Astrid
Surviving you shouldn’t be becoming all entangled in you.
What areyou supposed to do when someone kidnaps you?
Kick and claw? Check.
Hit and scream? Also, check.
When I don’t stop screaming and hitting him every step on the way, Levi pushes me into the passenger seat of his car and retrieves a piece of rope from his glove box.
“What are you doing?” My frantic vision bounces between him and the rope. Why the hell does he even have rope in his car?
“Are you going to stay calm?”
“Let me go, you arsehole, let me —”
I cut off when he yanks both my arms behind my back, pressing his body flush against my front.
I seize breathing when his strong scent fills my nostrils. His hard chest flattens my breasts, making me all warm and fuzzy.
It’s only been three days since I’ve felt this warmth. Three measly days, but it’s felt like an eternity.
While I’m distracted by his sheer presence, Levi wraps the rope around my wrists, securing them behind my back. Then he hangs the seatbelt over my chest so I’m unable to move.
He steps back as if inspecting his handy work then taps my nose twice. “Be a good princess.”
“Fuck you, King.”
His eyes narrow the slightest bit, but he closes the door, hard, and I jump. I wiggle sideways, trying to free myself, but he’s already in his seat, securing the locks from his side.
The car’s engine revs to life and we’re flying in the streets.
I twist my wrists, but that only makes the ropes dig deeper in my flesh. “Kidnapping is a crime, you know.”
“I couldn’t care less.”
I groan from both frustration and anger. “So what? You think you can act like a villain and kidnap me on your black horse and I’ll have no other choice but to forgive you? Are you expecting a kiss in thanks, too?.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “I didn’t think about it that way, but that can work, too.”
“Ugh. I hate you.”
“You proved it by bringing that scum.” A muscle clenches in his jaw. “You’ll pay for that.”
“You have no right to tell me what to do. I’m not and will never be one of your subjects.”
He throws me a dark glance. “You’ll learn your place. Eventually.”
“How long are you going to keep me? A day? A week? A month?” I taunt. “As soon as I escape, guess who I’ll be going back to? Here’s a hint. His name starts with a Z.”
He steps on the brake so hard, I almost topple over and hit my head on the windshield.
My space is crowded by his body and his face that’s breathing menace in my face.
He clutches my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look straight into those pale eyes.
There’s so much intimacy in this moment; walls falling down and others pulling up.
I just don’t know whether those walls are his or mine.
“You can be upset and angry all you want, but don’t bring another man in my presence again.”
“Or what?”
“I’ll end them. Every last fucking one of them.”
My lips part. “You… you wouldn’t.”
“Try. Me.” His breath tickles my skin and he darts his tongue out to lick the shell of my ear before he murmurs in dark, hot words. “I dare you to fucking try me, princess.”
I want to think he wouldn’t do such a thing, but he can be damn crazy. He’s proved time and again how abnormal he is.
Hell, if I didn’t stop him, I don’t know how far he would’ve gone with Jerry all those weeks ago.
“You’re a good girl, aren’t you?” His lips hover against the corner of my mouth and my breathing turns into choked gasps. “So how about you be a good little princess and stop fucking everything up?”
I want to curse and shout at him. I want to tell him that he’s the one who fucked up my life, but I don’t trust my anger. I feel like I’ll say something that will only backfire on me. Besides, he’s too close, it’s impossible to concentrate.
He starts the car again and I decide to ignore his existence. If words didn’t work with him, then the silent treatment will have to do.
I stare from the car window, pursing my lips. Soon enough, the city’s loud life and the bright lights disappear until the road turns deserted.
The way to the Meet Up.
I recognise the road even before we pull over in front of it.
Levi steps out from his side of the door and opens mine. I look in the opposite direction.
He holds my chin, trying to make me look at him, but I keep my vision on the side.
“As you wish, princess.” His words are barely out when he yanks me from the passenger seat and carries me in his arms — with my wrists bound behind my back.
My breasts brush against his chest, creating a maddening friction. His strong arm against my naked thighs shoots tingles straight to my core.
Nope. I’m not going there.
The house is dark, but as soon as we’re inside, a white, automatic light turns on.
Levi carries me up the stairs and down two halls with his face stone cold. I breathe harshly both because of the sensations he’s illicing in my body and because I need him to know my displeasure.
Either he doesn’t notice or he doesn’t care.
My bet is on the second.
He swings open the door leading to a medium-sized bedroom with a large bed and crisp white sheets. There’s a small desk and a closet, and that’s it.
Levi throws me on the bed and I crawl to the other end, my throat closing.
All my courage from earlier is completely gone now. We’re all alone here. My shoulder blades snap together at the realisation.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He doesn’t answer.
Instead, he removes his jacket, throws it on the table and rolls the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows. “You’re speaking to me now?”
“Let me go, Levi.” I blend with the headboard, my heart thumping so loud, it fills my space.
“You’re calling me by my name, too.” His voice is calm. Too calm. It’s frightening. “That’s progress.”
“Is this another one of your games? Are you trying to scare me?” I hate the tremor in my voice. It only proves how much his plan is working. “Go right ahead. Make me hate you for good.”
“Don’t you already?” The bed dips as he crawls towards me with black, impenetrable eyes.
“I do.” I fight the tears blurring my vision.
“You do, huh?”
“Did you think I’d run back to you because you stood up for me? Newsflash, King. I’m not a damsel in distress. I don’t need saving from what you caused in the first place.”
He grabs both my legs and pulls me towards him. I yelp when I fall against my bound hands and slide forward.
My legs spread open on each side of his strong thighs and my dress bunches up until my underwear peeks out.
He grips both my hips in his merciless, strong hands until I’m half-straddling his lap.
“The pictures aren’t my doing,” he says with fake calmness on his face.
Tears blur my vision as anger and shame roll off me in waves. “Don’t lie to me. I deserve at least that.”
“I never lied to you, princess. If I do something, I own up to it.”
“Yeah, sure. Then why was your face and even your damn car blurred?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out and whoever did this will pay.”
Every word coming out of his mouth is so sure and confident, I’m starting to doubt myself.
But isn’t that what he wants me to feel?
Isn’t it his purpose to reduce me to a mindless being?
A hand remains at my hip while his fingers snake up the hollow of my waist. I suck in a stuttering breath at the sensuality in his touch.
I can fight, but then what? He’ll just have me back exactly where he wants.
And maybe, just maybe I’m tired of fighting.
“You’ll also pay, princess.” His voice turns deadly and so do his eyes.
“For what?”
“For bringing that fucker when I told you to stay away from him. What were you trying to prove, hmm?”
I swallow as his deft fingers snake a path to the zipper of my dress, slowly pulling it down.
“Were you perhaps trying to prove that you’re not mine?” He yanks my dress down my shoulders with one tug.
I gasp as my breasts spill free from the built-in bra. My knee-jerk reaction is to hide them, but it’s impossible with my bound hands.
Levi’s black gaze turns feral as he takes them all in. He looks at me like he wants to devour me and leave nothing behind. A rush of need spirals through me and my nipples tighten and pucker as if begging for his attention.
It’s crazy how I’m ready to jump out of my skin whenever he looks at me like this.
Levi and I have always shared this weird, insane connection that I’ve never felt with anyone else.
A push.
A pull.
A current of power.
His thumb finds a throbbing nipple and he flicks it up and down. His pale eyes meet mine in a challenge. He’s teasing me, punishing me, and daring me to do something about it.
Tiny bolts of pleasure shoot between my legs as I bite my lower lip against the onslaught.
His mouth wraps around my other nipple and he bites down. Hard. A zap of electricity starts from his hot mouth on my breasts and ends pooling at my core.
“L-Levi… please…”
“Please what?” He speaks against the skin of my breast, his breath heating my skin. “Stop or keep going?”
I don’t know. I don’t know anything at the moment.
My head is dizzy and my legs turn into puddles around his thighs. Since I can’t answer with words, my body takes over and I push my breasts into his fingers and mouth, silently begging for more.
He speaks against my tender flesh. “Do you want me to suck harder on these tight pink nipples, princess?”
A small, needy voice leaves me as my eyes droop with uncontainable lust.
“Do you want me to make them tender and painful with pleasure?”
Oh. God.
His dirty words have always been my undoing.
I nod a little, pushing into him.
“Not so fast.” He smiles with contempt, looking up at me. “What were you trying to prove tonight?”
“That you don’t own me!” I shout, my voice hoarse.
“I don’t own you, huh?” His smile disappears and he’s back to his scary calm façade. “Is that what you really think?”