Sinful Illusions

by Morgan James

  “Oh?” I tipped my head in question. “So I’m not your captive?”

  He blinked once, hard. “I said you weren’t confined to your room—not that you were free to leave.”

  “Right.” There was no hiding the bitterness in my tone. Of course not. I was free to wander the mammoth house, the cold, dead gardens, explore the books in the den. Anything my heart desired—except my freedom.

  I’d yet to figure out exactly what he wanted from me. Aside from these awkward silence-filled dinners interspersed with stilted conversation, he hadn’t demanded anything else of me. I kept up my surly attitude, as I had for the past several days, so he wouldn’t suspect anything. I’d considered sidling up to him to win his trust and try to get him to lower his guard. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that with a man like Fox, that would have the opposite effect. It took every ounce of self-control to remain calm as I counted the moments until dusk fell so I could put my plan into motion.

  “You don’t have to be unhappy here,” he said softly.

  I stiffened, avoiding his gaze. Fox wasn’t a stupid man. How could he expect me to be happy while I was being kept here against my will? “May I be excused?”

  A loud sigh filtered through his nose. “Of course.”

  I stood, watching from the corner of my eye as he followed suit. I couldn’t figure him out. His manners were impeccable, yet he was a tyrant of epic proportions. He was a complete contradiction in every way, and that threw me completely off balance. I’d accused him of being cruel, but the truth was… he wasn’t. Not yet, anyway.

  We’d discussed nothing of importance during these ridiculous dinners, instead speaking of trivial matters—general interests, movies and the like. This whole situation pissed me off, and I was still salty about our conversation the other night. He’d feigned innocence, ignoring every question I posed, but I had a feeling he knew exactly who I was. It wasn’t a stretch for him to assume the things he had, but it hurt nonetheless. He wasn’t far off the mark about the way I’d grown up, and to have him so callously remark on it still stung. He’d read me like a fucking book, and I hated it.

  He was keeping me for some purpose—whatever he deemed fit, he’d said. What the hell did that mean? His room was next to mine, but the adjoining door had remained closed and locked for the past three nights. So if he didn’t want me for sex, then what? I saw him only for dinner each night, where he was polite and cordial. Afterward, we parted ways, and I wouldn’t see him until dinner the following night. It worried me immensely. He had to have some ulterior motive—but I’d be damned if I would stick around long enough to find out what it was.

  “Eva?”

  I paused midstride, every muscle tensing at the sound of his voice. I didn’t turn to look at him—I couldn’t.

  “Sleep well.”

  I swallowed hard and gave a little nod, then fled from the room. Had he read the truth in my eyes? Did he know?

  My heart threatened to beat out of my chest as I practically raced through the house and back to my room. Safely ensconced inside, I shut and locked the door behind me, then leaned against it for a long minute as I waited for my breathing to return to normal.

  Briefly, I considered pushing my plans back. Almost as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I discarded it. I needed to get the hell out of here—now. Turning on the lamp by the bed, I kept to my usual nighttime routine and picked up a book, pretending to read. My mind wandered over the next hour, playing various scenarios through my mind.

  Finally, I slid from the bed and headed into the bathroom. In case anyone was listening, I ran the water like I was washing and getting ready for bed. Once I was done, I turned off all the lights and climbed back onto the bed.

  Everything around me was silent and still, but I couldn’t stifle the sense of unease running through me. I was antsy and on edge, waiting for something to happen. What, I wasn’t sure. When another hour passed with no interruptions, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I was just worked up because of what I was about to do.

  Slipping into the closet, I changed out of the clothes Fox had purchased for me and pulled on the dark pants and shirt I’d worn that first night when I’d been caught. Moving to the window, I peeked outside. The yard was dark and still, and my stomach tightened. For the past three days since I’d moved into this room, I’d watched Fox’s estate, keeping note of who moved around and when. He had more men than I’d estimated. In my initial reconnaissance, I’d counted only a couple men who permanently stayed with Fox. Inside the house, there had to be nearly a dozen.

  So far, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their rotations. Sometimes they went outside, other times they were secluded in the house. Though the temperature had dropped a bit over the past few days, I didn’t think that stopped them from patrolling outside. There was no way that I could get past the guards inside the house, which left me with only one other option—go out the window. Peering outside, I took a deep breath. The ground from the second story seemed like an infinitely long way down.

  My room was dark, and I’d been standing here long enough that my eyes had adjusted to the dim light outside, the yard lit by the crescent moon high above. Allowing my gaze to rove over the façade of the large brick mansion, I took in every tiny detail. A narrow decorative ledge jutted out of the brick about four feet below my window and wrapped around the entire house from what I could see. Though it only stuck out maybe five or six inches, it would at least be enough for me to balance on. To my left, near the corner of the house, climbing roses wound their way up a piece of lattice that extended nearly to the roof. Once I had worked my way across the ledge to the lattice, I could climb down, as long as it held my weight, then cut across the yard and over the fence.

  I still wasn’t exactly sure how Fox had found me that first night. I assumed the fence had some kind of alarm, though I hadn’t heard sirens or lights. The more I had thought about it, the more I assumed there was an internal alarm only. Hopefully, by the time I got over the fence, it would be too late for them to catch me. There were so many variables and risks involved, not the least of which was scaling that damn ledge.

  My heart rate kicked up in my chest as I stared down at it. I wasn’t terrified of heights, but I was smart enough to know that a fall from this height could result in some serious injuries. I’d attended dance classes when I was younger, so I wasn’t too worried about my balance or slipping off. The problem was that there seemed to be no good hand holds between my window and the lattice affixed to the corner of the house nearly forty feet away. It seemed so close, yet so far. I had even considered lowering myself until I hung from my fingers on the ledge. If I did that though, my body would potentially be visible through the downstairs windows as I shuffled my way across. Not only that, but I couldn’t find a good way to get down that low safely without falling.

  Though I still didn’t like it, my best bet was to climb out onto the ledge, keep my body as close to the brick as much as possible and hope for the best. All I knew was that I had to get out of here. I refused to remain captive in this house one more day without fighting for my freedom.

  Returning to my bed, I waited anxiously for another hour to pass. Once it was fully dark out, I hurried to the window. There were no monitors on it that I had seen or felt, and I quickly slid up the sash after peering out into the darkness to make sure the coast was clear. Even though I saw no movement, I remained still and cocked my ears, listening for anything out of the ordinary. The air was cool and damp on my face, sending a shiver down my spine. Steeling myself, I drew in a deep breath and threw one leg over the sill. I quickly followed with the second leg, then rolled to my stomach and wiggled until only my torso was braced against the windowsill. Blind to what was behind or below me, my toes scrabbled against the hard brick before finally coming into contact with the stone ledge. I breathed a soft sigh of relief as I lowered myself onto the balls of my feet and eased my hold on the window.

  Turning my head, I focused on the l
attice to my right, a soft white beacon in the dim moonlight. Slowly, cautiously, I released the window and stretched my arms out wide, plastering myself against the side of the house. Slowly, I began to shuffle my feet toward the lattice, my figures digging into the small crevices of mortar between the bricks. It seemed to take forever before I reached the lattice, and my heart gave a little thump in my chest when my fingers brushed the cool wood. I continued to slide my feet until my right hand was securely wrapped around the lattice. Grabbing on with all my might, I allowed myself to relax for a moment.

  Glancing around, I studied my surroundings again, but all remained silent and still. I cautiously worked one foot into the diamond pattern of the lattice, wincing as the wood swayed a little bit under my weight. Sending up a prayer, I shifted all of my weight to my right foot and placed my left on the lattice. The wood sagged but didn’t break so I slowly began to descend, one cautious step at a time. My heart threatened to beat out of my chest as my feet hit the ground. For a moment, I knelt down and touched the dewy grass, thankful I’d made it this far.

  Drawing in a fortifying breath, I scanned the yard and prepared my shaky muscles to run. I exhaled, then pushed off as hard as I could. Dodging between the trees, I headed for the fence on the east side of the property. I didn’t hear anything behind me, but I didn’t dare turn around to look. The minute-long sprint felt as if it had taken an hour, my lungs heaving, frosty breath rising into the cold night air. I finally reached the huge wrought iron fence and launched myself at it. Adrenaline pumped through my body, and I scrambled to get my hands on the uppermost rail, bracing my feet against the narrow spindles. Finally, I managed to clamber up and over. With a surge of triumph, I dropped to the ground on the other side.

  My gaze swept the yard, but it remained empty and dark. A smile split my face, and I lurched to my feet again, swaying as I darted toward the road. I cut at an angle away from Fox’s mansion, taking the side road that led out and around town. I jogged down the white line on the side of the road, my elation growing with each step I put between myself and the house I’d just escaped.

  My ears perked up, and my heart leaped in my chest as the sound of a car engine met my ears. Not from behind me—but rounding the curve a half mile or so in front of me. I pushed my leg muscles harder, faster, as I ran toward the approaching vehicle.

  “Here!” I waved my arms frantically. “Help me!”

  I shielded my eyes against the headlights as the car slowed to a crawl, then stopped several yards in front of me. Wavering on my feet, I took a shaky step forward. “Please, I—”

  The back door swung open, and my heart hit the pavement as a tall figure unfolded from the rear of the car. Tension crackled between us in the dark, cold night air. Before the man’s face came fully into view, I already knew. It was him.

  Chapter Ten

  Fox

  I met Eva’s gaze in the glare of the bright lights, watching the myriad of emotions playing over her face. Hope. Confusion. Dread.

  Her muscles tensed as she prepared to flee, and I flexed my hands at my sides. “Do it. Run, Eva. Give me the satisfaction of hunting you down and dragging you back to the house again.”

  Her eyes flared, but her shoulders hunched inward in defeat. Despite her posture, I wasn’t about to write her off. She’d already proved her craftiness more than once. If I gave her an inch, she’d take a mile. She was far savvier than I’d pegged her for. The fact that she’d almost outsmarted me—the fact that she thought she could—pissed me off. Somehow, I managed to tamp down my fury and extended one hand toward the car. “Get in.”

  She approached warily, the toes of her shoes dragging across the pavement as she walked, head down. I took a step backward, giving her some space. Her eyes darted toward me beneath those long, dark lashes, and she quickly ducked into the car, sliding so far across the leather seat that she was pressed against the opposite door.

  I slid in behind her, leaving a good foot of space between us. If I got too close, any hold I had on my temper would disappear into thin air. I was already perilously close to dragging her over my knee and paddling her ass so hard she wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week. Though the idea held merit, I’d never been the type of man to lay a hand on a woman in anger, and I wasn’t about to start now. Even though she most certainly deserved it.

  I met Callum’s eyes in the rearview mirror and gave a slight nod. From the corner of my eye, I watched Eva cower against the door to my left. Tension hung in the air as we drove back to the house, and I could practically hear the wheels in Eva’s head turning. Maybe later I would tell her that the guards had been watching every move of the stupid stunt she’d pulled. By the time her feet hit the ground, we were already on the main road and on our way to intercept her. She was smart, so I knew she wouldn’t take the route that ran directly in front of the house. We’d driven down and around a side road that cut across the back part of the property so we could come up on her from the opposite direction. Maybe I would tell her all of that one day. But not today.

  My ire grew as she sat still as a statue next to me, her eyes facing forward out the windshield like she could teleport herself out of the car if she tried hard enough. Good luck with that. She was in my house now, and she wasn’t fucking leaving. It was a lesson she was going to learn very soon.

  Callum pulled to a stop, and Eva reached for the doorhandle, but I wrapped one hand around her bicep, stopping her. “Come.”

  I practically dragged her across the smooth leather and out of the vehicle, then marched her toward the front door. It swung open, and Rodrigo glared at her with no small amount of disdain as we paraded past. Keeping one hand on her back, I forced her up the stairs and into her room. Once there, I loosened the tie around my neck and motioned for her to turn. “Turn around, Eva.”

  Her eyes widened and she fell back a step. “But—”

  “Now!”

  She jumped as I barked out the command and turned away from me, her entire body trembling with fear.

  “Hands behind your back.”

  She slowly moved them to the small of her back, and I quickly looped the silk over them, securing them together. Shoving her forward, I threw her facedown on the bed. “Don’t fucking move.”

  I stomped out of the room, slamming the door in my wake. I could go to my room, but it was too close, and I was still too angry. Instead, I stormed downstairs to my office. Rodrigo met me on the way. “How would you like me to handle this, boss?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” I waved one hand. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “You sure?” His dark brows drew together. “I can—”

  “No.” I already knew what he was offering, but I wasn’t having any part of it. “She’s staying here. Even if I want to fucking kill her sometimes,” I muttered under my breath as I strode toward the sideboard and poured myself a drink, then settled in my favorite chair in front of the fireplace. Flames danced and twisted, and I watched them, lost in thought.

  I’d completely mistaken the look in Eva’s eyes over the past few days. I’d believed her to be scared when, in truth, she was furious. Her hate and disappointment had driven her to escape. Each time she’d looked away from me, I assumed it was in deference. I assumed wrong.

  The truth was, I actually admired the brazen little bitch. Most women would have begged, pleaded, sold their soul to the devil in exchange for freedom. Not Eva. She waited, plotted, a storm of retaliation and anger brewing behind those dark green eyes.

  She was brave—so incredibly brave—but so fucking stupid. How could she ever think to stand up to me? She didn’t seem to realize that I could kill her right now—that, or she didn’t care. It pissed me off that she was so unconcerned for her wellbeing that she would willingly place herself in harm’s way.

  My anger began to abate little by little as I sipped at the whiskey. I wondered how Eva fared upstairs. Was she scared? Worried? I hoped so, after her acrobatic performance outside. I wanted her terrified of what wo
uld happen, and I wanted to draw out her discomfort as long as possible. The longer she was made to wait, the more she would begin to worry. Her thoughts and fears would begin to take over, and she’d be a trembling mess by the time I got up there. I admired her strong, feisty side, but I wanted to know if she could ever truly submit to me. I wanted her obedience. I needed to see that she understood every action carried a consequence—some of them dire.

  Twenty minutes later, I headed back to Eva’s room. But when I swung the door open, she wasn’t on the bed where I’d left her. Fucking of course not. That would be too easy. I spied her near the windows—the very same one she’d escaped from a couple of hours ago—her back to me as she tried to loosen the binds restraining her wrists. She jumped when I slammed the door, then whirled toward me.

  “I told you to stay put!”

  Rage turned her eyes a dark green. “You left me here all alone for an hour! What the hell was I supposed to do?”

  “Fucking listen,” I said as I crossed the room, stopping just inches from her. “It would serve you well to try it sometime.”

  “Like it has so far?”

  She cocked her head to the side, a challenging glint in her eyes, and I felt another surge of anger well up. Goddamn, she knew every button to push. Fortunately, I knew how to push back—twice as hard.

  “I was going to give you a chance to explain yourself.” I snatched her arms and dragged her toward the bed. “But you no longer deserve the opportunity.”

  “I—What are you doing? Hey!”

  She let out a little shriek of outrage as I sat on the edge of the mattress, then dragged her over my lap, tipping her forward until her ass pointed upward. Her legs kicked wildly as she fought to get free, and I draped my right leg over them, stilling her movements. With my free hand, I worked the material of her leggings over her ass and down her legs until her upper thighs were bare.