Page 9 of Christmas Captive

“Are you seriously locking me in here?” She pouts her pretty red lips and stares up at me through long lashes. Why am I obsessing over what she’d feel like? What her lips would feel like on my cock. What her tight little virgin pussy would feel like stretched around me.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I need help. I shake my head and stare at her. “Yes. You’re here until I figure out this thing with your ex.”

“I told you, he’s harmless.”

“He’s not harmless. He’s hurting you constantly. He even flew a thousand miles to hurt you again. That’s not harmless.”

She rolls her eyes. “I thought you didn’t do feelings?”

I laugh. “I don’t. I’m doing the decent human being thing.”

“For sure.The kidnapping proves that.”

“I’m helping you. You don’t see it now, but I am. That asshole is back at your house waiting for you, I guarantee it. You want to deal with that tonight?”

She glances up at me and I watch a lump in her throat move as she swallows hard. “I need to talk to him. It’s one conversation then we’re done.”

“He didn’t fly all this way for one conversation. He wants to pressure you.”

“And I won’t let him.”

“Just like you didn’t let him back at the farm.” I groan as I say, “You’d have taken his ring back if I weren’t right there.”

Her cheeks turn pink, and I wonder if I’ve said too much. “And maybe I would have. I know Wyatt. He has a good job, he works hard, he’s smart, and he makes me laugh sometimes. He got cold feet. It happens to a lot of people.”

“Wait.” I narrow in on her and say,“He makes you laugh?”Now, I’m laughing. “He also makes youcry.You okay with that too?”

“I’m sensitive. Everyone makes me cry.”

“Have I made you cry?”

“Not yet. but give it ten minutes and I’m sure you will.”

I roll my shoulders back and pull out a dining room chair to set her in while I decide how the hell I’m going to get my point across. On one hand, I’d love for her to choose to stay. On the other, I’d love to tie her up and make her do what I know is best, what deep down, she knows is best.

“Why are you looking at me like a piece of meat?”

“I’m deciding if I need ropes.”

“Ropes? You do realize I can probably sue you for this. You really want your tree farm to go down in history as the place where the weirdo loner kept all the girls he tied up?”

“There are no girls. There’s only you.”

“Wow, I feel so special,” she says sarcastically. “What is it about me that sets me apart?”

“You’re a smart ass for one.”

“God! I’m being sarcastic, and I don’t think being a bitch really sets me apart from other women. We’re all bitches.”

“No, you’re unique. Your smart-ass comments come from a good place. You’re being obstinate for the fun of it all. I like that. It’s challenging.”

Her shoulders relax and I swear her eyes warm a little. “Challenging? Wow, that’s the adjective every woman hopes to be described as.”

I ignore her comment and change the subject because clearly, that complement was a fail. “I made dinner. Eat some food with me, then we’ll talk about when you’re leaving.”

She laughs. “I’ve got a shift tomorrow, so I assume I’m leaving by then.”

I ignore her comment and spoon hot soup into a bowl before covering it with crushed crackers.

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