Chapter 2

Trish made a face at the overly sweet drink and as soon as Danny's back was turned, poured it into the ornamental stream flowing around the VIP area. The stream tumbling over the rocks added to the club's jungle theme, which also included a waterfall that fed the stream and an abundance of oversized plants. The lights sprinkled throughout the branches gradually changed hues from green to blue to purple, adding an unearthly aura.

The pictures her friends had posted of the club had made it seem exotic and fun, but instead all the plants seemed to press in on her, making her feel trapped and claustrophobic, and the pounding beat from the dance floor was giving her a headache. The drinks weren't helping. It served her right for not telling Danny that she didn't like the first one, but he'd told her it was his own special recipe and she'd been too polite to tell him it made her want to gag. She'd poured that one in the stream as well but he'd immediately insisted on replacing it.

"This place is awesome, cutie," Danny said as he swung back around.

Cutie?Yuck. This date was becoming worse by the second. It had seemed like a good idea when Danny proposed it, especially since she'd been feeling annoyed at Holdar's complete lack of interest in her at the time. Danny's ardent admiration had been a welcome change, but now it felt more irritating than flattering, especially when he started stroking her arm, his hand damp and oddly soft for someone in the security profession.

Holdar's hands weren't soft. They were big and hard and she'd been imagining them touching her since almost the first time she'd seen him, all huge and green and scowling. There was just something about him that made her want to tease away that frown - and see how difficult it would be to kiss someone with those fearsome looking tusks. He'd proved annoyingly immune to her flirting, and it was that frustration that had led to her accepting the date with Danny.

But this afternoon by the pool, she'd finally won a reaction from Holdar. Not only had he told her she had a cute little ass, she was absolutely sure that the already massive bulge between his thighs had grown even larger. Triumphant at his response, she'd started to call off the date with Danny. Unfortunately, he'd sounded so hurt when she tried that she hadn't had the heart to go through with it.

He doesn't seem hurt now, she thought as he leered down at the top of her breasts. The dress that had seemed so cute in the safety of her bedroom suddenly felt much too revealing. She tried shrugging him away and he frowned at her, that little boy charm disappearing.

"What's wrong with you tonight?"

"I'm just hot." Hot and dizzy. "I think I'm coming down with something."

An expression she couldn't read flashed across his face before he stroked her arm with his soft, clammy hand again.

"Maybe we should go outside and get a breath of fresh air."

Fresh air sounded wonderful - and once she was outside, she could call an Uber.

She nodded, but when she tried to stand up, her legs threatened to give out on her.

"Whoa there. Had a little too much to drink, cutie?" Danny asked loudly.

The couple who were sitting next to them laughed.

"No, I haven't," she muttered, even though her legs definitely weren't functioning properly. She'd only had a few sips of the first drink he'd brought her and one sip of the second. "I told you I don't feel well."

"Of course you don't."

Why was Danny grinning like an idiot? She tried to think but now her head was spinning too and she had to cling to his arm as he led her through the crowd. It wasn't until the cool air hit her that her head cleared enough to realize they weren't outside the entrance to the club. They were on a loading dock next to a back entrance.

"What are we doing here?"

"You said you wanted to go outside, cutie."

Danny stepped closer and she automatically tried to take a step back, only to collide with a brick wall.

"I didn't mean here. I want to go home."

Her words sounded slurred and Danny only laughed.

"Oh, I don't think so, cutie."

"Shtop… stop calling me that! Let me go!"

His smile vanished and his hand curled around the thin sparkly strap of her dress.

"Not yet. I have no intention of walking away without my bonus."

"Bonush?" Dammit, why wouldn't her mouth work properly. "What bonus?"

"You're my bonus, cutie."

He yanked on the strap and the thin metallic strip dug painfully into her shoulder before it snapped. She tried to grab for the top of her dress but only succeeded in flailing uselessly at the fabric before one side slid down to reveal part of her thin strapless bra.

"Fuck, yeah," Danny said, his hand gripping her cruelly. "I bet a spoiled little bitch like you has never been touched by a real man, have you?"

"You… you're not a real man," she managed to whisper as another wave of dizziness swept over her, and his face darkened.

"You're about to find out just how real I am," he snarled, and ripped away the second strap.

This time she managed to catch the dress, but only enough to stop it from falling off completely and her hands were shaking so badly she didn't think she could hold it for long. Danny laughed and reached for her bra but just as those horribly soft fingers touched her skin, he was gone.

She blinked, her fuzzy mind trying to make sense of her blurred vision, and she finally realized that Holdar was standing there, huge and green and angrier than she'd ever seen him as he shook Danny like a rag doll.

"How dare you lay a finger on her?"

"She wanted it," Danny gasped.

"N-no," she whispered, then coughed and tried again. She couldn't stand to think that Holdar might believe him. "No, I didn't!"

"She's drunk," Danny protested. "She doesn't know-"

A loud thud ended whatever he was trying to say as Holdar slammed him against the wall. She saw him slide to the ground before the world started to spin again. She was afraid she was going to join him, but then Holdar was there, scooping her up in those massive arms. With a relieved sigh, she buried her head against his neck.

"You shmell good."

His arms tightened for a fraction of a second and then he was moving. She had to close her eyes as dizziness threatened to overwhelm her again.

"Shorry," she whispered.

"You should be," he said sternly. "How could you have been so foolish?"

A tear slipped down her cheek and landed against his neck. He sighed and his arms tightened again.

"It's all right, princess. You're safe now, and I'm going to make sure you stay that way."

The last words sounded like a promise, and she believed him - but another tear escaped anyway.

She should have been thrilled. After all, not only did she have the attention of the man she'd been lusting after since the first time she laid eyes on him, she was being carried by him, and even though she was half-naked, she was tucked safely against his chest. But he was only carrying her because of her foolishness - and he was angry. His voice was stern, not tender.

"You sh-shouldn't c-carry me," she said, then sniffled and buried her face against his neck again, taking a deep breath of that warm masculine scent. "Not dresshed."

His lips twitched, although she could have sworn the skin across those high cheekbones darkened slightly. "That's hardly an issue at the moment."

"Yes, it is," she wailed.

"Why is it so important?"

"Because ish not proper." Her lips trembled. "And it makes me look bad."

"I'd have to agree on the latter point. I'm very disappointed in you, princess."

The endearment was said very sternly, but she still sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I didn't want him to touch me. He was nashty."

"Yes, he was," Holdar agreed grimly.

"Where are we going?"

"A safe place."

"Where? I need my clothes. I need to get dresshed."

That point seemed very important to her fuzzy mind.

"No, you need to stay quiet."

"But-"

"Trish, stop talking."

"Don't tell me what to do," she said indignantly, trying to lift her head.

"You are the most annoying woman I have ever met," he growled.

"I'm not annoying. I'm charming."

He snorted.

"I'm sure your father would agree. Now go to sleep."

"You can't just order me to sleep," she said indignantly.

"Go. To. Sleep."

Her head spun again and this time it felt too heavy to lift. Instead, she rested it on his chest and took a deep breath, trying to clear her head.

"You can't-"

He sighed and kissed her, but only on the forehead, before tucking her head against his neck.

"You have a very bad habit of talking too much. Now sleep."

"Fine. But you're not going to win."

"Oh really?"

"Nope."

"I just did."

She was still arguing with him in her head as darkness fell.