Page 23 of I'm Not in Love (I Promise)

I duck behind the closest tree to catch my breath. Where can I go? We’re so far out in the middle of nowhere, the closest house has to be a half mile away. Dead leaves crunch with every step. He’s getting closer.

Think, Blake. You’re smart.

“You know Blake, I live for this.Hide and seek. It’s my favorite game. And guess what? I always win.”

My legs tremble, fear-struck and cold. It’s either I sit here and freeze until he finds and takes me, or I make a run for it. I don’t hear any heavy steps or branches snapping. He’s waiting for me to move like a hunter stalking his prey. This prey won’t go willingly.

I take off, sprinting toward the woods. My feet throb from stepping on sharp sticks and rocks. I push past the pain. The shelter of the woods is close. There’s more places to hide, less light. When I lose him I can walk alongside the road until I reach a neighbor's house.

Another few paces and I’ll be safe. Or at leastsafer. Panting, I reach a copse of trees and lean back to catch my breath. It’s quiet again and I’m filled with as much relief as panic. He could be anywhere.

With another breath, I’m ready. The knife close to my chest, I turn to sprint again, but he appears out of thin air.

“Found you.” He grabs me around the waist and pulls me against his hard chest. I thrash and swing my arms, attempting to graze him with the knife to no avail. He plucks it easily from my outstretched hand and tosses it aside.

“No!” I scream as he lifts my feet off the ground. “Put me down!”

His low tone in my ear quiets me. “Keep thrashing and screaming, Blake. I fucking love it.”

Whimpering, I twist again, trying to break free of his hold but he’s too big. Too damn strong. “Please,” I whisper. “What do you want?”

“There’s my sweet girl. I love this side of you almost as much as I love your feisty side. You submitting to me is music to my ears.” There’s a hint of pride in his voice, like he’s in awe of me.

“You’re crazy. I’m not submitting to anything.” I flail, kicking out and back to hit him where it hurts again.

He hoists me and tosses me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing. “No way, Angel. I need those and so do you. Can’t make a baby without them.”

My stomach drops. He’s more than crazy, he’s flat out psycho. As he jogs toward the house, all my blood rushes to my head. “Put me down. I won’t run.”

“Even if I did believe you, I’m still going to carry you. Your feet are destroyed.”

He cares about my feet, but chases me through the woods. Again, psycho.

“I’m too heavy to carry. Let me walk.”

He scoffs and continues. His hand on the back of my bare thigh scorches my chilled skin. “Too heavy? Absolutely not. I can and will hold you for hours. Against the wall, in the shower.” He glances at the side of the house. “Right here in this yard.”

My stomach flips at the thought of being pressed against the side of the house. There’s something obviously wrong with my brain if I’m having those kinds of feelings. It’s from the blood rushing to my head… that’s all. “I thought you said you wouldn’t hurt me.”

“I think you misunderstand me, Blake. When I say I’ll hold you against this house, I mean, you’ll be climbing me like a tree, nightshirt hiked up to your hips, pussy soaking wet, begging for me to fill you with my cum.”

I’m stunned silent. No one’s ever spoken to me like that. He’s vulgar and blunt… and I have no idea what he wants with me.

By the asphalt below us, I can tell we’ve reached the driveway. I try to crane my neck to see where he’s taking me but between my position and the darkness, I can’t make out much. He opens a car door and finally loosens his palm from my thigh, dropping me into a passenger seat.

His chest brushes against my own as he leans across to buckle my seatbelt. I catch a hint of mint as his face gets closer. “Safety first.” My breath catches in my throat as his masked face brushes the crook of my neck. “Don’t even think of trying to run again while I walk to the other side of the car. I will catch you and next time, I won’t be so nice.”

Alarm bells blare. Run, hide. Do not let him take you without a fight. My body’s gone into full blown shivers as he closes mydoor. I reach for the handle with my trembling hand. It’s right there, I could open it and run. But the moment passes as quickly as the thought. He gets into the driver’s seat and starts the engine.

A blast of warm air hits my skin and I shiver involuntarily. I’m colder than I realized. The heat permeates the car with his scent. Mint and earthiness. It’s overwhelming. With the glow of the dash lights, I can see more of his profile. His chest hugs his black shirt, lean but strong. He’s tall, unable to fully stretch his long thick legs even with the seat pushed back much farther than mine.

He reaches into the back seat and drops a hoodie in my lap. “Here, I know you’re cold.”

The kind gesture shocks and confuses me. He’s just ripped me from my bed but is worried about me being cold and hurting my feet. At first I think about tossing it back in his face, but another bout of shivers rattles me and I think better of it, pulling it over my head instead.

He backs out of the driveway and for a short while there’s only the purr of his engine and the sound of Chino’s melodic voice coming from the speakers at a low volume.

“You can take off the mask,” I say. “I’m picturing you looking like some kind of Freddy Krueger under there.” He scoffs. “Seriously. Why wear a mask and then say all that stuff about me begging you for… uh, you know what, nevermind.”

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