Claimed

by M. Never

  He seems harmless enough.

  “Yes, please.” I step aside and allow him to retrieve my one and only suitcase. Steeling my nerves, I lock the door behind me, and follow the driver to the black Town Car parked in the visitor’s space outside my building. Just as he places my suitcase in the trunk, a familiar pickup pulls up behind us.

  Shit. I completely forgot.

  Michael steps out of his truck with a confused expression. Shit. Shit. Shit. Jett’s visit completely scrambled my brain.

  “Going somewhere?” He eyes the car and the driver, who is suddenly standing uncomfortably close to me.

  “Bora Bora,” I reply nervously.

  “Tahiti?” His eyebrows shoot up.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  What do I tell him? I’m going to see the man who abducted me, chained me to a bed for over a month, and used me as a living, breathing sex toy? The man who—though ruthless, intense and merciless at times—somehow penetrated my soul, and may now be irreversibly connected to?

  “Exorcise some demons,” is my response. It’s the God’s honest truth.

  Michael stares at me with multiple expressions playing across his face, and for the first time since we met, I’m having trouble reading him.

  “Ma’am.” The driver interrupts our silent exchange.

  “I have to go,” I say softly.

  Michael nods, and then unexpectedly grabs my arm. He yanks me to him, then forcefully crushes his lips against mine. Whoa. I barely kiss him back as my emotions wage war. Michael is the one I should want. He’s sweet and kind and generous—not to mention gorgeous—but the spark between us pales in comparison to what just thinking about Kayne does to me. It lights my entire world on fire, burning everything around me to ash.

  “Stay,” he presses. “I know you’ve been harboring something bad. Stay with me and we can work it out together.”

  I look at Michael sadly. I should want to stay, but I don’t. What I want, deep down, is to see Kayne.

  It’s an incurable urge.

  “I can’t.” I kiss him on the cheek and free myself from his death grip.

  “Ellie,” he protests my leaving with some bite.

  “Sorry.” I slip into the backseat of the sedan with Michael’s dark-brown eyes searing into me the whole time. Once the door shuts, I exhale the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.

  The ride to the airport was silent and the flight uneventful, minus the hour delay. Kayne didn’t spare one expense; I flew first class, pampered with hot towels and bubbly champagne the whole four-hour trip. Some girls might feel guilty that a man is spending ridiculous amounts of money on them. Not me—at least not in this scenario. After everything he put me through, I deserve to be spoiled. And by the looks of it so far, he agrees.

  The airport is ultra-bright from the sunlight pouring in through the windows. If living on an island has taught me anything, it’s come prepared with dark sunglasses. After I retrieve my suitcase, I follow the crowd outside where I am struck by the most beautiful turquoise-blue water I have ever seen. I then find Jett holding a little sign that says ‘Stevens.’

  I can’t stop the grin from spreading across my face as I approach him. I don’t know what it is, but Jett always feels comfortable. Like Southern cooking and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Just standing next to him puts me at ease and assures me everything is going to be okay, even when I doubt all my decisions.

  “You look delicious,” he whispers in my ear as he hugs me.

  “Thank you?” I giggle. He has such an odd way with compliments.

  “You’re welcome.” Jett releases me and picks up my suitcase. “You smell delicious, too. This way,” he motions with his head.

  Jett leads me up the dock until we get to a small speedboat tied up near the end.

  “Your chariot.” He hops in first, then grabs my suitcase and motions to the bag on my arm. Once all my items are in the boat, he extends his hands to me. I’m definitely not wearing the right shoes for this; I carefully place my hands in his and hold my breath as I step down. Before I realize it, Jett has one arm hooked around me and is gingerly placing me on my feet. He winks. “Think I would let you break an ankle?”

  “I’d hope not.”

  “Never. Kayne would castrate me for even a scratch.”

  My stomach flips from just the mere mention of his name. Fuck, I’m really doing this.

  “Ellie, are you okay? You just went pale,” Jett asks with concerned eyes.

  “I’m fine. Just a little nervous, I guess.” I put on my bravest smile.

  “Sweet thing, just a word to the wise.” Jett places his hands on my shoulders. “This can be as easy or as hard as you make it. When I told you that you held all the power, I wasn’t lying. It’s still true. The ball is in your court. What you choose to do with it will determine the outcome. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I reply, although I’m not exactly sure I understand. At the moment, I’m not sure I understand anything; my thoughts and emotions are just a great big jumbled mess. There are so many interconnecting wires, my insides feel like one big knot.

  Jett motions for me to sit, unties the ropes, and then starts the engine. The little boat purrs to life, and a few seconds later, we take off. I concentrate on the scenery to distract me from my nerves—the crystal-blue lagoon, the lush greenery of Mount Otemanu, and the rainbow beaming through the clouds over the volcano. I’ll never deny Hawaii is magnificent, but Bora Bora’s beauty is indescribable. The landscape almost gleams like a fairy tale.

  The boat ride is short and silent which, in all honesty, I’m grateful for. I’m not sure how engaging my small talk would be. All my thoughts are gravitating to him. My heart is beating and my palms are sweating. I keep asking myself if this is the right thing. Do I still have time to change my mind? What would happen if I did? I know the answer to that question. The nagging regret would eventually eat me alive. I have to see him. I have to know. Was it real? And if it was, do we just start over? I can get past the whips and chains and fuckings, but the lying? The deceiving? Even if it was for the right reason, I still question his sincerity. Not to mention my sanity.

  Jett cuts the engine, and I snap out of my wandering thoughts. We’ve arrived at a resort. A very posh, exclusive resort from the looks of it.

  “Showtime,” Jett says as he lifts me out of the boat and onto dry land. There’s a tall man standing in front of the lobby doors watching us intently. It sort of makes me uncomfortable. I move a little closer to Jett once he’s grabbed my luggage and secured the boat. The man then approaches us with a kind smile.

  “Monsieur.” He addresses Jett with a pleasant French accent.

  “Matias.” He and Jett shake hands then Matias immediately turns his attention to me. “Mademoiselle.” He kisses my hand. I think I actually blush.

  “Ellie, Matias,” Jett formally introduces us. “He’ll escort you from here.”

  “Oui.” Matias grabs my suitcase dutifully. “Monsieur Andrews is quite anxious for your arrival.”

  “Andrews?” I repeat as Matias places my bag in the backseat of a golf cart parked off to the side.

  “Alias,” Jett leans in discreetly and whispers in my ear. “Just go with it.”

  I nod silently, fortifying my nerves. He needs an alias?

  “Kayne will explain. Now go.”

  I frown. “Why aren’t you taking me?”

  Jett flashes me a smile. “This is my stop, sweet thing.”

  I eye Matias standing next to the golf cart waiting expectantly.

  “You’re in good hands. And you’ll be in even better ones once you see Kayne. Now go.” He slaps me on the ass.

  “Jett!” I scold him. He just winks at me. “If you need me, I’m in bungalow forty-six. Scoot.”

  “Fine,” I huff, rubbing my backside. I’m going! Holy shit! I walk to Matias, and he helps me into the cart. He hops in next to me and turns on the engine. A moment later, a soft breeze is flipping my light-brow
n hair as we drive down a little pathway, away from the lobby and toward the beach.

  “Your first time in Tahiti?” Matias asks casually with one hand draped over the steering wheel.

  “Yes,” I answer as we pull onto a boarded pathway stretching out over the aquamarine water. Oversized tiki huts are situated on both sides of us, each with straw-covered roofs and unobstructed views.

  “And what do you think so far?”

  “Well, considering I’ve only seen the airport and lagoon, I’d say it’s amazing.”

  Matias laughs lightly. I’m glad someone is relaxed. Every overwater bungalow we pass jacks my unease up another level. I’m going to be a string ready to snap by the time we reach our destination.

  We travel as far as we can on the boardwalk path until we reach the very end. Three very large two-story bungalows hug the round boardwalk.

  Matias parks in front of the one in the middle.

  “Arrived.” He smiles brightly and my heart actually stops beating. I’m nervous, excited, anxious, and terrified. I feel like I’m strapped into a rollercoaster fearfully awaiting the ride.

  And that’s exactly what Kayne is, the Kingda Ka—a man who can launch your body and mind one hundred, twenty-eight miles per hour in three point five seconds.

  Once Matias helps me out of the cart, I nervously smooth my dress and fidget with my hair. He rolls my suitcase behind him, and opens the front door; that’s when I freefall from four hundred, fifty feet in the air. Matias stands at the entrance of the villa naive to my hesitation. He has no idea; no idea what I’ve been through, or what the person inside subjected me to.

  “Miss?” He raises his eyebrows concerned.

  I smile weakly and command my feet to move, one foot in front of the other until I cross the threshold. My basic motor functions cease to exist as the man who has haunted my dreams and consumed my thoughts stands across the room looking like the demonic perfection I remember him to be. The two of us just stare, the tension so thick it feels like we’re trapped in the middle of an Amazon rainforest, and need a machete to hack through the brush. Matias emerges from a room to my left, minus my bags. I didn’t even notice him disappear; I’m so engrossed by the human being standing in front of me.

  Matias stands between us, glancing from me to Kayne and then back again. He has to feel it, the unstable energy smothering the elegantly decorated room.

  “Let me show you around,” Matias says. Following him in a haze, he shows me the living area with a couch, television, wet bar, and small working desk. The bedroom he placed my things in and the sundeck with private pool. Upstairs is the ‘well-being room’ with twin massage tables, balcony, and sauna. This freaking place is bigger than my apartment and my parents’ combined. Matias chatters nonstop as we make our way back downstairs.

  “ . . . And as Mr. Andrews knows, I am here for whatever you need, whenever you need it.” He smiles, the skin wrinkling around his kind eyes.

  “Thank you.”

  “Monsieur? Will there be anything else?” He turns to Kayne, who hasn’t moved from his spot.

  “No, that will be all,” he answers, and his voice feels like an oversized tuning fork vibrating against my body.

  “Ring me when you are ready to leave for dinner,” Matias responds in a hurry.

  Kayne nods, never taking his eyes off me—those majestic blue eyes with the brown lightning bolt that have the ability to cut me right in half. Once Matias is gone, it’s just me, Kayne, and a whole shitload of awkward silence.

  “How was your flight?” Kayne finally asks, breaking the ice.

  “Fine,” I answer flatly.

  “The boat ride?”

  “Fine.”

  “What do you think of the island?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “Is there anything that isn’t fine?”

  “No.”

  Kayne smirks, and I wonder what the fuck is so amusing.

  Awkward silence regains control of the room.

  “Ellie, I—” Kayne takes a few steps forward, and I take a few steps back. He freezes with a frown.

  “I’ve arranged dinner for us,” he informs me, and then continues to approach me.

  I nod, persistently backing up as he stalks across the room. I bump into a wall, and can only watch with wide eyes as he closes the distance between us. He crowds me, coming so close that I can feel the heat of his body and inhale the fresh scent of his cologne. He can still make me weak, even after all this time. After everything.

  Kayne lifts his hand to my face and skims his thumb across my cheek. I stand paralyzed, caught by his touch and the hypnotic look in his eyes.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Ellie.” He leans in, inching closer and closer to my mouth. My heartbeat speeds up, and my brain function slows down as he brushes his lips against mine. Then he does it again, this time adding more pressure and swiping his tongue between my lips. I nearly fall apart. The third time, he full-blown kisses me with no hesitation or second thought. He takes full possession of my mouth, trapping my face in his hands, and pinning my body flat against the wall. I kiss him back with even more force than I knew I was capable of. Our tongues twist together as we both fight for air. The longer we kiss, the more aware I become of heightening sensations and overflowing feelings. I start to spin out of control, trying frantically to untangle the strings of my emotions.

  “Kayne—” I pull away.

  “Ellie.” He returns with so much need it nearly cripples me. I have to think, and that’s not going to happen while he detains me with his oppressive presence.

  “Please stop.” I grab onto his linen shirt for dear life.

  He takes a deep breath, fighting the urge I know we’re both feeling. But I’m not just going to fall into his bed, or get tangled up in his seductive web. There are issues that need to be worked out, and questions that need to be answered.

  “I’d like to freshen up.” I try to move away from him, but he cages me in by planting both hands on the wall.

  “I have missed you every single second of every single day that we have been apart.”

  And it’s quite clear his words are true. His sharp stare and rock hard erection digging into my stomach convey as much.

  “Kayne, please.” Cocksucker has me begging already.

  He hesitates for a beat then pushes off the wall, giving me the room I so desperately need.

  “Whatever you want, Ellie.” His words send both a chill and a tingle down my spine. They’re as menacing as they are promising.

  Kayne watches me with a guarded expression as I escape into the bedroom and slam the door behind me.

  Once inside, I sink to the floor, breathing for the very first time since I stepped foot on this island.

  THE DOOR SLAMS, AND I think I actually jump.

  My dick is hard, my heart is hammering, and lips are tingling. That kiss was nothing but a fucking cock tease. Ellie and her monosyllables. I forgot how much I missed them—although, I’ll admit, I much prefer them when we’re having sex. I couldn’t control myself with her standing there all sexy and doe-eyed and completely irresistible. I wasn’t lying when I said I missed her every single second of every single day. It’s been excruciating living without her. And now that she’s here, under the same roof, she still feels just as unattainable as when we were apart. For now.

  I hope.

  Pray?

  Okay, beg.

  I rest my forehead against her door, silently pleading for her to come out. I contemplate going in, but I’ll give her space. I know that’s what she needs. Jett has been preaching it to me for almost a year. That’s why I didn’t pursue her sooner, even though I wanted to.

  Every single second of every single day.

  I sent the cupcakes to test the water, to see where her head was. Which, to my great disappointment, was nowhere near forgiving me, since she trashed them a nanosecond after she opened the box. How do I know that? I’m a black operative—spying is what I do. And I’ve been spyin
g on Ellie since the day she left me. I know everything there is to know about her, right down to her little boy toy.

  I pace the bungalow so many times I think I wear through the hardwood floor. I have a drink, and then another. I take a piss, and then wait some more. I’m about to go mad, so I finally say fuck it and knock on her door.

  “Ellie?”

  No answer.

  “Ellie?” I jiggle the door handle.

  “I’ll be out in a sec,” she yells. I wonder how long that is in girl time. I decide to call Matias and arrange for our ride. Here’s hoping, right?

  After I hang up with the butler, Ellie finally emerges. She’s changed. No longer wearing the white little dress she arrived in. She’s transformed into a dark angel. Her light-brown hair is pulled back into a low ponytail and her eye makeup is heavy, but it’s her dress that makes my jaw drop. It’s a loose fitting, shiny material that drapes over her body. It almost reminds me of a piece of lingerie, something Jett would dress her in just to entice me. The black strings curving over her shoulders so thin I could floss my freakin’ teeth with them. I think she’s trying to kill me.

  “You look . . . amazing.” Yes, I sound just like a love-struck fool because that’s exactly what I am; a man stupidly in love with a sultry little kitten who holds his beating heart in the palm of her hand.

  “Thank you.” She fidgets slightly.

  There’s a knock at the door a moment later.

  “Our ride is here.” I smile as genuinely as possible. Ellie exits first, brushing against me in the doorway. Her sweet smell is heady, and her contact makes me horny. Holy hell. This may just be the most trying night of my life. As Matias assists Ellie into the golf cart, I catch the hem of her dress riding up so far it makes my cock kick.

  Damn.

  I climb in next to her, and my big body crowds her small frame in the backseat. Our legs touch and shoulders bump. Ellie folds her arms over her chest and crosses her legs, withdrawing into herself. Typical body language for someone who is clearly uncomfortable. I hate that I make her feel that way. I hate that she recoils and is anxious around me. But I’m not exactly sure how to fix it. Fix us. I’m sure if I were Jett, I would think of something clever to say, get her talking, have her laughing and be completely open by the time we sat down to dinner. But here is where I lack finesse. I know how to speak with my body, but words are more difficult.