Page 79 of Destined for Shadows
“This is beautiful,” he said, amazed by the design and the woman who wore it.
“I drew the portrait,” Cori’s voice came out soft. “But I had to find someone else to do the work for obvious reasons.”
“Why do you hide it?”
“Because it’s my shrine to Faith,” she explained. “I don’t even look at it, but I like knowing it’s there and that in a way she is always close to me.”
Cori turned to face him, letting Bartol see the rest of her body and her smooth, creamy skin. He grew hard in an instant. “You should cover yourself.”
She started to speak, closed her mouth, then opened it again. “What if there was a way we could be intimate?”
“I assure you there isn’t.”
Cori dropped her gaze. “What if I let you tie me up so you had complete control?”
The thought had crossed his mind before, but he’d discarded it because of her own trauma. “That would require you giving me your complete trust. You said you cannot trust men anymore.”
“I can’t—at least, not the ones outside of this cabin.”
Bartol worked his throat. “You shouldn’t trust me, either.”
“Would you promise not to hurt me?” she asked, staring up at him through her long lashes.
He wanted to tell her no, but it was rather difficult to do with her standing there like a siren out to seduce him. “I would never intentionally harm you.”
She gave him an intense look. Mere inches separated them, and he knew it took a lot for her not to reach out. Her fingers kept clenching and unclenching as though she barely held herself in check. “Then tie me up if it would help.”
Bartol wanted to grab her right then, but this was not a matter that could be rushed. He had to approach this cautiously. Though he might want her more than anything in the world at that moment, there were a thousand things that could go wrong. It was important he made the restrictions clear to her. He was broken, and she’d just offered a potential way for them to get around his difficulties and perhaps seek pleasure in each other. Bartol did not want to risk it going terribly wrong. Not with her, never with her.
“You would not be able to speak, either,” he said, remembering that was what caused him trouble last time. “Though I think you are safe to moan.”
A smile played at her lips. “You think you can make me moan?”
Bartol gazed down at her, aware that his eyes must have been glowing from the passion she ignited in him with a mere look. “I already have.”
“I’ll do whatever you need,” she said, holding her wrists out. “If it means you’ll touch me.”
By all that was holy, this woman would be the death of him.
Bartol flashed away for the brief moment it took to acquire some rope from his storage shed and drop it off on his dresser. After he returned to the bathroom, he grabbed a surprised Cori and transported her to his bed, laying her flat upon the mattress. She rested her head on the pillow and put her arms at her sides so that none of her beautiful body was hidden from him. If he could have grown harder, he would have. This woman reminded him of exactly how many years it had been since he’d last slaked his lusts. Not even his worst memories affected him right then.
Cori watched with intense fascination as he yanked his shirt off and ripped it into long strips. She cooperated fully as he wrapped each one around her wrists and ankles to protect her skin. He could smell her arousal, which fed his even more.
Bartol grabbed the rope from the dresser and held it up. “Are you certain about this?”
“I trust you.”
The faith that reflected in her eyes was far more than he could have hoped for from this woman. After all she’d been through and all she continued to suffer at the hands of her former husband, it humbled Bartol that she’d handed control of her body over to him.
“Thank you.”
She stared at him a long moment. “You’re welcome.”
He pulled a folding knife from his pocket and began cutting the long rope into four sections. Cori trembled at the sight of the blade, so he put it away as soon as he finished. Then Bartol began the tying process, starting at her ankles. He made them tight enough that in his mind he’d feel safe from Cori, but not so much it would hurt her. He also left a tiny bit of slack so that he could adjust her limbs as needed. Though his motions were mostly mechanical, he found the act helped him gather himself for what he would do next.
Bartol hovered over Cori to reach her wrists and noted a hint of nervousness reflecting in her gaze. He sought to comfort her, wanting this to be as perfect as it could be despite the unusual circumstances. “You have a beautiful body.”
“I was wondering if you…” she trailed off. It was unlike her to become uncertain.
