Page 43 of Tied

Chapter 21

Riley

That was easier than I thought it would be.

I’ll admit, Cain’s story got to me. And while I don’t sympathize with the way he forced me into this whole scheme, I can’t deny the spark of excitement that’s kindling within my chest now. If this goes well, I will be out of debt and financially independent until I find another job. And all I have to do is flirt with a nerd and use his potential carelessness to hack into a database that’s meant to protect the identities of a bunch of ruthless criminals. Those bastards deserve to be destroyed—so, in a way, you could say that I’m working on the right side of the law here.

You could say that—if you ignored everything else. Of course, I can’t ignore the reality of my situation. Because I haven’t forgotten.

I haven’t forgotten what he did to me. I haven’t forgotten about the humiliation he subjected me to, and I haven’t forgotten about the fact that he made me his prisoner.

His naked prisoner.

He is using my attraction to him for his own gain. I know that. I understand the game he’s playing.

And I’m sure he doesn’t realize that I just turned this game into my own.

I feel empathy for him. I feel attracted to him. I felt the electric sparks between us the moment our hands touched in that handshake. I feel drawn to him, to his body, to his scent.

I want him. I want him to make me feel good, because I fucking deserve it.

He used me for his own pleasure, and now I’m going to do the same.

Of course, he doesn’t shy away when I lean forward to steal a kiss from him. I can sense his surprise, even as our lips connect and our tongues tangle with each other a moment later. He stays. He gives in to the temptation within moments—and he doesn’t question it.

I lean forward, letting go of the blanket that keeps me shielded from the cold and his eyes. It falls into my lap, exposing my upper body to the cold of this room and the warmth of his touch. The chilly temperature tickles my skin for just a second before it is replaced by the warming touch of his masculine hands.

He lifts me up and pulls me closer, making me sit on his lap. Our lips never part as I straddle him and my arms rake around his neck. I nestle into him until my naked upper body is pressed against his muscular chest. The soft fabric of his cashmere sweater caresses my skin, and my heart beats wildly at the warmth his sculpted body emits.

“Lose this,” I breathe, and my hands travel down to his waist.

My fingers are already hooked beneath the hem of his sweater when he grabs my wrists and stops me mid-motion.

His hold is strong and unyielding, a subtle threat oscillating in his every move when he pushes my hands away from him.

“Remember your place,” he seethes.

The delicious menace that laces his words makes my heart beat faster, and a soft gasp escapes my lips when he forces my hands behind my back. He holds them in place with one hand while reaching for the picnic basket with the other. I turn on his lap as my curious eyes follow the course of his movement and he rummages through the basket. Next to the small bottle of wine, I see grapes and different kinds of cheeses arranged on a tiny platter wrapped in plastic, and a piece of baguette bread that looks freshly baked. My mouth waters at the sight of it as my stomach rumbles, my body reminding me that I have not eaten since my kidnapping.

But Cain doesn’t go for the food or the wine. Instead, he fiddles with a black silk ribbon that is knotted around the handle of the basket. He opens the knot surprisingly fast and brings the ribbon behind my back.

Our eyes lock, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth when he drapes the ribbon around both my wrists.

“This better stay on,” he warns me in a hot whisper. “Otherwise you’re in bad trouble, little Riley. Do you understand?”

My breath hikes at his ominous promise and I hurry to nod.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.”

The words create a fluttering deep within my chest, and despite the threat, my hands move ever so slightly, gently pulling at the knot he closed around my wrists. It’s not very tight and could easily be torn apart—that’s the danger in it. He tied my hands together, but the will to surrender myself to him has to come from me.

He brings his hands back to the front of my body, slowly caressing along my upper thighs while he assesses his work. I’m sitting on his lap, the soft silk keeping my hands in place behind my back, my naked breasts exposed to his hungry gaze.

He regards me with a wicked smile before he pulls his sweater over his head. And despite my best efforts, I can’t suppress a gasp when he reveals his chiseled physique. I still remember the first time I saw him like this, the first time my jaw dropped in front of this man—and he still has that effect on me. His body is like a piece of art, the kind that catches your eye and makes it impossible to turn away, the kind that makes your heart beat faster and your mouth water with desire. The kind that brings a hot blush to my cheeks and a craving deep down in my core that awakens with a furious roar and the need to be heard.

The alluring draw is only intensified by the fact that he won’t let me touch him. My arms are twitching and I feel a thin layer of sweat forming on the tips of my fingers as I nervously fiddle with them behind my back.

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