It’s complicated.
She reads the message and offers a humorless laugh. “This is what I mean. We can’t even have a conversation.” She shakes her head and lowers the phone. “Meanwhile, the man I can talk to and look at doesn’t want to touch me. Or rather, he doesn’t wantmeto touchhim. Why can’t the two of you compare notes?”
I wrap my arm around her before she can start to cry. What a godforsaken mess I’ve created.
“Worst of all, I still want to fuck you,” she mutters. “Does that make me a bad person?”
I snatch up the phone and type as fast as my fingers can fly.
One last time for old time’s sake?
I can’t help it. I’m a monster, and she’s the only thing that soothes the beast.
She laughs when she reads the message, and the sound lightens my heart. “That’s the whole problem. I don’t want it to be the last time.”
As she looks up at me, I know that I have to tell her the truth. There is no more room to run. After I fuck her senseless, I’ll get a good night’s sleep and break the news to her in the morning.
Run
She laughs again and shows me the phone. “Oh look, you sent it twice.”
I stare at her and cock my head.
“Oh shit,” she breathes. A grin slides onto her face. “You’re serious?”
I nod.
As she jumps from the bench and takes off, she’s more like a giddy lass than a woman running for her life. She’s all smiles and squeals. No matter. I like my prey willing when it’s her.
I give her a good head start before I rise and start the hunt. It’s easy enough to follow her at first, but I soon lose the trail. When the path branches in three directions, I’m left scratching my head as I peer into the trees.
A flash of blonde hair disappears into the foliage. My quarry has gone off the trail, it seems, so I follow suit. Branches crack under my weight, and I push forward as glimpses of her spur me on. She’s smiling still, but that smile will fade soon enough. I pull a blade from my hip and wave it at her the next time she turns around.
Just as I expected, her smile drops. “Oh, shit,” she mutters before colliding with a tree. “We didn’t discuss weapons!”
She knows the safeword. If she’s smart, she’ll use it. I won’t stop unless she does.
Panic grips her in a chokehold as she rights herself and takes off again. I worry about her poor feet, but the ground is mostly leaf litter through here. She’s choosing the easier way through. Unfortunately for her, it’s even easier for those of us with shoes, and I’m on her in the next few seconds.
I band my arm around her waist, pinning her arms at her sides. In two flicks of my wrist, I’ve separated those elegantstraps from the dress. The top falls away, exposing her breasts. I want nothing more than to lower my mouth and devour those perfectly pink nipples, but the damned mask prevents so much.
My hand moves to her mouth. She struggles and screams against the glove as I drag the dull end of the blade against her cheek. Her eyes close, and tears pop from the corners. I snatch my hand away from her mouth, terrified I’ve genuinely hurt her, but she’s smiling behind my gloved grip. Confused, I hold her at arm’s length and cock my masked head.
“What are you doing?” she belts. “Consensual non-consent...If I’m uncomfortable, I'll say the safeword. Now fucking use me!"
I step into her and grab her hair in a firm hold, snatching back her head.
“That’s more like it,” she says through gritted teeth.
I spin her around and pin her against a tree. She resumes the fight, but when I ram my knee between her thighs and force her to spread those pretty legs, she grips the trunk and steadies herself. The wee lass thinks I’m just going to have my way with her and be done.
Not even close.
I drop to my knees behind her and raise the dress. Moonlight catches on the curve of her full ass, and I’d give anything to drag my tongue up that glowing line.
I mean, she is facing away from me.
Fuck it. I raise the mask enough to expose my mouth, then drop my lips to her plump cheek. Smooth skin runs under my tongue, but it’s not enough. My teeth sink down in a painful bite that I can’t help.
