As for me, I panicked.
I didn’t think. I just turned and bolted toward the bedroom, but I barely made it two steps before his hand closed around my wrist and pulled me back. His other arm came around my waist, holding me firmly against him, stealing the air from my lungs.
“Let me go!” I struggled, twisting against his grip despite how pointless it was.
His strength was undeniable as he remained unmoving, even while I fought against him with all the force I could muster. But then, I wasn’t surprised, not when I could feel every hard ridge of his muscles beneath the fabric of his clothes, making me question if there was a single part of him that was soft. Well, if there was, it certainly wasn’t between the junction of his thighs, that was for damn sure! The hard line of his body against my back betrayed just how little distance existed between us as he kept me anchored to his chest.
“Not until you calm down,”he replied, his voice a low whisper against my ear.
“You’re going to hurt yourself,” he added, more firmly this time as I tried one last time to fight against him.
That impressive imprint of his manhood dug even harder against my back had me questioning if having me squirming against him was actually turning him on.
“I don’t care!” I shouted in response.
“But I do,”he replied, rumbling the words out in clear displeasure at the idea.
However, instead of questioning why, I thrashed again, yet his hold did not tighten painfully as I thought it would. No, it simply adjusted, anchoring me without bruising and without cruelty.
“Drop the pretenses,” I snapped, my breath coming unevenly.
“If you’re here, it means I’m your prisoner,” I argued, unwilling to let go of the fight. He exhaled slowly, and I felt the movement against my back.
“If that is what you prefer to call it, then yes. For now, you are,” he said at last, and the blunt honesty stole the fight from my lungs for a fraction of a second.
“So, stop running, Eliza,” he ordered softly, and I went still at the sound of his gentle tone. Or perhaps it was the way he said my name like that, like a lover would say it against naked skin.
“Let me go,”I said again, but this time my voice was quieter, causing him to sigh before finally granting me my wish.
The sudden absence of his arms nearly unbalanced me, and I whipped around to face him, backing away until the edge of the kitchen counter pressed into my spine. He remained where he was, hands loose at his sides now, watching me as though I were something fragile and volatile all at once.
“So, what’s the plan?” I demanded, folding my arms tightly across myself.
“Drag me out of here kicking and screaming?” I asked bitterly. But a faint, humorless curve touched his mouth at that.
“I could quite easily put you over my shoulder and carry you out of this building…forcefully,”he replied evenly, adding this last word as a clear threat.
“I’ll scream,” I threatened in return, but he just shrugged his large, muscular shoulders.
“Go ahead,” he said, and the calm certainty in his tone made my stomach twist.
“No one else will hear it, and those who do will see precisely what I wish them to. Be careful not to assume you know what I’m capable of, Eliza,” he continued, and I swallowed hard because of it.
“My new jailer,”I muttered, making him grin unapologetically.
“Call me what you wish, but this is happening, either way. Now, you may come peacefully, or I will simply take you. The choice remains yours,” he said without heat, and for some reason, that made it all the more frightening. The ease with which he spoke of being able to steal me away from my world without a trace, well…it was the stuff of nightmares.
My jaw tightened and, for a fleeting second, I considered making him prove it, just to spite him. Instead, I pushed off the counter and strode toward the door with as much defiance as I could muster.
His arm lifted smoothly, palm bracing against the wall beside the frame, blocking my path without touching me.
“Ah, not so fast, little mortal,” he said softly, and I hated the shiver it sent through me.
“I suggest you pack a bag,” he added, and my whole body went rigid, the implication settling heavily in my stomach. Packing a bag meant he wasn’t planning on letting me go anytime soon.
“Fine!” I snapped, the word clipped enough to make others flinch, but not Oblivion. Not the man who seemed to be enjoying this new turn of events. As if he could now drop all pretenses and move right along to playing jailor.
I bent, snatched up my handbag from the counter, and without looking at him, I turned and marched toward my bedroom, dropping it on my bed with a huff.
