Alexandra Holden isn’t afraid of anything.
Doing my best not to let him know that he got to me, I cock my head. “And I prove I’m not afraid by running from you?”
“You prove it by giving me the chance to catch you at last. Even if it’s only for one night, let me believe that you’re mine.”
For one night?
One night… well, who knows? There might not be a tomorrow, but at least we have tonight.
So, with that justification, I grab the unsuspecting Chase by his chin, kissing him so he can get another taste of the lingering come in my mouth, then shove him away from me.
And, before I think better of what I’m going to do, I run.
I’m not a chicken, but hell if I haven’t gotten pretty good at running away.
CHAPTER 25
I’m good at running.
Chase isgreatat it.
He said he would give me a fifteen-second head start. He doesn’t lie, especially not to a Holden. Problem is that fifteen seconds isn’t all that much when you’re galloping through the woods, trying to avoid lurkers, rogues, and your dead sister’s lover.
I can sense him on my heels, even if he stays to the shadows, following me from a slight distance. I dash through the trees, keeping one ear cocked for danger, half my consciousness paying attention to my nervous belly. Still no lurkers, but I’m waiting for Chase to make good on his threat to run me down.
As I run, my ponytail hangs limply, slapping me in the face when I turn to look behind me, searching for Chase. I reach up, yanking the hair tie out. My curls fall around my face and I shove them over my shoulder once I’m sure that I still have a bit of a lead.
Only a bit, though, because the next time I turn, the moonlight catches the handcuff on his wrist. At least mine is hidden. Rory’s jacket is longer than my hands, covering up my matching cuff. That doesn’t really mean shit, though. So manynights out in the dark means that us survivors have gotten better at scoping out the shadows for threats.
For threats, and for a bolting blonde who’s started to pant a little—and not just because she’s out of breath from running.
Oh, I could change course and do my best to head back to the campsite. My sense of direction has improved greatly since I’ve been on the Outside, and I’m pretty sure I could find it. But if I did… well, I’d never find out what Chase had in mind for when he found me.
Does that mean that Ilethim catch me?
What do you think?
His arms wrap around like a vice, stopping me dead in my tracks an instant before I plow into him. I thought he was behind me, but he wasn’t, and if it wasn’t for his solid stance and his strong grip, I might’ve barreled into him. I can honestly say I didn’t see him before he suddenly appeared in front of me, and when he quickly manhandles me, shifting me so that my back is to his front, his arms lowered to press against the front of my jeans, I can’t tell if I’m relieved or pissed that I made it so easy for him.
His mouth goes to my ear. “Gotcha.”
I don’t struggle. What’s the point? Fair’s fair. He caught me. And now? “What are you going to do?”
What does he want?”
Chase kisses my temple. “What I’ve been dying to do for ages now. I’m going to touch you.”
He follows his whisper by popping open the button on my jeans. The sound of the zipper being tugged sends a shiver down my spine, and my voice goes breathy as I say, “Touch me? That’s all?”
He plucks the waistband of my panties. “Why? You going to let me do more than that?”
I don’t answer him.
“That’s fine. I’m not taking anything you won’t give me, babe. But this”—he plunges his fingers inside my panties, instantly spreading my folds open—“is good enough for me.”
I gasp, going up on the toes of my boots to give him as much access as I can with my jeans still on.
And that’s when his other arm moves for a moment. He reaches behind him, grabbing something from the back pocket of his jeans. I hear a clicking sound, and a small flame appears on the edge of my vision.
