Solace in Scandal

Although he’d certainly tried.

How long had he been locked in? Trapped like a wild animal?

No matter what she thought of him, the idea of that kind of suffering made her throat hurt. He wasn’t one who was built to be tied down. He could barely stand to be in this gigantic house for a full day. ‘Let me just try something.’

She let out a grunt as she fisted her hands around the mat and pulled. The corner of the door only dug deeper into the rubber.

‘Elena?’ His voice was raw, more a harsh whisper than tone now.

‘It’s coming,’ she promised. Sitting down, she braced her feet against the wall to give herself leverage. ‘Don’t do anything. I’m right behind the door.’

She tugged again, her teeth gritting at the effort. She could feel him on the other side of that door, hovering and fidgeting.

‘Did you try the hinges?’ She needed to keep him talking. She needed to calm him down. If she let him slip into a panic, he’d only work against her.

‘I broke two combs trying to pry them out.’

He was standing just on the other side of the door, his voice right above her. It was intimidating, but he was focused. That was good. Anything to pull him back from the brink. She began pulling on the mat, working it back and forth. It was malleable, but so heavy-duty she could hardly lift it. It wasn’t one of the thick cushy mats everyone did sit-ups on, it was the rubbery kind that gyms laid across their walkways and underneath equipment.

‘That was innovative.’ She smiled fiercely when the right side of the mat slipped out a good inch.

‘Not really,’ he said in that raspy voice. ‘You should see what inmates can make with those things.’

She froze.

‘No, I take that back,’ he said more softly. ‘You should never see that.’

That edge was back in his voice. She had to get him out of there now. She looked around the room for something she could use. For all the shiny equipment and heavy free weights, there wasn’t much. Besides, she didn’t think cutting the mat was the right way to go.

She kept wiggling it with her feet braced like a rower. Her shoulders began to ache at the effort, but then she fell backwards.

‘Ooo, almost.’

She felt his anticipation jump and wondered how she could ever miss him when he was walking through the forest. He was standing on the other side of a slab of wood. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel his presence. His heat was blistering.

It made her uneasy. She’d never seen him like this. Every time they’d crossed paths, he’d been cool and contained. Low-key and reined-in.

Except for that time in the garden.

‘Can you lift on the handle?’ she asked. ‘Pull up.’

Before she even finished the question, she felt the resistance give. She yanked on the rubber mat and her momentum swung. She rolled halfway onto her back when the stupid thing popped loose.

‘Ha!’ She scrambled to her feet and stepped back, getting out of the way. She brushed off her bottom, but the door stood eerily still.

Why wasn’t he –

Oh, God. She’d told him not to do anything, that he could hurt her if he came out suddenly.

She sprang forward and grabbed the door handle. It turned smoothly, and the door swung silently on its hinges as she opened it. It stopped halfway when masculine fingers curled around the edge. Those fingers turned white, and he pulled the door open so wide it banged against the bathroom vanity.

That ache in Elena’s throat spread to her chest when she finally saw him. He looked haggard. His colour was ashen, although heat and humidity poured out of the room. The lines of his cheekbones were harsh, and his jaw was set like a master lock. His eyes, though … Those icy grey eyes glinted with something raw and wild. ‘Are you OK?’ she asked.

He jammed his foot in front of the door and she winced when she saw the bruising and swelling that had already started. He’d been kicking at that door with his bare feet.

Then again, that wasn’t all about him that was bare.

She swallowed hard. He must have been taking a shower when he’d gotten trapped, because all he was wearing was a towel. A loose, very insecure towel. It sat low on his waist, with the knot looking like it could slip at any moment.

Awareness prickled along her skin and her face warmed. She’d known he was fit, but this went beyond that. He was ripped. Lean and animal-like.

Beautiful.

He started moving then, determined to get out of the tiny room. Her gaze snapped up and she stepped back to make way.

Only he didn’t stop coming at her.

Instinctively, she lifted her hand. To stop him or ground him, she didn’t know. He came out of his makeshift prison like a bull coming out of a gate, and her palm spread wide across his warm, muscled chest. The contact was shocking, but she gasped aloud when he touched her. He caught her by the shoulders, his grip hot and urgent. Their gazes locked and her heart kicked like that bucking bull that just escaped.

‘You,’ he rasped. His hot breaths hit her square in the face.

They stared at each other, chests working. Electricity passed between them, creating a full circuit through touch. His fervency transferred to her; her agitation swam back to him. The tension in the room changed, ratcheting impossibly higher.

Elena watched him with wide eyes as he pulled her close, but then his head dipped and his mouth closed over hers. He kissed her hard, his lips firm. Hungry. Frantic.

The adrenalin that had been rushing through her veins dove deeper into her belly. Arousal knotted in her gut and her thoughts splintered.

His need; it went bone-deep. She could feel it in the tremble in his grip. He wrapped an arm low around her waist and cinched her up tight. Their bodies connected from mouth to knee. All she felt of him was bare skin as he leaned over her. Smooth, delicious skin. His heat seeped into her and she shuddered.

‘Elena.’ Something close to a groan rose from his chest.

He was bigger than her and stronger by far, yet he was hanging onto her as if she was the only thing keeping him from going under.

She hesitantly slid her hands up his back. The strength she’d imagined was all there, with nothing to hide. His body was a tapestry of muscles and tendons that jumped at her touch. Her fingertips curled inward. The power she felt was intoxicating.

His tongue pressed demandingly at the seam of her lips. When she gave him access, he swept it across hers. The contact was wet and slow, so erotic she could barely stand it.

‘Mmm.’ She let out a mew when he hitched her up. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing, and her feet dangled inches from the floor. Her toes curled in reaction. When he slanted his mouth across hers again, she was ready for it. The kiss was deeper, more passionate and intense.

The ache between her legs intensified. Age-old instinct had her wrapping her legs around his waist. She locked her ankles and rubbed helplessly against the hard bulge that pressed between her legs.

‘God, yes,’ he hissed.

The room spun as he turned. When it righted itself again, Elena found herself on her back on the mat – not the thick rubber kind that had trapped him, but the cushy kind that absorbed impact … and cushioned the weight of two intertwined bodies …

He was heavy as he splayed out on top of her. His chest plumped her breasts, and his hips nudged determinedly at hers. She cradled his erection between her legs and wiggled until he pressed against the spot where she needed him most.

He nipped at her lips. ‘I have to have you.’