4. Dayton
4
DAYTON
S he didn’t zip it.
In fact, her mouth never stopped. Going on and on about how she was innocent and trying every trick in the book to convince me to forget I found her.
Wasn’t going to happen.
And I knew exactly what she was trying to do. She wanted me to turn soft for her. If she thought I was the type of guy who could be swayed by a sad story and a pretty face then she was going to be in for a rude awakening.
In fact, I never wanted to gag a person so much in my life. Yet, I found myself listening more intently than I should. I was never one to be interested in celebrities and that life, but there was a small part of me that was curious. Granted that small part of me may have some encouragement from the ache in my dick each time the image of her in that tiny teddy sprang to mind. She was perfection. Physically anyhow. Any other way…
Well, that remained to be seen.
After only three hours of driving, I found myself growing tired, my mind beginning to fog up. In truth, her insistent talking was the only thing keeping my eyes open. As much as I wanted to get to California as soon as possible, I needed to be alert, and falling asleep at the wheel wasn’t going to do either of us any good.
Pulling into the parking lot of a roadside motel, I left her secured to my dash as I went to get a room. It was already five in the morning. With luck, I’d be able to get five hours sleep, secure us both a quick breakfast, and then be back on the road by noon. It was a solid plan.
Less than ten minutes later, I had a key in hand and parked in front of room fourteen. I ignored the look she shot me as I got out and unloaded the vehicle, bringing in her bag of money and our two backpacks of belongings.
Despite the rundown look of the motel on the outside, the inside wasn’t so bad. It smelled fresh enough and there wasn’t any noticeable wear on the carpet or discoloration of the paint on the walls. The bedding looked relatively new. It may not be up to the standards of her highness in the vehicle, but it would have to do.
Opening the passenger door of the SUV, I pulled the keys for her cuffs from my pocket. “Repeat after me. I will not try to escape. If I try to escape, Dayton will hunt me down like a dog, hogtie me, and toss me into the trunk with my mouth taped shut.”
Her eyes narrowed at me. “You’re a comedian now? Or is being an asshole your thing?”
Chuckling for the first time since I’d apprehended her, I nodded. “Just telling you how it will go down. Fair warning and all.”
“Uh-huh.”
While she’d been all peaches and cream since I’d taken her, no doubt trying to charm me, her mood had soured. Maybe she was coming to terms with the fact she wasn’t going to charm me the way she was able to charm most men. Didn’t matter. Maybe a pissed-off Elle was a quiet Elle?
One could only hope.
Giving her a stern look, hoping that would be enough to keep her in line—the last thing I wanted right now was to chase her down in a motel parking lot—I leaned over her and undid the cuffs.
She immediately brought her wrist to her chest and began rubbing it with the other hand. “I’m starting to chafe.”
“That’s unfortunate. Maybe they’ll have some good lotion in prison.” Backing away from the vehicle, I motioned for her to get out. “Now let’s go. The quicker we get to sleep the quicker we can be on the road again.”
With a heavy sigh, she nodded and slipped from the SUV. “Is my money in the room?”
“Yes, I already brought it in.”
“Okay.” Walking past me, I half expected her to make a run for it, but she didn’t. Instead, she proceeded inside the room, leaving the door wide open behind her.
Slamming the passenger door shut, I followed her, locking the door behind us. Grabbing the chain to the door, I rolled my eyes, seeing that it was barely holding onto the doorframe. The chain was close to useless to begin with, one powerful kick and door chains would easily break from the doorframe, but this was laughable. A hamster could yank it out without slowing.
“The place could use some upgrades in the security department,” I grumbled turning back around to see she’d stripped out of her jeans and sweater and was standing in the center of the room in the sexiest fucking red lingerie I’d ever seen.
What the fuck…
My dick sprang alive as I looked at her in shock. It’s not like I hadn’t seen my fair share of women in lingerie, I had. But it was the ease with which she stood there in the middle of the room, her hands on her hips and her blue eyes staring into mine. Well, that just about floored me.
She was confident and secure in her body, without the arrogance you usually get from women who know they’re hot and use it to their advantage.
“You rushed me out of there. I have nothing to sleep in.”
Snapping my mouth shut, I cleared my throat as I attempted to regain my composure, praying she didn’t take notice of the massive bulge in the front of my pants. “Not my problem.”
“Pretty sure making me sleep nude has to be some sort of human rights violation.”
“I never told you that you had to undress for bed.”
Just don’t look at her. I coached myself as I kicked off my shoes and pulled my shirt up and over my head, tossing it onto the chair next to the door.
She snorted. “You want me to sleep in my clothes? They’ll stink. And there’s only one bed. Are you expecting us to sleep together?”
“I highly doubt that. You’re not exactly dirty.”
Just the opposite. She smelled like lavender with vanilla. The scent of her shampoo was just strong enough that while seated next to me in the car it would drift to my nose, taunting me.
“I would be stinky if I slept in my clothes.”
I chuckled. “Baby, where you’re going it won’t matter.” Undoing my belt, I began undoing my jeans and pushed them down. “As for sharing a bed. I’ll take the floor if necessary. I’m not the picky sort.”
She cocked her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. “Why do you hate me? You don’t even know me.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” Stepping out of my jeans I tossed them onto the chair with my shirt. “And I don’t intend on getting to know you. I have a job to do. I get you from point A to point B. I’m not a judge and I’m not a jury, I’m simply the procurer and transportation.”
Her nose crinkled up as she stared at me wide-eyed. “I’m just a job to you.”
“You are.”
“I’m a person. Someone framed me, and you’re okay with me going to jail?”
Lacing my hands behind my neck I groaned out as I let my head fall back, embracing the delicious pull of my neck and chest muscles, relieving a small portion of the tension I was feeling. Looking back at her, I sighed. “It’s not up to me, Elle. I’m sorry. If I don’t bring you in someone else will. And honestly, if you don’t piss me off too much I could even put in a good word for you. Say you were remorseful and came willingly. Some shit like that.”
“I’m not remorseful, because I didn’t do anything and I’m sure as hell not going willingly.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Then I guess you’re fucked because I’m not letting you out of my sight until I deposit your ass to the authorities. End of story.”
“I need something to sleep in.”
Crossing the room, I unzipped my backpack, pulled a white t-shirt out and tossed it at her. Her reflexes were absolute shit, the shirt hitting her smack in the face before falling to the floor in a pile at her feet.
“Such a gentleman,” she growled, grabbing the shirt from the floor and tossing it onto the bed. Reaching behind herself, she undid the clasp of her bra and began to shrug it off her shoulders.
As tempting as it was to feast on the beauty of her soon-to-be naked body, I turned my back to her halfway expecting to have a vase come sailing across the room to collide with my skull.
ELLE
The man was impossible. When he saw me in my lingerie I saw the flicker of hunger in his eyes. And I certainly took notice of the erection he was sporting. It was a dangerous game to play with him, he could be a rapist or lunatic for all I knew, but it was the only card I had in hand.
If I was returned to California then I was as good as dead.
He didn’t understand. No one did.
What I knew could bring the elites of Hollywood down to their knees. They’d never let that happen. The fact that I was still alive at the moment was a miracle all in itself. It was a mystery I still hadn’t been able to figure out. It seemed like it would have just been easier to kill me and get it over with. What kind of game were they playing with me?
How do I convince him of the story? And even if I could convince him, what did I expect him to do about it? What could he do?
Pulling his t-shirt over my naked body I excused myself and headed to the bathroom.
Hearing my movement, he turned to face me. “Not so quick.”
“I have to pee.”
“And you can pee. Once I make sure you can’t escape from the window in there.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m naked and I won’t accomplish much without my money.”
Cocking a brow up at me, he huffed. “And…”
“And.” This man was a serious asshole. Sexy as fuck, sure. But an asshole nonetheless.
“And naked or not. Money or not. I’m not taking chances.” Brushing past me he peered into the bathroom for a moment before nodding his approval. “Go ahead.”
“Jerk.” Clenching my hand into a fist, I gave him a punch to the shoulder, the shoulder that my baseball bat had come into contact with as I walked past. The attack and his immediate groan of agony didn’t give me nearly the satisfaction I’d hoped it would.
Entering the dingy bathroom, I closed the door. There was no lock. Figures.
The only window was a small, frosted pane glass that was about eighteen inches wide and a foot tall, situated close to the ceiling, above the toilet. It was pretty small. It would be a tight squeeze, but maybe…
After relieving the pressure in my bladder and washing my hands, l looked back at the window above the toilet again.
I could fit, I decided. If I could hoist myself up, I just might be able to squeeze myself through. Thank you to years of practical starvation to maintain what Hollywood felt was the perfect female form, I just might get a chance to regain my freedom.
Looking over my shoulder, I stared at the brown door. I needed that money. I didn’t know what I’d do without it.
But it wouldn’t do me a lick of good if I was behind bars—or dead.
Decision made that I had to at least try, I lowered the toilet seat and stepped onto it. Reaching above my head, I grasped the lever at the bottom of the window to unlock it and gave it a pull. It wouldn’t budge.
“Dammit…” I grumbled under my breath as I wiped my hands on Dayton’s shirt and grasped the handle again. Taking a deep breath in, I gave it a yank with as much force as I could muster.
The handle gave way, breaking free from the window and sending me falling backward. The last thing I remembered before the darkness took over my consciousness was the sharp pain at the back of my skull as my head hit the side of the bathtub.