Her foster father had only wanted to look, too. And yet she’d known that his horrible hands would be on her the moment her breasts sprang free of the shirt.

No one was going to rescue her tonight with Leo. And there was no scholarship with her name on it, paving a path to freedom in a distant city. This was the end of the line.

She let herself be led into the bedroom and didn’t protest when he sat on the edge of the bed beside her. It didn’t occur to her to try to struggle again until he’d put her over his lap and ripped her pajama pants down. Faith gasped as his hand landed solidly on her bottom. She reached back to protect herself, but he gripped her wrist and squeezed hard.

“Never shield yourself. Do you understand?”

She couldn’t reply because he kept spanking her. It was painful, of course, but the pain was hard to process in light of the shock and humiliation of the event. She couldn’t believe she’d thought he’d continue to be kind. Did every man in the world just want to hit and take advantage of her? “Please …”

“Do you understand?”

She wanted to claw or bite or kick him, but such acting out would get her hurt more so she whispered, “Yes, Master.”

She shuddered in revulsion when a finger slipped inside her, but then he released her. She scrambled back to the head of the bed, huddling against the headboard, holding herself in a ball as if it would protect her from him. A few minutes passed before he spoke again.

“Why are you still dressed? I don’t want to hurt you. I want you to obey me.”

She couldn’t contain it anymore. All of her resolutions to be agreeable and obedient and hope for mercy evaporated in the face of her recent humiliation. “You’re already hurting me. You brought me here against my will with no hope of freedom and now you’re stripping me and hitting me. It’s too late to pretend like you’re good. You intend to rape me, and you expect me to happily go along with it!”

He reeled back like she’d slapped him but quickly recovered. “You have exactly thirty seconds to be naked. If you fail to comply, I will show you what true pain is.”

The only difference between this man and her foster father was his looks. If Leo would only be kind to her and give her some time, she could see herself willingly going into his arms, but that fantasy was gone.

Before Leo could unleash the wrath he’d promised, she peeled off the T-shirt and sweatpants and covered her bare breasts with her arms.

“Panties,” he said, ignoring her attempt at modesty.

She wanted to beg again, but the look in his eyes told her it was pointless. She took off the last scrap of clothing and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable.

“Get in the bed.”