by Vivi Paige
If that belief kept me from falling apart, it was worth it.
“Sit in the hall,” I finally said.
He tipped his head, considering the length of the chain. “I think that would work. It might be hard for you to turn in the shower though. I’d hate for you to get tangled.”
“Why do you have to say things like that,” I groaned before I could stop myself.
“Like what?” he asked, the picture of innocence. Images flashed in my mind of him tying me up in all kinds of ways, but I pushed them away.
“Nothing. Just let me shower for fuck’s sake. All right?”
“All right.” He stood from the table. Before I could move, he made it all the way to the bathroom door. “You coming or what?” He yanked on my chain. Not hard. All I felt was a slightly unpleasant tugging at my ankle.
“What’s your hurry?” I called back. “You have somewhere to be?”
“Yeah. Bed. I’m fucking exhausted. Do you have any idea how much jobs like this take out of me?”
“Oh, you poor baby,” I hissed. “This must be just so awful for you.”
At least he had the decency to look embarrassed. “I realize now that was a stupid thing to say.”
“No kidding,” I scoffed.
“But are you going to shower or what?”
“Yes.” With an eye roll, I pushed away from the dinner table and made my way to the bathroom door. I stepped into the bathroom. It wasn’t very large, but holy shit, it was nice. “Is that a jacuzzi tub?”
“Is it?” He shrugged. “I didn’t check.”
As good as a piping hot jacuzzi bath sounded, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be trapped in a tub of water with the Big Bad Wolf at the door. Before I could reach the tub, the chain around my ankle went taut. I turned around to find my Wolf holding the chain with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Seriously?” I groaned. “What the fuck?”
“I’m sorry!” He laughed. “You’re fun to mess with. Your eyes literally flash when you’re angry. It’s adorable.”
“Maybe I will break the bathroom mirror,” I muttered. “We’ll see how tough you are then.”
“Even if you did, I’m sure I could wrestle the glass shards away from you. You have tiny wrists.”
I held up my unbound wrists and examined them. “They aren’t that tiny.”
“Please! I could snap your wrist in a heartbeat if I wanted to.”
I went deathly still as I tried to figure out if that was a threat or not. The Wolf’s eyes widened as he realized what he’d just said. “Not that I would!” he stammered. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“Sure.”
“Seriously,” he insisted. “The ransom goes down if you’re damaged.”
“Damaged?” I shrieked. The Wolf laughed. A playful gleam sparkled in his eye.
“I’m kidding,” he laughed. “Well, not really. What I mean is, I’m not going to damage you. You’re going to walk out of here completely unscathed.”
“And you’re going to walk out moderately wealthy?” I shot back.
“Well, yes,” he nodded. “That’s the idea. I didn’t kidnap you for pocket change, now did I?”
I frowned, unsure how I should respond.
“Think of it this way.” He released the chain so I could reach the tub. “If your daddy forks over the agreed upon amount, he has that much less money to funnel into creating bigger, badder weapons.”
I opened my mouth to argue but stopped. “That’s a damn good point.”
“Exactly. Now get in the shower. I don’t want to spend my whole night in this hallway. I wasn’t kidding when I told you I was tired.”
“And I’m not kidding when I say I couldn’t care less,” I shot back. I yanked my chain as hard as I could. It nearly slipped out of his hands before he caught it.
“Watch it,” he warned, his voice low and hard.
“I just wanted a little more slack,” I replied. “If you’re not careful, I’m going to slip in the shower trying to move. If I break my neck, how much money will you get?”
“Just shower.” He sighed, yet he still remained in the doorway.
“Well,” I prompted.
“What?”
“Look away, you fucking weirdo.”
“I’ve seen everything there is to see.” His lazy, sexy smile made me want to pull him into the shower with me, but I resisted the urge.
“You won’t be seeing it again anytime soon. Turn around!”
Chuckling, he moved to the side with his back to me. All I could see was his shoulder and arm.
I turned on the water. The shower head wasn’t the best. It spurted mist before actual water started coming out. Even though the knob was turned toward the hottest setting, the water was ice cold.
“This place has hot water, right?” I asked.
“Yup,” he called back. “It just takes a minute. Be patient, if you know what that is.”
“I’m anxious to be rescued from a kidnapper and suddenly I’m impatient?”
“Your words,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Shut up.”
When the water was hot enough, I undressed but kept a close eye on the door to make sure the Big Bad Wolf wasn’t spying on me. As I removed my top, releasing my breasts, I realized I almost wanted him to look. I wanted to torment him just a tiny bit.
He never looked, though I could tell he was holding his entire body tense.
Along the top wall of the shower, opposite the door, was a long window. It was placed high enough so no one would be able to see in. The glass was marbled to obscure visibility further. As I examined the window, I realized it wasn’t as narrow as it looked. I might be small enough to fit through it if I could get rid of the chain around my ankle.
I looked around the shower, my heartbeat quickening with each passing moment.
The shower was stocked with a bar of soap and nothing else. Didn’t they realize a woman was going to be held captive here? We needed more than just a bar of soap! That shit was going to wreak havoc on my skin.
I grabbed the soap. It slipped from my fingers the moment it was wet.
Holy shit.
Before the Big Bad Wolf could notice, I worked the soap into a lather and rubbed it all over my ankle. The chain was fitted but not tight. I had some wiggle room to work with.
As I tried to pull my foot loose, the metal cuff cut into my skin. It hurt like a bitch, and tears welled in my eyes. I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming. I just had to push through the pain. I’d spent twelve hours in six-inch heels once. I could handle this.
After a lot of twisting, rubbing, and swearing under my breath, my ankle slipped free from the chain. I slipped the chain over the bathtub faucet to keep it from going slack. Carefully and quietly, I stepped onto the rim of the bathtub so I was level with the window.
It slid open without much effort. Whoever set this place up probably assumed I’d never fit. Little did they know I did regular juice cleanses to keep slim and soak up the health benefits. Dumbasses.
All I needed to do now was climb. With any luck, I’d be free within minutes.
Chapter Eleven
“What’s taking so long?” Leaning against the door, I rapped my knuckles against its wooden surface. When I didn’t get a reply, I pressed my ear against the door, but the only thing I could hear was the steady splash of the water. “If you don’t say anything,” I growled, “I’m going to—what the fuck?”
I gave the chain a tug, but it didn’t offer any resistance. The anklet clanked across the tiles until it hit the other side of the door, and that’s when I realized what had happened. Gritting my teeth, I turned the door handle and burst into the bathroom.
The shower was still on, a thick cloud of steam covering the room, but there was no sign of Scarlett. My Little Red Riding Hood had escaped. My eyes darted straight toward the small window near the ceiling, barely a slit, and I shook my head as I saw the frame hanging open. Far too large to fit through that wind
ow, I turned on my heel and rushed out of the bathroom toward the front door.
Outside, the dark blanket of night had fallen, leaving nothing but a pale full moon to light the way. A stone’s throw from where I stood, I heard the waves rolling onto the sand, their steady rhythm reminding me I had to keep my cool. Scarlett couldn’t have gotten far.
Running around the house, I only stopped once I was standing underneath the bathroom’s window. Tiny footprints marked the place where Scarlett had landed, and the trampled weeds just a few yards away were a clear indicator of the path she had taken. It didn’t take me more than two minutes of following her trail to come upon her.
“Ah, shit,” I muttered under my breath, spotting her in the distance. She was running fast, her naked body backlit by the moon, but I could tell she had no idea where she was going. The direction she had chosen would only take her even farther away from civilization. Without bothering to give her a shout, I just shook my head and broke into a run.
Despite my weight, my footsteps were light, and only a trained soldier would have noticed me coming. Breathing hard, the thunderous pounding of her own heart probably made her deaf to the world at large. She never stood a chance.
“Where, exactly, do you think you’re going?” Reaching out, I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and reeled her in. She gasped, her eyes widening with shock as her naked body crashed against me. Locking my eyes on hers, I sighed. “That wasn’t smart.”
“Let go of me,” she hissed, hammering her tiny fists against my chest. As she did, her breasts swayed violently, and that was enough for my cock to twitch. The cold had made her nipples hard, their rosy color drawing me in, and I had to suck in a deep breath to regain my focus.
“Let’s get you back,” I told her and picked her up. She was as light as a feather, and even though she did her best to fight me off, her movements were useless. “Help! Someone, help!” she continued screaming at the top of her lungs, her voice loud enough for my eardrums to protest. Still, I didn’t bother with shutting her up. As annoying as her screams were, there was no one around this place for miles. At least, not this late at night.
Once I got back to the house, I climbed up the stairs onto the porch. The entry door was still ajar and I pushed it open with the tip of my boot. I locked it behind me, and only then did I set Scarlett down.
“You’re a monster,” she threw at me, anger flashing in her eyes. I didn’t return her gaze. Instead, I let my eyes wander down her naked body, a scorching heat taking over me as I focused on that pink flush right between her legs. When she realized I was staring at her, she covered herself with her hands, her palms over her naked pussy as the crook of her elbows squeezed her breasts together.
Her hair was still wet, locks of it plastered against her cheeks, and her teeth already chattered. The skin of her arms was prickled, and the tips of her fingers had turned pale.
“You’re going to get sick.” Turning my back to her, I grabbed a ratty blanket from the couch. Carrying it in my hands, I headed toward Scarlett. Reacting on instinct, she started padding backward until she hit the wall behind her. “Calm down, will ya? I’m not going to punish you or anything.”
Not that I wouldn’t like to turn you over my knee, I thought, imagining how it’d feel to slap that smooth backside of hers. I could see her in my mind’s eyes, bent over my knees as her quivering little voice filled the air once my hand made contact. Fuck, who knew that I had such a good imagination? My cock seemed to agree with the sentiment, as it already strained against the fabric of my boxers, eager to be let loose.
“Why don’t you just let me go?” she whispered, her eyes locked on mine. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, and I caught a glimpse of her perfect white teeth. “My father is never going to pay whatever ransom you’re asking. Please, just let me go.”
“We’ve gone over this.” Taking one more step forward, I draped the blanket over her naked shoulders, my thumbs brushing against the skin on her neck. An electric jolt rushed up my spine, and that’s when my cock became as hard as it had ever been. A storm of lust rose inside me, and my heart kicked and punched against my ribcage, every single fiber of my being desperate for her body. “You’re not going anywhere, so sit down and try to get warm.”
There was a moment of silence, and I could almost feel the electricity crackling around us. Then she squared her shoulders and straightened her back. Her breasts spilled free from the hold she had on them, and the blanket slid down from her shoulders. Standing there in all of her nakedness, she gave me a defiant glare. By now, the color had started returning to her cheeks, a pink flush decorating her face.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she breathed out, her words heavy, almost solemn.
“Maybe you should be,” I whispered, taking one more step forward. Now, I towered over her. She kept holding my gaze, tilting her head back so she could keep our stares locked. I noticed she had balled her hands into tiny fists, but it didn’t look like she wanted to fight me.
No, it looked like she wanted to…
Reaching for her, I took my fingers to her neck, enjoying the way the warmth of her skin seeped into mine. Slowly, I wrapped my fingers around the slim column, careful not to choke her. I just wanted her to know that I was in charge here. Not that she didn’t know it already.
She didn’t make a move.
She simply stared into my eyes, lips slightly parted. I could feel her heartbeat on the vein that crawled up her neck, its tempo more and more furious with each passing second, and my heart settled into that same rhythm.
“What do you want?” I whispered, my words dipping into half a growl. “Do you want me to punish you? Is that it?” Slowly, I leaned in so that my eyes were level with hers. Her cherry lips glistened, and something about her mouth drew me in. Before I even knew it, my face was no more than a few inches away from hers.
“I want…” She breathed out, her words scattered and loose, but she never finished her sentence. “I want you to…” Her eyes escaped my gaze, and she looked straight at my mouth. In her face, I saw longing. Desire. Raw and unadulterated.
“You want me to…?” Slowly, I closed the distance between us until our lips were almost touching. I kept a microscopic gap between them, and her eyelids fluttered gently as her heartbeat shot up through the roof. Then, before I knew what the hell I was doing, I put my free hand between her legs. I flattened my palm there, cupping her little pussy, and felt her inner lips slick with her juices. “Say it.”
“I…”
“Say it.”
Her eyes grew wide, and she grew wetter than I’ve ever felt any woman become. I could feel her fluids dripping down her inner thighs, all of her lust and desire now coating my fingers.
“Take me,” she finally breathed out, all of her fears and hesitation hiding behind her words. The Scarlett she pretended to be didn’t want for this to happen, but the true Scarlett—the one whose soul was brimming with dark desires—craved it. She was hungry for it.
“I will,” I whispered, “but I want to hear you say it.”
“Fuck me.”
Her words slipped out from between her lips fast, blending into a single sound, and her whole body seemed to melt. The tension that had pooled in her shoulders vanished, and even her knees seemed to buckle. Then, she finally closed her eyes and tipped herself forward, crushing her lips against mine. We kissed.
I parted her lips with the tip of my tongue, the taste of ripe strawberries and feminine lust flooding my mouth, and I peeled my fingers away from her neck. Placing both hands on her waist, I kept her pinned against the wall as our kiss deepened. She moaned softly against my lips, pressing her naked breasts against my chest, and I couldn’t help but grin as I felt her hard nipples brushing against my shirt.
I pulled back from her, but my hands remained where they belonged. Digging my fingers into her soft flesh, I let my mouth wander down her neckline, my tongue caressing her warm skin. I kept going until I was savoring the rising curve of he
r breast, and I only stopped once I had sucked her left nipple into my mouth. I twirled my tongue around it, enjoying its hardness, and then whipped at it as furiously as I could.
She moaned again, this time louder, and her voice echoed throughout the empty house. Needing to hear more of it, I took my hand to her wetness again and draped my thumb over her clit. She tensed, her body electrified by desire.
“Oh, God,” she breathed out, tilting her head back.
“God?” Straightening myself, I smiled. Then, I pushed her hair away from her face and brushed my lips against her right ear. “There’s no God here, Scarlett. It’s just me.” Without missing a beat, I started stroking her clit with my thumb, and her mouth hung open in a cry of silent agony. Unable to restrain herself, completely lost in the throes of pleasure, she allowed a wicked smile to dance on her lips.
She was a good girl. The kind of girl who would help an elderly lady cross the street, pay for a homeless man to get back on his feet, and stand up against whatever injustice she might find on her way home. She was a good girl, the kind who tidied her bedroom every night, just like her mom taught her to.
Thing is, every good girl has a shadow, and Scarlett’s shadow was jet black. No matter what she told herself, she wanted a man like me. No, she needed a man like me. She wanted to be bent over and ravaged, to feel as if she had no control over her body. She wanted me to take over every fiber of her being and drown her in as much pleasure as she could take.
She was in luck.
After all, I was more than willing to oblige.
Chapter Twelve
I couldn’t believe what was happening.
With my head thrown back, I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep myself silent. I felt the sharp stab of pain on my flesh, but I didn’t feel the dream I was in collapsing in on itself. Instead, the pain just reminded me that what was happening was real.
“Fuck,” I breathed out, his mouth returning to my breasts. His tongue danced around my nipple for a moment, and then it wandered to my other breast in a slow and maddening motion.