Chapter 5
Mia
HE RETURNED WITH BANDAGES, a first aid kit, and a look of remorse. Jameson Knight was only supposed to be the drop-dead gorgeous dad who never talked to me but who I got to stare at from afar every day.
He was not supposed to be a man I had to live with. A man who drugged me, locked me in a room, and then offered to take care of me.
“Let me see your wrist,” he said like I was just supposed to listen.
“Where’s my phone?” I’d tried to leave the room but found the door locked after Jameson left. So, I rummaged in my purse, trying to keep calm, ready to make my own calls and maybe even book a taxi out of here, but my credit cards and cell had been taken.
That’s when I had to start breathing exercises to calm down.
“I’ll replace the phone. We don’t need anyone tracking your location.” When a man offered an explanation so readily, I knew it wasn’t real. “Now, wrist.”
“You locked me in this room.”
“Mia … it’s for your own protection while—”
“Don’t ever do it again,” I blurted out, my breathing starting to get erratic again.
“Interesting that you think I’ll take on your demands.” And truly I think he was somewhat puzzled by it, like he wasn’t used to grown women telling him anything. His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head. “Tell me why you don’t like being held against your will.”
No, really? “Does anyone?” If he thought I was going to confide in him, he was grossly mistaken. My response was normal, or at least much better than it would have been three years ago.
“You’re especially opposed to it,” he pointed out, way more perceptive than I wanted him to be. “So much so that you’ll stupidly hurt yourself. Why?”
Stupidly? Did he hear himself? “It’s not stupid.
You could have killed me. It was self-defense.
And I’m opposed to being held against my will, like any woman should be, because a man who thought he had power over me tried to exert it by locking me in a room the same way you did.
” I was breathing hard, not realizing how much I’d disclosed until after I finished my sentence.
I shut my eyes, irritated with myself. What Jameson had done was not exactly the same. He hadn’t taken advantage of me. He hadn’t built my trust from childhood to adulthood and then preyed upon it in a locker room as my coach had back in college.
No one had taken advantage of me like that since then.
And I would make sure no one ever would again.
“Who?” Jameson demanded quietly, and when I opened my eyes to meet his, that blue color was dark and cold in some sort of restrained anger.
“Well … that’s not really important.” I frowned, shaking my head.
He cracked a tattooed knuckle as he walked over. “I want a name.”
He also probably wanted the whole story, but too bad. A growl bubbled up from inside me. “None of your business.”
The glare that he shot my way was lethal. My heart jumped in my throat, but I reminded myself I’d already be dead if he wanted me to be. Something stopped the man from actually hurting me, most likely Franny. “Most everything in my house is my business.”
“Not me.” I couldn’t keep from snapping at him to save my life, so I was happy my relationship with Franny was doing that for me.
In my defense, this wasn’t exactly a teacher-parent relationship where I was to show him respect.
And it was clear from my last year in academia that I didn’t have much respect for parents overall anyway.
Not after I found out that Maisy’s dad had hired the same coach and that he wouldn’t believe her claims. “Just leave the first aid kit and the door open on your way out.”
He let out a long sigh. “Don’t be difficult, Mia. It’s your right wrist. Fixing a bandage with your nondominant hand is going to be annoying.”
“I could be left-handed.”
He rolled his eyes at me. “You’re not.”
“Well, I’m more than capable.” I lifted my chin even though I was sitting on the plush bed and had cradled my wrist into my lap. Knowing my luck, at this point, it was probably broken.
“I didn’t ask if you were capable, Mia.” His tone suddenly was as crisp as the sound of a whip as he walked over and sat down right against my body, his side touching mine like we didn’t need any personal space whatsoever.
I couldn’t hold in my gasp at feeling him so close, but he ignored it to softly grip my forearm, looking at the damage.
He hummed and frowned at the dark spots under my skin. I’d gone a little overboard trying to get free from the bedpost.
“It’s not broken. Might be lightly sprained, though.” He waited a beat. “And bruised because of your outburst.”
“Oh, like you’d know,” I snapped. Frustration bubbled inside my veins at my lack of control with him.
“My daughter wasn’t lying when she said I was a doctor. So, yes, I would know.” He slid his hand into my palm and then threaded his fingers through mine enough that he could move my wrist with his up and down. “Movement is fine. No pain?”
“Not much,” I whispered, staring at our hands. His were so massive, they dwarfed mine enough that I knew with just a little pressure he could probably snap my fingers quite easily. It should have sent fear through my body, but instead it sent heat between my thighs.
What was wrong with me? Of course he was good looking, and his hands felt strong enough that I’d have enjoyed them in a completely different context. This feeling, though—after he’d handcuffed me to a bed against my will—was totally wrong.
He smoothed a thumb over a darkened spot, softly. “No fast movements. It’s definitely swollen after what you did to it.”
“Or what you did to it since they were your cuffs.” I glanced over at them still hanging from the bed.
He appeared inquisitive as his gaze swept over me. “What is it you really want here? Would a ‘sorry’ curb your attitude?”
I snatched my hand away to cradle my wrist in my lap again. “This is hardly an attitude.”
“Really?” Did the corner of his mouth twitch as he asked that? “So you’re holding back the attitude?”
Narrowing my eyes, I tried to figure him out while he did the same with me.
Did he also feel the electricity building as he continued that slow rub on my skin, or was he just one to subconsciously touch a woman?
“Obviously, I’m holding back.” It was a lie.
I wasn’t one to snap and stand up for myself … until provoked.
“I’m inclined to believe that even though my men said you were a darling to work with. A darling of the school, actually.”
“It’s just a punch line because of my last name. That’s all.”
“I don’t think so, darling Mia. I think you’ve been nice to all of them but me.”
“You want kindness after all this?” I shouldn’t have asked the question, but words seemed to tumble from my lips as he watched me, as he talked to me like he had every right to even though he was practically holding me hostage.
His lips thinned. “Let me clean up that cut as an apology.”
“I said I can do this myself. You don’t listen well, do you?”
“No need to when you’re in my house. While you’re here, I will make the demands.”
“I’m not here for you.” I shook my head at him. “I’m here for your daughter … and only until she feels more secure.”
“No. Until I say so. Your safety is at risk also.”
His control grated on my every nerve. It took everything in me to be professional, but his efficient attitude felt dismissive. “I’m not concerned.”
“I am,” he threw back. His gaze flicked to me, sharp with irritation.
I looked toward the ceiling. “I should have never decided to accept this position.”
“Probably true.” He shrugged like it was the most obvious answer in the world. He pointed to my wrist. “This isn’t a difficult decision though. Just let me clean your wrist.”
I sighed and conceded by extending my arm for him to take into his hand as I murmured, “Honestly, the job wasn’t supposed to be difficult either.”
“It’s just June to September, Mia. The academy’s living quarters weren’t much different from here.
You’ll even have access to most of Paradise Grove—to a whole town full of amenities for you to take advantage of.
” He waved a hand behind him. From the high ceilings to the comfortable bed and overly sturdy headboard, I could tell the rest of the house would be extravagant.
“We moved in here a couple years ago from down the block for more space. So you’ll have ample room here too. ”
“Well, I have family and friends …” I felt my control of the situation slipping and his grip tightening on it instead. The rush of blood through my veins was thick and heavy, moving to my heart that beat so loudly, I wondered if he could hear it.
“I’m sure they expected you to be gone for the summer when you accepted this position, no?”
“Yes, the job with a simple application and extremely good benefits … which I’m going to continue to get as long as I’m here?
” I asked him because that salary was going to tide me over from going back to the town I didn’t belong in anymore.
I needed this position after what happened with Maisy’s dad, especially considering my sister said she’d heard about me attacking a parent from the grocery clerk in town.
“Guess the Darlings aren’t so darling with that one” was supposedly the phrase she’d used.
Which was quite unfair. I’d been held back by the principal and hadn’t even scratched the smug look off the face of the father who was willing to put his daughter at risk just for a sport.
So, I stood by the fact that he deserved it, but I also knew I had to fight for this job because no public school was going to have me back … not after I told the principal I wouldn’t be apologizing.
“You think you should?” Mr. Knight raised an eyebrow as he brought a wrapper to his lips to tear with his perfect teeth before pulling the alcohol wipe from it.
I watched in fascination how he maneuvered the wrapper quickly to the first aid kit and then unfolded the wipe with one hand like he’d done this a million times.