by Piper Stone
“Who are you, Dani Carver and what do you want?”
Cane’s words seemed to echo in the room, floating over her face and neck. Danger was able to see the light sheen of perspiration covering her face. The answer couldn’t have been more surprising, as well as fascinating.
“I am nobody, but I crave everything,” she whispered.
Danger took the glass out of her hand and pointed further into the living room and toward another hallway. He’d drawn the straw for the downstairs and larger bedroom, one with its own bathroom. While he appreciated the peace, he often slept on the couch, and sometimes on the back deck, preferring the sounds of nature to the concept of his own thoughts. There was also another benefit to the room.
He could lock her in, at least for now. Until he figured out what the hell he was doing.
Dani didn’t fight him or try to inundate him with questions as she trailed behind him and into the room. He showed her the bathroom then pointed toward the bed, giving her a nod before walking toward the door.
“This is your room. Isn’t it?” she asked in a quiet manner.
Sighing, he simply gave her a single nod before reaching for the door.
“You were at the lake, spying on me. You were the one who touched my clothes. Weren’t you?”
He allowed a slight chuckle and nodded once again.
“Why won’t you talk to me? I know you can and I sense you have so many things to tell me, experiences to share. I’d like that very much,” she said and took a step closer.
He almost threw out his arm but sensed she wasn’t going to break the boundary, at least just yet. But she was testing him, perhaps all of them. He refused to give her the satisfaction of answering. Silence was one of his methods of control.
She huffed, spitting out the next words. “I’m not afraid of you, any of you. I wanted you to know that.”
Turning slightly, only by the grace of the shimmering moon was he able to see her expression, fake arrogance and a touch of being that little girl in need of comfort and belonging. The dichotomy was chilling. As she removed her shirt, her eyes never leaving him, he swallowed the animalistic noise swimming in his throat. She held her head in a manner that accentuated the beautiful lines of her long neck and a strong jawline. Reaching behind her, she unfastened her bra, taking her time to ease one strap from her shoulder then the other. After tossing it onto the bed, she stood with her hands on her hips.
Danger sucked in his breath, unable to take his eyes off her as she cupped her breasts, squeezing several times before pinching her nipples. Her mouth was in a lurid ‘O’ as she pulled and twisted, the slight mewing sounds highly erotic.
His breathing was labored, his cock once again aching, the pain like being in a tight vise. He had to leave or there would be no turning back. Just before closing the door, he made certain she saw the expression on his face. “You should be very afraid. We’re dangerous men.”
He remained standing just outside her door in the darkness, his heart racing. Visions rolled into his mind, keeping her naked and tied, throwing her onto all fours and fucking her tight little ass. Spanking her every day. Licking her sweet pussy raw. “Shit. Shit. Shit,” he whispered. Sweat beaded along his upper lip, sliding down the back of his neck. This woman could be his undoing.
Chapter Five
What in the hell did she think she was doing? And exactly what did she think was going to happen? Dani yanked the shirt over her naked breasts, as if the man was going to pounce on her. No, he’d locked her in for the night. Frustration rocketed through her and she rushed toward the door, flicking the handle several times. “Damn you!” She pounded on the door twice. Why was she bothering? Because she’d seen the look in every man’s eyes, the hunger they’d managed to stifle. Maybe she was in la-la land. No pain, no gain. No pain, no gain. Why was the saying rushing back and forth in her mind? How about crazy bitch? That made her smile.
She turned on a light, surveying the room. In truth, there was no way to tell that anyone had spent the night even once. She moved to the closet, throwing open the door. There were two jackets and five shirts hanging, a couple of pairs of different boots and nothing else. Talk about living sparsely.
The dresser drawers certainly weren’t packed, although there were more than five tee-shirts, at least a couple pairs of shorts and underwear. When her fingers knocked against something hard, she pulled the socks to the side, lifting a watch into the light. The massive-looking piece had many gizmos, various dials, and one thick leather band. The piece was exactly what she thought a rugged man would wear. She rubbed her finger across the dial before turning it over. The inscription was confounding.
Protect and Serve
That’s so you.
A
A? Who was ‘A’? Given there was no other watch or other type of jewelry, she could tell this was an important piece for him. The pang of jealousy was surprising. He had a life and she had no right to sort through his things, let alone care if he had a relationship. Feeling guilty for snooping, she carefully placed the watch in the same place, folding the socks back in a just-so position. A man of true mystery. Protect and serve could mean law enforcement, or the military. What she didn’t believe is that he was actually dangerous.
Another delicious surprise, a bathroom with a full tub, one meant for soaking. This was an indulgence she’d partake in. As she ran the water, she searched through his toiletries, hoping to find a razor, even soap that didn’t smell like men’s aftershave. The soap she was going to have to live with. The razor she found, buried in the back of a drawer. Guess he had no use for anything of that nature. For her, men with long, sexy beards she could run her fingers through were tasty. Exhaling, she twirled the razor, imagining the first time he kissed her. No, if it ever happened.
As the tub filled, she made faces at her reflection. Dear God, she looked frightful. Her hair was limp and in strings, sticking to her face, matted like a dog’s fur after a mud romp. Her jeans were filthy, clinging to her. That she’d managed to shove them down her hips for the spanking was amazing. She moaned, her thoughts drifting to the round of discipline once again. As she peeled off the remaining clothes, she could swear she felt the sting of his hand.
The man knew how to spank. That was for certain. When she was fully naked, she twisted until she could just see a hint of redness. Even an outline of his fingers. Or maybe it was wishful thinking. She was wet and hot all over, her mind taking her into every kinky idea she’d ever had. This was certainly quite the story.
Chuckling, she managed to find a clean towel, even though the scraggly thing had seen better days. At least she could remove the mud caked on almost every inch of her body. She slid into the water, wincing as the heated liquid hit her well spanked ass. For the first time in three days, tension released, leaving her with a hint of peace. When she closed her eyes, all she could see was the blond’s face, his mesmerizing eyes. What if this mysterious ‘A’ was his girlfriend or maybe his wife? Didn’t matter. Nope. Not in the least.
Then what was he doing up in the mountains? Maybe they were geologists. No, she hadn’t seen any equipment. They certainly didn’t seem like they would be any help. Why not communicate with her? She had ways of making them talk. Bursting into laughter, she slid under the water. She’d make headway tomorrow, one way or the other finding out what they were hiding. The story was going to be kickass.
Exhaustion settled over her to the point she could barely keep her eyes open. After draining the tub, she managed to find a comb then stumbled into the bedroom, yanking back the covers. A bed had never looked so inviting. She turned off the light and crawled under the sheets, realizing there were no drapes or blinds on the oversized window. The moonlight streaming helped dull her thoughts, even lulling her to...
* * *
“What is the plan?” Bronco asked after Danger returned.
“I know my plan,” Wolf answered. “We need to give our report regarding our last tests. In the morning, I’ll head out
in the truck, go down the other side of the mountain until I can connect. That will allow me to check on our visitor. Danielle Carver.”
“It’s a good idea,” Danger admitted, his personal red flags flying high. Her behavior was all over the place. Even the near seduction scene had seemed like something out of a movie versus the girl hiding behind some mask. If their tests were accurate, there was every reason in the world to be cautious regarding their location, especially the cave.
“Think she used her real name?” Cane threw in.
Wolf shrugged. “My honest guess is yes. She doesn’t seem like the criminal mastermind type,” he stated with a grin on his face.
“No. She’s out of her element, even though she knows something about hiking, at least enough to keep her alive this long.” Bronco snorted.
“Wolf will go in the morning, the two of you back to the cave. I’ll stay at the cabin, try to grill her. I’m going to find her bags tonight, see if there’s any indication of why she’s here.” Danger hoped the plan would work. What was she bucking to find with them other than trouble?
“Who exactly put you in charge of this?” Cane asked, folding his arms.
“Hell, he’s the one she’s attracted to. Let him have to deal with her,” Wolf chided. “I’d just keep her naked and tied to my bed. At least this man has some class.”
Bronco smacked him on the back and kept his fingers close to Danger’s neck. “You can taste her, brother, but you don’t get the entire dessert. Something for you to keep in mind.”
Danger would normally lash out, but the entire situation was bordering on being comical. “I’ll consider it.” He grabbed the shirt he’d taken off before her temper tantrum. “Let me see if I can find her bags.” Moving to the kitchen, he grabbed a flashlight and one of the guns.
“You trust us to stay away from her?” Wolf laughed.
“For now. Touch her and die, at least until I return.” Danger knew there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of at least keeping them from trying. Could she handle four men at a time? Then again, did he want her to? Bad time for him to fall into some jealous state.
As he left the cabin, heading in the direction from where he’d seen her before, he thought about her comment of being a nobody. He knew that kind of sadness, even desperation. He’d seen it in his sister for far too many years. Dani was hiding, but he suspected from herself.
He found her bags easily enough and thankfully, they hadn’t been ransacked by wild animals. When he returned to the cabin, all the lights were off. He moved into the kitchen, taking his time unloading everything from inside both, including the gun and knife. The weapons he would keep locked away. The rest contained nothing special, except for the sketchpad and a notebook.
For a young woman, and one so beautiful, why wouldn’t she have a picture of her boyfriend? A breakup, and one that had certain elements. That’s what usually fueled something like a hike in the mountains; that is if she was on the up and up. Finding nothing else of use, he shoved the majority of items back into the bag.
The notebook was interesting, and he quickly developed the realization that she had been following them, hunting their position. The notes she’d written were cryptic, but she was detailing her trip. Why? For law enforcement? No. That was bullshit. He didn’t want to admit his findings to the others. They’d be convinced she was working for the enemy. He’d find out himself. At least he knew where to start asking with questions.
He stood by the locked door to his bedroom, contemplating leaving the bags outside the door. She would have no way of knowing they were out here. Unlocking the door, he hesitated before moving inside, easing one bag onto the dresser. Then he noticed she’d kicked the covers off and was rolled onto her side, her legs curled.
His breath catching, he gently placed the smaller duffle onto the foot of the bed and moved closer, gazing down at her. He’d never seen anyone so beautiful in his life, from her delicate bone structure to her hourglass figure, the way her hair fell to the middle of her back. He was so drawn to her, as if she was meant to be by his side. Taking perhaps the ultimate chance, he carefully eased several strands of hair from her face then allowed the tip of his finger to brush up and down on her skin.
Dani stirred, a slight purring noise coming from her voluptuous lips, her hand sliding further onto the pillow.
Danger held his breath as he stood over her, his finger tracing her jawline, moving ever so slowly down the length of her arm. When he reached her hip, he fought the adrenaline rush, his heart racing, and continued his path. His own skin tingled from the movement and when he reached her ankle, she shifted, rolling onto her back.
Her expression was one of bliss and she lifted her knee, her hand fluttering down to her breast.
Clenching his fist, he hissed inwardly. This wasn’t the mark of a good man in any manner. Very carefully he lifted the sheet, tucking her in then left the room without looking again.
* * *
“You’re going to remain naked the entire time you stay here. Do you understand me?” the blond demanded. “You’ll earn the right to wear clothes.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re going to please me in every way,” he stated, pointing to the floor. “Beginning now. Suck me. Take every inch of my cock deep into your throat.”
“Oh, yes, sir.” She eased to her knees, crawling toward him, rubbing her face against the leg of his jeans. Sliding her hands up along the inside of his thighs, she cupped both around his big, fat, juicy cloth-covered cock, ready to devour every inch.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
“What the...” Swimming up from the delicious dream, Dani whined when she opened her eyes. The cascading sun was far too bright, burning her retinas. She rolled over, determined to ignore whatever sound had dragged her from such a wonderful fantasy. Her nipples were so swollen and aching, creating a wetness between her legs. She’d managed to kick the covers off and as she grabbed for them, keeping her eyes shut, her foot hit something hard. Another kick and whatever she’d hit bounded off the bed.
This time, she was wide awake, peering over the side of the bed. One of her bags had been placed on the end of the bed, the other on the dresser. He’d found her belongings. More important, he’d been in the room, staring down at her naked body. No wonder she’d experienced that kind of dream.
There was no way of telling what time it was other than by the light level, but she guessed the men were already hard at work. She made a quick search of her bag. Her gun and knife were missing. Damn him. What did he think she was going to do, kill them in the middle of the night? He was certainly cautious of her. Maybe they were onto her, but how? The notebook. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She struggled to find it, her fingers shaking until she managed to open the flap, reading what little she’d been able to write so far. There was nothing glaring in the information, but it would be apparent to anyone that she’d trailed them. She clutched the book against her chest, trying to figure out what to do. She haphazardly opened the drawers again, finally settling on the bottom one and slid both the sketchpad and notebook inside. The blond wasn’t a stupid man. He’d force her in his way, communicating with words or not, to explain in detail what the fuck she was doing.
Then she’d no doubt receive another spanking. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she eased her hand around her hip, fingering her sore bottom. To get the kind of story she was looking for, she’d allow them to discipline her all day long.
Well, almost.
Dressing quickly, she suddenly remembered that she was locked in. A quick glance back to the bags and she padded to the door, turning the knob. She breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out. Hearing no noise of any kind, she moved toward the kitchen. She hadn’t paid any attention the night before, but the great room had impressive yet scarred wooden floors and a beautiful stone fireplace going all the way to the cathedral ceiling. The cabin had years on its timber frame, but the workmanship was solid, protective.
She ran her hand al
ong the mantel, the thick wooden piece screaming for pictures. Even the wood stove was impressive, the amount of heat coming off the steel piece enough to warm her entire body. The furniture was sparse, rugged like the men but certainly comfortable enough.
After looking around the room, she headed for the kitchen and to the window. She couldn’t help but gawk, even smiling. Bare chested, the blond was chopping wood; the noise she’d heard was him slinging the pieces into a massive pile, his muscles teeming in the bright sun. There was nothing sexier than a man in dirty, tight jeans, accentuating exactly what God had given him.
He swung the ax with precision, the edge of the blade catching the wood exactly in the center. He was methodical, grabbing a huge section of a log, placing it onto the oversized tree stump and with a single swing, dividing the wood into four usable pieces. The man took dangerous to an entirely new level. She absently fingered her erect nipple, shuddering from the sensitivity. With every swing, every hard slam, she issued a tempered moan. You can’t do this. Oh, hell yes, she could. She could enjoy the merchandise, even if she wasn’t allowed to touch. After a few seconds, she willed herself to concentrate on anything else.
Her daydream almost took over, her desires for his commanding ways perhaps setting the tone for the entire day. Shaking it off, she scanned the perimeter, unable to see signs of the other men or any vehicle for that matter. The netting had been collected and there was no bloody carcass of a bear—thank God.
Gulping air, she decided to take the bull by the horns and walked outside onto the porch, leaning against the railing. The compound had obviously been here for a few years, the rather dilapidated smaller building nothing more than a tool shed. There was no equipment to speak of other than a chainsaw.
Dani remained where she was for a few minutes before taking cautious steps in his direction.
The blond raised the ax, smacking it down, but this time he left the blade buried inside the tree stump. He exhaled in an exaggerated fashion before dragging a rag out of his pocket and wiping his face. Tensing, he took several deep breaths and there was no doubt he sensed her presence. Then he turned in her direction.