Hell, he didn’t know—and that’s why he’d taken the job. Working at Ski Scarlet would give him time to figure the rest of it out while ensuring he spent a lot of time outdoors and had an income to pay the bills without dipping into his savings.
Fuck anyone who couldn’t understand that.
He did his best to push Candace and the bullshit headlines out of his mind. He sent Esri a text and told her that he wasn’t going to make it today, either. Then Herrera called to find out if he wanted to meet up for a workout at the rock gym.
“It’s been ages since you got vertical, man.”
“Thanks for thinking of me, but I’ve got lunch plans.”
“Do those plans have anything to do with Kenzie?”
“No comment.”
It was getting close to noon, and Conrad had much more interesting things to do than climbing at the rock gym, but, like climbing, this would require some rope.
* * *
Leaving Gizmo at the kennel,Kenzie drove Bear to Knockers and bought him lunch. Then she set out for home, anticipation curling through her belly. She’d never ditched work to have sex before.
She stepped through the back door into a quiet house, a copy of theScarlet Gazettein her hand. Gabby was napping in her crate. “Harrison?”
“In the bedroom.”
She put the newspaper down on the table and hurried up the stairs to find the bedroom empty. “Where—”
He came up behind her, a big hand covering her mouth. “Don’t scream.”
Her heart gave a hard kick—not from fear, but excitement.
She nodded.
Harrison took his hand off her mouth, forced her into her bedroom.
She resisted just enough to make him work for it, putting a note of fear into her voice. “What are you going to do to me?”
He answered gruffly. “Any damned thing I want.”
Her pulse skipped.
Then she saw ropes tied to the four corners of her bed—and her mouth went dry. “Oh, God.”
“Undress.”
Under his cold gaze, she did as he asked, her hands trembling with anticipation. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“Then don’t fight me.” He reached out, palmed her breast, his touch making her burn. “Get on the bed.”
On impulse, she made a dash for the door, making it only a step or two before he caught her around the waist with strong arms, scooped her off her feet, and dropped her, naked, into the center of the bed. He drew her arms over her head with one hand and began to bind her wrists.
But Kenzie didn’t make it easy for him. She writhed and twisted and tried to pull away, forcing him to use his strength to hold her down.
He pressed his forehead to hers, looked straight into her eyes. “Do you think you stand a chance? You’re nowhere as strong as I am.”
She tested her bonds, savoring the delicious sense of helplessness. The man certainly knew his knots. Of course, he did. “Why are you doing this?”
“I’ve been watching you, watching that sweet ass while you walk around in your jeans.” He caught her right ankle, bound it fast, drawing the rope tight and forcing her legs wide apart, his gaze settling on her most private flesh. He reached out, stroked her. “I want you, and I take what I want. Your body is mine.”
Okay, that was too perfect.
