglasses away and reached for the fork among my treasures, having at least something like a weapon ready.
The three maids in the room looked at the floor, the silence was thickening.
Thomas and I had a standoff, the fork ready to be buried in his body,
"I won't be angry about being brought back against my will, so why are you?" I observed his face and saw him calm down a bit.
"Come with me to the bedroom." He commanded, not even taking notice of the fork that was pointed at him.
"No problem. Hand over the rod, and I will follow you." I need a proper weapon. If that psycho decides to go berserk, he could slap me unconscious before I could even reach his eyes.
Thomas gave me the rod and turned around, walking upstairs, and I followed hesitantly. I had a weapon, my cat and treasures with me, so I should be okay.
I shouldn't have followed the butler in the first place; only because of that am I in that mess.
Stepping inside 'our' bedroom, I waited for Thomas to speak, the rod in my hand.
He sighed and leaned against the wall.
"In the contract, it was clearly stated not to change your appearance. And if you do, I could use a punishment of my choice."
Bewildered, I stared at him for a good while, asking myself if he was serious.
"You said no sexual contact, but last night you held me and groped my breast, bare hand."
Now it was Thomas turn to be stunned. I don't know if it was because he only now discovered his act, or because he hadn't thought I would speak about it this directly.
Finally, he nodded.
"That was my fault, and it's understandable that you fled. However, the hair color remains altered."
I shook my head,
"It washes out after a while."
Thomas' eyes lit up,
"Then go wash it out."
"Can you guarantee my safety? You wanted to use physical punishment on me a moment ago." I shot back.
He nodded,
"I can give you another punishment."
Goosebumps erupting, I was unsure what would follow that announcement. If he wanted sex or my cat, I would beat him to death right here, right now.
He came closer, and I was ready to strike him at any time.
"I want to mark you." He said, his eyes wandering to my neck.
"What the hell?" There was another pause until I gave in and elaborated in his stead,
"You want to make a hickey?"
Seeing his eyes turn fanatic, I was again confronted with a terror bubbling inside me, not possibly making sense of this behavior.
Besides this demand being just plain sexual harassment, the way his eyes could change was mind-blogging.
His behavior now made it obvious that I was right about my suspicion. I was a stand-in, and that was because I looked like someone, probably my mother, who had some connection with Thomas.
I didn't want him near me, but his eyes told me that he would get his wish, so it would be better to cooperate as long as he was 'asking friendly'.
Sighing, I agreed,
"But in exchange, you keep your hands to yourself at night, alright?"
He nodded lightly, his stare fixed on my neck for some time already. Fuck, what a psycho. I gripped the rod tightly and let him come closer.
Embracing me as if he would a lover, he burrowed his head in my neck, his lips inching closer. Feeling his breath on my skin, it didn't matter that he was handsome, that he was rich, and that he was 'only' ten years older, not some grandpa waiting for death.
It was sickening to be forced into a situation that I could not escape from. Sickening to be forced to carry out body contact, which I was not comfortable with.
Sickening, so damn sickening.
My hand slid in my bag, and I stroked my cat. It always knew how I felt. Never scratching or hissing when I really needed it.
Now as well, at the same moment that the man above me sucked on my skin, I felt the rough tongue of my cat on my fingertips, appeasing me.
The seconds went by as I held my breath. Thomas was going out of his way to make sure to use enough force for the hickey to stay for a length of time.
When he finally stepped back, the polite and rigid man was back, and the crazed look was wiped away.
"Go and wash your hair until it looks like before."
I hummed, still bathing in my sweet cat's comfort, only moving when he had left the room.
Putting my treasures back I hid the rod behind the pulled out drawer, so that nobody could find it.
Then I stuffed my cat under the bed.
"Don't anger that maniac for now, and be obedient."
My cat ignored me and started grooming itself.
I visited the bathroom for a lengthy shower, to get the hair color out, but most importantly, to get this guy's smell off me. However good he smelled normally, I was now officially allergic to it.
Somehow I thought of Jude's aftershave. I would love to pocket that as well.