Page 20 of Obsession

“I’ll only be a moment.” Their gazes locked as he dug into his pocket and gripped the key between his digits.

A few seconds to unlock the door, then another few to dispose of the contents of the bucket. That’s all he required. But for peace of mind, perhaps it was better that he locked the door behind him?

“Okay.” Her gaze flitted to her feet. “I’ll wait here, sir.”

“Make sure you do.” His voice was firm, demonstrating an authority he didn’t feel as he slipped the key into the door and pulled the bolt open.

Swallowing down his apprehension, he yanked the door open, but as he walked outside, a flashback of the moment he’d taken the exact same step the day before flooded his senses.

He’d trusted her then, too. Had assumed she’d been too weary—too keen to please him—to betray, but he’d been wrong. He risked a quick glance at her before he pulled the door closed. Her face was pale, and her fingers white where they gripped the blanket, but whether her anxiety stemmed from the conditions of her captivity or her traitorous intentions, he couldn’t say.

Acting in slow motion, he pulled the door closed behind him and forced the key into the lock before twisting it. The knot of trepidation tightened inside him as the sound of the mechanism locked. He spun on autopilot, carrying the bucket a few feet to the side of the cabin and tipping the contents onto the grass.

His heart thrummed with urgency as he strode back to the door, his feet insisting on a casual pace despite his concerns. What was going on behind that door? Had she kept her word and remained seated, or was she already lurking behind it with a weapon in her hands? There were plenty of tools around for her to choose from. Why hadn’t he thought to remove those or at least bind her to the damn bed? Maybe she’d moved and slid the bolt back into place in his absence? He hadn’t heard the metal gliding into its original slot, but then he’d been a few feet away from the cabin. She could have moved it without him being aware…

“Stop this!” he muttered into his chest, drawing in a deep breath in pursuit of composure.

He was smarter than this, wasn’t he? Braver than the quivering-hearted man who stood on the veranda of his cabin? He’d been through too much in life—in combat and in solitude—to be so overwhelmed by one woman and her devilry.

Time to be brave again.

For too long, he’d hidden out there in the woods, playing it safe and avoiding stepping out of his comfort zone. He’d thought the peace had done him good—and maybe it had—but standing there, he accepted it might also have kept him small and insignificant, and those were things Tucker could never be.

Putting the bucket down on the decking, he closed the distance to the door and turned the key in the lock. There was only one way of knowing her fate, and that was to be bold.

He’d open the door to see where his wildcat was.

Part Two

Escalation

Chapter Eight

Jeopardy

Ella

Ella clasped her fingers together, aware of her speeding heart rate as she perched on the edge of his bed. The rope that had held her right wrist in place dangled by the side of her knee, and as she glanced to either end of the bedstead, she could see the binds that had trussed her beforehand.

Strange. Her brow creased. They all seem to be blue. They were nothing like the ropes that had tied her since she’d woken in the sleeping bag.

Edging along the bed, she stared at the truss hanging there. Reaching for it, her fingers brushed over the lustrous fabric, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized what the bind was.

A tie!

Quickly, she scanned all four posts, confirming that each fetter was indeed the same. Why would a guy who lived out in the woods and didn’t even have access to a toilet own four expensive-looking ties? By the feel of them, they were silk—not something a man who was struggling to pay for hot running water would consider wearing or even keeping.

Tucker was such an enigma. So little about him and his surroundings made sense to her.

“Maybe I should ask him.” She ran the silk through her fingers, somehow soothed by the fabric. “Maybe I should ask him why?”

The door burst open at that moment, her head snapping around to find his large, inquiring eyes.

“You said you wouldn’t move.” He seemed out of breath, his lips curling despite his accusing tone.

“You said to stay on the bed.” She motioned to the covers beside her, ignoring the rush of adrenaline that flooded her system. If he thought she’d disobeyed, there could be a whole new world of pain awaiting her, and frankly, her ass and pussy were still sore from the last round of so-called punishment he’d delivered. “And I have.”

“Right.” He seemed to be suppressing a smile as he kicked the door closed behind him and twiddled the long metal key between his fingers. “I did say that, didn’t I?”

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