Page 13 of Oh No, My Kidnapper Is Hot!

We leave the hallway, and the tour is pretty much over. The main room is open concept, holding the kitchen and living room both. They’re on the smaller side, but decorated well and very tidy. The green theme is alive and well in here, though much more subtly. The walls are a muted pink. They’re full of abstract artwork in emeralds and olives. Not my typical style preference, but it works in the space. There are thriving green plants in the corners and a coffee table that’s worn in the same way as the bedroom furniture. The couch is also green and sits across from two cozy looking brown leather chairs. A television is mounted behind the chairs, surrounded by more artwork.

There’s green in the kitchen as well – the backsplash, the counters – but the cabinets are the same pale pink as the walls. Separating the kitchen and living room is a long stretch of counter that serves as an eating area and houses four pink padded stools. The space is all lit up with soft sunlight coming through the huge windows in the living room. Not barred, I take note.

The house is beautiful and not at all what I would have expected of Stryker’s home. Not that a man can’t enjoypink, but he doesn’t exactly seem like the type to have a pink house, no matter how much green is thrown in there. I peek at him from the corner of my eye, trying to look without looking, just to find that he’s laser focused on me. Uh… creepy.

“Do you like it?” he asks. I mean, yes? My brows furrow. Why’s he being so intense?

“It’s beautiful,” I tell him slowly – cautiously. He’s freaking me out. I look around the room. Am I missing something?

I startle from my second perusal when there’s a knock at the door – a huge wooden monstrosity that by some magic doesn’t seem too big for the small home. It’s arched at the top and bracketed by slim windows, one of which has a woman’s round, smiling face in it. Her smile morphs into a surprised “o” as she’s jerked backward out of the window’s view. I look at Stryker, who’s already moving toward the door. Hmm. That must be Heidi.

I follow him, curious.

“She’s here! Finally! Ugh, it’s you. Get out of the way!” The small woman shoves past Stryker, her thick, dark hair flying. She moves like a tornado. I’ve never seen someone use every part of their body with so much zeal just to cross a couple feet of space. It’s fascinating. I’m so distracted by the wild freedom of her movements that I don’t think to do anything but accept it when she’s suddenly in my space, squeezing me so tight I can hardly breathe.

Wow. The little tornado isstrong.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here!” She squeals, rocking me back and forth.

“Heidi, stop bein’ so rough with her,” Stryker snaps. I shoot him an incredulous look over Heidi’s head. He’s been flinging me around any time his ego gets the slightest bitbruised, but an enthusiastic hug from his assistant crosses the line? Make that make sense.

He doesn’t notice my side eye, too busy glaring at the back of Heidi’s head, so I turn my attention to the still open doorway.

There’s a large, very attractive man standing there. He’s not Stryker levels of hot, but definitely in the same heat range. He’s a few inches shorter, but the width of him is comparable. Shockingly, he might actually rival my abductor in muscle mass.

Is the water here pure protein or something? I went twenty-six years without seeing a man this jacked and now I’ve seen two in as many days.

I manage to tear my eyes off his biceps to get a closer look at his face. I catch a glimpse of long, brown hair and the glint of what might be a nose ring before Stryker steps in front of him, blocking my view.

“No,” he says.

“No”? “No” what?

“’No’ what?” I ask him, intelligently.

“No, you’re not havin’ another spell,” he tells me. “Not over him.”

Well!

“I wasn’t going to have another spell,” I retort, “and even if I was, you don’t get to tell me who I’m going to have a spell over and who I’m not! You’re not the boss of me!”

“I beg to differ,” he says, giving the chain a rattle. I glare at him. What. A. Jerk!

“Oh, I love her!” Heidi exclaims between us. She lets go of my arms to walk to the huge man in the doorway and drags him into the house. “Baz, isn’t she just perfect?”

He grunts in response. I guess Baz doesn’t think I’m “just perfect”. A little rude, but okay.

Baz, whodoeshave a nose ring, gets deposited in front of me.

“Say hi!” Heidi tells him. He grunts again, this time at me. I blink.

Was that a hello? Heidi seems to think so, because he’s shoved away as ceremoniously as he was presented, and she starts talking a mile a minute.

“I’m so glad to officially meet you! Of course, I’ve seen you at the diner and the library, but Stryker never let me approach before. But that’s over now, and you’re here! We can be friends! Honestly, I told the boss to bring you in a month ago, but he was all, ’No, Heidi. We’re not ready, Heidi.’ Blah, blah, blah. Do you like the house, by the way? Green! I thought it was a bit much, but Stryker insisted. He said ’everything’, and when Stryker says ’everything’, Stryker gets ’everything’. It’s my job, you know? I hope you like it! If you don’t, though, we can alwa–”

“Heidi,” Stryker cuts her off. She turns to him immediately, smiling big. She must be used to his grouchiness. Sad.

“Yeah, boss?” she asks.

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