Afterward, they lay in the grass panting as if they’d just run a marathon.He was completely wrung out, his brain numb as the flood of endorphins coursed through him.A single thought flitted across his comatose mind, and it scared the living hell out of him.Once wasn’t going to be enough.Not with this woman.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE DIGITAL READOUT on her cycling computer flashed up at thirty-eight kilometers, three-hundred meters—four-hundred meters—five-hundred.Just over a kilometer to go and she’d be finished her workout.Upbeat music pounded through her earbuds.Her heart rate monitor said she was cruising at around a hundred-and-thirty bpm, and her legs felt pretty good.If she’d been competing in a proper race, then she’d be getting ready to transition to a ten km run after this, and right now she was feeling great; ten kilometers would be no problem at all.She didn’t want to jinx herself, but she knew she was pretty much ready.Her lead-up to the triathlon in a week’s time was going well, even taking in the triple traumas of the shock of her apartment break-in, Paige being reported missing, and having to go into hiding in a foreign country.
Mostly, it was thanks to Mårten.
He’d been so sweet ordering this bicycle stand so she could train indoors if she needed to.This was the first time she’d used it, as until today the weather had been perfect.A summer thunderstorm had washed over the sky this morning, however, and Summer had decided not to chance the roads, texting Mårten at work to tell him her plans so he wouldn’t worry.He would see that her phone was still at his house and guess what she was doing, but she wanted to put his mind at rest.She owed him that much.
Especially after last night.
Last night.
What a revelation.
She’d never had sex outdoors before, and the experience had been noteworthy.But this had also been next level, more than just the added titillation of doing it where they could be discovered any second.Sex between her and Mårten had been inevitable, with her being able to think of nothing else most of the week.But the explosiveness, the absolute compulsive neediness, had caught her completely by surprise.The first touch of his lips on hers had ignited a fire inside so hot she felt like she’d turned to liquid lava.She’d been so greedy for him, she almost felt ashamed of the way she’d practically ripped his clothes in her eagerness to rid him of them.And then she’d called out his name as his tongue painted his desire all over her body.The way she couldn’t stop staring at his cock, as if it were a thing of beauty.Which it was.
Just thinking of the way he’d brought her to orgasm so easily, so fast and hard, had her lady parts tingling with desire all over again.
It’d been a long time since she’d slept with a man.But that was no excuse for her sheer wantonness.For her impulse to hand over all control.That wasn’t like her at all.The part of her that needed those rules was aghast at what she’d done.But there was another part, a growing voice in her head that was more than a little satisfied.Like the cat who’d got the cream.
She glanced down and saw her pace had dropped dramatically.Blast.Now, thoughts of Mårten were interfering with her training.She needed to stop thinking about him.She figured that by giving in to temptation, she would’ve washed him out of her system.But instead, she found herself wanting him even more.If she got the chance, she knew she’d do it again.Once wasn’t enough.
Wait...What was that noise?Summer pulled an earbud out, cutting off the music, and turned to face the front door, legs still pumping the pedals.Someone was knocking loudly.She glanced at the digital readout.Forty-nine and a half kilometers.She couldn't stop now.A couple more minutes, that’s all she needed.
“Who is it?”she yelled.
“PostNord,” a disembodied voice called from the porch.“I have a parcel for Mårten Viskten.It needs a signature.”
“Blast!”Summer glanced at her clock once more.“Can you just wait two more minutes?”she pleaded.
“I can take the parcel back to the depot, if you like.But someone will have to come and collect it from there.”The voice had become impatient.
“No, no.I’m coming,” Summer huffed.Perhaps if she jumped off the bicycle and left the pedals going around, she might get back in time to start pedaling again before it stopped completely and the digital clock ended her session.
It was hot in the house; the rain making everything humid but not really cooling it down.Summer had sweat beading on her forehead and running between her breasts and down her back, the one-piece Lycra suit doing nothing to keep her cool today.She knew she’d look a sight to whoever was standing out there, but right now she didn’t care.
Unlocking the deadbolt, she yanked the door open, ready to snatch the parcel and scrawl a signature, when she stopped in surprise, her mind scrambling to catch up with what her eyes were seeing.
“Paige!Oh my God, it’s so good to see you.I thought you were—”
Paige rushed forward, pushing Summer inside.Summer backpedaled through the mudroom and stumbled into the kitchen island, hitting her back hard and emitting a yell of pain.But before she could recover, another figure charged through the door.A man she didn’t recognize grabbed her by the arm, and she screamed in fear.
“Do it.Do it fucking now,” the man yelled at Paige, while Summer struggled to get free.
Then something was covering her face, a cloth over her mouth and nose.It was sweet smelling and pungent, and Summer tried not to breathe, clamping her mouth shut, still fighting the man, but he had hold of both her arms, pulling them behind her so that her shoulders felt like they were being torn from their sockets.Her lungs were bursting; she needed air.Her mind screamed at her that this was all wrong; she needed to fight, needed to get the cloth away from her face.But she couldn’t move, couldn’t twist away from the man, and the urge to draw in a breath became too much.When she finally opened her mouth to gasp in essential air, Summer knew it was a mistake.Her vision went dark around the edges, and she felt her legs give way beneath her.Then there was nothing.
* * *
Summer groaned and rolled over.Her head throbbed as if she’d been hit with a sledgehammer, and she wanted to open her eyes, but they felt like they were glued shut.Something was terribly wrong.For a second, she couldn’t think what.She was lying down, but she wasn’t in bed, because the ground was cool and gritty beneath her bare legs.It was this revelation that finally forced her eyes to open to narrow slits.
Everything was dark.Where was she?What’d happened?
Summer tried to sit up, but her head swirled; she was dangerously dizzy, and she had to lie down again, careful not to move as she shut her eyes.Once the dizziness had passed, she cracked open one eye and then the other, letting them adjust to the dim light.Now she could see slivers of light crisscrossing the space.She was inside a small wooden shed, and the sunlight was filtering in through the gaps between the planks.The shed was empty.There was no furniture, not even a bench, and no windows either.Or if there were, they’d been boarded up.It was warm in here with no ventilation.The air oppressive.Summer noted that she was still wearing her one-piece Lycra suit and her cycling shoes.
Much more hesitantly this time, Summer levered herself up onto her elbow.Her head still pounded, but if she moved slowly, at least she didn’t get dizzy.It was all coming back to her now.Paige had been standing on the front porch when she’d answered the door.Alive and well.And in Sweden.And probably in cahoots with the eco-terrorists, if her abduction was any clue.Just like Mårten had been afraid of.
How long had she been unconscious?It was light outside, but that didn’t mean a lot.It could be well after dinnertime, and the sun would still be up.Or it could be the middle of the day; she might’ve only been out for a few hours.Surely, Mårten must know she was missing by now?He’d already be out looking for her, wouldn’t he?
