by Alexa Riley
“Fuck off with that shit.” Garrett scoffed. “This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave this house. Elise is going to stay here. I’ve given her, and only her, permission to survey my lands. If you try to cut her funding, I’ll write a lengthy letter to my old friend Dean Bascomb about you and the way you treat your female students.”
The color drained from Dr. Stallings’ face, and he dropped his proffered hand. “You know Dean Bascomb?”
“I studied under him for six years. He directed my master’s thesis. I attended his youngest daughter’s wedding a few years ago. Trust me when I say that he’ll take my word very seriously.”
Dr. Stallings cut his gaze to me. “Come with me. It’s not safe here.”
Garrett made an irritated “pfft” noise. “It’s plenty safe. I’ve already offered her full use of my house and lands for her survey. And I’ll be accompanying her on her travels. So there is no need whatsoever for any of your teaching methods.” The acid in his tone could have melted lead.
I gaped at Garrett as he pulled lies out of the air faster than I could take a breath.
“Elise?” Dr. Stallings, beaten but still clinging to me like a sad puppy, gave me a pitiful stare.
“I’ll be back in a few months.” I wanted to feel bad about the verbal stomping he’d just taken, but I didn’t. Instead, I had to fight my smile.
“If her funding goes away, I’ll pay Dr. Bascomb a visit. Don’t test me, asshole.” Garrett motioned toward the front door. “You know the way out.”
“Elise—”
“Did I fucking stutter?” Garrett’s harsh bark made me jump. Dr. Stallings too. He moved to the door and swung it wide before stepping out into the cold.
He turned and caught my eye. “You have my number if you need m—”
Garrett slammed the door in his face. “What a twat.”
I turned to him. “I could have handled him.”
“Yeah?” He gripped my shoulders and pushed me back against the door. “I saw your way of handling him.”
I glared up into his fierce eyes. “Don’t you dare judge me.” I shrugged, but he pushed harder, keeping me in place. “Get off.”
“You should thank me for tossing his worthless ass.” His gaze flicked to my lips, and my breath caught in my throat.
I laced my words with venom. “I’m not going to thank you for meddling in my life. I need the funding to get this done. I would have had Dr. Stallings out of here in no time. Everything was under control.”
“Under control?” He slid his palms down my arms, a sinister glint in his eye. “You let him touch you. Kiss you?” His voice vibrated with rage.
I wasn’t afraid. “Fuck off. You don’t have any say in how I live my life! You want me out of here, remember? You better back off before you ruin me, remember?” I tried to shove him away.
He didn’t move, every muscle in his body tensed into a wall of anger. “Stop.”
“Or what? Are you going to give me another sullen stare?” I wasn’t sure why I wanted to unleash the beast I suspected lived inside him, but there was no stopping me. “Maybe ignore me some more? Maybe—”
He gripped my hair and yanked my head back. Garrett’s kiss blasted away every moment of Dr. Stallings’ unwanted touches. His kiss was rough, possessive. Everything in me delighted in his dominance. But fighting back was in my nature. I captured his bottom lip and bit down until warm blood trickled from the wound. Instead of backing away, he growled and pressed his mouth tight to mine. His tongue brought the taste of copper, and he turned my head to the side, giving him all the access he wanted. My breath was gone, and the anger leached away, leaving white hot desire in its place.
He grabbed my ass and squeezed until I whimpered. The sound seemed to feed him. He gripped me harder, his tongue warring with mine as he pressed me into the unforgiving door. When I felt his thick cock against my stomach, my knees threatened to buckle. I dug my nails into his sides as he took everything he wanted, his body owning mine as he kissed me with more passion than I’d ever experienced.
Not content with feeling my ass through my shorts, he ran his hand under the fabric, beneath my panties, and kneaded me. His palm covered one cheek, and he squeezed hard enough to leave bruises. He finally came up for air, my lips throbbing from his rough treatment. When he fastened his teeth to my neck, I bucked. He pressed his fingers down the slope of my ass and rubbed my entrance from the back. I tried to curl away from his touch, but I was trapped.
“Wet. Fuck.” He pressed his finger inside me, and I gasped as he bit down on my throat almost hard enough to break the skin.
“Garrett.” My voice was a breathy squeal as he pulsed his finger in and out of me. His beard tickled my skin as his teeth sent a ring of fire spiraling down to my pussy where it tightened like a lasso.
He ground his erection against me, and I could barely believe this was really happening. Releasing my hair, he yanked my top up and fastened his lips around one of my hard nipples through the fabric of my bra.
“Oh my God.” I ran my hands through his hair and arched my back as he sucked and continued to plunge his finger inside me.
“I need to taste you.”
My mind screamed in agreement. “Garret, please.”
He groaned and dropped to his knees, then ripped my shorts and panties down to my calves. He stared at my pussy and licked his lips. “Beg me.”
“Please.”
He leaned closer and inhaled. “Fuck. Beg more. Tell me what you want.”
I was losing my mind, every logic center shutting down and every pleasure center lighting up like a Christmas tree. I didn’t know him, not really; he didn’t know me. None of that mattered. This was lust, pure and undiluted.
His breath ghosted across my hot skin. “Beg me.” His raspy voice set off a tidal wave of need inside me.
“Lick me. Make me come. Please.” My breathy plea sent him over the edge, because he pressed his mouth to my clit and moaned as his tongue sank between my folds.
I jerked as he dug his thumbs into my thighs and spread them just enough so he could wrap his mouth around my pussy.
My head bumped against the door as I jolted. The sting was quickly smothered by the pleasure Garrett’s tongue pulled from my sensitive clit. Relentless. Any finesses he may have had was gone, and in its place was a ravenous man. He kept my thighs pinned against the door as his mouth ravaged my pussy.
The wet noises should have embarrassed me. Instead, I gasped at the ferocity of his tongue and whimpered when he sucked my tight nub. I tried to grind against his mouth, but he growled and pressed his thumbs into me even harder. He took every ounce of control, working me with his tongue as I moaned and shook.
Spreading one palm against my thigh, he slid his other hand up my leg. He sank two fingers inside me, the intrusion so sudden I cried out. Instead of pulling out and easing in, he twisted his fingers around and pushed deeper.
My hips tensed as he began working his fingers against the one spot that promised an unforgettable orgasm.
I gripped his hair, the strands sifting between my fingers as I held on. When he bit down on my clit, I exploded. My breath rushed out of me on a moan as my pussy tightened and waves of delicious release broke against me. I shook as the euphoria dragged me down like a fierce undertow. I rode the release, and he licked more and more pleasure from me as I remained pinned against the door. He kept kissing and sucking as the waves began to quiet, my body finally giving up its hold on his fingers.
He nipped at my clit, and I clutched his hair.
Soft laughter rolled from him as he stood. “You like that, Red?” He met my eyes and licked his wet lips.
My knees wobbled, and I wasn’t sure if I would have been standing if it weren’t for the door at my back. “I, uh…” I was incapable of molding any thoughts into words. Nothing coherent, anyway.
His satisfaction slowly drained away as he glanced at my neck, at the marks that surely reddened my skin. “Shit.” He b
ent over and yanked my shorts and panties back into place. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m okay.” I squeaked as he scooped me into his arms and headed for the stairs. “I can walk.”
“I know.” He didn’t look at me. His heat was gone, a stony façade blocking every flicker of embers.
“What is it?” I clung to him as he hurried up the stairs.
“Nothing.” He pushed through the door to my room and sat me on the bed.
“Garrett, you didn’t hurt me.” I ran my fingers along the bite mark on my neck. “It’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t.” He shook his head. “I’m supposed to keep you safe. That”—He glanced to the mark— “isn’t keeping you safe.”
“I’m safe.” I canted my head, trying to figure out what was going on inside him. “Better than safe. That was … intense.”
“That was nothing.” A flame leapt in him as he bent down and put his fists on the mattress on either side of me. “The things I want to do to you… You don’t deserve them. I’ve already gone too far.”
I reached up and ran my hand down his cheek and across his beard. “I’m not afraid.”
“That’s because you don’t know what I want.” He closed his eyes at my touch.
“Tell me.”
“No.” He pinned me with his steely gaze and stood. “Never going to happen.”
Irritation roiled inside me. “I’m not some China doll you can break.” I rose and stepped toward him until we were almost touching. “You don’t have to protect me from anything.”
“I do. I have to protect you from me.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” I tried to touch his face, but he grabbed my wrist.
“Not yet. I want to keep it that way.”
“I saw the rope.” I locked eyes with him. “I know.”
He smirked. “Rope? You think you know because you saw some rope. What? Did you peek through my keyhole?”
Color fanned out across my neck and face. “Maybe.”
His grip on my wrist tightened painfully, and he forced me back until I hit the bed and sat. He loomed over me, anger marring his features. “I told you to stay away from me, but you just keep pushing.” He wrapped his other hand around my throat and shoved me onto my back. The dark glint in his eyes should have frightened me. Instead, I felt every nerve ending in my body come alive.
His hand at my neck was more aphrodisiac than threat. I knew it was fucked up, but I was helpless to stop how I felt. He pinned my wrist above my head and shoved a knee between my thighs.
I gasped as he rubbed against my hot core.
He bent down and pressed his lips close to my ear. “You think this is some fantasy where I tie you up and spank you a little?”
A moan lofted from my lungs.
“You think I’ll fuck you a little harder than your last vanilla boyfriend and call it a day?” He massaged my pussy, rubbing back and forth with his leg. “Here’s a crash course, Red. Here’s why I warned you to stay away.”
My panties were already soaked, and I thought I might come again just from his words and his light touch.
He squeezed my neck and spoke through gritted teeth. “I will hurt you, Red. Worse than you’ve ever been hurt in your life. I will fuck you like an animal.”
Hurt me. I couldn’t stop the inferno of need that consumed me. I wanted him to do those things to me. Sparks burst in my vision, and I tried to catch my breath. But his palm blocked any air from reaching my lungs. Panic began to set in when I realized he wasn’t letting up. I scratched at his wrist with my free hand, but he didn’t release me, not even when I drew blood.
“I’ll enjoy your pain. I’ll use you, beat you, and love every tear you shed. I’ll get off on your fear. When you scream in terror, I’ll get harder.”
The edges of my vision turned black. My mouth moved, but no sound came out. I was silently begging him to release me, but his grip was absolute.
He stared down into my eyes. “I’m the fucking wolf, and I’ll eat you alive.”
My eyelids began to flutter as my vision failed. With a vicious growl he released me and stalked from my room, the door slamming in a rattling boom. I gasped in huge breaths and rolled onto my side. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I replayed his words in my mind. Fear coated me like a thick layer of grime, and I staggered to my door and clicked the lock into place.
Crawling into bed, I lay on my side facing the door and pulled my knees up in the fetal position. I ran my fingers along my throat, the skin hot and achy from his rough touch. I’d wanted it, but then something inside him had changed. He scared me. Wiping my tears away, I kept my eyes on the door. The lock didn’t matter. If Garrett wanted in, he was strong enough to break it down with ease. Strong enough to do whatever he wanted to me. A shiver raced along my spine.
The man who restored antique books and took care of my injured leg wasn’t a killer. But the man who’d just choked me until I almost passed out—I wasn’t so sure.
THE SCREAM WOKE me from a fractured sleep. I blinked awake and stared at the window. Did I hear it? The house remained silent, and a light wind rustled the tree limbs closest to the house. A clear cold night awaited beyond the glass. I peered at the yellow shards of moon falling across the woods. Maybe I’d dreamed it, remnants from my night in Blackwood. I glanced at the door. There was no way to know if it was still locked, but the fact that Garrett wasn’t looming in the open doorway was at least a little reassuring.
I eased back down into my bed and parsed through what had occurred between us just hours before. He’d tried to warn me, to tell me who he really was. I didn’t listen. I should have focused on finding my father, looking for more clues in the house, or asking the right questions for more information. Instead, I’d acted like a fool in heat.
Even as I berated myself, I pictured him, the way he’d dropped to his knees and given me an orgasm that seared straight through to my deepest places. But then he’d been cruel. I turned to my side and stared out at the night. Garrett Blackwood was an enigma. One I needed to solve if it would help me find out what happened to my father.
For once in my life, I wished my need to discover wasn’t quite so hard-wired in my DNA. Then again, I couldn’t fight nature. My father had been a private investigator, and my mom worked as a low-level crime scene tech in Tupelo. They’d met on the job. It was in my blood. I couldn’t give up, no matter how threatening my surroundings became. I owed it to Dad to find out the truth.
With new found resolve, I settled into my bed and closed my eyes.
My blood chilled when the scream came again, desperate and full of terror. Not a dream. I threw the blanket off and scurried to the dresser. With shaking hands, I yanked out a pair of jeans, a sweater, and some socks. Dressing quickly, I snagged my red coat and flew down the stairs as quickly as my leg allowed.
My pack sat in the foyer. I unzipped it as another shriek cut through the air, setting my teeth on edge. I ripped my flashlight from the front of the bag, yanked on my boots, then dashed to the kitchen for a knife. The biggest one in the butcher block called to me. I grabbed it and hustled out the back door into the cold dark.
One more scream. I tracked the sound through the trees to my left. My breath puffed out in a white plume as I jogged into the tree line, my leg already aching. It didn’t matter. I wouldn’t stop until I found the woman whose screams haunted my nightmares.
Feathery clouds drifted past the moon, but the orb was bright enough to guide my steps over fallen logs and around bramble thickets. The woman couldn’t be far. Her cries had been earth-shatteringly loud, and I felt like I’d see her any minute as I trudged into the dark wood. The cool air bit into my exposed skin, but I hurried forward, the large knife a comfort at my side.
Something white flitted through the trees, and I stilled, trying to make it out. I could only see bits and pieces, but I knew it was the woman running for her life. What was chasing her? A chill rushed through me as I wondered fo
r a moment if she was the ghost of Lillian. I shook the thought away. This woman was real, the crunching sound of her feet on the leaves and branches just as certain as my own steps.
I started forward again, running across the uneven terrain and ignoring the constant pain that raced up my leg. Getting to her, saving her, was all I could think about. She tracked to my right, and I changed my direction so I could intercept her.
I picked up my pace as her ghostly form grew closer. What was she doing out here in the cold?
Movement to my left caught me off guard. A dark shape barreled through the trees at a hellish pace.
I gasped as the dark shape collided with her. Her shriek was like a blade to my gut, and I ran as hard as I could.
Keeping the knife out to my side, I finally grew close enough to see the white dress again. I blinked hard as I approached and slowed my steps. A man sat on top of her and pinned her wrists to the rotting leaves. I couldn’t mistake the long hair, the strong build.
Garrett Blackwood.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
GARRETT’S GROWL, AS FERAL as any animal’s, rippled through the dark wood. I slipped behind the nearest tree and tried to plot my next move. I’d have to get the drop on him somehow. Maybe some sort of a distraction? I leaned down and grabbed a pine cone.
“Garrett, please—” The woman was out of breath.
“Shut the fuck up.” He slapped her, the sound like a shot. I clutched the pine cone and waited for my chance to lob it far enough to get his attention away from the woman.
“Yes, sir.” She quieted except for her large inhales and shaking exhales.
“I told you not to come tonight.” His voice was low, angry. “I fucking told you.”
I cocked my head, not sure if I was hearing correctly.
“I know, sir. But I wanted to see you. I needed you.”
“No, Melinda. You don’t need me. You just want what I can give you. I told you no, and you disobeyed me to try to force my hand.” He released one of her wrists and ran a hand through his wild hair. “I don’t work that way. You know I don’t.”
