Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
“Tell me you love me,” he demands.
“I love you,” I sob.
“Give in. Resign yourself to staying here.”
I say nothing.
My body is pinned to the bed and if I thought Walker was taking me hard before, nothing compares to now. With his mouth grunting into my neck, he strums my clit faster and barrels into me with deafening smacks of hips against buttocks. My orgasm slams into me with the force of a hurricane and I scream into the mattress, my body quaking out of control.
“Mine!” Walker shouts, before falling onto me with his whole weight and flooding me with his hot, endless relief, bucking wildly like his climax might never end. “My Meadow.”
As soon as my wave of pleasure subsides, emotion clogs my throat, tears rushing to my eyes and streaming down my cheeks only to be absorbed by the comforter. Oh Lord. What am I going to do? I’m in love with a man who can command my body like he holds a remote control, even when I know touching him will only lead to me becoming accepting of his holding me captive.
I can’t.
I can’t let this be normal.
I have to get out of here, whether I love him or not.
Whether my leaving will break him or not.
Walker climbs off of me with a jerky movement, stopping short in my periphery when he sees me crying. “Meadow?” he croaks. “Baby, no…”
I close my eyes to block him out, the salty moisture continuing to scald my cheeks. “I want to be alone.”
“Did I…did I hurt you?”
His hand is on my back when he asks me the question and I jerk away, pissed about so many things, but mainly the fact that he just exploited my attraction to him. God, I succumbed without even a smidgen of a fight. Some badass I turned out to be. I can’t even talk myself out of falling for my mob boss kidnapper. “You didn’t hurt me. I’m fine.”
“Don’t tell me you’re fine. You’re crying.”
I’m mentally exhausted and I don’t have the patience required to explain to this man that, gee, maybe I’m crying because I’m being held against my will. And that I’ll never get to do the job I love again. Or squeal over a hard-earned paycheck.
Unless I escape.
No. I have no choice.
I won’t trade my freedom for love.
Careful not to let my sudden determination to GTFO show on my face, I curl up on my side. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”
My eyes are closed, so I don’t know if he buys it.
“Yeah.” His usually robust voice is faint. “I’ll have Helen bring something up.”
I swallow, sensing his struggle to leave me. I can relate. It would be so easy to stay here and let this man smother me with love and lust and live the life of a pampered wife, but I don’t want that. I like doing for myself. I like being useful. Helping people. Helping myself. He might hold my heart, but he’s not going to keep me in this pretty cage. “Okay. Thanks.”
His footsteps move to the door, but he stops. Through my cracked eyelid, I can see he’s pulled on sweats and a T-shirt, his hand poised on the door. “Meadow…I…”
With my heart in my throat, I wait for him to finish, but he jerks the door open and closes it behind him instead. But not before I see the huge, stoic bodyguard standing outside my door in the hallway. Keeping me inside.
It’s the final straw.
Goodbye, Walker.
One last tear escapes and I let it fall. No more, though. I’ll cry about him later. Right now, I have to focus on getting out of here. And I can’t go home, either. He’ll just track me down and bring me back. I have to leave Boston.
The odds are against me. I left my cell phone behind, so I can’t call anyone, but I’m determined and my backbone has brought me a long way in life. I dress with shaking hands and I’ve just finished when there’s a knock at the door. Helen. Will she help me? I’m not sure I have another option.
“Come in,” I call.
She walks in with a smile, but it flattens when she sees my face.
“Oh dear,” she mutters, setting down my tray on an ottoman by the fire. “He’s made a mess of it so soon, has he?”
“Helen.” I take her hand. “Please. You have to help me. He’s keeping me here. I want to leave and he won’t let me.”
“Please, dear. He’s my employer. I’ve been working for his family since he was a boy.” Her smile is hopeful. “Perhaps he has good reason?”
I swallow my hysteria and try to speak calmly. “There’s never a good reason to hold a person captive. You have to help me.”
She chews her lip. “You feel nothing for Walker at all?”