her. Empathy. Concern. For her?
But it
couldn't be.
"What do
you care about my needs?" she asked softly, aware of his fingers burning
into the flesh of her arms. "You think I'm a fraud. That I am out to trick
you of your precious money. Not everyone is motivated by greed."
The sensation
spread, making her want to move closer, to feel those arms around her. She
needed succor, and yet she could not ask for it, because she could not be
totally honest.
"Experience
tells me different."
"I live a
comfortable life and that's enough for me. Can you say the same?" With that
she shrugged free and tore into her bedroom. "You can see yourself
out."
Keelin slammed
the bedroom door and set the lock, then threw herself across the four-poster
bed. She fisted the pink satin quilt and squeezed. Willed herself not to cry. Too
many tears already. Her heart was hammering in her breast so hard she thought
she might be sick.
She hadn't
meant to defend herself. But that's what she had done, had nearly pleaded for
Tyler's trust. Why? He didn't have to trust her. He only had to go along with
her. She knew that. And also knew she wanted more.
This made no
sense, this connection she'd felt from the moment he'd faced her in his
offices, this charged undercurrent between them that swayed and dipped and
suddenly rushed over her with an intensity that frightened her. Simply stated,
Tyler Leighton made her uncomfortable.
He was too
complex, too powerful.
And something
inside him was too dark.
She should
have backed off the moment she sensed the danger, and yet, instead, she came
closer like moth to flame. Despite his distrust of everything she stood for,
she was drawn to him. As he was to her, she realized.
What was wrong
with her? Keelin wondered. Why had she suddenly lost her good sense? She'd
spent her adulthood on guard. Setting boundaries. Maintaining distances.
Keeping herself safe.
She could
continue to do so if she tried, Keelin assured herself. If only she weren't so
exhausted. Lack of rest had lowered her defenses, perhaps even made her imagine
untruths. She didn't have to succumb.
Not to Tyler
Leighton.
All she needed
to regain her normal control was a good, deep sleep...
AFTER
TOSSING AND TURNING IN THE LUMPY BED for hours, she gave up on falling asleep.
She was creeped out anyway after seeing the rat on
the back porch when she'd set the garbage out. Faint streetlight shone in
through the single window. The narrow, sparsely furnished room looked better in
the near dark, she decided. Nothing like her room at home, of course, but in
the circumstances, it would do.
Better than the
streets.
Still, she felt spooked again. Maybe she could fall asleep
on the couch watching television. She rose from the bed and crossed the room,
stopping before the door when she heard raised voices on the other side.
"How long are we going to wait?"
"Until I say."
Wait for what?
She shifted from one bare foot to the other, fingered one of
the charms on her bracelet. A sudden breeze from the open window crawled up her
bare legs, all the way up to the hem of her T-shirt. Shivering, she pressed her
ear to the door.
"You're forgetting who's in charge here."
"In charge?"
"All right. Maybe that's a little strong. But it was my
idea."
"True enough. You want a medal?"
"No, I just want to write the damn ransom note and get
it over with."
Ransom note?
She knew what that was. She'd watched enough television,
seen enough movies. But what were they talking about? They hadn't kidnapped her
or anything. She'd agreed to come with them. They’d said they would help her.
"We're not going to hurry this. I want to make him
sweat first. Let him know what it's like to have someone else on top for
once."
"You wanna be on top?"
The other voice changed, became low and husky. " C'mere .
I'll let you be on top."
Feminine laughter shot a chill up her spine and she backed away
from the door.
She'd been fooled. They weren't doing this for her like they
said.
But it
couldn't be.
"What do
you care about my needs?" she asked softly, aware of his fingers burning
into the flesh of her arms. "You think I'm a fraud. That I am out to trick
you of your precious money. Not everyone is motivated by greed."
The sensation
spread, making her want to move closer, to feel those arms around her. She
needed succor, and yet she could not ask for it, because she could not be
totally honest.
"Experience
tells me different."
"I live a
comfortable life and that's enough for me. Can you say the same?" With that
she shrugged free and tore into her bedroom. "You can see yourself
out."
Keelin slammed
the bedroom door and set the lock, then threw herself across the four-poster
bed. She fisted the pink satin quilt and squeezed. Willed herself not to cry. Too
many tears already. Her heart was hammering in her breast so hard she thought
she might be sick.
She hadn't
meant to defend herself. But that's what she had done, had nearly pleaded for
Tyler's trust. Why? He didn't have to trust her. He only had to go along with
her. She knew that. And also knew she wanted more.
This made no
sense, this connection she'd felt from the moment he'd faced her in his
offices, this charged undercurrent between them that swayed and dipped and
suddenly rushed over her with an intensity that frightened her. Simply stated,
Tyler Leighton made her uncomfortable.
He was too
complex, too powerful.
And something
inside him was too dark.
She should
have backed off the moment she sensed the danger, and yet, instead, she came
closer like moth to flame. Despite his distrust of everything she stood for,
she was drawn to him. As he was to her, she realized.
What was wrong
with her? Keelin wondered. Why had she suddenly lost her good sense? She'd
spent her adulthood on guard. Setting boundaries. Maintaining distances.
Keeping herself safe.
She could
continue to do so if she tried, Keelin assured herself. If only she weren't so
exhausted. Lack of rest had lowered her defenses, perhaps even made her imagine
untruths. She didn't have to succumb.
Not to Tyler
Leighton.
All she needed
to regain her normal control was a good, deep sleep...
AFTER
TOSSING AND TURNING IN THE LUMPY BED for hours, she gave up on falling asleep.
She was creeped out anyway after seeing the rat on
the back porch when she'd set the garbage out. Faint streetlight shone in
through the single window. The narrow, sparsely furnished room looked better in
the near dark, she decided. Nothing like her room at home, of course, but in
the circumstances, it would do.
Better than the
streets.
Still, she felt spooked again. Maybe she could fall asleep
on the couch watching television. She rose from the bed and crossed the room,
stopping before the door when she heard raised voices on the other side.
"How long are we going to wait?"
"Until I say."
Wait for what?
She shifted from one bare foot to the other, fingered one of
the charms on her bracelet. A sudden breeze from the open window crawled up her
bare legs, all the way up to the hem of her T-shirt. Shivering, she pressed her
ear to the door.
"You're forgetting who's in charge here."
"In charge?"
"All right. Maybe that's a little strong. But it was my
idea."
"True enough. You want a medal?"
"No, I just want to write the damn ransom note and get
it over with."
Ransom note?
She knew what that was. She'd watched enough television,
seen enough movies. But what were they talking about? They hadn't kidnapped her
or anything. She'd agreed to come with them. They’d said they would help her.
"We're not going to hurry this. I want to make him
sweat first. Let him know what it's like to have someone else on top for
once."
"You wanna be on top?"
The other voice changed, became low and husky. " C'mere .
I'll let you be on top."
Feminine laughter shot a chill up her spine and she backed away
from the door.
She'd been fooled. They weren't doing this for her like they
said.
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