Bound by Steel

by Connie Lafortune

  After I’ve taken several calming breaths to gather my thoughts, I think of Gage and my parents. They must be out of their minds with worry. And if I remember correctly, Ryker did mention that I was unconscious for days. So I need to call them immediately to let them know I’m safe.

  Just when I’m about to throw caution to the wind, a sweet, familiar melody fills the air. Instantly, my heart skips a beat as I recognize the opera recording. It’s my father’s favorite, Orpheus and Eurydice. Once I’ve tottered to the head of the stairs, I grow breathless. Ryker’s leaning against the front door with his head bent to the side. His legs are crossed at the ankles, and his strong arms are folded tightly across his broad chest. He’s so immersed in the music, he doesn’t hear me when I sit down on the top step. I’m transfixed as I watch the music take him to a place that doesn’t exist in our world. I wait with bated breath for the song to hit its crescendo. Before it comes crashing down to its tragic end. Once again, goose bumps dot across my heated skin. My father has played this opera over and over again for years. And I still have the same reaction when I listen to it. It never gets old.

  I want to see just how long Ryker will stand there once the song is over.

  One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four…

  I gasp when his eyes suddenly lock on mine. So much heartache and pain is transfixed in his gaze that I find myself hesitant to walk down the stairs. But when I enter his personal space, his body stiffens. Now I’m having second thoughts. Should I have stayed in bed? Absolutely not. Because no matter how angry he made me with his blatant insult, I’m still a compassionate person. His anguish is palpable. So much so, that it consumes me. Overwhelms me. To the point where I feel the need to comfort him. Instinctively, my hand reaches out to console him.

  “Don’t touch me!” he warns. I flinch at his gruff reprimand.

  Now I’m desperate to ease the tension I just incurred so I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Orpheus and Eurydice is my father’s favorite opera. Did you know he named me Lyra because of the harp that Apollo placed in the sky after the death of Eurydice? No, I guess you wouldn’t know that since you just met me a few days ago…” his intense gaze compels me to shut my mouth. Without delay. Whenever I get nervous, I have a tendency to start rambling about anything and everything. Right now he’s none too pleased about that fact.

  Ryker rubs at the back of his neck. His smoldering stare penetrates every part of me. “Now that you’re up and about, you need to shower and change into some clean clothes, Lyra.” I’m not sure if it’s the way he says my name in that deep, sensual timbre that’s all his or if it’s his enigmatic stare, but it sends shivers down my spine.

  Yeah, even I can’t stand the smell of me. “I’d like that very much. But first, I’d like to make a few calls to let everyone know I’m alive.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s impossible. The little tower reception we had up here is out because of the storm. By the way, how was your stew?” Wow. Way to change the subject. Hmm…

  “I’m sure it’s delicious but I haven’t tried it yet.” He frowns before walking upstairs.

  “I’m grabbing you some clean clothes and while you’re showering, I’ll reheat the stew. Then we’ll both sit down and eat before going to bed. Understood?” I quiver when he peers down from above. “I didn’t hear you, precious.”

  “Y—Yes. That’s fine.”

  His lips curl into a wicked grin. “Good.”

  Since my rescuer is not much of a talker, we eat in complete silence. Awkward. But it’s reassuring to know what he lacks in conversational skills, he more than makes up for in his culinary abilities. I swear I devoured a hearty bowl of stew and two hunks of crusty bread in record time. Now that my belly’s full and content, I’m ready for bed. Until I remember that I’m not sleeping alone. Hells bells! What am I going to do? Reluctantly, I crawl underneath the covers. Waiting. Anticipating. What? I don’t know.

  As I lie there staring up at the ceiling, all I can think about is sleeping with Ryker. This is wrong on so many levels. Yes, he saved my life. And yes, he might have slept with me for the last few nights, but I was unconscious. Tonight, I’m wide awake. And when I hear him coming up the stairs, I quickly curl up into a little ball and close my eyes. I can feel the bed shift beside me as he slips beneath the covers. And my heart beats erratically as his manly scent wraps around me. God I wish it was my boyfriend Gage lying next to me, and that this whole ‘accident’ is just a nightmare.

  Chapter Three

  Ryker

  Up until four days ago, my life was tedious and tiresome. Until I rescued a dainty girl with golden hair and sad hazel eyes. Now, my life has turned upside down and inside out. What am I supposed to do with her? Do I just bring her home when the weather cooperates and pray the media doesn’t get wind of it? Or will I become some kind of small town hero and have my picture plastered on every newspaper across the state? No one would recognize me, of that I’m sure. But I made a stupid mistake and told Lyra my real name. The one I haven’t used in over three years. Fuck! I can’t take the chance. Not after I’ve been so careful about revealing my true identity. Dammit! I should have just ignored the monitor that day and let nature take its course. Eventually, they would have found her and her family would have had closure. Now they’ll never have it. Because she will live in hell with me until we take our last breaths.

  Together.

  Once I’d felt that connection with Lyra last night, all I wanted to do was listen to the opera. If for no other reason than to remind myself of why I’m in this godforsaken place. But she wouldn’t let me. She had to ruin it by trying to comfort me through my pain. Soon, she will come to realize I destroy everything in my wake. And it’s inevitable that she will suffer the same fate by my hands.

  This is the first night I didn’t sedate her, so she’s restless. She tosses and turns and keeps me awake for the most part. So I just lie here and watch her sleep. She appears so small and fragile. Helpless. I don’t know why that bothers me so much, but it does. I’m hoping it’s just my mind playing tricks on me or because I haven’t been with a woman for so long. Normally, when I go in to town for supplies, I stop at The Pleasure Palace. It’s an upscale escort service with an unimaginative name, but the girls are discreet and exquisite. Unfortunately, I didn’t stop the last time I was in town due to the impending storm. There’s no doubt in my mind—if I had been balls deep inside of Sonia, I would have never made it back in time. If it were just me, it wouldn’t be an issue. But I have Cody to consider and getting laid isn’t worth putting her at risk.

  I’m just about to get out of bed when Lyra suddenly pushes her ass up against my morning wood. Fuck me!

  “Gage, I want you,” she whispers, and her hand gets tangled in my hair. Gage must be her boyfriend. God, it would be so easy to take advantage of her and satisfy my own needs at the same time, but I won’t force myself on her. Eventually, she’ll come to me. Willingly. They all do.

  The noble thing to do would be to let her know it’s me, but I never said I was perfect. So I grab her hip, rather roughly, and grind my length against her tight little ass. And when she moans, I come undone. “Would you like me to fuck you, precious?”

  Why do I find it so amusing to watch her stumble out of bed, taking the covers along with her?

  “I—I’m sorry. I thought you were Gage,” she says. I chuckle. Poor girl. She doesn’t know if she should look at my hard-on or the dragon tattoo wrapped around my torso. “You’re only wearing boxer-briefs.”

  In a heartbeat, I’m out of bed and towering over her. It’s adorable the way she holds up her hands to stop me. So, I purposely lean my chest against them. They’re trembling and very, very cold. I place my nice warm hands on top of hers and lean in to whisper in her ear. “I usually sleep in the nude, precious. And if I had been, your panties would be on the floor right now and I’d be inside your tight little pussy.” She gasps when I spin her around, her back to my front, and g
lide my hand down her flat stomach. When my fingers slip inside her pajama bottoms, her head lolls against my chest and she fucking moans.

  Lyra… Wants… Me.

  Lyra

  When his warm hand glides down my quivering belly, I lose all self-control. My mind screams at him to stop, but my body’s aching for him to continue. I blame it on the damn erotic dream I was having about Gage being inside of me. It felt so real. But he’s not Gage and I can’t let this happen. “Ryker, stop! Please don’t touch me,” I scream, scrambling to get away from him.

  My mouth goes dry when I spin around to face him. His hair’s a tousled, sexy mess. Thanks to me, no doubt. And his boxer-briefs are straining against his raging hard-on. He’s holding his hands out to the side with a wicked grin stretched across his shameless face. “I’m not the one who started this, precious.”

  What’s wrong with me? Somehow, someway, I need to get the hell out of here. “When will I be able to go home?”

  “Unfortunately, you’ll be stuck here with me for quite some time. So we might as well make the best of it.”

  What the what? Why does that give me a sinking feeling? “Could you be a little more specific?”

  If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he’s trying to brush me off. With his back to me, he sits on the edge of the bed and tugs on his jeans. “Are you serious, Lyra? I’ve already risked my neck saving you the first time, you want me to do it again? Not happening. You’ll go home when I’m damned ready to take you. Got it?”

  I feel like someone just sucked all the air out of me. Like a deflated balloon. There’s no way I can get out of here on my own. I have no clue where I am. Dammit!

  “I’m going downstairs to make breakfast. You can stay here and pout, or you may join me. The choice is yours, precious.” That nickname is truly getting annoying.

  I desperately want to change into something other than pajamas. So I take a quick peek inside his closet. I’m totally speechless when I see my clothes hanging next to his. And when I open the dresser, my clothes are neatly folded in the two bottom drawers. This is too freaky to wrap my head around. Not only did the man save my life, it looks like he’s moved me into his home. Permanently.

  As I get dressed, I can hear Ryker talking to Cody. I’ve noticed he uses a different tone with the dog. Firm. Commanding but gentle. Almost loving. I’ve only known this man for a few days now, but I’m beginning to think he has many layers. I just hope that I can get the hell out of here before peeling back every single one.

  His eyes rake over every inch of me when I walk into the kitchen. It makes me feel naughty and dirty. Especially since I can still feel the touch of his hand sliding down my belly.

  “Good, I see you’ve found your clothes. Now come and eat your breakfast, precious.” Argh, I have to nip this in the bud.

  “My name’s Lyra Harper. Not ‘precious’. Please call me by my real name. Thank you.” Ryker gives me the evil eye, with his brows pinched together. I don’t know if I want to slap him or kiss him. What the hell has gotten into me? I love Gage. We’ve been together for years and he’s the very air I breathe. So why does this infuriating man make me feel this way? God only knows and I’m barely speaking to him at the moment.

  Chapter Four

  Ryker

  Now that Lyra’s feeling better, she’s fidgety. And I know it’s just a matter of time before she insists on going home. Unfortunately for her, that can never happen. Which means that sometime today, I’ll have to report her whereabouts to my boss, Hawk. He’s not going to be happy. In fact, he’ll chew me up and spit me out for doing what I did. But, what’s done is done. I’ll just have to placate him by reminding him who trained me to be the best. Then we’ll take it from there.

  I’m still lost in my own head when I start rinsing off the breakfast dishes. When Lyra’s hand lands on my bicep, I recoil.

  “I’m sorry. I—I can do that if you don’t mind. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”

  Hastily, I grab a towel to wipe my hands before walking away. “I’ll be in my office for the rest of the day. You can do whatever you’d like to occupy your time.” I point to the doors which are directly below the loft. “There’s a small library in that room and next to it is my gym. You have access to both if it’s something you think you’d enjoy. But do not go outside, Lyra. It wouldn’t be in your best interest to wander around out there alone.” I watch her worry her bottom lip before she focuses on Cody. “Believe me. You don’t want to go there. Make no mistake where her loyalties lie. You. Will. Lose.”

  I can feel her eyes burning a hole in my back when I place my hand on the keypad of the office door. The door clicks under my touch as it recognizes my handprint. Normally, I would leave the door open but now that Lyra’s here, it needs to stay locked.

  Once I step inside, I lock the door behind me. Then I flip a switch and watch all ten monitors come to life. And for what seems like the millionth time, I examine each and every one. When nothing appears out of the ordinary, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s unlikely they’d be searching for Lyra way up here. Since she was lost and miles away from her destination. And it’s unfortunate that her courageous attempt robbed her of her freedom. But I’ll be damned if being in the wrong place at the wrong time will rob her of her life.

  Well, I suppose there’s no time like the present. I might as well call Hawk and get it over with. Why postpone the inevitable? I’m just about to hang up when I hear, “What’s wrong, Dragon?” We never use our names in case our phone lines have been breached. Hence the tattoo.

  “I have a dilemma and I’d like to know how you want me to proceed.” I take a deep breath and give him my report on what’s transpired over the last several days. He doesn’t interrupt me as I speak, but I can hear the clicking of his laptop keys in the background. I’m sure he’s checking the local news to see if they’ve already organized a search party. It’s only a matter of minutes before he discovers what I already know.

  “‘Twenty-six-year-old Lyra Harper was reported missing on Wednesday, after she failed to arrive at her parents’ home for the holidays. She is 5’3”, weighs approximately 105 pounds, and has hazel eyes and blonde hair. Lyra was last seen driving a 2012 Honda Civic with dealer plates XX7867. If anyone has seen this vehicle or thinks they have seen Lyra, please contact your local police department’ blah, blah, blah. Do you have any fucking clue who her parents are, Dragon?”

  “Grant Harper is a professor at NYU. His lectures in astronomy are known worldwide. Her mom, Vega, is a freelance writer who often writes articles for the New York Times. Yes, Hawk. I know who they are.”

  “Then you need to eliminate her as soon as possible. It’s unfortunate, but necessary.”

  “That’s not an option, Hawk.” Dammit! Hawk should know better than anyone that I was trained to eliminate the enemy—not an innocent girl.

  “Listen to me! It’s a set up. It has to be. Think about it. The woman who’s recovering in your home looks just like your dead wife!”

  “Don’t fucking go there, or I swear I will reach through this phone and pull your fucking heart out with my bare hands!”

  “Dragon, your location has been breached. If you don’t take care of this little problem, they will destroy you.”

  “Then so be it.” I’ll be waiting.

  Lyra

  The better part of my day is spent curled up in a comfy winged back chair in the library. With the essence of books surrounding me in their sweet embrace. Here, I’m in my element and I couldn’t be more content. This is where I plan on spending every waking minute until I’m able to go home. And the only reason I chose to put down the book I was reading was because my stomach ‘doth protest too much.’ I know—it’s a sad reference to Hamlet. My bad. When I make a mad dash out of the library, in my quest for sustenance, I smack right into what feels like a brick wall.

  Large, warm hands suddenly wrap around my upper arms. Steadying me. While mine land on a very
solid chest. Oh my. The steady beat of his heart picks up speed beneath my palms. When I open my eyes—which I hadn’t realized were closed—I’m met with a smoldering stare. My god, no man has ever made me feel so sensual with just one look.

  “Lyra, is something wrong?” The moment he speaks, our connection is broken.

  Shaking my head, I try pushing him away. When he finally lets go, I walk around him and into the kitchen. “I was going to grab a bite to eat. Would you like something?”

  I pretend I’m busy gathering a few things out of the fridge, but I’m really watching him out of the corner of my eye. Ryker’s staring at me as he runs his hands through that glorious head of hair.

  “Thanks, but I’ll grab something later.” What—no snappy comeback? No ‘Thanks but no thanks, precious’? I glance up just in time to watch him stride into the gym, slamming the door behind him. And men claim that women are moody? Not!

  After I devour a hearty sandwich, I decide to head upstairs. Now that I have some alone time, I’d like to go through all of my belongings. I’m disappointed once I realize the only items Ryker was able to salvage were my clothes. All of my personal possessions that were in my overnight back are missing. I suppose I should be grateful he thought to bring anything at all.

  I’m sitting on the bed feeling sorry for myself when Ryker saunters up the stairs. His body is slick with sweat from what must have been one hell of a workout. And his six pack appears even more pronounced by that remarkable V-shaped muscle which disappears inside the waistband of his shorts. They ride low on his hips and give his fire breathing dragon a life of its own. Before even acknowledging me, he scrubs his face with a towel draped around his neck. And I’m speechless when he catches me gawking at him for the second time in twenty-four hours.