Chapter 5 Maxim
MAXIM
Iwatch Grace’s feeble attempt to escape on the security screen. Seriously, did she not think this villa would have security cameras or a state-of-the-art security system? We’re the bad guys.
When the alarm went off on my phone while in the shower, my first thought was who the fuck is coming into my sanctuary and then I remembered her.
As I got out of the shower to check it out, what I saw wasn’t at all what I expected.
The vision of Grace climbing down her balcony in nothing but my t-shirt, the fabric riding up her tanned thigh, looking like a modern-day Juliette made me chuckle.
I like that she has spunk even after detoxing.
She must be feeling much better if she is thinking of escaping.
It's a pretty good plan, even though it’s worthless. I let her go for the moment, content to watch her from my phone while I get dressed and head down to the stables.
Sergei called, alerted to our escapee, and I told him to let her go, let her have a tiny taste of freedom because she would soon realize there’s no escape. He thinks I’m cruel.
On my phone screen, Grace is a red moving dot on the map of the estate.
I switch the screen to live view and watch as she runs through the vines, her blonde head popping up every so often to see where she is.
I don’t think she realizes how far my estate runs.
There are about five kilometers till you reach the road, plus her feet are bare, they must be hurting from all the sticks and stones digging into her soft skin.
I saddle up my favorite horse, a beautiful black stallion called Nero, and jump on. I follow the dot on the map that is Grace and make my way through the vines. Nero is used to us traveling through them and knows exactly where to put his hooves so he doesn’t trip.
Grace takes a sharp left and starts heading away from the road. She has no idea how close to freedom she is. I’m getting nearer, but it looks like she’s stopped. Maybe she can hear my horse’s hooves and is trying to work out her next move.
I slow Nero down, and we move through the vines quietly. I dismount only a couple of rows over from her. I creep through the vines and see she’s hiding behind a large tree, panting, her head turning from left to right. She knows I’m close but doesn’t know exactly where.
I move easily through the foliage until I tackle her.
She kicks and screams.
This time I’ve anticipated that, and her legs and arms are the first things I lock down, pinning them to the dirt.
She’s screaming obscenities while my weight presses down on her.
“Did you think it was going to be that easy?” I whisper.
She tries to head butt me but misses.
“I bet it must be nice to be clear-headed again.”
“Fuck you!” she screams, trying to buck me off.
“Keep moving like that and I might.”
She stills. “You said you wouldn’t touch me.” Her voice cracks.
“And I won’t unless you want me to.” A slight shiver courses through her. Interesting.
“I wouldn’t want to touch you if you were the last man on earth.
You disgust me.”
I chuckle. “Yet I saw the way you were checking me out while I
was swimming, the way your eyes scanned my body hungrily.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Sweetheart, people on the moon could fucking see it.”
She bucks again, but it’s useless, I have her locked down tightly.
“For future reference, this whole estate is under twenty-four-hour security. Every inch of this place has cameras.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“So you know you can try to escape again, but you will fail. I
get an alert on my phone of movement. Which showed me the vision of you running through my vines. I even had your location within seconds.”
“I would have escaped.”
This makes me laugh again. “No, you wouldn’t. One, you were moving in the wrong direction to the road, and two, I knew where you were the whole time. I wanted to make you feel like you had a chance.”
“Fuck off, I will escape, no place is one hundred percent secure.”
“True, but no one has escaped from my villa, even though many have tried.”
“Who are you?”
“I was going to explain everything over a nice dinner, but now you’ve fucked me off by trying to escape. After everything Sergei and I have done for you.”
“What, by kidnapping me?” she bites back.
“Semantics. I could have let you rot in the fucking cellar, but I didn’t. We looked after you, made sure you didn’t choke and die on your own vomit while you purged your demons.”
Grace relaxes a little. “I told you I was thankful.”
“Yeah, by trying to escape.”
“Any sane person would when they’re being kept against their will.”
“I’ll give you that. But still, I did something nice for you. Does that not mean anything?”
“No, not when you’re holding me captive.”
I stay silent on this matter because she’s right. I get off her and stand up, holding out my hand for her. “Come, you must be famished after this adventure.”
She lets out a deep sigh and turns over.
The white T-shirt is covered in dirt, and her hair has sticks in it.
She takes my hand, and tiny sparks sizzle between us.
We both feel it, and each of us frowns at the other.
What the fuck was that. While I’m distracted by the sensation, Grace flips me over and has me on the ground.
Shit.
She took my breath out with that move. I see her legs run away from me.
Shaking my head, I jump up and head after her. It doesn’t take me long to grab her again, crash-tackling her further up in the vines. This time we are chest to chest.
“Would you stop escaping?” I growl at her.
“Never,” she spits back, her jade eyes glittering with determination.
“I’ll never stop hunting you then.”
Our breathing becomes heavy, and my body starts to appreciate the beautiful woman beneath me. Our eyes meet, and neither one of us can turn away.
“Fine, I’ll have dinner with you.”
She surprises me with her answer, not that I let it show.
“Good, now have you finished escaping for the day?”
She nods. “For today, yes.”
“Well, I look forward to chasing you again next time.”
Her teeth sink into her plump lower lip.
I’m tempted to lean forward and taste it, but I promised I wouldn’t touch her, and as much as I thought that promise would be easy to keep, at this very moment, feeling her softness underneath me, I’m not quite sure.