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I quickly discard that notion. The syndrome takes a lot longer to kick in than an hour. Plus I wouldn’t be runningawayif—
My foot catches on something and I go sailing in the air. Light flashes in front of my eyes, pain slicing down behind my right eye. Ow.Ow. Oh my God. Dizziness blurs what little vision I have in the moonlight, and that is soon obscured by oozing, red moisture. Blood. Hearing impossibly heavy footfalls coming closer, I attempt to stand, but lose my balance and go downhard.
“Shit.”
Swiping at the blood trickling into my eye, I only see some of Carver break through the trees to my left, half clothed in unzipped pants he must have pulled on before giving chase. And the outraged bellow he lets out is probably heard clear in Russia. I clap my hands over my ears to avoid going deaf and watch him approach, unable to stop myself from marveling over his size. Somehow in the last five minutes, I’ve forgotten how massive he is, but there’s no ignoring it now. He blocks out the moon and the trees on either side ofhim.
I’m unprepared when he drops to his knees right next to me, the ground vibrating under the force. “You’re hurt.” He takes a shallow breath. “You were hurt while running away. Fromme.”
“This isn’t your fault,” I murmur, commanding my hands to remain down, even though they want to push his hair aside and smooth the lines from between his eyes. “Please, just…let me go. I’m fine. I’m just a littledizzy.”
“I wanted to rip off my skin when you were walking amongst those other males in clothes. You think I could let you walk back to that camp, naked and alone in the dark?” He scoops me into his arm and stands, as if I weigh nothing more than a fly. After staring down at me for a few beats, he begins to stride back in the cabin’s direction. “I forget you do not care whether or not I goinsane.”
“It’s not that I don’t care…” I whisper, before I can think better ofit.
“Silence.You fooled me once. It won’t happenagain.”
“Youfooledme,too.”
Carver stops on a dime. Impressive for someone the size of a small building. “How did I foolyou?”
My throat tightens and I’m horrified to realize I’m tearing up. “Pretending to put me in charge. Pretending I had an ounce of control overanything.” I deepen my voice in a pathetic attempt to mimic him. “Consider me your servant.” I cross my arms over my chest and hit him with a look designed to kill. “Liar.”
His chin jerks back like I punched him. “I don’tunderstand.”
“I told you it was hurting. I told you it was too much and you didn’t stop. You weren’t even listening.” When understanding dawns on his face, my chest starts to hurt even more. Not used to sharing emotions with other people, I turn my face and bury it in his meaty shoulder. “Thissucks.”
There’s some movement, and based on the sound of groaning wood, I think Carver has sat down on some poor tree stump, but I don’t look to be sure. Even from my position at his shoulder, I can hear his heart pounding fast and furious. The whole forest probably can. “You ran from me because…I lostcontrol.”
“Partly,” I mumble into his bulk. “Yes.”
A big, hesitant hand strokes down the back of my hair. “Partly?”
“I told you how much being free means to me, but you want to keep me as a prisoner. You disregarded what I want, just like you did when we were…when youwere…”
“Eating yourpussy.”
Heat kindles in my lady basement at those three gruff words. Remembering the way his gargantuan, ox-like shoulders flexed as he worked his mouth between my thighs makes me squirm in his hold. “More likeplundering.”
I hear him swallow a moan, feel the flesh between his legs rise and press against my back. “You cannot imagine what the taste of you does to me, princess,” he rasps. “It turned me into the beast you knew Iwas.”
“You’re not a beast,” I blurt, untucking my face from his shoulder to look him in the eye. “You’re unique. Protective and sweet.” Once again resisting the urge to push the hair out of his face, I shrug. “Unfortunately, you’re also kind of akidnapper.”
“How else would I make you come with me?” His jaw flexes, catching the moonlight. “You see how people react to me in public. Screaming and running for cover. I couldn’t exactly ask you out forcoffee.”
A giggle catches me offguard.
Carver looks perplexed by thesound.
“Relax. You just said somethingfunny.”
He frowns. “You kiss me, then run away from me. And now you’re laughing and smiling at me. I find this all veryconfusing.”
“You’re right. Women are confusing. You’re better off withoutme.”
“I cannot be without you.I cannot!” Animals scurry away in the leaves following his king-sized shout. “You will come home. I will not forget myselfagain.”
I try to sit up, but he squeezes me up againsthim.
