“Fuck!” He bellowed this time, going rigid, fingers squeezing her nipples almost painfully. Finally, he sagged against her, his heart beating into her back, breathing hot breath against her ear.

  Had he just dry humped her? Come in his pants? Was her pussy tingling? What the hell had she gotten herself into? What would he do next?

  She sucked in a relieved breath when his weight lifted off her. He didn’t say a word, and she didn’t flip back over until his footsteps told her he’d left the room. She struggled with the knot at her wrist again. She had to get out of there. He had to be a paranoid schizophrenic, coupled with sexual deviant, and she wanted no part of that. She cursed herself for not being more careful but damnit the place had looked empty.

  “You’re not getting out of that knot, so you might as well relax.”

  She jumped. She had been so consumed that she hadn’t heard him return. She immediately noticed that he’d changed his pants. “You know I wasn’t lying about the ID and money. Will you let me go now?”

  “Either you’re here on behalf of the Martins, you’re a thief, or you’re just damn unlucky. What’s your name, woman?”

  “I told you,” she said through gritted teeth, “I don’t know any Martins or anyone else. My name is Gia.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” He shrugged. “But if not, you must be a thief. No money, but a pack full of food, and a notebook with debts to stores that sell the items filling your pack.”

  She sagged, feeling defeated. Maybe if she admitted it, he’d be satisfied and let her go. “I’m going to pay them back. One day.” It was why she kept a tally. Even though she had no idea when or how she’d ever pay them all back, she liked to tell herself that she would. Just because other people sucked, didn’t mean she had to.

  She continued when he smirked at her admission. “But I swear I wasn’t intending to steal from you. I thought it was a deserted shack that I could spend a few days in. That maybe it’d have a useable wood stove.”

  “Why are you out here all alone? I’m just outside the boundary of the forest, so it isn’t on your map. And the closest hiking trail is several miles away.”

  It was none of his damn business, but she had to tell him something. “I prefer the woods to towns, and I make my own trails so I rarely run into anyone.”

  His eyes bugged. “Are you saying you live in the woods?”

  “I have for months,” she admitted.

  “Why?”

  “You live in the woods.” She pointed out the obvious.

  “In a cabin. I don’t wander around, steal, and”—he pointed to her tent that he’d thrown to the floor—“live in a tent and break into people’s houses.” He considered her a moment, and she thought maybe he was thinking of letting her go, but he shook his head. “Sit tight,” he said and closed the door behind him.

  Chapter Three

  Bane rested his forehead against the door a moment before heading to the kitchen. From a distance, he’d seen her sneaking around and had assumed she was with a group of a punk teenagers looking for mischief. Up close it was clear she was no teenager. In the years he’d lived out there, he’d only encountered three groups of people. One group was teenagers, and two others were twenty-somethings who couldn’t read a map to save their lives.

  When he scouted and didn’t see anyone else hiding in the bushes, he wondered if the Martins had found him, but he couldn’t figure out why’d they’d send a sexy woman in. Maybe for the element of surprise, thinking he wouldn’t suspect.

  The younger brother of the man he’d killed had sworn to hunt him down and kill him no matter how long it took. After three years, he had mostly quit believing it would ever happen. People said dramatic things in the heat of the moment, but rarely followed through. Especially with murder. It took more than most could imagine to take a life.

  He couldn’t be certain, but after searching her things, he didn’t think she was involved with the Martins. He did, however, believe she would have robbed him blind if he hadn’t caught her. But, it was a reason for him to rationalize keeping her. And he did want to keep her. She was like a sexy gift dropped at his doorstep and who was he to turn such a gift down?

  He couldn’t believe he’d lost control, had fondled her tits, dry-humped her ass, and come in his pants. It’d been so long since he’d touched a woman. It’d been longer since he’d seen one who looked like her. He’d wanted those athletic legs wrapped around his waist or his face at first sight. Wanted to wrap that silky blonde hair around his hand and tug her to her knees. And when she’d first turned those brilliant hazel eyes on him, it’d rendered him momentarily speechless.

  He’d been so close to tearing those ass-hugging shorts down and filling her with every inch he had to give, but he’d exercised every bit of restraint he had inside him. He might be a killer, he might be damaged, but he wasn’t that. Yet. If he didn’t get her out of there… That tight little body definitely tested his resolve. But damnit, he wasn’t ready for her to leave. No. He’d keep her a while and enjoy the scenery while she was there.

  He opened a can of beans and a can of beef broth and mixed them together with random spices in a bowl and put it in the microwave. It wasn’t much, but it was quick, simple, and easy. Then he hurried back to his sexy captive, eager for more interaction.

  He quietly opened the bedroom door and found her picking at the knot again. “How many times do I have to tell you you’re not getting out of that?”

  “Arrrrg!” She banged her feet on the bed.

  “While your temper tantrum is amusing, the food is getting cold. Hungry?”

  She immediately stilled and licked her lips. “Food?”

  “Yeah, ya know…” He mimed holding a plate and spooning food into his mouth, and then rubbed his stomach.

  She rolled her eyes, but he’d definitely caught her attention.

  “I’m starving,” she admitted.

  He moved to her side and blocked her view while he unlatched the part of the rope that was tied to the bed.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Finally.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her and bound both of her wrists together in front of her. She struggled, and she was strong, he’d give her that, but she was no match for him.

  “Arrrrg!” She yelled again. “Why?”

  When he only smirked at her, she hauled off and kicked him in the shin. Shit. That hurt, but damned if he’d let her see it. He tugged her by the rope binding her wrists, and she had no choice but to follow him or to fall on her face.

  When they got to the kitchen table, he kicked out a chair. “Sit,” he commanded.

  “I’m not a dog,” she grumbled under her breath. But she sat anyway.

  He grabbed the bowl from the microwave, spooned out a large helping, and set it in front of her. Then he buttered a piece of leftover cornbread and tossed it on a napkin next to her bowl.

  “Lovely service,” she sneered.

  He sneered back, but had to hold back a laugh. In her position, she should be scared and being as nice as possible, but she obviously had too much fire for that. It was admirable if not a little stupid.

  “I don’t have to feed you at all. I could make you sit here and watch me eat just because I can.”

  She spooned up some soup and brought it to her mouth the best she could in her bound condition. Half of it spilled down her chin. Her face scrunched up, and he assumed it was because she was refraining from bitching at him. He was wrong.

  “Ew.” She dabbed at her fuckable lips with the napkin. “What is that crap?”

  He blinked at her and dunked his bread in the soup and took a bite before answering. “Soup. What the hell does it look like?”

  She shook her head, her blonde hair swishing around her shoulders with the motion. “No. It looks like soup, but it tastes like … like dirty ass.”

  Shocked, he blinked at her while his mind warred with whether or not to be offended and tell her to fuck off, or to laugh at her boldness and choice of words. He opted for a combination of the two.

  “Well then, you can eat dirty ass or you can starve. It’s no skin off my nuts.”

  “Where’d you learn to cook?” she taunted. “Prison?”

  He looked her dead in the eyes. “Yes.”

  Her eyes bugged and she muttered, “Of course you did.”

  She closed her eyes and grimaced as she bent over and tilted the bowl so she could slurp the dirty-ass soup into her mouth.

  His dicked twitched when he imagined how he’d like to have her bound, on her knees in front of him. Him gripping her hair as he forced his cock to the back of her throat, fucking her face until she slurped up his cum like she slurped the soup. Shit. He had to rearrange his dick and take several deep breaths before resuming eating.

  After finishing her meal, she cocked her head to the side, perusing him. “Am I allowed to know the name of my captor?”

  He eyed her, shoved the last bite of bread in his mouth, and swallowed. “Bane.”

  “So, Bane, why were you in prison?”

  He didn’t hesitate or bat an eyelash as he said, “I shot a man between the eyes and watched his brains blow out the back of his head.”

  She blanched, her skin going ashen. Her voice was quiet when she asked, “Why?”

  “He deserved it.”

  “For breaking into your home?” she asked.

  He could tell she was trying for a light tone, trying to make a joke to ease her fear, but her voice wavered and cracked.

  “No.” It wasn’t something he liked to think about much less talk about, but even though part of him wanted her to fear him, part of him wanted her to know he wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. Well, okay, he was, but not without reason. At least he hadn’t been. After prison, he wasn’t sure what kind of man he was anymore. “He killed my little sister. Got off on a technicality. Since the system failed to punish him, I took care of it.”

  “That’s awful.” She looked truly horrified and he assumed it was because of him blowing a man’s brains out, but she surprised him. “I never had a real brother or sister, but I guess I might do the same thing.” She looked thoughtful a moment and then grimaced. “No. I’m not sure I could handle the brain explosion. I probably would have gone with poisoning or hiring a hitman. How long were you in prison?”

  “Ten years.”

  She winced. “That must’ve been awful.”

  “You have no idea.” It felt strange as if she actually felt sorry for him. He’d tied her up, dry humped her ass, thrown her things all over the floor, threatened her, and she felt sorry for him. It had to be an act. She was playing him, trying to soften him so he’d let her go.

  “How long have you been out?”

  Her pretty hazel gaze oozed sympathy and he wanted to revel in it, soak it in, but it was bullshit. He scowled at her, dumped his bowl in the sink with a loud clang, and leaned back against the counter. “Enough questions.”

  “Um.” She worked her lower lip between her teeth. “I have to pee.”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. “What’s stopping you?”

  Her luscious mouth dropped open exposing the pink tongue that he wanted to see licking the head of his dick. “You can’t be serious.”

  He let her sweat for a few seconds. He liked getting her fired up, even scaring her. It was mean. He was mean. He hadn’t always been mean. “Fine.” He moved around the table, grabbed onto the rope, and led her to the bathroom.

  When he made no move to leave, she said, “Are you gonna stand there and watch?”

  “Yes.”

  “Please.” She danced around. “I really gotta go.”

  She tried to back away when he reached to unbutton and unzip her shorts, but there was nowhere for her to go. She squealed and sat in attempt to cover herself when he jerked the shorts to her knees.

  He’d intended to watch her, not because he got off on the bathroom scene, but because, well maybe because he was a bastard. Because she’d broken into his home. Because he felt like it. Because getting under her skin was the most fun he’d had in thirteen years. But one glimpse of the sweet pussy between her legs had him ready to either jack off right in her face or throw her down and fuck her until she passed out. So, he turned his back.

  He couldn’t get the image out of his mind, and if he didn’t take the edge off, there were going to be consequences. His dick was so hard it hurt, throbbed, demanded relief. His brain was want to agree. To touch her, taste her, fuck her, and to make her want him…

  He shook his head, trying to clear it, but the urges overwhelmed him. By the time she finished, his fists were tight at his sides, his teeth were gritted, and pre-cum soaked the front of his shorts. He spun around to face her, pulled her shorts the rest of the way off, and set her bare ass on the countertop next to the sink.

  “What are you doing?” she cried. “Please, don’t.”

  “Be quiet. Do what I say and I won’t hurt you.”

  “Please.”

  “Shut the fuck up.” He freed his aching dick and spread her legs so he had a great view of her pink slit. She closed her legs as soon as he let go of them. He growled and got in her face, his voice low and ominous when he said, “I have a thin thread of control. It’s about to snap. Let me see that sweet cunt if you don’t want this to get painful.”

  She gulped, moisture flooding her eyes, but this time when he spread her wide, she stayed that way. He grabbed his dick and stroked fast and hard, his eyes never leaving her pretty slit. He imagined he was thrusting into that sweet hole instead of his hand.

  He coated his hand with pre-cum and stroked faster. He moved in right between her legs, his cock so close to her slit, it’d be easy to slide right in. His balls pulled tight against his body, liquid fire rushing through his groin. “Fuck,” he bellowed. “Fuckin’ fuck.” Cum burst from the head of his dick, thick ropey jets shooting onto her pussy. The sight would be burned into his brain for eternity.

  Spent, he slumped forward, his forehead resting on her shoulder. Goddamn, he hadn’t come that hard in what seemed like forever. None of the porn he’d watched had revved him up as much as seeing her glistening cunt up close and personal.

  Coming back to reality, he noticed her breaths were harsh. He pushed away from her and saw her eyes were closed, her face strained. Jesus, he’d probably scared the shit out of her and disgusted her. Well, too bad. He hadn’t violated her the way he’d longed to. And she’d gotten herself into this mess and would just have to deal with the consequences.

  He washed his hands, pulled a wash cloth and towel from the closet and tossed them on the sink next to her before walking out and closing the door behind him. The window wasn’t big enough for an escape, and he needed a moment away from her. He’d damn sure bet she could use a minute to compose herself too.

  Chapter Four

  Gia’s eyes flew open when the door closed. She looked down at the mess between her legs and tried not to be affected by what had just happened. At first, she’d assumed the worst and she’d been terrified, horrified, disgusted. When she’d figured out his intention, she was still freaked out, but as he’d stroked himself while staring hungrily between her legs, her body had reacted against her brain’s will.

  How could her body betray her like that? Getting turned on by the maniac holding her captive for no good reason? And now her brain was betraying her by balking at the term “maniac.” If what he’d told her was true, it was hard to blame him for killing that man.

  She couldn’t imagine spending ten years in a prison cell. She knew without a doubt that she’d have lost her mind. Which made her contemplate him further. What kind of man had he been before the incident? Had he been kind, caring? Had prison changed him at his core? It would have to. If the movies got it even half right, he must’ve suffered horrors she couldn’t imagine. Maybe that’s why he’d done what he’d done. Maybe he’d had similar experiences. Maybe after ten years of such treatment, it was all he knew. Could he find peace? Be redeemed?

  It wasn’t an excuse for what he’d done to her, but in reality he hadn’t hurt her, hadn’t taken his advances as far as he could have.

  A knock sounded on the door, startling her out of her thoughts. “Just a second,” she said. She slid off the counter, ran the water and even though her hands were tied, she managed to clean herself up and pull her shorts back on.

  She cast her gaze downward when he opened the door. Saying she was embarrassed by what’d occurred, was a massive understatement. The fact that some part of her had been turned on by it was even more embarrassing, disturbing. She didn’t really want to think about what that said about her. He opened a small closet and pulled out a box of bandages and a clean cloth before stepping to her.

  “Does it still hurt?” he asked.

  She winced when he pulled the old bandage from her forehead then wet the cloth and dabbed at the cut. “Ow.”

  He inspected it a second and shrugged. “You’ll live.” He untied one of her hands and she was grateful for the reprieve, but he left the other tied then dumped a couple ibuprofen in her free hand. She popped them in her mouth and drank from the faucet to wash them down.

  His eyes burned when she licked water droplets from her lips, but he only grabbed the rope, tugged her along behind him to the bedroom, and secured the loose end to the bed post.

  “Get some sleep,” was all he said before walking out the door.

  She picked at the rope for what seemed like hours until giving into sleep. It’d been a helluva long day, and she’d need her strength for tomorrow.

  ****

  Gia groaned when Bane’s gruff voice woke her and reminded her of the predicament she was in. She kept her eyes closed, hoping he’d go away and leave her to sleep awhile longer because she wasn’t ready to deal with the craziness yet.

  “Ow!” Gia yelped as pain exploded in one of her ass cheeks. “What the hell?” She opened her eyes, shot him the shittiest glare she could manage, and then rubbed her stinging backside with her free hand.