“Who says I have a key?” he teases.
“Of course you do! Who owns cuffs without a key?”
Chris shrugs and I watch the sweat rolling down his bronzed neck. “You keep calling me a ‘perv’ and a ‘weirdo.’ Maybe I’m a pervy weirdo with no key.”
“Fine!” I snap.
I drop to my knees and his grin broadens. “While you’re down there…”
“W-what?” I gulp hard as I stare at his groin.
What the hell?
Does he have a newspaper stuffed down there? I stop breathing when he grabs the waistband.
“What are you doing?”
“Watching you look for a key.” I gaze up at him and now he looks like a giant. A bead of sweat rolls from under his shorts, trickling down his mammoth thighs. “Have you checked the box?”
Half relieved and half gutted he didn’t just go pull down his shorts, I crawl over to the box and reach inside.
“What the hell is this?” I pull out the weird-looking dog toy with straps attached on either side.
Oh my God. There’s awhip in here too!
“Is this like equipment?” Now he’s laughing. “Paraphernalia? For…you know.”
“Yup,” he says, nodding at the thing in my hand. “That’s a ball gag. I use it for…” He winks. “You know.”
“Eww! That’s so gross!” I shout, but the thoughts rushing through my head suggest the opposite. Tossing it back into the box, I stand up and open my hand. “Give me the key, now!”
“Maybe you should wear the ball gag,” he says.
My whole body shudders, and I think he noticed. “Why would I do that?”
“Because maybe then I wouldn’t have to keep listening to your constant whining. Twice in two days I’ve saved your ass and all you do is moan.”
“Whatever, Private Collins. I…” Chris grabs and lifts my cuffed hand, walking me backward until it’s pinned to the wall above my head. “What are you doing? Let me go!”
The heat of his breath warms my cheeks. “I will. But you and I are going to set some ground rules first. Are you going to listen like a good little girl, or am I going to have to keep you cuffed up all day?”
My heart is banging against my Minnie Mouse T-shirt as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key. He gently places the point against my wrist, slowly tracing all the way down my arm.
I shiver and murmur when it grazes my armpit, then he rolls it along my jawline.
“There’s a lot scarier shit out there, kiddo. You just haven’t been out in the real world long enough to notice it. So, rule number one is when I tell you I’m here to protect you…you reallyneed to listen to everything I say.”
I try to reply, but it comes out as air when the key tickles my lips.
“What was that?” he whispers.
“I can take care of myself,” I stammer. “I don’t need…”
I stop talking when Chris places a soft finger to my mouth.
“Rule number two, no talking back.” I gasp when he rolls the key down to the neck of my T-shirt. “And rule number three is…” He presses his lips to my ear. “Don’t start games you’re not ready to play.”
My body arches and a moan escapes my lips when he rolls the key between my breasts. I’m not wearing a bra, so I’m guessing his wide grin means he just noticed my hardening nipples are pressing against my shirt.
I’ve never been so desperate to be touched before. Every cell inside me aches for Chris Collins.
Grazing his mouth against my cheek, his lips part in front of mine and I close my eyes. I’ll deal with the awkwardness later. I really need him to throw me down onto that bed and…
Hearing a click, I open my eyes to find Chris unlocking the handcuff.
“So what are your plans today, kiddo?”
I yank my hand down and march to the open door. “My plans are none of your concern. You might want to check out the law in this country. Our constitution gives us a thing calledprivacy.”
“Sounds like talking back to me.” Chris strides at me and I jump out of his way as he steps into the hallway. “And you can have your privacy until sunset, kiddo.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I snap, following him down the stairs.
Why am I always chasing after this guy? He’s so damn annoying!
“Hey!” I shout as he enters the kitchen and grabs a carton of milk. “I asked you a question.”
“Sorry. Thought someone was strangling a cat…” I glance around the ridiculously clean kitchen. “And it means you have a curfew. Just be home by sunset and we’re fine. If you’re not, I’ll come looking for you. Simple.”
Yeah. That’s not happening.
“Why is the house so tidy?” I ask.
“Didn’t your dad tell you about the cleaning fairies?” he says, pouring a glass of milk. “They come at night and clean up messy parties.”
Glancing through to the dining room, I have visions of him pouring Macallan over the two most popular girls in school.
“Nice work with Greek Life,” I mumble.
He frowns. “What?”
“Greek Life. They’re all voting for me.”
Chris leans over the back of a chair. “Care to explain what in God’s name you’re talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb with me,” I say. “I know you either threatened everyone to vote for me or you paid them.”
He sighs heavily. “And when exactly would I have done that?”
“This morning.”
He rolls his eyes. “So you think I got up, visited all your classmates and threatened them into voting for you? Do you know how crazy that sounds? College kids aren’t known for their early rising, kiddo…”
“That’s not true.”
“Sorry,” Chris says, downing his milk. “You’re right. It’s midday. Nice pj’s…”
“So why would they do it?” I ask.
His eyes fall to my chest and then he looks away. “I don’t know. But here’s a crazy thought. Maybe they actuallylike you?”
Walking backward to the hallway, I can’t take my eyes off the way his white shorts cling to his toned ass.
“Please tell me the truth,” I say, leaning against the door. “Why did you make all those people vote for me?”
Chris turns his head and glances at my chest again. “You want the truth? Fine…”
THIRTEEN
Chris
“I
‘m cooking pasta for dinner. Do you want some?” I shout through Harper’s closed bedroom door.
Silence.
“Come on, kiddo. You can’t keep ignoring me.” I grab the handle. “We can at least try to keep things civil until your dad comes home. We’re both…”
I stop talking when I stare into her empty room, and my eyes fall to the black panties and bra on her bed. Blood rushes to my groin, so I step back and close the door.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I couldn’t even count the amount of times I’ve seen women’s lingerie, but there’s something about Harper that hits differently.
“Sort your fucking head out,” I mutter, heading downstairs to the kitchen.
Harper hasn’t spoken a word to me in three days.
She stays in her room until I leave the house in the morning, and she’s back in her room by the time I come home. The only time I see her is when she grabs some leftovers from the fridge.
At least she’s sticking to her sunset curfew, but the stubborn girl won’t believe that I had nothing to do with this Greek Life thing. It’s the truth.
I’d never even heard of it until that vile Christina girl mentioned it at the party. Harper just refuses to even entertain the idea that the people who voted might actuallylike her.
Stirring the tomato sauce in the saucepan, I wonder how much Mark’s lack of input in her life has affected his daughter’s self-esteem.
“He’s the definition of ‘absent father,’” I mumble, sprinkling a dash of pepper into the sauce.
My phone rings, so I grab it from the counter.
Speak of the devil…
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.