Page 75 of Snow Bound

Her foot slid forward, skimming across the floor until she’d cleared the landing and felt nothing but air. She stepped down carefully.

“Good.” He stepped down with her. “Keep going. I’m right beside you.”

They made their way slowly down the steps, one at a time, until they reached the bottom. “Last one,” he told her. “You can let go of the banister now.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

He covered her fingers with his, felt their trembling. “How’re you doing?”

“Okay.” Her tongue came out to wet her lips. “I’m green.”

“Good girl,” he whispered, and watched her color come up. “I’m going to lead you to a chair, all right? Just walk with me.”

He guided her across the room to the big wooden chair he’d placed in the center of the circle of light. The small space heater under the table had beaten back most of the chill, though the air still held a definite hint of damp.

“Okay, you’re right in front of the chair. Go ahead and put your hands down, feel the arms.” He waited until she complied. “Good. Sit down.”

She did so with a sigh. Her body sagged slightly, tension draining out now that she no longer had to navigate a strange room blindly. Sitting was no doubt a welcome relief, though it wouldn’t be for long.

He crouched by the chair and picked up the leather cuff he’d attached to the arm with a zip tie. “Put your hand on the arm of the chair,” he told her, and picked up her hand to show her exactly what he wanted her to do. “I’m going to cuff you to it.”

Her body jerked slightly at the touch of leather, the clink of the buckles as he secured it into place. He slid a finger between her wrist and the cuff, making sure it was tight enough she couldn’t slip out, but not so tight as to interfere with her circulation. Satisfied, he did the same with the other arm, and noted the fine trembling that shook her body.

He rested his hands on her knees. “Give me a color.”

“I’m green.”.

“You sure?” His hands smoothed over her thighs. “You’re shaking.”

“I always shake at the top of the rollercoaster,” she told him, her face tipped down so that if she wasn’t blindfolded, she’d be looking right at him. “I still want to go on the ride.”

“All right, then.” He stroked her knees gently once, twice, then tightened his grip and yanked her thighs apart.

Her gasp—shock, excitement—was like music. He secured her ankles to the legs of the chairs, checking to make sure they weren’t too tight before once again placing his hands on her thighs.

He swept his hands over her legs in slow, even strokes designed to both soothe and incite. “Here’s the setup. You’ve been embezzling from your boss, and he’s very unhappy about that.”

Her lips parted in surprise, then twitched into a smirk. “And are you my boss?”

“I am.”

“Oh, goody.”

He stifled a laugh. “I’m a very important man, with very important business interests. I don’t like it when people steal from me.”

“Maybe you’d better call a cop,” she suggested.

“I prefer a more hands-on management style,” he told her, amused. “I like to take care of these little inconveniences in house, so to speak.”

She shivered even as she let out a husky laugh. “That doesn’t sound like it bodes well for me.”

He grinned. “The missing money has put me in a bit of a financial bind, and I’ve had to resort to rather...unusual means for financing.”

“Let me guess.” She licked her lips. “The mob?”

“Such an old-fashioned label,” he tsked. “Let’s just say they’re very protective of their investments. And when I told them I was having problems with one of my staff?—”

“Which would be me?”

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