Page 21 of Stranded with the Kraken
“Thank you, Jim,” Walter, the news anchor, says. “Now, our local politicians have already started…”
I mute the sound, letting Walter prattle on in silence, and glance down at Arielle. She looks so cozy, tucked under my arm and wrapped in a woolen blanket. She glances from the TV to me and chews on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully.
“I could still get home,” she says softly. “It’s not too far to walk, you know. In case you change your mind about me staying here.”
I let out a low growl and tighten my grip around her. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Her cheeks flush a delicious shade of pink, and the corners of her lips turn up in a coy smile. “What would you do if I tried to leave?”
Leaning in, I run my nose over her temple and press a kiss to the side of her neck. “I’d chase you. Then I’d drag you back to my lair.”
Arielle’s breath quickens, as does the heartbeat pulsing in her throat. “Then what?”
The scent of her. Fuck, I’m getting addicted to it, and I love it. She’s so responsive, so perfectly attuned to me, just as I am to her.
I tug the neckline of her sweater to the side and nibble on her skin. She tastes as good as she smells, and I can’t wait to lick her all over. I only had one taste of her pussy, and I want more.
“Then I’d lock us in our room and fuck you until you were too tired to run,” I rasp.
She jerks her head back in surprise. At first, I don’t know what triggered this response. Then I replay my words back to myself and realize I called my bedroomourroom. I open my mouth to apologize, but Arielle grabs me by the back of my neck and draws my head down. She kisses me deeply, her tongue darting out to meet mine, her mouth open for me. I groan into the kiss, finding her waist with my hands. I inch up the hem of the too-big sweater and finally touch her warm, soft skin.
Arielle plants her palms on my chest, and I inwardly whoop because I love her touch. But then she breaks the kiss and gives me a strong shove, pushing me away from her.
I fall back on the couch, dropping her immediately, and stare at her in shock. She really put some strength into that move, and my mind goes blank with horror at the thought that she felt this strongly about heaving me away. I search her face for any sign of distress, because she kissedmejust a moment ago, and I’m—
“Shit!” She covers her mouth with her hands. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to shove you that hard, I just thought I should because you’re so much stronger than me.”
I blink. “What?”
She stands and backs away from me, her socks rendering her steps almost silent. “I’m running away.”
I stare at her, worry and hurt cutting through the swirling mass of confusion. “But why? I thought…”
Arielle groans, then shakes her head. “No, Jasper, listen. I’mrunning away. From you.”
She takes another step back, keeping her gaze firmly on mine. Her face is still flushed pink, her dark eyes shining with mischief, and it hits me. She’s running away from me—and wants me to catch her.
“Oh.” I drag my fingers through my hair and fall back against the couch, relief rendering me nearly boneless. “Gods, Arielle, you scared me for a second.”
“Yeah.” She retreats a little more, now nearly at the kitchen island. “We’ll work on my delivery in the future, but…” She twists suddenly and darts around the corner, disappearing toward the hallway that leads to the bedrooms.
I laugh softly, my heart thudding. I’m still shaken from thinking she was serious about rejecting me, but a different kind of emotion swirls in my gut, exciting and new.
I’m going on a hunt.
I push myself to my feet and crack my neck. I drag in a deep breath, catching the whiff of Arielle’s delicious scent. The socks she’s put on make it harder to track her by sound, but a breathless giggle floats from somewhere in the depths of the house as I take the first step forward.
“Hide all you want, sweetheart,” I call out, following in her wake. “There’s only so many places you can hide.”
I walk through the open kitchen and into the hallway. Arielle’s scent is everywhere—she’s been in the house for hours and slept in my bedroom, so tendrils of her essence hang in the air, tantalizing and misleading. I try to focus only on the freshest trail, though I’m not in a hurry to find her. If she enjoys being chased, the anticipation of the moment when I find her hiding spot is as good as being caught.
I open the door to the guest room and peer inside. A whiff of the air tells me she hasn’t been in here, so I move on, letting my footsteps fall harder than usual on the floorboards so she can hear me approaching.
“You should know better than to run from a monster.” My voice comes out gruff and raspy, and I’m hard, my cock tenting the front of my sweatpants. “You’ve been bad, Arielle, and now you’ll have to pay.”
A shocked gasp from somewhere ahead. I grin, walking silently now, and wrench open the linen closet door. It’s barely enough for a set of shelves, some mops, and a bucket, and I can tell Arielle thought of hiding in here because her scent is all over the small space. But she must have changed her mind—there’s nowhere to conceal herself here.
In quick succession, I check my home office—empty—and the remaining two bedrooms. I’m almost at the end of the hallway, with one last door to open.
