Illusion (Swept Away Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

laugh at the absurdity of my thoughts. I shifted as his smell overwhelmed my senses again. I felt a slight chill run down my spine as I waited for his response. Goose bumps were popping up on my arms and chest, and my whole body was awakened in the most instinctual sense possible.
    “What do you think?” He sounded annoyed, and I felt an urge to slap him. “Lean into me,” he whispered into my ear.
    “What?” My eyes widened at his words. My body jerked back at the breath of air that filled my eardrum. I felt tense and aware of every inch of his body next to mine as my skin tingled from the contact. I was mad that I was oddly turned on by this crazy situation. I didn’t even know who this man was or what he was going to do to me.
    “Lean into me. My body will provide warmth and will help to calm you down,” he repeated slowly, as if speaking to a fifth grader. “You’ll go into a panic if you don’t.”
    “You don’t know me.” I glared at him. My eyes had adjusted slightly to the dark, and I could make out the outline of his face. He was definitely not anyone I remembered seeing before.
    “Listen, lady, I’m trying to help you so your body doesn’t go into shock.”
    “What are you? A doctor?”
    “Just shut up for a minute.” He pulled me toward him and pushed my face into his shoulder.
    At first, I panicked and tried to pull away, but then I realized that he was right. It was oddly comforting to be held in his arms. His body was warm and hard, and I felt protected. I closed my eyes as I snuggled next to him and tried to pretend that he was someone I cared about. Someone I actually knew. For a moment, he was actually someone I wanted to be snuggled next to.
    It had been so long since I’d actually been intimate with someone. All the guys I’d been talking to recently had seemed obnoxious and annoying, aside from David, who hadn’t been someone I’d had thoughts of being with for a long time. Though, of course, he hadn’t known that in the beginning. We had broken up because he hadn’t been a fan of my making him wait for sex. And as a result, he hadn’t been a fan of mine. We’d argued so much toward the end of our six-month relationship that I had just ended it to be done with him. I’dbeen happy that I didn’t have to pretend anymore, yet I’d been scared to trust him with part of the truth. Sometimes I wondered if that hadn’t been a mistake. Maybe telling him part of the truth and asking for his help in getting to the bottom of my mother’s death hadn’t been the right way to go. I’d gone with my gut, but I had wondered many times if he could be trusted. Especially in moments like these when I was scared and lonely in the back of a truck. Being kidnapped with a strange man made me doubt that I’d made the right decision.
    “I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered softly. “We’re in the same position here. We need to support each other.” His tone had changed, and I felt my body relax slightly. His tone was soothing, as opposed to sinister. I didn’t feel like this man was going to harm me. At least not now.
    “What’s your name?” I whispered against the man’s shoulder. “I feel like we should at least know each other’s names, now that we’re being intimate.” I attempted a joke and groaned inwardly as I heard how stupid I sounded.
    “Intimate?” He sounded surprised.
    “Intimate doesn’t mean sex, you know.” I was irritated again. “We are crowded together in a small space. Your arms are around me. My body is pressed against yours. We’re being intimate.” I bit my lower lip after I spoke. Shut up, Bianca .
    “Trust me. I know.” He groaned and shifted, and I could feel something hard pressing against my stomach. Oh boy .
    I stilled as I realized what it was. I swallowed quickly as my body reacted swiftly, my skin heating up and my stomachchurning. Part of me was delighted that he was excited by me. The other part was disgusted and made me want to