8. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Cassidy
I’m furious.
Seething, actually.
But still, my body betrays me. Arousal floods my system when I think about him peering down at me with that mask, shoving his cock in my mouth.
My pussy throbs with how he just opened my legs, teased me and walked off without finishing the job.
I need him to fuck me, to fuck me until this sin is out of my system and then I can find a way to escape him.
Just once.
I only need once.
So, I put myself on display, knowing he’s out there somewhere, watching me. And it works. He slams open the front door with a bang and stalks towards me. I don’t turn; I don’t stop. I keep touching myself, watching as his figure gets closer and closer, looming behind me in the window.
Any second now, he’ll grab me, force me to finish what I’m doing on his cock. Instead, he stops, hovering over me, so close I can feel the heat of him on my back. My fingers don’t stop. They keep pumping and rubbing and teasing until—
Until his hand wraps around my wrist.
My breath catches as he pulls my hand away from myself, bringing it up to eye level. He’s not wearing the mask, but the look in his eyes is enough to warn me that this is dangerous territory. His grip tightens painfully around my wrist, and those lips of his pull back into a sneer.
“Who told you to touch yourself?”
Those words rumble out of him like thunder.
I yank at my wrist, trying to free myself. “If you’re going to do it, just do it,” I snap, hating how desperate I sound.
He jerks hard on my arm, flipping me around so my tits press up against his chest. “Is that an order?” His mouth is everywhere, my neck, my jaw, and that stupid neediness in me whines for him to go lower.
“Yes,” I hiss.
“Not good enough.” A single sharp movement sends me sprawling to the floor.
“Fuck you,” I spit.
He’s on top of me before the words even finish leaving my mouth, pinning both arms above my head with one hand. “Oh no,” he murmurs wickedly as his other hand moves between my legs again. “You don’t get to come until you beg.”
His fingers slide in, forcing a moan out of me despite wanting to stay silent. My pride fights against the urge to give him what he wants, but my body is a traitor, bucking against his touch with every slick stroke. I twist beneath him, trying to get free, but it only makes my need fiercer.
He lets out a low laugh, the sound vibrating through me like an electric current. “Stubborn girl.”
I thrash again, helpless against the pressure building inside me. “I’m not—”
The words dissolve into a gasp as he pushes deeper. My mind fractures between anger and lust, and I hate how much I want him to break me all the way.
“Say it,” he demands, his movements stopping just short of bringing me to orgasm.
My breathing is ragged now, each inhale a struggle against his weight and my own resistance. I bite down on my lip hard enough to taste blood. Maybe if I hold out a few seconds longer, I’ll—
But then his fingers press harder, coaxing fire under my skin, and the last of my resolve snaps.
“Please!” I hear myself cry out.
His hand stills again immediately.
I can feel him smiling against my cheek. “That’s better,” he says softly, almost sweetly.
For a moment that stretches unbearably long, he just stays there, making me stew in humiliation and unbearable want. Then slowly, infuriatingly slowly, he starts fingering me again. His thumb pushing against my clit as his fingers hit that spot.
“Yes,” I gasp as sensation takes over everything else.
“Yes?” He taunts with mock innocence. “Yes what?”
“Yes! Please! Let me come!” The words spill out of me before I can think twice.
He pauses, pulling his hand away and pushing my knees apart, settling between them. His dark eyes meet mine and the depths of his desire for me steals my breath. His lips curl into a slow smile as he moves forward, his tongue grazing my clit.
The touch is feather-light, a promise and a threat, and suddenly I can’t remember how to breathe. “Beg harder, Cassidy,” he says, his voice vibrating against me, making every nerve draw tight.
His mouth inches closer, then pulls away again, my hips trying to follow, my hands falling through his hair as I try grab it.
“Please!” I gasp again, my pride gone, my body a desperate traitor. “I don’t know what the fuck else to say. I need you to fuck me until I come.”
Then his mouth is on me, hot and relentless. He’s merciless, ramping the pressure until it’s unbearable. The coil inside me snaps and I scream, my entire world narrowing to this single shattering instant.
It’s too much and not enough and everything all at once. I’m dimly aware of his grip anchoring me as I tremble and come undone beneath him. Before I can ride out the last wave, his cock is slipping through my folds, pushing inside me.
I cry out again. He’s big and thick and he is relentless, not giving me a moment to come down before he’s thrusting in and out of me like a mad man.
Noah’s voice is a low growl as he pistons in and out, tearing away the last shred of self-control. “Fuck, you feel good. So perfect.”
He moves in deep, hard thrusts that won’t let up. My body is ready to give up, but the throbbing is building again, every thought lost to the friction and heat. I arch against him, pulling him deeper, the way he pounds into me making everything inside unravel. I’m wrecked and trembling and needing more with every stroke.
Something breaks loose again. Another orgasm slams into me, making my legs shake as he fucks me through it. My muscles clamp tight around him, and he groans my name like it’s the only word he knows.
He doesn’t stop, not even as I shudder around him. He drives into me again and again, until I feel him stiffen, gasping against my neck as he comes with brutal force.
For a moment neither of us breathes. Then he's pulling out and collapsing beside me on the floor, both of us slick with sweat and need finally spent.
The room spins slowly back into focus. The enormity of it hits me in fragments: my shredded dignity, Noah’s hunger burning through his calm facade, the terrifying thrill of being completely possessed.
I should leave right now before this goes any further off the rails. Before he pulls me under for good.
But I can’t move. I can barely remember why I wanted to.
Noah’s hand brushes hair from my face, tucks it behind my ear with unexpected tenderness that makes me ache worse than anything that came before it.
“You’re thinking too much,” he says quietly.
“Maybe you’re not thinking enough.”
“I’m thinking just the right amount. You committed the cardinal sin, Cassidy. There’s no going back. You’re mine now. Body, mind and soul,” he murmurs against my collarbone, his voice smug with satisfaction.
The floor creaks as he shifts onto his side, one elbow propping his head while I struggle to regain composure. My heart still thunders like it's trying to escape this cabin and run into the forest where none of this can reach it.
His fingers brush a stray strand of hair from my face. “How do you feel?” It’s tender. Intimate. If I’d have been here of my own volition, I would have called it sweet.
But I wasn’t. And not even the mind-blowing sex we just had can make me forget that he basically kidnapped me. It almost did, but then I remember… I have nothing that’s mine here. It’s all just… him. It’s all-consuming.
He’s watching me, those dark brown eyes hooded but alert, like he's gauging if I'll bolt or surrender.
“I hate you,” I whisper.
He chuckles low in his throat. “I’ll take that as a ‘more than satisfied.’”
My mouth opens to fire back, but there’s no retort ready. Just this gnawing, infuriating awareness that he’s right. That somewhere in the depths of my twisted psyche, I wanted him to catch me. To force me down and fuck me. To claim me. I wanted all of this.
He stands, pulling me to me feet before scooping me up and carrying me to his bed. He lays me down with infinite gentleness before getting in behind me.
Noah pulls me closer, his warmth wrapping around me in an embrace I’m too exhausted to fight. The cabin walls creak softly, like even they’re settling into a resigned acceptance of what’s happened here.
“We should get some sleep,” he says, and when I don’t respond, he adds, “You’ll need the energy for tomorrow.”
Tomorrow. The word hangs between us like a question mark. What new line will we cross then?
“Why? What’s tomorrow?” I ask, silently chastising myself for my curiosity when damn-it, I want to hate him.
“That mountain climb I told you I’d take you on.”
“Ever the outdoorsman,” I say dryly, trying to muster some control with sarcasm since everything else has failed.
He smiles against my skin, smug certainty radiating from every pore. “And you’re my favorite adventure.”
I wish I didn’t feel the thrill ignite at his words. Wish I could deny that a part of me—the part I've been running from—wants to let him drag me deeper into his wild obsession. I’m trying so hard to push him away, to make him leave me be, when the reality is, I feel safe, even when logically I shouldn’t.
Exhaustion wins and my eyes drift shut, heart still pounding out its wild rhythm as he kisses my back.
It’s the clamor of wildlife chirping outside that wakes me, the sun barely brushing the horizon through fogged cabin windows. Noah's already up, rummaging through gear with efficiency born of too many mornings like this one.
I sit up slowly, muscles protesting after yesterday's chaos on the trail and last night's...everything. He looks over, a wolfish grin on his face.
“Made you coffee, sunshine, you ready to go?”
I look at him like he has three heads. “The fuck? No, Noah, I’m not ready to go, unless by ready to go you mean back to the lodge where I can eat some real food, sleep in a real bed, and then go home to my real house.”
“We both know you're not going anywhere.” He says it like a statement of fact, no malice, just unshakeable certainty. “But I promise you'll eat well, and I'll make sure you're not too sore from how much I’ll be impaling you on my cock in the next few days.”
My mouth drops open as he walks into the room. “Excuse me? Who says I’m going to fuck you again?”
“I don’t need permission, Cassidy.”
He hands me a steaming cup. It smells amazing, even though it’s not my usual bougie coffee, and I hate that I want it, that I want what he's offering in spite of myself. A bite of cold mountain air filters in through the gap in the door, making the blankets around me feel even more like a cocoon.
My hands wrap around the mug, craving warmth. “Is this how you get your kicks? Dragging women into the wilderness?”
His eyes meet mine, so damn earnest it makes me dizzy. “Only you.”
I take a long sip of coffee, letting it burn down my throat until I find my voice again. “I'm not your project.”
“No,” he says with that same calm intensity. “You're my obsession.”
The words should terrify me more than they do. Instead, something inside me unravels just a little more.
“I don't know how you expect this to work out,” I say finally, channeling every ounce of skepticism left in me.
His smile is infuriatingly relaxed. “It will.”
I stare at him for a moment longer and then sigh deeply, the sound carrying all my reluctant acceptance. “This better be one hell of a climb, I’m cold and would rather spend the day in bed.” At his bemused expression, I exaggerate a sigh. “No, not like that. Just sleeping.”
He laughs softly and grabs his pack, his movements fluid and sure as he shoulders our fate along with our gear. “I’ll make sure it’s worth getting out of bed,” he promises.
I’ll escape as soon as I can, maybe push him over the top of a cliff. For fucks sake, he killed Stuart! I shouldn’t be fucking with an insane person. Nope. I am going back to the city, one way or the other.
“There’s clothes in the drawers. Should be your size.” He says as he fills two canteens with water.
I sigh again, loudly, just for good measure, hopping out of bed and shivering as the cool air hits my naked skin. Sure as shit, everything in here is my size. And it’s all name brand adventure clothing.
“What did you do, rob an outdoors store?” I call over my shoulder, rummaging through the drawers.
“Wouldn’t have needed to if you’d come prepared,” he says without missing a beat.
I pull on a thermal top and some ridiculously expensive hiking pants. Goddammit, they even fit like they’ve been tailored for me. As I dress, the feeling of being trapped tightens like a noose. He’s thought of everything, every angle, leaving me no room to breathe. I don’t know whether to be impressed or horrified.
The cabin door creaks open, and Noah steps out into the morning air. He stands there, expectant and patient, like he knows I’ll follow. I yank my hair into a ponytail and steel myself before stepping outside. The chill bites at me immediately, but it smells clean and wild—nothing like the city’s stale air.
“Hope you’ve got your hiking legs ready,” he says as we hit the trail.
“Hope you’ve got your life insurance paid up,” I mutter back.
The path slopes upward almost immediately, winding through towering pines and silent undergrowth. Every step feels like a rebellion as my boots crunch against gravel and soil. Noah moves ahead with an easy stride, occasionally glancing back to make sure I’m still there, still his.
“How long have you been planning this?” I ask between breaths.
“Since I saw you win a case a year ago.” He slows down enough to walk beside me, his presence both reassuring and infuriatingly steady.
“You really are insane.”
“Just determined.”
The way he says it makes my stomach flip, like my fear is fuel to him. I push on, the incline sapping my energy but not enough to ask him to take a break.
“If you think this is going to work—” I start, but he cuts me off.
“It already is. Trust the process, Cassidy.”
The trail narrows, and I have no choice but to fall in behind him. I can’t help staring at his back, broad and unwavering as he navigates the terrain. Finding all the easy spots to walk and climb. For some god forsaken reason, I’m picturing running down this hill, with him hot on my heels, wearing that stupid heart eyes mask.
A hawk cries overhead, and Noah halts, turning to face me. “Ever seen one up close?” His voice is soft now.
“Is this where you tell me you’re a falconer too?”
“Something like that.” He reaches out a hand, and for a moment, I think he’s going to touch me. But he doesn’t. He waits until I move closer, his dark eyes trapping mine for a moment.
We press on, the forest swallowing us in its dense embrace. The air is sharp and invigorating; it fills me with a strange, restless energy. Suddenly it hits me.
He could kill me out here and no one would ever find my body.
“You’re quiet,” he observes after a long silence.
“I’m trying to figure out how to escape,” I shoot back, testing him.
He smiles, the kind of smile that suggests secrets and promises all rolled into one. “Let me know when you’ve solved it.”
We reach a cliffside overlook, and the sheer drop takes my breath away. The mountains stretch endlessly, a vast and indifferent expanse that makes me feel both insignificant and oddly alive. Noah drops his pack and sits, his eyes scanning the horizon like he owns it.
“There’s a whole world out there,” he says, gesturing at the view as if he's offering it to me. “You really want to go back to your little office?”
I stand next to him, refusing to sit, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the distance. It’s awe inspiring, yet somehow anxiety inducing at the same time, just like everything about this goddamned trip.
He looks up at me, almost as if waiting for me to scoff before continuing. “Or maybe you’re afraid you’ll actually like it out here.”
It riles something in me—his calm certainty that he knows me better than I know myself. I hate how much I want to prove him wrong and right at the same time.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” My voice sounds weaker than I want it to.
He smirks knowingly, then pats the rock next to him. For a second, I almost sit down, almost give in to whatever this is between us. Instead, I grab a granola bar from his pack and start unwrapping it.
He’s watching me with an intensity that should feel invasive but doesn’t. Not anymore.
“You’re not very good at playing hard to get,” Noah teases.
“Maybe I’m not playing,” I retort, taking another bite.
I finally sink down beside him, more exhausted from resisting than from the hike itself. Silence stretches between us as we stare out at the sea of trees.
“Why me?” I whisper.
He doesn’t answer right away. I can almost hear him weighing his words, deciding how much to give. When he does speak, his voice is strained. “Because I saw something in you that needed the kind of freedom only I could give.”
I swallow hard, the granola suddenly dry and tasteless in my mouth. There’s an unsettling sincerity to what he says, like he genuinely believes it. “You’re delusional.”
His gaze locks onto mine, and I feel that familiar unraveling again, as if he’s pulling at something loose inside me. “Maybe,” he agrees lightly, “but here you are.”
I look away, focusing on the endless stretch of wilderness instead of the intensity of his eyes. Each time I try to outwit him with reason or logic, he answers with something so quietly self-assured that it shakes me to my core.
We sit there until the cold finally seeps through even Noah’s persistence. The sun dips lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the mountains. He rises and offers me a hand up, but I ignore it, standing on my own.
The way back feels different, much steeper than I thought it would be. Noah lets me lead for a while, staying close enough that I feel him even when I don’t see him. Every now and then, he’ll brush past to clear a branch or rock, quickening my pulse with each fleeting touch.
“Cassidy,” he calls as we near the cabin.
I stop but don’t turn around, waiting for him to catch up.
“You can have the bed tonight.”
“Why?”
“Just figured it was the gentlemanly thing to do.” He says before brushing past me and opening the cabin door.
I half debate on running, but stop at the look in his eye.
Was he… desperate? Desperate for what? Me? My approval?
“Well?” He motions for me to come in.
Looking back down the path that leads to the lodge, I sigh and step inside.
The one question I need answered sits in the back of my throat. “Have you ever done this to anyone else?” It spills out before I can stop it.
He closes the door, the sound final and enclosing. “No,” he says, almost too softly. “You’re the only one.”
Relief tangles with fear, desire knots with disbelief and all these emotions crash over me. I head to the bedroom and sit on the edge of the bed like I’ll melt into the floorboards if I don’t relax for a moment.
He watches me, gauging my reaction like it’s another step in his plan. The room is dim as he flicks on a lantern in the hall and another in the bedroom.
“If you want to leave…,” Noah starts, but he doesn’t finish. He doesn’t have to. We both know we’re beyond that now.
I lie back on the bed, exhaustion weighing down more than just my limbs. It’s a surrender and a challenge all at once, leaving him to interpret it as he will.
He stays where he is for a moment, then turns away towards the living room to tend to the fire. I hear him moving around, adding logs, coaxing flames to life until they crackle and spit warmth into the cabin. His patience is maddening but also oddly comforting; it’s like he knows there’s no need to rush what’s inevitable.
The heat seeps into me slowly, loosening muscles and maybe even a little bit of resistance. I close my eyes, just for a second.
When I open them again, stars are visible through the window, bright and indifferent against the night sky. Noah sits in a chair by the fire, his chair angled just right so he can watch me.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” I mumble.
“Not when there’s better dreams when I’m awake than when I close my eyes, no.” He sighs, running his hand down his leg. “Don’t you want to change out of your hiking clothes? There’s pajamas in there somewhere too.”
It is kind of sweet, in a super creepy way, that he got me pajamas. I am super uncomfortable laying here in these hiking clothes, so I go and look for them.
Pink . My favorite color.
Damn him.
I change quickly before hopping back under the duvet. “Night, Noah.”
“Night, Cassidy.”
Sleep came easily, even with a pair of dark eyes trained on my back, watching my every breath.