Page 42 of Another Christmas from Hell

-gave the bottle a little shake.

Needing to make sure that she wasn’t just a cuddle addict, Bryce asked, “Do you like sleeping in my brother’s arms?” only to note the look of horror on her face.

“Fair enough,” Bryce murmured, taking a moment to think that over while she shifted, swallowed hard, and shifted again, her gaze never leaving the bottle in his hand as he debated his next move, only to decide that it would probably be in his best interest to let her go when she began mumbling incoherently to herself as the shifting increased.

“How about this?” Bryce asked as he took one last sip of water before returning the cap to the bottle and placed it on the floor before standing up as he pulled his utility knife out of his pocket. “I’ll let you down…” Bryce said, letting his words trail off as his gaze locked with hers before adding, “For a price,” watching as his words hit home and when they did, he knew that she would make him pay for this, but that was more than fine with him, especially if she said yes.

CHAPTER22

She was definitely going to make him pay for this, Cayley decided even as she prayed that he got to the point so that she could get off this chair and make her way to the nearest bathroom, and God, did she really need to use the bathroom.

Seven. Long. Hours.

She really wished that she hadn’t had that extra cup of coffee this morning, Cayley thought as she shifted in her seat again, struggling to get her mind off the bottle of water on the floor and-

“Go out with me.”

-wondered when she’d started hallucinating.

“I’m sorry. What’s this now?” Cayley found herself asking as she shifted her focus back to the man stepping inside the closet with her.

“Go out with me,” Bryce said as he focused his attention on carefully cutting the tape wrapped around her right ankle.

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cayley said even as she prayed that he moved faster.

“Why is that?” Bryce drawled as he took his time pulling the tape off her ankle and-

Oh, God…

-gently ran his fingers beneath her pant leg, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind as she struggled to focus.

“Didn’t you accuse me of stalking you two weeks ago?” Cayley pointed out as he dropped his hand away and focused his attention on her other leg.

“Probably,” Bryce murmured absently as he focused on cutting the tape off her ankle.

After he carefully removed the tape, his eyes met hers as she sat there, frantically shaking her head, praying that he wasn’t about to do what she thought he was about to do and-

“Please stop doing that,” Cayley whispered weakly when she felt his fingertips glide across the back of her leg.

“Are you going to say yes?” Bryce asked as he focused his attention on the duct tape that went across her thighs, making her frown.

“I really just don’t think it’s a good idea…” Cayley said, only to have her words trail off as she watched Bryce stop what he was doing to close his knife and slide it back in his pocket as he stepped out of the closet and-

“Fine! I’ll go out with you!” Cayley snapped when he reached for the door.

Bryce paused, appearing as though he was thinking it over only to release a heavy sigh with a sad shake of his head as he said, “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

“I-I will kill you in your sleep,” Cayley somehow managed to get out as her rage escalated to a whole new level. She was thirsty, hungry, and she really had to pee, and she really wasn’t in the mood to play this game with him. She just wanted to go home and devour a pint of ice cream by herself as she decided the best way to get back at the little bastard who did this to her.

“Probably,” Bryce said, not really sounding all that concerned about his impending doom.

“Just let me go, Bryce, and I’ll go out with you,” Cayley said, wiggling in her chair to get his attention back where it needed to be.

“I would love to, I really would, but I’m not sure that’s an option anymore, not after you hurt my feelings,” the bastard that was clearly toying with her said with a sad shake of his head and a helpless shrug.

She really hated him, Cayley decided as she released a shaky breath and did what she knew was expected of her even as she promised herself that the second, the very second, that she was free that she was going to-

“All this arguing has made me thirsty,” Bryce murmured as she found herself sitting there, unable to hold back a whimper as she watched him reach for the bottle and-

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