Page 37

Chapter 17

Captivity

Nick leads me to a small bathroom with a tiny shower. He’s behind me, and I scan his body through the mirror. He’s lean, nearly every muscle carved out with lines. The scar runs down his face and neck, extending down his chest and torso. Almost as if someone tried to blow him up but missed. He’s even more beautiful up close—like a piece of art.

He caresses my hair, pulling it into his fingers and easing it away from my face, nuzzling his mouth in the soft spot of my neck. I want to kiss him. He’s so sweet and gentle when he’s not being a prick. He tilts his head, so I can only see the innocent side of his face. From this angle, he’s just a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

I turn and face him, and as if mesmerized, I raise my hand and touch his cheek, running it down the side of his neck. He doesn’t like to be touched, so I move slowly, keeping my eyes burned into his, arching my brows softly, seeing if what I’m doing is okay. I’ve already seen all parts of him. I’ve kissed his mouth, experienced him in the most intimate way. I’ve memorized his haunted eyes as if they are etched right into my soul. Now I want to see the broken parts of him as well.

I run my finger over his scar down his chin and move it down his torso. He tenses, and it breaks my heart. “Tell me what happened to you.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” He captures his mouth into mine in the most intimate kiss ever. My heart melts, my body burning with desire. Slowly…ever so slowly, I’m falling for my captor.

I pull back from the kiss. “It does matter. It matters to me.”

His eyes glaze over, turning almost black. He then drags me close, positioning my head right over his heart. With his hand cupping the back of my neck, he pulls my head back, his teeth grazing my throat. “What are you doing to me, wildling? I should be slitting this pretty little throat, not fucking it.” A throb aches between my thighs.

This wasn’t part of his well-thought-out plan…Nothing about us makes sense. I’m certainly not supposed to be here…in his home in the middle of nowhere. Yet somehow, this is exactly where I belong.

As he pulls down my sweats, my lips part. Once they fall to the ground, he lifts my arms, removing my shirt, and then reaches over to turn on the hot water in the shower. He takes his time, ensuring the temperature is just right before turning to leave.

“I’ll have food ready soon, don’t be too long, baby.”

My stomach does somersaults. He’s feeding me, fucking me, making me crave him. Was this his plan all along?

I turn and look in the mirror, seeing myself for the first time in days? Or weeks? My hair is nothing but a sweaty, dirty knot on my head, but my face and skin are glowing. A pink hue, glowing in the dim light. I let out a deep sigh…What am I doing?

Instead of trying to escape, I’m about to wash myself so I look pretty for dinner.

I stick my tongue between my teeth and wince as I turn and check out my backside. It’s still red and raw—a handprint covers the entirety of one cheek. It’s his way of marking me, yet I can’t help but admire it.

Time is slipping away. The longer I’m gone, the less people will look for me. I know how this goes. I’ll become nothing more than a cold case. A forgotten face on a milk carton.

I step inside the hot shower, wash my hair and skin, taking as damn well long as I want. When I’m done, I gather my wet hair and put it in a loose braid, fretting to make sure I look appealing. I have truly lost my damn mind…Why do I care what this man thinks of me? There is no way I can stay here with him. I can’t possibly be considering it…

I make my way into the main room. Nick’s cooking in the kitchen with his back to me and a dishcloth strung over his shoulder. I nearly lose my breath as I admire his toned physique and how comfortable he seems in the kitchen. How his muscles flex and he doesn’t even try.

A small radio in the corner plays soft music. Though I try to be quiet and observe the situation before anyone notices me, Frank hears me right away.

“Natalie…get over here.”

Nick tilts his head, a slight bristling in his body, though he doesn’t turn from the stove where he’s cooking. I saunter over to sit beside Frank, unsure of what to say or do. He reaches under the small side table and brings out a chessboard.

He looks just behind me, never quite at me, yet he seems acutely aware of my presence. “Play chess with me, sweetheart.”

Nick finally turns and watches us, his arms folded with a cloth over his shoulder, his face is a dark, emotionless pit, which causes my hands to tremble. Natalie sets him off, triggering him into the darker version of himself.

“I…I don’t know how to play,” I admit.

Frank squishes his brows together. “Of course you do. You beat me every time. You used to beat that shithead of a brother of yours too before he died.”

My heart skips a beat…and blood rushes from my face. I glance up at Nick, who doesn’t move. His entire body is tense now.

Does he not realize that Nick is standing ten feet away from him?

I’d rather not ask.

I swallow hard and try to remember one rule about chess and move one pawn up a square. Frank immediately moves one of his pawns forward, mirroring my move. I’m taken aback at how precise his movements are without even looking at the board. Nick is completely focused on me now. He smiles as sweat drips down my forehead.