Wyatt-1(Lane Brothers, Book 1)(7)
She ignores it all and shoves her nose in the air, but I feel her vibes and see the fear she’s trying to hide when the pulse in her neck starts pounding.
“Here.”
I use my fork and spear a bite of her cake, even licking the tines clean to show her that I haven’t drugged or poisoned it.
“See? Just good old chocolate cake, baby. Eat up, you do not wanna miss Ma’s baking. The woman has a gift.”
That comment gets me the slightest lip twitch before she picks up her fork and takes a miniscule taste. Her moan, even though she tries to cut it off, goes straight to my groin, and I make a note of every sigh, sound, and facial expression when the flavor hits her tongue and she all but attacks the cake.
Good girl.
“Is your mother Ina Garten?” she asks, and my heart tries to burst at that little show of give.
Now I know it’s not much, but her talking voluntarily to me is a big step because Ellie doesn’t do that with anyone, and I reckon her doing it with some guy who kidnapped her shows just how much my patience is paying off.
“Nah, but I bet she’s probably better. This cake was a quick deal. You’ll get to taste better later. You want to watch some TV or something?”
I see it’s too soon when her shoulders tense and that dead expression falls back over her eyes.
“Why?”
I know what she’s asking, and I could probably sidestep the whole issue and mess with her a little, but my baby is too fragile right now. I get right to the point.
“I saw you, I wanted you, and now I have you. Simple. Now don’t get mad, baby, I did try to talk to you once, do this the right way, but you shut me down. So I had to watch and plan to get your attention.”
“You…you watched me?”
Don’t be scared, I was just watching over you, baby.
“Yup, and you know what I saw? I saw a beautiful woman trying to cut herself off from life. I can’t have that, not when I know you used to be a fucking star before. Don’t start yelling. Like I said, I’m not gonna hurt you, and all I want is some time to prove that. Now, TV or a board game?”
A shrug is all I get but I can deal. At least she never once tried to stab me with the fork I gave her. To me, her passing that little test is progress. I can work with that.
Chapter Three
Ellie
This dude is straight-up nuts, that’s all I can think as he sits on his side of the sofa laughing his ass off at some dubbed karate movie that I haven’t followed a minute of.
How can I when my nerves are strung taught and my heart is still trying to beat its way out of my chest? But when another ten minutes pass without him so much as looking my way, I feel myself relax into the armrest I’m leaning against.
With my stomach full of the best food and cake I’ve had in years, and my mind clear of all the drugs he pumped into me, I’m in my zone and clearheaded enough to actually stop and think.
That’s when it all hits me. He hasn’t touched me in any way, he’s feeding me as opposed to starving me like that ass Bolton had, and he’s gone so far as to have his mom bake me a cake.
That’s weird as hell, I have to admit, but it gives him an air of safeness that I’m struggling against.
If his mother’s sending me dessert, she must know about me in some sense, and that means he’s lied to her or they’re all a bunch of lunatics.
The movie lasts another half hour or so, and I have to stop a smile when he starts ad-libbing in an accent.
When it ends, he stands with a groan and stretches. Instead of being afraid of all that muscle and strength, I just sit and gape when I catch a peek of his abs.
Once upon a time I would have been into this guy. I mean, I’ve never been that girl who only cares about looks. After all, my favorite of the two boyfriends I’ve had was not easy on the eyes, but damn was Dev smart and his sense of humor just did it for me.
Too bad even plain guys expect sex, and at eighteen, that was not on the table. Tav was good, too—athletic, a little dim, but nice all the same. I loved spending time with him, but when there were no sparks that night he tried to get in my pants, the relationship fizzled.
I always end up with the nice guys, but damn are the bad boys attractive, and this guy is no slouch in any of those departments. Too bad I’m not me anymore, and he’s my kidnapper.
And I’m damaged beyond repair.
“You ready for bed, baby?” he asks after a few minutes of stretching and giving me a show.
I practically have to roll my tongue back into my mouth to swallow past the lump of fear in my throat. Does he plan to sleep with me?
Oh hell no! As it is, I’ll be lucky if my eyes let me blink, never mind sleep, and he wants me to lie beside him in a bed without having nightmares about him going all serial-killing, ax murderer on me!