“Wow,” I muttered softly, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “Thanks for the tip. I’ll keep that in mind.” I bent over and stacked the books all in one arm.
By the time I rose to my feet, he was already standing inches from me. My breath hitched in my throat, and my heart began racing at such proximity. His eyes bored into mine as if searching for something, and his warm breath grazed my skin.
He wrapped his arm around my waist, and with a single pull, my body collided with his torso. The scent of his cologne invaded my senses, stirring emotions I didn’t want to feel for this monster.
When his fingers caressed the hair that framed my face, breaking my defenses with time. His touch ignited a fire within me, and the high walls I’d built against him came crumbling to the ground. I was vulnerable in that state, and my heart wouldn’t stop pounding like a drum.
“Congratulations,” he whispered. “You are now more valuable than you realize.”
I had no idea what he meant by that, and I couldn’t bring myself to ask. All I wanted was to get away from him before things got more heated than this. My thighs brushed against each other in response to the tingling sensation between them.
My body was starting to tremble, and a heat I wasn’t ready to name was already coursing through my blood. Thescent of his cologne and the hardness of his skin fanned the flames of passion burning inside me.
His lips curled into a mischievous grin. “I can smell your fear,” he teased.
Fuck no.
I couldn’t let him see through me. He must know how badly his touch affected me.
“You mistake hatred for fear,” I said, trying to sound confident even though the tremble in my voice betrayed a different truth. “I am not afraid of you…because underneath that mean face, you are just a man.” The slight pause came when I leaned in to look deeper into his eyes.
He didn’t respond, but his smirk widened by a fraction.
“Now, if you’d excuse me, I’ve got books to read.”
He hesitated for a moment before letting go of my waist. A soft sigh of relief escaped my lips, and I walked away from him without wasting a single second.
While in motion, I could still feel his gaze lingering on me. I didn’t walk too fast, lest he think I was afraid of him, and I didn’t walk too slowly either.
***
I lay in bed that night, tossing and turning as I replayed the incident at the library. My mind was flooded with the possibilities of what could’ve happened if I hadn’t walked away.
The lust in my jailer’s eyes was clear as crystal, even though he chose not to act on it. Maybe he wasn’t sure how I’d respond if he made an attempt. It could be the reason he didn’t push further.
But then again, I was his prisoner, and according to him, he’d make me suffer for my father’s sins. So why hold back when he could take me by force whenever he wanted? Why ignore my defiance and stubbornness when he could easily put me in my place?
Some things just weren’t adding up.
But despite all of this, the one person I was disappointed in was myself. I was supposed to hate the man who kidnapped me and kept me prisoner in his mansion. Hatred and disdain were the only things I was supposed to feel for this monster.
However, each time he drew so close to me, I couldn’t help being drawn to his charms. The man was too handsome for a monster—and from the very first time I saw him at Josie’s, I found him attractive.
I feared that if he continued to corner me and hold me the way he did today, things might take a drastic turn. At this point, I wasn’t even sure how I’d react if he ever tried to kiss me. On the surface, I told myself that I’d push him away or even smack him across the face.
But deep down, I knew that was a blatant lie because there was a seventy to eighty percent chance I might kiss him back. I’d caught myself multiple times fantasizing about how it would feel to taste his lips.
And honestly, if he had dared to kiss me in the library earlier today, I would’ve given in to the temptation. That was what scared me the most—my inability to resist him if he ever came at me.
I was torn between hatred and this undeniable pull, a constant reminder that I was at my jailer’s mercy. It was now clear to me that survival in this mansion wasn’t just about resisting his cruelty. It was also about resisting my urge to be intimate with him.
The mere thought of it sent shivers down my spine.
I let out a deep breath, pulled the sheets over my body, and lay on my side.
As I was about to force myself to fall asleep, the front door swung open. Startled, my spirit almost jumped out of my body.Three hefty men barged in without a word, and one of them picked me up from the bed like I weighed nothing.
“Hey!” I screamed, struggling against him. “Put me down! Let me go!”
