Chapter 35 Don’t Hold Back
DON’T HOLD BACK
Wyatt
“Did you do what I asked?” I asked from the driver’s seat.
“Uh, yeah, but I’m baffled as to why I did what you asked,” she replied.
I felt her staring at me, trying to decipher what was going on in my mind right now, but from the sigh that just slipped from her mouth, I assumed she came up with absolutely nothing.
“Are you kidnapping us?” she asked with a breathy giggle. I glanced over to see her pulling her feet up off the floor, sitting with her legs crossed on the seat next to me, her hand sporadically petting CC as he purred across her lap.
We’d left dinner about an hour ago, and I’d taken her home, told her to pack an overnight bag, and get in the car.
She did, probably thinking we were going out to run around in the woods like I’d promised earlier, but on the way out, I’d picked up CC and put him in her lap after she’d buckled herself in.
She’d clearly been stunned seeing the orange fur ball brought along, but she hadn’t really questioned what was going on until now.
We’d been driving for ten minutes, but it was dark, and at first, she was more focused on keeping CC calm.
By the time she’d started looking back up and out the window, it was an endless dark forest around us.
“Is it truly kidnapping if you willingly got in the car with me?” I threw back.
“Um, I’d have to look that one up, Batman, I’m not sure.”
I said nothing, but I was biting back a laugh at the nickname.
We continued driving, the radio playing softly in the background, a comfortable silence ensuing between us. The only other noise was CC purring in her lap as he kneaded her thigh.
I was anxious earlier about her meeting my family, but this was another ball game entirely. Taking her home was a big step for the both of us, and as we pulled up to the house, I tried my best to see it through her eyes.
Thankfully, I’d thought ahead and turned on the lights, leaving it lit up like a beacon in the middle of the dark mountains.
It was all hard, modern angles. A stone fireplace sat towards the front door, while massive windows in various rectangles and triangles framed the rest of the space.
A stone path led to the front door, the stones being massive slabs of rectangular concrete.
But my favorite park? The siding on the house was a dark, forest green, and the inside was composed of more dark stone.
It matched her apartment almost perfectly, so I hoped she’d love it.
“What do you think?” I asked after a few moments of silence.
She glanced over towards me, finally. Her eyes hadn’t left the home once since we’d pulled up.
“Honestly?”
“Preferably.”
“It’s easily one of the most incredible homes I’ve ever seen. It fits in in a way you wouldn’t expect. You think every house should look like Rowan and Aspen’s place when you’re in the Rockies here, but this…it’s perfect.”
I let out a sigh of relief and smiled. All of my plans felt as if they were coming together perfectly, and I couldn’t help how giddy I felt right now.
“Good, so when I start slowly moving your belongings in, you won’t be as opposed.”
I didn’t give her time to tell me to stop being such a weirdo. Instead, I jumped out of the car and came over to open her door for her.
“Got CC?” I asked.
“Yeah, can you grab my bag?”
“Of course.”
Her black backpack with her overnight clothes—clothes that wouldn’t be leaving this house—was thrown over my shoulder as she slid CC back into his carrier.
I led the way up, checking behind me every few steps to ensure she was okay.
It wasn’t a long walk, but sometimes the concrete slabs were easy to get caught on when it was dark outside and you hadn’t walked the path before.
“Do you normally leave your house so bright when you aren’t home?” she questioned as we walked in, her gaze taking in the dark wood floors and the exposed stone accents around the entryway.
I smirked as I locked the door behind us.
“No, little flame. I did, however, turn on a couple from my phone before we left your apartment. It’s all controlled by an app on my phone, as well as light switches around the house, but I wanted to be able to watch you seeing the place for the first time when we pulled up.
” I set her bag down on the beige couch and turned to watch her again. “Still not hating it, right?”
She did a slow spin, her eyes now above, on the high ceilings, the open concept living area, the beige, dark browns, and greens everywhere.
“Can I let CC out?” she asked once her spin landed her back on me.
I nodded, thankful I once again thought ahead for him. “He’s already got a litter pan in the laundry room down the hall and a food bowl in the kitchen on the opposite side of the island.”
I watched her as her throat bobbed with a rough swallow and she set his carrier on the ground, unzipping it and letting him do as he wished. She would clearly be here for a bit, so I didn’t want her worried about him at home.
“So what’s the plan, Carragan? Is this the kidnapping part?
You use your fancy app and lock all the doors and windows?
Force me to the bedroom until I fall madly in love with you and never want to leave?
” I watched as her fingers ran over the frayed edges of her jean shorts, and I took a leisurely few steps, walking towards her.
I stopped in front of her, the heat from her curvy body radiating off of her, my hand coming up and cupping her jaw.
“I don’t need to lock you in my bedroom for you to fall in love, little flame,” I whispered.
She licked her lips, a habit I’d noticed she only did when she was nervous and trying to buy time not to speak or maybe even say something she didn’t want to say.
My hand dropped down to the base of her neck, her pulse point below my thumb. I felt her watching as I leaned down—my lips brushed along her jaw, and then I whispered in her ear, “I told you the plan tonight. I hope those are good shoes to run in.”
Her eyes dropped down to the pair of Nikes she’d slipped into on her way out the door, and I knew she was thanking whatever fates had been listening that she hadn’t slid her feet into the flip flops that had sat next to them.
“I guess they’ll do,” she said as her gaze turned back up towards mine. “Will your shoes do?”
“Are you trying to prolong me telling you to run, Ember? Because you and I both know these are running shoes,” I replied with a smirk. She shrugged and took a step back. “Such a brat.”
She licked her lips again. “Are there rules?”
“Word still applies. Feel free to use your phone flashlight if you want to. You get a two-minute head start.”
“Is there anywhere I shouldn’t go? Like”—she bit her bottom lip and shifted on both feet before letting out a breath—“is there anywhere dangerous?”
“You won’t make it that far, little flame.
Anything dangerous is a solid five miles out.
Don’t worry.” I glanced down at my watch and started humming before my eyes landed back on her.
It only took a second for her eyes to widen, and she launched herself for the front door, stumbling over the handle being locked.
“Fucker! You do this shit on purpose!” she yelled over her shoulder as she unlatched the lock and threw the door open, not even thinking to close it behind her.
“Twenty seconds gone!” I yelled back as she bolted down the pathway and turned left towards the woods. I looked over at CC, who was sitting on the island countertop. “She didn’t even think to close the door and hide her path. Her self-preservation skills need work, CC.”
The orange fluff ball stared up at me and flicked his tail a few times across the countertop.
“Yeah, I know. I also feel crazy talking to you,” I muttered. Glancing down at my watch, she had another thirty seconds left. “Fuck I can’t wait to get ahold of her.”
I jumped up and down a few times, shaking out my arms and touching my toes for the last ten seconds, and then I was out the front door—closing it behind me. Didn’t need CC getting any brilliant ideas.
Taking a left once I was down the front path, I took a second to look over the woods.
I knew that was where she went, and she wouldn’t be stupid about this.
Ember was too damn competitive, so she wouldn’t use a flashlight.
She’d get into the woods and then take it slower.
The first time we’d done this, the moon had lit up the forest enough that we could see a bit easier.
Tonight, there was only a crescent moon above, so while it wasn’t pitch dark out here, it was still really damn dark.
She wouldn’t want to risk falling and giving her location away. As I sprinted into the woods, I forced myself to slow down to a jog once I crossed into the denser patch of trees.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are, little flame.” My voice echoed through the trees as I walked over limbs and crunched fallen leaves beneath my feet.
Our first time together had been about stealth. The excitement and fear of it all created a provocative cocktail between the two of us.
But tonight? Tonight was about the allure of knowledge of what was to come once I got her beneath my grasp. I wasn’t worried about her running too far or hiding too long. Nor was I worried about her hearing my footsteps—in fact, I wanted her to hear me coming.
“Oh Ember! I just know my fiery little whore is just itching to drop to her knees and please me,” I yelled.
I stood still for a moment, listening, when a shuffle sounded from my right. Taking off after it, I did my best to take care of fallen branches, tree roots, and just the general terrain, but knowing she was close spawned a sense of energy in me that was hard to find elsewhere.