Page 9 of Nowhere to Run

My mind returned to the present. My painting. I smiled, feeling genuinely proud of it. Natalia, my boss at the gallery, would be impressed. But how was I going to stay inspired enough to finish it?

A whisper coiled through my thoughts.

Just see him once more. Use him.

I shook my head.Ridiculous.It was too dangerous.

For one, he wanted everything. He told me so. And there was no way–no physical way, no psychological way—I could allow that.

But even more than that… he still terrified me.

And yet… his intoxicating pull made me almost reach for my phone. To tell him I would come over to his place. Tonight.

I stopped myself.

He wouldn’t stop when I wanted him to.

He wouldn’t let me go after one more time together.

Gran’s voice echoed in my head.

“Sweetie, you don’t have to be so afraid,” she’d said once, her voice warm and knowing. “I know you think boys are scary, but trust me—they’re more scared of you than you are of them.”

She grinned. “Like snakes in the grass. You hold all the power.”

I swallowed hard, the memory curling around me.

Not with Adrian.

He wasn’t a snake.

He was a wolf.

A chill coursed through me. But it was quickly chased by a warmth that crept through my core. Maybe there was some truth to me being a tease—staring at him at school, but always looking away when he met my eye.

I thought of him ordering me to jog in place. A sly smirk crept across my face as I began a light jog, watching myself in the mirror. My breasts bounced slightly, and a thrill shot up myspine at the thought of his eyes on me. The rest of my body stayed firm, my muscles taut beneath smooth skin.

I stopped jogging, letting my hands slide up my stomach, imagining they were his—rough and hungry. My fingers traced the curve of my waist before cupping my breasts, feeling their weight. I squeezed, pinching my nipples until a jolt of sensation rushed through me.

I closed my eyes, picturing him here. Commanding me. Stroking himself…

For the love of God, stop.

I ripped myself from the fantasy, turning to my dresser, grabbing my sports bra and yoga pants. I pulled the bra over my head, adjusting my breasts inside the cups so that a touch of cleavage spilled out the top. Turning back to the mirror, I shimmied into the yoga pants, tugging them over my thighs and stretching them snugly over my ass.

I would run at the high school track today. It was the weekend, and it would be safe enough in the daylight. I wouldn’t need to “cover up” to avoid unwanted attention. But I didn’t really mind the looks I got from men. They could look all they wanted.

Look, but don’t touch.

But then my stomach twisted, the thrill fading as I thought of everything Adrian had taken. More than I’d ever given anyone—more than I’d ever imagined giving.

Not even the guys I’d dated long-term had made me feel so exposed, so… claimed. I’d never had sex like that before. It had always been careful. Predictable. Even when I’d wanted more, when I’d craved something deeper, my past lovers had held back. They’d done all the right things. Asking permission, waiting for cues. Let me lead.

But not Adrian.

He didn’t ask, hadn’t given me space to second-guess. He didn’t even care when I said no, my body shaking in terror.

He’d forced his way into my body, my life.

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