by Sam Crescent
“In my experience, the best kind of time always holds a little alcohol.” He swallowed it down in one gulp.
“Is that because it lowers your inhibitions?” she asked.
“Not me. I’m always in control.”
“Must be nice.” She stared down at the book even though she’d lost all interest in reading right now. “Can I take James shopping for groceries?”
“No. Everything will be delivered to you. Just give me a list of what you need and I’ll make sure it comes to you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I won’t negotiate on this.”
At his mention of negotiating, she wondered if he wanted an answer to his ultimatum. She looked down at her book, then back up at him before returning to her book. It was far more fascinating with pretty pictures.
“Grace, just tell me what is on your mind,” he said.
“Nothing.”
“Is this about what I said in the pantry? You’d like to know how far I’d go?” he asked.
“This has nothing…” She pressed her lips together. She wouldn’t be brought down with lying. Taking a deep breath, she returned to her book. This was by far more fascinating.
“I’m curious about your answer,” he said.
“How do you even know what I’m thinking?”
“The blush. Any time I mention sex, you get this red tinge to your cheeks. You’re embarrassed and you try to hide it. It’s cute.”
She frowned at him. “Why are you so different from the man who came and rescued me?”
He tilted his head to the side and looked at her. “Maybe you inspire me.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not an idiot, Caleb. I know you must have millions of women.”
“You know I do.”
She slammed the book closed. “I need to go to bed.”
“Is it so hard to be around me?” he asked.
She spun back to face him. “I’m here against my will. Have you forgotten that?”
“I don’t forget anything, baby. You better believe that.” He winked at her. “I’m used to getting what I want.”
“I don’t have to deal with this.” She stepped to the door.
“I know you want me, Grace. I’m not going to push you. If you think the time you take to make a decision will mean a shorter time in my bed, you’re very much mistaken.” He got to his feet and walked toward her.
She pressed her back against the door, watching him. His hand came out to rest near her head. “The clock on your freedom starts the moment you agree, not a second before. So take as long as you want. I’ve got a lot of spare time.”
“Why won’t you let me go?”
He sighed. “Have you ever wanted something so badly you’re willing to do whatever it takes to claim it?”
She nodded her head. There had been a bike she wanted when she was young and her parents had given her a whole list of jobs to do before they would even consider getting it for her. It didn’t seem like that big of a deal to most, but to her, it had meant the world. Christmas Day, she’d gotten that bike and spent the entire day riding up and down the street, even in the snow. It had taken her a few years to grow out of that bike, but her parents had made sure she had another to replace it.
Driving a car had never appealed, not when it came to riding her bike. Even now, she didn’t want to learn to drive.
“Well, when I look at you, Grace, I know I want a part of your sweetness all to myself. I want to dirty you up a bit to know you’re not so perfect.” He put his hand flat on her chest.
She took deep breaths. Her pussy went slick with need. Even her nipples tightened. She wasn’t an innocent to desire or sex. She hadn’t avoided it.
Licking her lips, she tried to tell him to stop, but she didn’t want to.
“And, Grace, I want you. I want to see you lose control. To beg for my cock in your pussy, mouth, or ass.”
She gasped.
“And when I do, I’m going to claim every single part of you.” He cupped her face, running his thumb across her lips. “I’m going to see my cum decorating your lips and watch as you lick me right off.”
He moved in close.
His lips a mere whisper against hers.
She wanted him to kiss her. Begged for it. Desperate and hungry for it, but he didn’t give it to her. He pulled away, but then, it seemed like he was coming back to kiss her.
Grace didn’t really know what happened next, but shouts cut through her erotic haze, followed by shattered glass and gunshots.
In the next instant, Caleb had her on the floor, his body covering hers. She screamed, quickly putting her hand over her ears.
She thought about James.
“James!” She yelled his name.
More gunshots rang out and Caleb moved off her. Rather than wait, she got to her feet with her name being called.
James was only a little boy. Running through the house, she chased her way upstairs, going toward the bedroom where she found James huddled in a corner, ears covered, tears streaming down his face.
She grabbed his favorite bunny from his bed and went to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she held on to him tightly, telling him it was going to be okay. She didn’t know if she was lying. She only hoped that Caleb would make it better.
Grace closed her eyes, humming to try to calm James down.
The noise faded, but she didn’t let him go.
Movement outside his door had her tightening her hold around James, ready to protect him if she had to.
Caleb entered the room. He looked at her then at James.
“Everything is fine,” he said.
James sniffled. “I wet myself.”
Grace’s heart went out to the sadness in James’s voice. She got to her feet and was about to lift him into her arms when pain washed over her.
Caleb rushed to her side and that was when she realized her shirt was covered in blood. She’d been shot and hadn’t even realized it.
“Ouch,” she said, moaning.
Pressing her lips together, Caleb applied pressure, which really started to hurt.
“I need some help in here.”
She was not going to faint. Her stomach began to turn, but she was determined to keep her shit together. James didn’t need to see her pass out. She was a lot stronger than this.
“Grace, can you hear me?”
The room spinning was so pretty, but that wasn’t a good sign. Rooms didn’t spin on their own.
The sound of her name continued to fade. Sickness washed over her and she closed her eyes as everything slowly faded. Until finally, it was blank.
****
“I can’t believe I fainted,” Grace said, wincing.
“It can happen,” the doctor said. “The pain and the adrenaline. You’re lucky it’s not shock.”
“I am in shock. I’m so totally shocked.”
Caleb stared at Grace. The bullet had been lodged in her shoulder and the doctor had no choice but to dig around in her shoulder to take a look. He’d wanted to take her to the hospital, but with the latest threat and now the attack on his home, he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight.
“How is James?” Grace asked.
“He’s fine. He’s cleaned and I’ve put him in your room for now while I get his room cleaned.”
James had been so upset that he’d soiled himself. Caleb wasn’t angry at him. At three years old, any child would have been afraid.
Caleb recalled being afraid himself. He’d once lived in a really rough neighborhood where gun shootouts had been a regular occurrence. His father had beat him whenever he soiled himself or cried. He wasn’t raising a pussy, that was what his father would drunkenly say. After a lifetime of beating, Caleb learned to cut everything off.
When it came to James, he would not lift a finger to harm that boy. There would be time for him to learn the cruelty of life. He would make sure James was prepared but not until it was absolutely necessary.
“You shouldn’t
have run away,” Caleb said.
“I’m sorry. Gunshots scare me, and well, no one was with James. I thought this house was safe,” she said.
“It is.”
“I got shot.”
“It will be safe from here on out,” he said. He shouldn’t be here with her, but dealing with the four people his men had captured. They weren’t people he recognized. They even looked like military trained. Well, they made a big mistake coming to his home. There were an additional five bodies also being taken care of.
The attack had been unexpected. He’d lost six of his own men as well, which pissed him off.
It seemed he was going to have to deliver a message. There were always people willing to take him on, and he dealt with them swiftly. With Grace, James, and his sister’s death, he hadn’t been swift enough. Now people were taking advantage, and that just plainly pissed him off. They would all learn that attempting to take him out would have severe consequences.
The doctor finished stitching her arm and gave her a list of instructions with the promise he’d be by in a week to see how it was.
Caleb saw the doctor to the door for one of his men to see out, then turned back to Grace.
“Don’t you ever fucking run off like that again,” he said. “Do you even realize that you could have had your brains blown to bits? It’s not a fucking joke.”
“I’m not laughing,” Grace said.
Her voice was clearly a bit hoarse from screaming. Anger filled him. “You’ve got to learn to do as you’re told.”
She climbed off the table. From the glare in her eyes, it looked like she intended to let him have it, but she went a little unsteady. He had no choice but to rush toward her side to hold her. She gripped his shoulders and moaned. “I’m sorry.”
“Let me take care of you,” he said.
Graze looked up at him and nodded. With his arm wrapped around her back, he walked the few steps until they got to the door.
“How are you?” she asked.
“There’s no problem with me. No wounds, nothing.”
“How are you feeling?”
He frowned and stopped. “What?”
“I don’t know if this is a regular thing for you, but if it had been my home shot at, I’d be pissed.” She placed a hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe I just cursed.”
He chuckled. “If it makes you feel better, it sounded sexy.”
She shook her head. “No, it doesn’t make me happy. I can’t believe I swore. My mom always said a lady never curses.”
“Your mother sounds like a good woman,” he said.
“She was. She always knew what to say or do to make me feel better.” She sighed. “I got bullied a lot in high school.”
“You did?” He had no interest in making small talk, but when it came to Grace, he loved listening to her voice.
“Yeah, being the fat kid, glasses, and even braces. I was the perfect target. I never cried in school, but I’d go home and she’d be waiting, ready to impart her wisdom and tell me what to do.”
The smile on her face was one filled with pain. He wanted to take it away, but he couldn’t perform the miracle of bringing her mother back. “What would she say to you?”
“She would ask me a bunch of questions about who I was as a person. You know, was I kind? Did I make someone smile? Did I help someone? Was I happy to come home? She’d tell me that I was the one who was the better person because I was happy and that was something no one could take away from me. If I’m happy, I won’t let the bullies win. They only want to bring me down, and no one can allow that happen but me.”
“She sounds like a … wise woman.”
She giggled. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
“I imagine in your world you’d have hated her. She wouldn’t have been strong enough for this. For any of this.”
“You’re right.”
There was a brief silence, but rather than look away from him, Grace continued to stare. He didn’t glance away, keeping his gaze on hers.
“What were your parents like?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Maybe I do.”
“Where is all the courage coming from?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You always look away. Rarely do I get invasive questions. Do you care to share with me what’s new?” he asked.
She turned her head and pointed toward the counter. “It could have something to do with those. Doc made me take them, and well, I’ve never been good with pain medication. It makes me really vocal. I just figured with everything we’ve been through, you’d be more open, you know, talk more, but if you don’t want to, I get it. Talking is so overrated.” She blew out a breath. “Being shot is so sucky, but this isn’t too bad at all. I can’t feel it.”
He smiled. She was high, or getting to it. Only, Grace being high made her very open. She rolled her head, tilting back and groaning.
“Tell me about yourself, Caleb. What made you into this?” she asked. “I mean, we both know you’re hot and I’m guessing you’re going to set the bedsheets on fire.” Again another moan. “I’ve never had sex, and I really want to. My mom and I didn’t have that kind of relationship. She told me about protection and all that, but we didn’t really talk about boys.” She released a little chuckle. “Come on, tell me about your parents.”
“I’d rather hear about you.”
“You’re a strange man, Caleb. I like your name. Caleb.”
“Tell me.”
“You want to know all of my dirty secrets?” she asked.
“Do you have any dirty secrets?”
She rested her chin on his arm and smiled. “I liked what you said. I’ve watched sex online. Dirty stuff. The guy had such a huge dick and she was so ready for it. I don’t think she was turned on, though.” She wrinkled her nose. “It made me hot, Caleb.”
“Do you like the idea of me fucking you?” he asked. He couldn’t believe he was entertaining this, but she was so damn cute and damn it, sexy as well. How could innocent and sexy be cute? He didn’t get it.
“Yeah, I do. I hate it, but I’d love to be touched. I want to be loved, but I really want a man to crave me, to love me just for me.” She sighed. “That will never happen.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not the kind of woman men think about tearing my clothes off for.” She shrugged. “I’m used to it.” She then went on her tiptoes and took him by surprise as she pressed a kiss to his lips. “You know, I hate that you kidnapped me, but I also love it. I think I’m getting that weird syndrome. Don’t let me fall in love with you, Caleb. That would be really, really, really, weird.”
“That’s a lot of weirds.”
“Yeah, and don’t let it happen. I want to be happy when I leave here. I want to be able to fall in love and have a family.” Her eyes started to droop. “I feel so sleepy.”
He caught her in his arms and lifted her as she fell against him. Well, he lucked out of that long conversation.
Carrying Grace upstairs, he didn’t take her to her room, but took her to his own room to rest. After placing her on the bed, he removed her shoes and stared down at her. She was completely out for the count. He pulled his cell phone out and texted the doctor to find out what she took.
The change within her had been really fast.
He liked drugged Grace, but it also told him with time, she could be that way without the medication.
What he didn’t understand was why it was so important to him.
Chapter Four
The following day during James’s nap, Grace went to find Caleb. She’d woken that morning in his bedroom. The moment she was alert, she knew it was his room. The scent of him surrounded her, but rather than be afraid, she’d been aroused.
Then the events of the previous evening, down to the pain in her shoulder, came rushing back. She had to face him at some point.
It was embarrassing.
Nibblin
g on her lip, she tried to not think about it, but as she lifted her head to his office door, she waited.
There was no answer.
Grabbing the door handle, she turned it and came to a stop. His office was empty. Stepping inside, she pressed her back against the door.
He’d avoided her question last night about his parents. Just thinking about what she’d said to him, how she’d come on to him, even her kissing him… It was so embarrassing. She shouldn’t have done it and yet, she couldn’t regret it, at least not yet.
Stepping farther into the room, she took stock of all of his bookshelves.
So many books. It was like a whole other library. She was sure there were some first editions here. Running her fingers across the spines of each within reach, she smiled. He didn’t seem like the kind of man who would want to read.
Turning toward his desk, she took a step toward it and lowered herself into his chair. Again, the room smelled like him, but it also had that dominating, commanding presence she’d gotten used to.
He was … everywhere.
Touching her fingers to the desk, she wondered if this was where he made the decisions to kill men. Did he kill women? What had happened to those women who’d been huddled in that room?
“What are you doing in here?” Caleb asked.
She stood up, shoving the chair back until it hit the wall. “Caleb.” She forced a smile to her lips.
“You shouldn’t be in this office.”
“I came to find you.”
His gaze went to the desk and she followed it, seeing the telephone.
“Oh, I, er, I didn’t use it.”
“And you expect me to believe you?” The rage poured off him and as he took out his cell phone, he marched across the room. His fingers went around her neck. He didn’t cut off her air, but it was close. Fear rushed down her spine and she gripped his hands. This was not what she’d come here to do, but now she wished she’d taken whatever chance she could to escape. The pain in her shoulder was already increasing. He wasn’t helping her to calm down as he tightened his hold on her.
“Let me go.” She got the words out through gritted teeth.
“Tell me why you were monitoring my office.”
She didn’t get to hear the response, but with each passing second, he loosened until he finally let go.
