Chapter 7

C LARISSA

A nger rises in me. I don’t know who Vance thinks he is. The asshole abducted me, tied me up, spat in my mouth, and had the nerve to point out how wet I am. The thing is, it’s true, and that pisses me off. I am turned on, really turned on. I’m like Niagara Falls, gushing at everything this man does and says.

What the actual fuck is wrong with me?

Vance hasn’t spoken since he rudely pointed out how my body was a treacherous slut, ditching every ounce of pride for some dick. His dick. I’m not sure if I like the silence or hate it. It’s nice not to feel like I’m going to burn up either by his words or his touch, but it’s driving me crazy that he isn’t paying me attention.

“We’re here, sir,” that prick, Tony, says when the car stops. I’m not sure if Tony is a prick; he could be a nice guy, but since he helped Vance do this to me, I’m calling him a prick.

I hear shuffling and a car door opening. A cool breeze teases my skin before it slams shut.

“Fucker, you gonna keep me in the car?” I demand before another door opens and a firm hand tugs at the belt cuffs.

“Easy. I don’t want you falling again,” Vance says.

I slowly get out of the car, heeding his words. His hands move torturously along my arm, making me shiver. I hear the fucker chuckle. He knows exactly how I’m reacting because his eyes watch me like a hawk.

Once he reaches my head, his fingers curl into my hair, tugging gently. “I’m going to take off the blindfold.”

I nod as his fingers remove the obstruction from my eyes, and his green gaze is the first thing I see.The heat of his stare is so intense it could light me on fire. I’m not sure what to do with the emotions this man evokes in me. The sensations of fear, want and need tumble within me until they create a toxic concoction.

I’m not sure if I want to fuck him, kiss him, beat him, or run away from him. His eyes bore into mine, and his lips turn up into a callous smile as if he knows what I’m thinking.

“All in good time, Little Bird,” he whispers, sending goosebumps along my flesh and a jolt of electricity to my clit. If the man can perform voodoo with words, what can he do with his touch?

“Sir, I have your package here,” Tony says, handing him a small box wrapped in what looks like a brown paper bag.

Vance takes it from him. “Thank you, Tony. Have a safe drive back to the city.”

The city . Those words bring me back to reality. He’s abducted me.

I glance around to see we’re standing in a circle of land surrounded by hundreds of trees. In the middle is a small cabin with what looks like an oversized garage behind it. That’s it. No other houses, no people. I’m in the middle of fucking nowhere with a man I barely know. This is straight-up a scene from some horror movie, yet I’m not scared. Maybe I’m certifiable.

“Um, Vance, how are we gonna get back without Tony?”

“We aren’t,” Vance says. His hand lingers on the belt still tied around my wrists. “At least not for the weekend.” He undoes the belt, tossing it around my neck, and focuses on my wrists. Two angry welts now replace the black leather. Vance frowns, massaging my wrists. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think I tied them that tight. Fuck.”

He falls to his knees and places sweet kisses all along the insides of my wrists before turning them over and repeating the gesture. The act is incredibly tender, and a cluster fuck of emotions rages in me for this man. Most of them I’m not close to understanding and probably never will.

I know what I’m about to ask is stupid. My voice cracks, but I ask anyway. “Are you going to hurt me?”

Vance stares up at me, his eyes flashing with pain, anger, regret, and sadness before he masks them, locking everything up in an impenetrable fortress I can’t reach. “I don’t hurt innocent women. I would never hurt you. I’d fuckin’ die before I let one hair on your head get damaged.

“Is it a sex thing?”

“No,” he whispers. “I want you, but no. I didn’t bring you here to make you my sex slave, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Then what am I doing here?”

“I just want you here.” He pauses for a moment as if rethinking his words. “I need you here. I was drawn to you from the moment I saw you; that’s never happened before. I don’t know what to do about”—he pauses for a moment—“feelings.”

“So you make it a habit of kidnapping women you’re attracted to?”

Vance pushes up from the ground and backs away from me. He doesn’t hide what he’s thinking this time. His hands fist at his sides, and his eyes are like molten lava. “What makes you think I’m attracted to you, Little Bird?”

His words are like freezing water dumped over my head. I’m shocked at how much they sting, but I refuse to let him see the pain they’ve caused. “You broke a guy’s hand a week ago. You did God knows what to that guy tonight. You sent me groceries. You kidnapped me. You either want to fuck me or kill me.”

Vance ignores my outburst and removes the brown paper bag from his pocket. I focus on it and notice the drops of blood trickling out of it.

“What the fuck is that?” I ask, my voice shaking.

Vance’s thick fingers unwrap the paper, and two cuts of steak peek through. He whistles and two large Dobermans run out on demand. Vance doesn’t take his eyes off me. He holds up one of the two steaks, and the Doberman jumps viciously. I panic, thinking he might take Vance’s hand with the steak. When the dog has his meat and Vance’s limbs are still attached, I calm down slightly, only to witness it a second time with the other dog.

“You’re fuckin crazy.”

Vance laughs, a genuine laugh that comes from a place of joy. He pats the dogs on their heads. “They’re well trained.”

I can’t help thinking about how different he looks at that moment. Sure, he’s still as hard as hell and like he could take on ten men by himself, but he also looks like the boy next door—kind, caring, and dependable.

Vance places his hand on my back and guides me to the cabin. I can’t move. My feet won’t let me. I’m frozen, unable to do anything but look at the two dogs glaring at me.

“Stand down!” Vance yells. Both dogs whimper before running away. “They won’t hurt you. They know their place.”

I nod and lean into him as we walk to the cabin. Vance unlocks the door with a gold key and holds it open for me. I duck under his arm as I enter, my body brushing against his, and heat pools in my center. My reaction to him is out of my control.

The cabin looks like one of those cheesy spots for a “man’s man” you see in a Hallmark Christmas movie. It’s not at all how I pictured Vance’s choice of accommodation. It’s a log cabin, all wood, bear rugs, and warm colors.

“You were expecting a sterile white room,” Vance jokes, cutting across my thoughts.

I whirl and pin him with a curious gaze. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Read my thoughts?”

Vance laughs. “I can’t read your thoughts, Little Bird. I can read your sexy body and beautiful face.” He walks toward me, stopping in front of me and gliding his knuckles along my cheek. “Everything you think and feel radiates from you. In my line of work, reading people is the difference between life and death. Let’s just say you should never play poker, sweetheart. “

“There’s food set up on the table. Is anyone else here?”

Vance shakes his head. “No. I have someone who takes care of the place when I’m not here and arranges what I need before I arrive.”

I look at the spread on the table. Every food you can think of—chicken, steak, lobster, potatoes, rice, vegetables. “That’s a lot of food for two people.”

“Your fridge was empty, and I’m pretty sure peanut butter isn’t your favorite thing to eat.”

I tilt my head. “You were in my apartment?”

Vance rubs the back of his neck and doesn’t answer. I focus on the intricate tattoos covering his forearm and the blank space on the inside of his arm. It’s an odd palace to leave without a tattoo, as if he’s saving it for something.

“You gonna answer me? You were in my apartment?”

“Yes,” he says, his voice clear and direct. There’s no shame or embarrassment. It’s as if he considers breaking into my apartment his right. “Listen, I need to take a shower. It has been a long week, and now you’re here and safe, I need to freshen up. I’ll be right back.”

“You seem pretty sure I won’t try to run,” I say, annoyed at his arrogance. The man broke into my space and touched my stuff without permission. I wait for the anger to hit me, but I can only focus on the heat from his fingers on my lips and how desperately I crave his touch. “You said you wouldn’t force yourself on me.”

Vance’s eyes betray him. They take on a hollow look before he catches himself, and the heat returns to his gaze.

He closes the space between us, and his body surrounds me like a noose and a blanket. The air seems thicker when he’s so close to me. I’m not sure I can breathe. “Little Bird, we both know you wanted everything I’ve done to you.”

My mind flashes back to that first night he dropped me off, how I stood at the window fantasizing about him. My hand instantly touches my lips, and he smiles. I figured I’d dreamed of him that night in my loft, but he was there. I’m unsure if I should run away screaming or climb him like a monkey. The man pushes all my buttons, unleashes all my emotions at once, and I’m trapped between needing to fight and wanting to submit.

“Little Bird, I have to take a shower,” Vance says, snapping me out of the maze of my emotions. He traces a line from my temple to my jaw with his fingertip. “Don’t leave the cabin.”

“Where am I gonna go, exactly? It’s not like there’s another soul for miles.”

“Eat,” Vance orders.

I obey as I watch him disappear around the corner.My mind is in a haze. I’m in a cabin with a man who’s been stalking me, a man who broke into my apartment, invaded my space, my privacy, and now, my freedom.

I hear the shower, and I run.