Chapter 11 - Bardil
My body is on fire with the need I feel for her as I pull back into the road and head toward the cabin.
I'm dangerously out of control.
I don't dare let it carry on, or I'll be doing things to her that she'll hate me for. Why didn't she stop me when I kissed her?
Why didn't she slap me or push me away?
My cock is still rock hard, pressing uncomfortably against my pants, and I'm grateful for the fact that she's looking out of the window instead of at me.
Fuck.
That was so stupid of me.
I've told myself over and over again not to let her know I've got a weakness toward her. Not to give her that thing to use against me.
Stealing one quick glance at her, I feel confident that my reaction now was enough to make her believe I was mocking her. That I was somehow playing her.
Oh my fuck she felt so good.
I wanted to strip her naked and thrust my cock so hard into her that she screamed.
My cock throbs again, and I silence a groan.
Forget about it, Bardil. It's never going to happen.
When we get back to the cabin, neither of us speaks. I lock the front door, and she storms to her room and slams the door loudly. Before going to bed, I make sure to change the code. I don't know how she got it, but she won't get it again.
When I climb into bed, I'm so hyped up and desperate to have her that I have to fight with myself not to go to her room. She's right here. She wouldn't stop me. I could take what I wanted from her, and she'd be begging me for more. It would be so easy. I could have her. I could do things to her…
Anger strikes me, and I toss and turn for hours. I hate the fact that she can make me lose myself like this. I don't want to want her so badly.
When I eventually fall asleep, I dream of her and wake up drenched in sweat and still angry with desire.
***
Over the next few days, we barely speak. She's furious with me, and I'm happy to avoid her because I don't trust myself. The brief moments when we do interact are tense and awkward.
Now and then, I see her looking at my fists. At the faint bruises over my knuckles from the beating I gave that asshole.
She doesn't know that I can recognize a monster when I see one.
Maybe it's because I am one too. Maybe not.
But that man had no intention of letting her leave.
He was going to get what he wanted from her.
Men like him… Let's just say he got what he deserved.
And if she hadn't stopped me, he would've ended up very close to death.
I'm in the kitchen, and she's standing at the counter making pasta for dinner. She looks gorgeous in her pink sweatpants and a white crop top. Fuck. I don't even think she's wearing a bra. Why would she taunt me like that?
But her eyes are on my hands again, and I pull them away from the fridge door, shoving them into my pocket and kicking the door closed with my foot. I don't need her judgment.
I need something else from her.
Dammit, Bardil, get a grip.
Without a word, I walk out of the kitchen. I'll come back when she's done in here.
Behind me, I hear her breathe a sigh of relief. When I glance over my shoulder, her cheeks are flushed pink, and she's watching me. Her nipples are hard against the fabric of her top. Fuck me, that's gorgeous. She hurriedly turns away and lets out a sharp breath.
Did I just read that right?
Maybe she's not as angry with me as I think.
Maybe she's still angry about the fact that she wants me so badly.
She didn't hesitate to kiss me in the car.
Those little moans of desire that melted from her lips when I kissed her and pushed my cock up against her…
She couldn't fake that. And that kind of need doesn't just disappear.
She wants me as badly as I want her. Her body seems to be screaming it.
Stop this. It doesn't matter. It doesn't mean you can have her. Leave these thoughts alone.
Urgently needing space between us, I head to my room and close the door.
My stomach is growling with hunger, but the other hunger coursing through my body is the one I'm more worried about.
If I convince myself she wants me too, then there will be no stopping me.
One more second in the kitchen, one more moment staring at those perfect, hard nipples against her tight top…
One more glance at her full, peach lips.
I would have lifted her onto the counter and fucked her so hard she'd be bruised the next day.
I would have pushed her legs apart and shoved my tongue into her pussy to taste her insides and hear her cry from pleasure.
My cock pulses harder and harder.
"Fuck!" I shout, marching toward the bathroom and turning the shower all the way to the cold side as I strip out of my clothes to climb beneath the icy water.
I hear movement outside the bathroom. She's done in the kitchen and heading into her room. Good. There's no chance of me bumping into her again.
Naked, I step into the shower and lean my hand against the natural stone wall I incorporated into this bathroom's design.
Water streams over me. I let my eyes play over the ferns and leafy plants I have living in the corner of the shower.
A piece of nature inside the cabin. I wanted this place to be a part of the forest instead of a glaring modern comfort that doesn't belong here.
Most of the walls have big glass panels in them to break the gap between wild nature and living spaces. Even this shower has a full-length window looking out into the forest.
I push the shower handle over to the warm side to try and smooth the goosebumps from my skin. Turning my back to the water, I stare into the tree line while the window slowly mists up.
It's dark outside, but movement catches my eye, and my entire body goes rigid. What the fuck was that?
A bear? An animal? Didn't look like it.
I rub my hand over the glass, clearing the condensation.
Fuckers. Two men are crouched in the darkness. My keen eyes pick out their silhouettes easily against the otherwise familiar shape of the trees.
They must see me peering through the glass because they fade back into the tree line. Hiding from sight.
"Simon," I groan. He must be responsible for these spies. Maybe he had me followed after I helped him in town.
Dammit! Why wasn't I more careful? He probably put a tracker on my vehicle or something.
Angry, I turn the water off and climb out.
I don't know how much those men have seen.
I don't know if they've seen her, but I'm sure if they had, they would've acted already.
We can't stay here anymore.
I have to get her out of here. I won't let them take her from me. An image of the kiss flashes through my thoughts.
I'll never let anyone take her from me.
She's locked in her room now, so for tonight she's hidden, but before sunrise, I need to be on the move with her. I'll let her sleep a few hours, then pull her out of bed when I've got the car packed and ready. It's not safe here anymore.
***
I don't sleep. I park the car in the garage behind the house, linked to the back of the house through a door that leads into the storage room.
I spent a few hours packing the trunk of the car and getting the cabin ready to lock up.
I don't know when I'll be back here again, and I don't want the wild animals to find a way inside.
Twice, I look into her room to check on her, and she's resting. I'm not sure how she's going to react when I wake her up and tell her we're leaving, but either way, I don't have any choice in the matter.
Seeing as someone knows where we are, and this place isn't exactly built to withstand an attack, I need to get her back to my place in the city. It's far more secure.
It's around three in the morning when I wake her.
For the few seconds before I reach out and gently touch her, she looks beautiful and peaceful in her dreams.
Her hair is spread across her pillow in a dark wave that looks like silk.
Hesitating, I momentarily consider running my fingers through it, but then stop myself.
Just wake her up. We have to get going.
She's lying on her side with her arms wrapped around her pillow.
I lay my hand on the blanket over the curve of her hip.
She stirs but doesn't wake. Slowly, I run my hand up her body, over her ribs, my heart racing when my fingers brush the edge of her breast.
My cock stirs, and I groan.
The sound wakes her, and she jumps in fright.
"Bardil," she gasps.
"Get up."
"What?" she stammers.
"Get up, now."
She sits up in bed, sleepy and confused. I take her hand and pull her out of the bed, and she complains, trying to pull away.
I ignore her and hand her a pair of jeans and a hoodie.
"Get dressed, we're leaving now," I tell her.
Her annoyance pulls her fully awake, and she grabs the clothes from me.
"What is going on?" she demands.
But I ignore her and leave the room, giving her a few moments of privacy.
When I think she's had enough time, I push the door open again to hurry her up. She huffs in annoyance, pulling a t-shirt over her head just in time to stop me from seeing things I long to see.
She picks up the hoodie and glares at me again. "Where are you taking me? Another hike… in the dark?"
I take her hand and pull her through the cabin and into the garage
"The car?" she asks, confused. "We're driving?"
"Just get in already," I huff.
She climbs in, tense.
Sighing, I give in and realize she isn't going to stop complaining until I tell her.
The little vacation is over. We're going back to the city," I explain.
"Vacation," she scoffs. "More like… Oh my word."
"What?" I demand, getting a fright, thinking maybe she saw those men in the tree line as we pull out of the garage. The car is heavily tinted, though. The whole reason I brought her through the house and into the garage was to keep her hidden from spying eyes.
"Someone knows we're here!" she exclaims.
"What are you talking about?" I snap.
"Someone knows, and now you have to leave because they'll come and get me and take me home!"
How the hell did she work it out so quickly?
"Why else would you want to leave!" she says eagerly, sassy as ever.
"There are a thousand reasons I might want to leave, Nikita. Don't make presumptions," I say, annoyed.
"Oh, come on. This is the ideal place for someone to keep a hostage.
Private, safe, nowhere to run. Taking me back to the city is a risk you'd rather avoid if you could.
But someone caught on. Was it because we caused a scene at the pub?
Was it because of the day you left me alone in the cabin?
Did someone follow you?" She keeps talking, making guesses, and pissing me off because she's too quick and too clever. This girl is smart.
I remind myself again that I should never underestimate her.
"Just be quiet and let me drive," I grumble.
"How about you let me go? If people have caught on, it would be the safest option for you." She's not giving up.
"Safe?" I laugh coldly. "You think that I kidnapped you because I was trying to stay safe. Oh, little rabbit, you haven't worked out yet that I don't give a shit about staying safe."
She rolls her eyes. "You might not give a shit about being safe. But I'm sure you don't want to die. Just let me go, and maybe I can convince them that it wasn't you who took me."
I laugh again, shaking my head as the cabin fades into the distance behind us and we start the journey back home.
Nikita is staring at me, waiting for my answer.
"I don't play by any rules you've made up in your head. I don't play by your rules or anyone else's. I'm not letting you go, Nikita. I kidnapped you for a reason, and that reason hasn't just disappeared," I snap at her.
She pulls her knees up toward her chest and folds her arms around her legs, sitting in a ball of frustration as she stares ahead, angry with me.
Nikita falls silent for a long moment, and I know I've pissed her off.
Fifteen minutes go by, and she says nothing.
Another five.
The silence becomes heavy until she surprises the hell out of me by making a new demand.
"Fine, then you owe me another adventure," she scoffs.
"Excuse me? How do you calculate that?" I say, amused and curious.
This girl should be scared, not trying to broker deals for adventures of all things.
"The way I see it, you have me in your control, and my entertainment is your responsibility. You owe me another adventure for inconveniencing me by waking me up in the middle of the night… and for kidnapping me in general."
She stares at me as though her logic is so tight I don't stand a chance.
I snort a laugh and shake my head.
"And? When I give you another adventure, then what? When does it end? Endless adventures while you're my captive?"
"It seems fair to me," she says boldly.
It's hard not to be impressed with her.
Thinking it through for a few moments, I decide there is nothing bad about doing my part to keep her happy. It'll make her an easier person to manage, and as long as I keep a watchful eye on her, there's no harm in it.
Nikita's eyes are locked onto me from across the car.
She's waiting for an answer.
"Fine," I say, keeping my voice neutral.
The truth is, I like the idea of going on an adventure with her. The hike was amazing. It took my mind off things and helped me clear my thoughts. It even made me forget about all the shit for a brief time and relaxed me.
Yeah. I can do with some more of that. As long as she doesn't try to escape again.
"On one condition," I say.
"OK?"
"No escape attempts. If you try even once, I'll throw you in the basement and chain you to the wall. That way, I won't have to give you a second of my time. The choice is yours."
Her eyes flare in horror, and I can see her trying to work out if I'm being serious or not. I throw her a stern, cold, piercing look, and she bites her lower lip. The sight sends a shiver of delight down my spine.
"Ok," she agrees. "No escape attempts," she nods.