Surviving Passion Read Online Free PDF Page B

them into a joke. She had never resented anyone more in all her life.
    Well he might catch her, Selena decided, but she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to throw everything she had into wrenching her freedom back from his grasp. All these thoughts flashed through her mind in a heartbeat before her decision was made.
    She ran. She ran harder and faster than she’d ever remembered running. Down the hill she flew, taking giant bounds to cover more distance. The wind whipped her long hair behind her like a flag of defiance. She ran, unhindered by the changes of the ground. Uphill or downhill, her stamina never faltered, yet she could tell he wasn’t far behind her. She wanted to scream out her frustration. Maybe it was because she needed three strides to match one of his, maybe he was more determined, or simply the better runner, but eventually the distance between them diminished.
    She was wildly desperate as the thudding sound of his feet grew louder. He was close now. Selena knew he would have her, but she simply was not capable of moving any faster.
    All at once he caught her hips in his powerful hands, halting her momentum instantly. To avoid crashing into her, he spun Selena to the side and slowed himself, then hauled her firmly against the trunk of a redwood. This time she tried a blow to the throat before he caught her wrists and held them at her sides against the tree. When she kicked, he countered by pinning her hips with his own.
    Selena tried to wrench out of his grasp and squirm from his hold, but as before, he pressed himself harder against her. She paused in her struggling, chest heaving as she fought to breathe through the enveloping heat that radiated from him. She leaned her head back against the tree to find cool air and clamped her eyes shut as she struggled to calm down. This would have been impossible if he was anything less than perfectly still, but for several long minutes, neither of them moved. As long as he didn’t try anything, she could discipline herself.
    When she finally opened her eyes, her furious stare met Dan’s implacable gaze. It read, “I’m here. You aren’t going anywhere.” He didn’t have to say the words. He had proven it. He was inescapable as long as he chose to be. Selena knew then that she just had to accept it, no matter how much she hated it. Whatever the extent and nature of his motives, he had clearly made up his mind.
    I can’t beat him, she forced herself to admit. That familiar war erupted again inside her. Resentment and attraction tangled in response to his power, like two fighting snakes. The combination made her feel sick, especially now, when she was trapped by him like this.
    It had been a long while since she had stopped struggling, yet he continued to pin her with his body and with his eyes. This knowledge began to reverse the progress she’d made with her breathing. Selena wondered again if she’d pushed him too far.
    To her incredible relief, Dan finally backed up and let go of her wrists. Just when she thought the moment had passed, he placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaned against the tree, dropping his head to breathe and stare at the ground. Selena stood still between his arms, waiting.
    When Dan looked up, he was just above eye-level with her. There was something new in the look he gave her then, but she couldn’t read it. Selena’s heart rate suffered a spike as his paralyzing gaze fell to her lips and clung there intently. In a flash, Selena remembered a time when she’d been stalked by a cougar. The fervor of its focus felt paltry in comparison. Refusing to submit, she forced her eyes to stay on him. It was probably one of the hardest things she had ever done, and it didn’t seem to be helping. Dan clenched his jaw and the tension hit a fever pitch as, almost imperceptibly, he moved in closer.
    Selena began to tremble. Her heart hammered harder than ever as she fought savagely to keep still. Anything could trigger him.