“You’re not getting rid of me, Amanda. You still haven’t figured that out yet.”
And just like that, the fun fizzled out, and the games grew serious.
“This isn’t funny.” I tugged on my arms. “Ihave real problems. I can’t spend my days being chased and tied up by you!”
“It’s Monday…. Shouldn’t you be working?” He pulled the kitchen towel from his back pocket.
I grit my teeth. Hello salt, meet wound.
“Ah, it’s true then.”
“What?” I snapped.
“I heard you lost your job.” Running the length through his fingers once more, he reached for me. “But you’ll find another firm. You’re too brilliant for someone not to hire you.”
A small ache clenched around my heart. Those words were sincere.
I leaned away. “This isn’t some joke, this is my life!”
“Our life.” He draped the towel over my eyes, tugged it around my head, and tied it tightly. The world plunged into darkness. I couldn’t open my eyes against the soft cotton.
“You filed the marriage license,” I gasped.
“I did. First thing this morning.”
“And you forged my name, I assume?”
The monster only smiled.
“Damn you,” I hissed.
“Mind telling me why we can’t be married?” he growled against my ear. “Or why you didn’t stay in New York?” His fingers slid down the column of my neck. “Why you came all the way out here just to argue with me?”
The sound of my hard breathing filled the air. He was good. He sensed the nightmare under the surface tension.
“I didn’t choose you,” I bit out. “I don’t want to be bound to you!”
“There is no future, Amanda, where you and I aren’t together.” The dark promise scalded the skin on my throat. His lips pressed against my pulse, soothing the burn. “Unless you want to give me a concrete reason?”
I didn’t.
Vincenzo hummed. “I see.”
No, he didn’t.
But he was already forcing my head back, crushing his mouth to mine. The kiss was hungry. I was powerless to stop it. To stop him. And if I was being honest with myself, I didn’t want to. He feltgood. Maybe because he was familiar. Maybe something more. His tongue slid into my mouth, and I groaned. Whatever it was that made me respond to him like this was dangerous. He devoured my mouth.
I let him.
Iwantedhim to never stop.
Right as I was about to surrender to the tidal wave, he broke away. His retreating footsteps echoed across the floor. In the distance, a myriad of small noises sounded. I couldn’t make any of them out. I was almost certain one was the handles of a shopping basket falling.
The muted sense of sight was torture!
“Vincenzo,” I cried out in frustration. Because now I was tiedandhorny.
I twisted and tried to rub the blindfold off against my arm. But the monster had tied it too tightly. Too busy struggling, I didn’t hear him return.
