Page 14 of Suspicion

He could be. The thought did little to reassure. I don’t know anything about him. Alexander might have passed me onto a psycho.

“I’m going to let you up, then we’re carrying on with the journey.”

She swallowed at his edict, unsure what she was supposed to say. Should she be grateful that he’d stopped hitting her? Thankfulness wasn’t exactly her first response, especially since he’d already promised he wouldn’t hurt her.

“Up you get.” He lightly patted her now sore rump, chuckling as she attempted to scramble to all fours despite her bound wrists. Fighting to catch her breath, she yanked her joggers back into place as best she could, turning away from his no-doubt smug expression. “Erm, did I tell you to get dressed again?”

She froze at his hard tone. “What?”

She couldn’t have heard him correctly. He could not just have said what she thought he did.

“You heard me.” His clipped timbre sent a shiver racing along her spine as he climbed to his feet. She couldn’t believe how much taller he was than her now that she was left kneeling in the dirt. “I just spanked you to give you a lesson. That example will be much faster learned if your beautiful derriere is on display for the rest of the journey.”

“You can’t be serious?” She glanced back in spite of her resolution to avoid eye contact, her jaw falling open as she realized he was entirely serious. The determination in his eyes told her that, as did the way he folded his arms across his muscular chest.

“Deadly serious.” One of his dark eyebrows rose, as if daring her to disagree.

“But this is ridiculous.” Her thoughts scattered as she tried to reason with the brute whose will seemed to be made entirely of iron. “I don’t deserve this.”

“Let’s agree to disagree.” He sighed, motioning behind her. “There’s a long way to go, and fun though it is tanning your backside, we need to get moving again.”

Fun? Had he just described her assault as fun?

“Now shrug down those joggers to your thighs before I consider starting round two.” His voice was firmer as he took a step toward her. “Do you need help?”

Without further warning, he reached under her shoulders and jerked her to her feet.

“No!” She spat the word, her bound feet shuffling to create space between them.

“You mean, no, thank you.” His steely gaze assured her that was what she meant, although no fiber of her being concurred.

“No, thank you.” Her heart hammered as she summated her limited options. To defy him again would surely end in more pain and ignominy, yet she couldn’t even contemplate lowering her pants for him.

The whole situation was horrendous.

As if he read her mind, he scoffed as he approached. Sensing what he intended, she squealed, her attention darting right and left as she looked desperately for a way out but to no avail. Before she could even hobble away again, he was on her, his two gigantic palms reaching for her waistband and hitching the material south.

“There.”

She clenched at the conceit in his tone.

“That’s better.” As though the point required validation, he made a quick circuit of her body, patting her backside self-assuredly.

“Stop that!” Her bark resounded between them as he paused in front of her, and for one protracted moment, their gazes met as they stood face-to-face in the small clearing.

He, the monster who’d agreed to be her captor, and she, the woman who was bared, chastened, and fit to explode with anger.

She thought she might burst into tears again, the emotion spurred this time by her furious shame, but as his stare drilled into her, her back straightened.

Fuck this. Defiance resonated as she returned his glower. I’m not crying! I won’t give the bastard the satisfaction.

“Come.” Standing over her, his blue gaze had lost none of its intensity. “We’re leaving.”

Chapter Six

What If?

Tucker

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