The Bad Guy

by Celia Aaron

  He was being earnest, but his plea struck me as sad. As if he were looking for affection, though he couldn’t quite put it into words. He didn’t know the language, but it didn’t stop him from wanting it. And, despite the circumstances, I couldn’t fault him for that.

  Even a twisted tree would reach for the sun.

  “You’re making that face. The one I can’t read.” He ran his fingertips down my cheek, then grazed my lips.

  “I wear pajamas, you’re allowed to hold me, and I’ll try to be comfortable with you by”—deep breath—“touching you. And then I get to go to the city Monday?”

  “Yes.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “Say yes.”

  I convinced myself that touching him was a small price to pay for a chance at escape, that giving in to his wishes would help my cause more than his. But just as with our previous deal, I couldn’t deny the basest part of me that warmed beneath his touch, and worse, that wanted to feel him. Saying yes was giving him another piece of my soul, and I could only hope that I’d get them all back whenever I regained my freedom.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.” He smiled, true delight lighting his angular features. “Now put your hands on me.”

  25

  Sebastian

  Tentative fingers along my sides, her soft breath tickling my shoulder. I wanted to dive into her, to explore every depth, map out everything that made her tick. But I would settle for this—her gentle touch. I needed to build trust. The newest deal—one of her creation—was a brilliant solution to that little problem.

  Just like newborns with their mothers, simple physical contact could create a bond so strong that nothing could shatter it. And here we were, her in my arms and a contentment I’d never experienced filling my mind to bursting.

  “Everything here is yours,” I whispered in her ear as her fingers grew bolder, teasing along my back and then farther up to my neck.

  She shivered and placed her other palm over my heart. Her touch flowed along my skin, and I never wanted it to stop.

  Meeting my eyes, she placed her palm on my cheek. “Are you doing some robot math right now?”

  For the first time in my life, I wasn’t. I was simply existing, my mind silent except for thoughts of her. “No.”

  She ran her fingers to my brow and brushed the hair from my face. “How old are you?”

  I smiled. “Thirty-two.”

  “Ever been married?” Her fingers continued their inspection, teasing around my ear.

  “No.”

  “Long-term relationship?”

  “No.”

  She nodded. “Your dad said you were”—her small white teeth nibbled her bottom lip—“aloof, I think was the word he used.”

  “I was until you.”

  “Lucky me.”

  “I think so.” I slipped my fingers beneath the hem of her t-shirt and rubbed her lower back. “I’ve never taken anyone prisoner before you.”

  She crinkled her nose. “The fact that you can say that with a blasé attitude is messed up.”

  “Perhaps, but I see it differently.”

  “You’ve said. This will all make sense to me eventually, right? And I’ll be fine with it?”

  “Yes.” No hesitation.

  “Has it ever occurred to you that it won’t work out that way?” She dropped her hand to my shoulder and rested it there.

  “No. Because I’m not letting you go, and I know you feel it, too.”

  Her nails dug into me. “What does a robot know about feelings, much less my feelings?”

  “When you were eight, you rescued a porcupine den when a neighbor began clearing land that threatened their habitat. Even though you had to go to the ER after getting quilled by one of them, you still made sure they were relocated and safe.”

  She gawked at me. “How did y—?”

  “Newspaper article from your hometown paper.” I shrugged. “When you were sixteen, you were named homecoming queen. The homecoming king, your boyfriend at the time, was the all-American sort. Clean cut, athletic, typical good guy. But in photos from that night, your gaze was always drawn to the leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding young man who was eventually thrown out of the dance for drinking and smoking on school grounds.”

  Her eyebrows hit her hairline.

  “Your yearbook and a few ancient Myspace posts.”

  “Stalker.”

  “Yes.” I inched my fingers higher up the skin along her back while she was distracted. “Your favorite movie? The Silence of the Lambs. Favorite book? Tess of the D’Ubervilles. I found out all of this after we met. Each fact building on the last until I had a solid image of you, one that matched the what my intuition had already told me. You were made for me. Your whole life, you’ve played the fair damsel, waiting for her prince charming to sweep her off her feet. But that’s not who you are.”

  “You have no idea who I am.” She drew her hand away.

  I tsked. “Your trip to the city is in danger.”

  She scowled and draped her arm over my side, her fingertips brushing against my back.

  “Better.” I slid my fingers higher, greedily touching as much of her as possible. “When your parents died within six months of each other, Link swooped in to the rescue. You let him. But he was a crutch that turned into something that was never meant to be. You used him.”

  “No. That’s a lie.”

  “You did. Used him, led him on despite the fact you had no intention of ever moving to the city with him. Wouldn’t even let him fuck you—thanks for that, by the way.”

  Her body turned to stone, her nails digging into my back. She wanted to storm away from me, to give a furious denial, but she wanted to go to the city more. I’d caught her in her own trap. She’d have to stay here, in my arms, while I told her why we were perfect together.

  “I crunched the data, and I found you. The real you. The one who wants a monster instead of a man. You enjoy dancing with the devil. Our deals? You play the good girl, but you wanted my kiss.” I nuzzled into her ear. “I can’t stop thinking about your taste, the sounds you made.”

  Her nails raked down my back. “Stop.”

  “That’s my girl.” I smirked and met her eyes again. Her hard nipples hadn’t escaped my notice. Neither had the wet heat between her thighs. “No one knows you. Not really. Not like I do. And I don’t judge you. I’m drawn to your spark of darkness the same way you’re drawn to the ocean of mine. We aren’t magnets pulled together by a weak force; we create our own gravity for each other.”

  Her eyes narrowed, but the denial in her mind didn’t pass her lips. Did she know it wouldn’t ring true?

  “Have you ever told Veronica how much you wanted me that night we danced?”

  Her gaze darted away. “You’ve manufactured all these conjectures into one big hypothesis that you’ll never be able to prove. Scientific method fail.”

  “We’ll see.” I hugged her closer, tucking her against my chest.

  “And you’re cheating with your hand under my shirt.”

  “What are you going to do about it?” I flattened my palm against her smooth skin.

  A sting erupted along my pec, the pain intensifying until I relaxed my hand on her back. She’d bitten me. Hard.

  My semi turned into the hardest erection I’d had in my life. “Do that again, and I’ll be forced to bury my face in your cunt until you learn how to behave.” Please do it again.

  She huffed and settled her head on my bicep. “Go to sleep. I’m tired of your robot analysis and your stalking and—really, I’m just tired of you.”

  “Sure you are.” I relished the reverberating pain of her teeth marks. “Next time, draw blood.”

  “Psycho.”

  I kissed her hair again and relaxed into my pillow. “Your psycho.”

  26

  Link

  “Kid, look. I talked to the expedition leader guy. Everything is fine.”

  “Did he let you talk to
Ms. Briarlane?” The concern in Mint’s voice made me prickle. Why was this kid so interested in my girl?

  “No, she was up a tree.”

  “Doesn’t that seem suspicious?”

  “No.” I waved my secretary into my office. She sat in one of my visitor’s chairs, her long legs shining in the morning light pouring through the windows behind me. I followed them all the way up to her skirt and the darkness beneath it. Definitely a thigh gap going on with this new temp. I licked my lips.

  “—you even hear me, Link? Hello?”

  I’d missed whatever he’d been rambling on about. The temp had put the top of her pen in her mouth, pressing it between her teeth. “I wouldn’t worry.”

  “Has she texted you?”

  “Not for a couple days, but that’s to be expected.” Why couldn’t this adolescent horndog leave it alone? “Stop worrying. She’s fine.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I do, and I’m the adult. Leave it alone.” I tried to exude authority. The new secretary perked up a bit, so it was working.

  The kid grumbled, then stayed silent for a beat. “Wait. You said you saw the car that picked her up?”

  “Yeah, so? Look, I have some business to attend to—”

  “Just hear me out. What sort of car was it?”

  “A black limo. Nothing special.” I’d like to show the blond in my visitor’s chair the inside of a nice limo.

  “Is that normal?”

  “What?”

  “A science expedition to spring for a limo?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been on a science expedition.” My patience reached its limit. “Don’t call again, kid. Everything’s fine.”

  “No, Link—”

  I tapped the screen and gave the temp my winning smile. She melted right before my eyes. I bet her red lipstick would look hot as fuck on my dick.

  I settled back into my chair. “Now, what’s on our agenda for the day?”

  27

  Camille

  Gerry went over the plants he’d delivered to the greenhouse earlier in the afternoon. They sat in various produce boxes, green stems and a few blooms mixed in.

  “Is this everything?” I surveyed the haul, but I didn’t see the main species I was looking for.

  He pushed his worn navy ball cap back on his head. “I had to order four of them from Florida. Shipment got delayed. They should be here in a few days.”

  “Oh.” To hide my disappointment, I pulled on some gloves and busied myself with the new arrivals.

  He looked around at the orderly rows of plants and the newer seedlings I’d separated into pots. Just in the past handful of days, he’d helped me arrange the greenhouse to my liking and provided me with all the tools I’d asked for—except pruning shears. Apparently, sharp weapons were forbidden.

  “Is there anything I can do for you today?” He slipped a toothpick from one side of his smile to the other.

  I pointed to another list on the prep table. “I want some seeds, if that’s possible.”

  “Sure.” He swiped the list and skimmed it. “These should be easy to get. The heirloom ones will require a bit more searching, but I should be able to scare some up.”

  “Great.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Not right now.” I squinted at the row of tropical plants. “I think we may have a clogged mister, but I won’t know until this afternoon. I’ve adjusted their watering interval, and one is acting skittish.”

  “Just let me know.” He stared through the glass toward the tree line. “I’ll be out in the woods a bit today, but all you have to do is let Timothy know you need me, and I can get back here in a jiffy.”

  “What are you doing in the woods?” I reached past him for a smaller hand shovel.

  He dropped his gaze to my ankle. “Just checking some lines. Maintenance.”

  “Oh.” I grimaced.

  “Sorry.” His sheepishness didn’t diminish the fact that he was out checking my prison bars to make sure they’d hold.

  “Any chance you’ll turn all those monitors off?”

  “None.” Sebastian’s voice cut off Gerry’s reply.

  Gerry tapped the bill of his hat before turning and striding out of the greenhouse.

  “Getting your creepy jollies by watching me garden again?”

  “Just checking in between meetings.”

  I glanced toward my tomato plants and frowned. A white spot on one of the stems I’d noticed earlier in the morning had doubled in size.

  “Problem?”

  I leaned down and inspected the plant. “Some sort of mold, I suspect. I’d need a microscope to know for sure.” Walking down the row, I scrutinized the other tomatoes. None of them seemed to have the infection.

  He was silent as I pulled the problem plant and set it on a bare patch of table several feet from the other tomatoes. Did the seedlings still at the Trenton greenhouse have the same issue?

  “You slept well last night.” I couldn’t miss the satisfaction in his voice.

  “I must have been worn out from all your psychoanalysis. Emphasis on psycho.” For the past three nights, he’d held me in his arms and told me bits of information he’d picked up about me during his stalking efforts. Then he explained how each fact meant that we were perfect together while I denied it all until I fell asleep.

  He laughed. “You are far more quick-witted than a simple schoolteacher should be.”

  “And it’s far easier to run circles around a CEO than it should be.” I forced my lips to stay in a neutral line, though a smile threatened.

  “I have half a mind to come home early today.” His playful tone spurred a mix of emotions inside. Dread wasn’t among them, and I cursed that fact.

  I shook my head. “This is my time. I’m busy.”

  “You wouldn’t make time for me?”

  “Definitely not.” I finished my inspection and returned to the greenhouse’s new additions.

  “I’m wounded.” His tone was laughing, but I couldn’t tell if he was laughing at or with me.

  “Good.”

  “My next meeting is about to begin.”

  “In that case, my day is looking up.” I ran my fingers down the satiny leaves of a dwarf rhododendron. Despite my attempts at focusing on anything other than him, I still waited for his voice to pulse through the speakers.

  He didn’t disappoint. “I suspect you’ll change your tune once I have you in my arms tonight.”

  “You’re right. My tune will change to a snore.”

  “I doubt that quite a bit.”

  “You keep doubting, and I’ll keep plotting ways to knife you and run.”

  His low growl set the air around me on fire. “I’d chase you. Catch you. I think you’d like that. For me to chase you again. But this time, instead of giving you a ride back to the house, I’d let you take your aggressions out on me. Every last bit of energy expended as you worked my cock. Out in the open, fucking like animals.”

  Wicked words funneled into my ears and deeper, landing in the dark depths of my soul. I hoped he couldn’t see the heat in my face, the rush of arousal that flooded my skin.

  A low laugh wrapped around me like a dark fur stole. “You can’t hide yourself from me. I’m the only one who’s ever seen you.” His voice faded, as though he were speaking to someone else nearby, and I couldn’t make out the words.

  I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and refusing to entertain visions of the two of us writhing in the grass along the tree line. It was wrong, beyond sick, and just the sort of messed up image that made my insides twist.

  “We’ll continue this tonight.” Impatience colored his words, and then he went quiet.

  I worked for a little while longer, struggling to focus on my tasks. How could a few coarse words from his lips light such a fire inside me? I couldn’t get them out of my mind, and my body reacted as if he were here whispering into my ear, his hands on me like they were every night. I forced myself to f
ocus, going task by task until I had a working rhythm. The thoughts wouldn’t stay silent, cropping up whenever I gave my mind a chance to wander.

  When I accidentally potted a trailing vine in a mix of clay and manure instead of the sandy loam it required, I ripped my gloves off and tore out of the greenhouse. Thoughts of our bodies twisting together, of him making good on his claims that I was his roiled in my brain. I had to rid myself of the thoughts, to shut them down so I could focus on the bigger picture.

  Timothy balanced atop a ladder in the foyer while hanging a wide swag of Christmas greens above the door. He’d been decorating all morning.

  “I’m taking a nap,” I blurted and took the stairs two at a time.

  “All right,” he called from behind me. “I won’t bother you. Just use the call switch next to the door when you’re ready to…”

  I didn’t look back at him, just sought the bedroom like a missile. After hitting the mechanism that allowed the door to close, I was alone, secreted away from Sebastian’s eyes. He wouldn’t know. As far as he was concerned, I was taking an early afternoon nap.

  My shirt hit the floor first, then my sports bra, jeans, and panties. I lay on the bed and stared up at the chandelier. I’d seen Timothy taking apart the small camera that had been embedded in one of the decorative arms. It was gone. Even so, I pulled the sheet over me, the slight contact with my aching nipples sending a wave of need through me.

  I closed my eyes and spread my legs, letting my fingers find their way to the tight bud of nerves. One stroke of my middle finger, and a low moan rose from my lungs.

  I was primed, ready to end my torment in an explosion of bliss. My mind created its own scenario, one that was as wrong as it was erotic. Sebastian loomed over me, his perfect body on full display. I was spread beneath him, giving him a show as he watched me touch myself. I stared into his emerald eyes as he stroked his thick cock, the muscles along his neck bulging from the strain.