Page 137 of Shadowed Hearts: Frost
"It's the Millennium Falcon." She whispers suddenly. Examining the pattern formed by the rope on her right wrist.
I follow her gaze. See only the functional restraints I've applied. The primary cuffs, the connection points, the tension distribution. All tactical considerations.
She continues with growing animation. "See? This crossing pattern here looks like the cockpit section, and these loops resemble the mandibles..."
Her observation stops me cold. Tactical assessments fade. Threat monitoring ceases. There's only her voice, finding patterns in rope.
"What am I going to do with you?" Relief loosens something in my chest. Her mind is finding patterns again. Functioning. Stabilizing.
"Keep me?" She replies simply. Her eyes meeting mine with unexpected clarity.
The question hangs in the air between us. My heart rate increases.
Our eyes lock. The atmosphere shifts instantly from therapeutic to charged. Something electric passes between us. Changes the molecular structure of the air in the room.
I don't decide without analyzing variables, without measuring risk. But right now, with her bound and calm before me, looking at me with those clear eyes, certainty settles in my chest.
My hand slides along the rope on her wrist. Testing the tension. The material is smooth against my palm. The resistance perfect.
"Tell me what you need, Vanessa." My voice drops to a dangerous register.
Her breath catches. Her eyes darken as she scans my face.
"You." She whispers. "I need you to make everything else disappear."
"Is that what this is about?" I require verbal confirmation before proceeding.
She nods, then remembers herself. "Yes."
"Tell me more specifically what this is, Vanessa."
Her throat works visibly as she swallows. "You're helping me stay present. Keeping me here when everything wants to scatter."
"And how does that make you feel?" I need to hear her state it.
"Safe." The word comes instantly. "Quiet. Like I can breathe again."
I lean forward. My lips find the pulse point at her neck. Her heart rate increases; within expected parameters for arousal.
"Then I'll keep you here." I murmur against her skin. "In this moment. With me."
My teeth graze her collarbone. She gasps. The sound travels directly through my system. Triggers a cascade of chemical responses.Possessiveness. Desire. Purpose.
Tank top. Sleep shorts. I need skin.
I reach beneath my pillow and extract the tactical knife I keep there. The blade catches the early morning light as I hold it between us.
Vanessa's eyes widen. "You keep a knife under your pillow?"
"Operational necessity." I test the weight in my hand. "Nine-point-seven seconds faster response time than retrieving from the nightstand."
A small, shaky smile forms on her lips. "Of course you've timed it."
"I've timed everything." I run the dull edge along her arm. Watch goosebumps erupt from her skin. "Cold, isn't it?"
She nods. Eyes fixed on the metal. "Another anchor point."
"Exactly." I slide the knife between her skin and the hem of her sleep shorts. "I need to remove these. Stay very still."
