Page 68 of Clawed
“May I lower my hands now, sir?”She resisted the impulse to smile when he turned at her question.
Once upon a time, the mere fact that she had to ask would have riled and petrified her, but sprawled on the bed, things had changed.Hannah was no longer terrified of the man who’d stolen her away in the darkness.She knew better than most that he had a deeply disturbing dark side, but she’d also learned to trust her instincts.The version of the man who’d taken her to bed to make love to her wasn’t a monster.He was a lover who understood her needs better than anyone.He’d taken the time to get to know her, enjoy her body, and discover the things that drove her wild.
Stop.Her brow furrowed at her verdict.What am I saying?He didn’tmake loveto me.Nothing happening there constituted love, and she couldn’t let her surging emotions persuade her otherwise.
Great sex was only that.He’d still abducted her.However he dressed it up, she was there without her consent.Except that since he’d untied her from that damn dental chair, it hadn’t been that simple.His caresses had stirred her, and she sensed the charged energy between them.Sex with Lawes was proving increasingly difficult to reconcile.
“You may.”He threw her a salacious wink.
“I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’ll release my cuffs, Mr.Lawes, sir?”
She’d determined not to ask him, but the cuffs had been on a long time, and however electrifying their chemistry was, the novelty of the bondage had worn off.
“Now, why would I untie my little captive?”His suitably mocking tone was temporarily drowned out by the sound of a gull calling outside the window, and briefly, they both looked in the bird’s direction.By the time her focus returned to his muscular form, she already knew how she was going to reply.
“Because I’m a good girl.”
It was perturbingly easy to pick up his lead and run with it.Where was the woman who’d worked so hard to be independent after the court case?Where were her principles?All it had taken was Lawes’ hard stare and incredible climaxes for her to willingly surrender.
“Yourgood girl.”Her toes curled as she refined her answer.For the time being, she would be his good girl.She’d chase the pleasure and see where their twisted chemistry led.
“Is that right?”He spun around to face her, his recently gratified dick still half roused.“It seems like I’ve been too lenient on you all day, allowing you to share my bed and not reinserting your new electrified dildo.Yet you want me to remove the binds, too.”
“I won’t run, sir.”Easing herself to one elbow, the strangest thing was she actually meant it.Running would mean walking out on the best sex of her life, and she’d little desire to do that.If he refused to let her go, then let her have the highs.She bloody deserved them.“I didn’t ask to come here, but I appreciate the way you’ve treated me since, sir.”
Appreciate it?The jeering voice in her head made itself known again.What a crazy thing to tell him!Which part have you liked the best?The kidnapping, the lack of agency, or the way he’s treated me like a fucking animal?
She swallowed at the derision.The judgment wasn’t wrong, but looking at a timeline of recent events in isolation failed to consider the way Lawes had made her feel.He had no right to do the things he’d done, but most of the list had set fire racing in her blood.She might loathe how little he looked for her assent, but increasingly, she accepted that, if he’d sought it, she just might have offered her permission.
She tensed at the realization, wishing she could buy back every word of the confession, yet simultaneously glad for the truth.Whatever was happening between them was real, and it wouldn’t be dispersed by denial.She’d tried living like that while he was behind bars, had pretended she’d been nothing but a victim, when the truth was, even at the practice, he’d opened doors she just couldn’t close.
“Oh, Hannah.”He stood at the end of the bed, his lips curling as he beckoned her forward.She inched toward him, her heart rate accelerating as she wondered what he had in store for her next.“You are beautiful, and I do so appreciate your declaration, but we both know we can’t trust each other yet.”
Concern twisted in her tummy, even though his conclusion was entirely reasonable.However good the sex had been, it didn’t alter who he was and why she was there.Lawes was the man who’d captured and tormented her.He was the reason she’d been left traumatized and had required constant support since his arrest and capture.
He should never have been released from prison, yet there he was—sent out into the world to detain and denigrate her while he wormed his way back into her head.
Her eyes closed briefly as she acknowledged that was precisely what had happened.Some maniac had released him so he could come out and treat her that way.Glancing down at her body, she resisted a frown.She’d never been so satiated, but at the same time, she was still his prisoner.
A woman in binds.
How could she live with that?
“So, I just stay in these?”Unexpected emotion lodged in the back of her throat, though she couldn’t explain why.What had she expected?That the man who’d catapulted her life into twisted darkness would fuck her fondly, then just whip off her cuffs?
It was Lawes—he was never going to justlet her go.
“Sorry, what was that?”His voice was slightly clipped that time, the shift sending her pulse racing.
“Mr.Lawes, sir,” she added quickly.“Should I just stay in these?”She lifted her wrists, as if to remind him of her plea.
“You’ll do as you’re told.”Lowering to her height, his eyebrow arched.“Or have you forgotten so soon?”
She shook her head sadly, though she still couldn’t get to the root of her mushrooming melancholy.Lawes’ behavior was reliably true to form.It was her unspoken expectations that demanded explanation.
“No, Mr.Lawes, sir.I...”Her voice trailed away as she attempted to meet the intensity of his stare.
“Youwhat?”he goaded with a knowing smile.“You thought another orgasm meant I was going to release you?”
