Page 101 of Roped

He isn’t wearing a shirt because he doesn’t wear one to bed, and that little fact makes me want to cry and jump for joy at the same time. Up until a few days ago, he wouldn’t let me see him bare-chested, and now he doesn’t even think about it. Meaning, whatever happens between us in the future, I’ve at least given him a safe space with me. Though I will say it’s not doing me any favors right now because I can clearly see the muscles of his back twitching. I can see them going tense, alerting me that already this isn’t off to a good start.

Plus, I didn’t say it right. I should’ve been clearer about what I meant. So when he turns around to face me, his features set to neutral, I pace my slamming heart and begin. “I… I know.”

“Know what?”

I squirm under his direct gaze. “That you aren’t making progress.”

At this, I detect a tiny bit of movement, his jaw clenching, and nerves swarm my belly like buzzing bees.

“I overheard you talking. On the phone.” Then I hasten to explain, “It wasn’t my intention to do that. I promise. But last night, I went to sleep before you because I was so… tired and something woke me up. Not completely, but… I heard you talking.”

Last night was the only night since we came together that I didn’t sing for him. And it was because he exhausted me. Truly. He worked me over hard, and when I say hard, I mean really hard. More than he did in the woods an hour ago. Usually when we have sex, he makes me come once or at the most twice, but then he lets me recuperate before starting something again. Last night, though, he wouldn’t let me rest. Not for hours. He ate me out until I was a shaking mess and gushed over his tongue; made me suck him off the hard way, while I was still coming down from the high, while playing with my fluttering pussy and giving me another hard orgasm after my first one. I thought that would be enough and we’d go to sleep for a bit. But even though he came down my throat, somehow he was still hard and hungry. He fucked my pussy and didn’t stop until I came not once but twice. At which point, I told him, begged him, to stop and let me breathe, to breathe himself, but his response was to go down on me and eat me again until I came for the fifth time in a row, becoming a writhing, sweaty, sensitive, and sore mess, and promptly passed out. Or I think I passed out, because the next thing I knew it was dark and he was talking on the phone in hushed tones.

It was only when he came back to bed after the call that I realized why he’d been so frantic with me. It was because he was tensed about the situation, about the lack of progress. Ever since we came to his family’s ranch and we decided to get close—or rather, I decided for him by jumping him before the storm—he’s been visibly relaxed. I knew we were still being hunted and his sister was still in danger, but even so, he wasn’t carrying the whole world on his shoulders. This place suited him, but after his call I realized it wasn’t all lust, his hunger for me, that made him go so hard at me. There was an undercurrent of something else, some edge, fear almost.

So basically, after all the effort, they still haven’t been able to pinpoint who could be behind all this. Arsen and Brecken haven’t been able to get any more clues because something is missing. Or so I heard him say. I also heard him say that time was running out. I didn’t need him to tell me, or them, that because I know time is running out. Whoever has Lynnie is not going to wait around forever for Radisson to give him what he wants: me. He’s going to retaliate and he’s going to do that soon. So today, I wanted to give him a little escape before I brought him back to real life and told him that missing piece is me.

“Anyway,” I continue, looking him in the eyes, “I think it’s time that you used me. As bait.”

“Bait.”

He repeats the word like he doesn’t understand the meaning of it, but I know he does. And I also know he didn’t like me using it. Still, I forge ahead: “Yes. This whole thing started because they wanted me. Me, not your sister. They took your sister because they wanted you to follow their orders. And no, we don’t know why they wanted you to do this, or why they want me, even. Maybe it has something to do with my father or maybe there’s more to the story; I don’t know. We could keep guessing and we could keep looking into things. But none of that is going to bring your sister back. Only I can do it. Me. So use me.”

I see the muscle in his cheek ticking and pulsing, but if I let myself think about it too much, I won’t be able to make my case, so I ignore it and continue, “I see why you’d be reluctant to use me. Like you did before, I mean. It’s because you don’t blame me for what my father did, not anymore. You told me that. So you don’t think it’s fair to put me in harm’s way. And after knowing you for all these weeks, I know you have strong morals and a strong set of principles. I appreciate that. But last time, you were able to make contact with him, right? You were able to get some information, so you could do the same now too. And the time’s running out. You said so yourself on the phone, and we’re still missing something. It’s me. I can be your missing piece. And look”—I thrust up my hands and shift on my feet to stop him before he can say something and derail my whole speech—“this time, I know I’m going to be bait. Which means, I’ll be alert. I won’t be scared. I’ll know you’re coming for me. And not only you, but the whole Grayson family, my brother too. You’re all working together now, aren’t you? They’re all helping you. You have backup. You could even, I don’t know, make me wear a wire or something. Or put like a, an AirTag on me…”

I throw my hands up, shaking my head. “I don’t know all the logistics of course. But the point is, you can figure it all out. This could be the best way. This may be the only way to end this, where everyone comes out safe.”

End this.

Which means this is over. This… thing between us. Living out here, going on rides, having picnics, and worrying over dead plants. Spending every second of every day together, in each other’s arms, touching, kissing, making love. It means that we go our separate ways. Something I’d been so afraid of that in the beginning, that’s all I wanted. To run away from him, to protect myself from him so I could have something left in me that was mine. Because I knew by the end of this, he’d take every piece of me. My heart, my body, my soul would be his. Bound and roped. And it would hurt.

It does, but that’s not the point right now. I could cry about it later. Right now, we need to bring his sister home, and this is our best shot.

“This ’cause you don’t trust me to get this done?” he rumbles in a very neutral tone, much like his features were when this began.

“What… No,” I say quickly, my hands fisting at my sides. “I do. I trust you. I trust you to keep me safe and get your sister back.”

He runs his eyes over my face before studying me from top to bottom. And something about the way he looks at me, as if from a distance, objectively, makes my heart go cold. Slowly, he brings his eyes back up to mine and asks, “Why?”

There’s a pit of dread slowly opening up in my stomach, but still, I ask, “Why, what?”

“Why do you want me to use you as bait?”

His question only widens the pit of fear and I answer, “You know why.”

He slowly shakes his head. “Not really, no.”

I don’t know why his questions are scaring me, but I continue, “Because I want you to get your sister back. That’s why.”

“Why?” he asks again.

“You—”

“Why do you want me to get my sister back?”

“Why do I want you to get your sister back?” I ask, afraid but also exasperated.

“Yeah, why?”