other fist at him and he caught her arm mid-punch,
pinning it to the wall.
His bright angry
eyes flashed when they locked with hers and the air between them shifted,
heating to the point Jessica broke out in a light sweat. Having him this close
was like standing a foot from a raging forest fire.
Her breath labored
against the grip around her throat and he let go. She gasped, inhaling much
needed oxygen and he snatched the hand holding the towel, slamming it to the
wall by her head, mirroring her other arm in his grasp.
The towel fell and
the smile that spread over his lips made Jessica shiver. He stared her down,
before his eyes dropped, appraising her and when they met her defiant glare
again a jolt as strong as the electric chair raced through her.
He pulled her arms
over her head and clamped down on her wrists with one hand. She struggled to
pull free, but his grip was too strong. He ran his free hand down her arm and
over her breasts, desire flared in his eyes.
“Beg,” he
demanded.
“It’s not like
you’re Smallville and I had reason to beg,” she spat at him. “Get your hands
off me you twisted freak.”
His eyes narrowed
and his nostrils flared. Enraged, he flung her toward the middle of the room.
The shock of the hard
concrete meeting the curve of her hip ripped a yelp from her chest along with
the air from her lungs. She rolled on her back willing her body to move, to
breathe, to get the hell away from the determined set of his eyes.
He swept the dress
off the floor and towered over her within seconds, frightening her into action.
Jessica swung her
feet and kicked him squarely in the balls, rolling away before he collapsed to
his knees, a low groan emitting from his lips and his eyes filled with tears he
blinked back.
She stood, a nasty
plum colored bruise covered her hip.
“You bitch!”
Jessica didn’t
wait for him to regain his senses—she launched herself in his direction with a
roar, her hands clenched in tight fists, swinging.
He moved quickly,
much quicker than she anticipated, parrying to block her punches and spinning
her around. His elbow caught the side of her face, dazing her as he swept her
feet from under her, bringing her to the ground hard. He pinned her to the
floor and glared at her with his lips clamped together into a tight thin line. “Cut
the shit.”
His deep voice as
menacing as a hungry lion shredding his prey and Jessica paused but the change
in his eyes renewed her efforts. He hauled her to her feet and dragged her
toward the chair.
She clawed and kicked
at him but was unable to break his grasp and he slammed both wrists into the
shackles on the arms of the chair strapping her in. She kicked, connecting with
his shin.
“Fuck!” Muttering
under his breath, he overpowered her and locked her feet in the straps before
stepping back to catch his breath.
Her breasts heaved
as she tried to do the same. Screaming in frustration, she struggled to break
free. Her guttural cry echoed in the concrete room.
He glared at her
through tousled hair and lowered his gaze to his arms, inspecting the gouges
she left behind. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and tilted his head to the
ceiling, sighing before he met her angry stare.
“Why couldn’t you
just put the goddamn dress on?”
“I’m not one of
your slutty sex toys!”
His eyebrows rose
and he broke out in a genuine smile, a laugh trickling out, full and musical,
the kind of laugh that would catch her attention on the street and produce a
smile of her own, but not here. Not now. She gritted her teeth, staring at him.
His laughter wound
down and he reached out to touch her reddening cheek where his elbow had hit.
She jerked her
head away from his hand, flinching. The last thing she wanted was for him to
touch her. The good humor in his eyes faded and he paused, his fingers inches
from her face. She could feel the heat radiating from them, the electrical
current buzzing between his skin and hers. His fingers grazed
Dawne Prochilo, Dingbat Publishing, Kate Tate