Claimed

“Wait, wait,” Kelsey said, wrapping her arms around herself, her brows furrowing. “I know Brittney Davis. I mean, I knew her six years ago. She went to high school with me. She has a Facebook page and everything. You can’t be Brittney. You can’t!”

“She was three years behind you in school, right? When we first chatted, you admitted you didn’t really remember her all that well.”

“Jesus,” Kelsey whispered.

“Pretty good, huh?” James said, pleased. “I spent a lot of time putting that Facebook page together. It was easier than I expected, actually. I downloaded pictures of likely candidates from your high school and went phishing. Isn’t that what they call it? I put out a few other names as bait before you responded, but Brittney was the one that caught you and then it was just a matter of reeling you in. I, as Brittney of course, friended a bunch of other people from your high school to look more legit.” He gave a small, satisfied chuckle. “I have to say, I really had no idea how easy it is to pose as someone else. Easily seventy-five percent of your high school classmates on Facebook accepted my friendship without hesitation or question. But you’re the only one I talked to. You’re the only one I wanted. The only one I ever wanted.”

Kelsey fell back against the pillows and closed her eyes. James leaned down so he could kiss her pouty mouth. Kelsey twisted her head away and a clap of rage exploded inside him like a firecracker. “Damn it!” he shouted. “Don’t you get it? This is way more than some office crush. This is about true love, Kelsey. The kind you’ve only dreamed of. Stop fighting me at every turn.”

James realized his hands had curled into fists. Kelsey was staring at him as if he were a monster, instead of the man of her dreams. He pressed his lips together and blew out a long breath. He needed to calm down. This wasn’t going the way he’d envisioned it.

Forcing himself to speak in a soothing voice, he continued, “Look, I know how lonely you’ve been since the breakup with Adam, even though we both know he wasn’t right for you. But that’s all over now. We have each other.”

James felt his compassion returning, and he smiled gently at his true love. He could see the emotions moving over Kelsey’s face like a storm. Had what he’d said finally penetrated that sweet, thick skull of hers? Or was she going to continue to deny what they shared?

She clearly wanted to say something. He waited patiently.

“James,” she finally said in an exasperated tone. “I get that you think you have strong feelings for me, but you don’t even really know me. And with what’s happened—with what you’ve done—”

“Enough!” The rage he’d managed to tamp down roared to life again. He stood abruptly and paced in a tight circle beside the bed. He whirled on the girl who kept throwing barbs directly into his heart. “I only told you about the Facebook thing because I wanted you to understand that I do know you, not just the persona you present at work, but the real Kelsey Anne Rowan. The girl who moved so often in her childhood because of her father’s job that she was always ‘the new girl’ at school and never felt like she fit in. The girl who hates math, who always felt like an imposter in her business major but stuck with it because she knew she could earn a living that way. The girl who used to sing alto in the choir and who likes to paint. The girl who wants three children someday, and whose favorite color is green, and who has an older brother who’s into drugs and hardly ever shows up for family holidays, except when he needs money. The girl who thinks her boss is kind of cute”—his smile edged into a grin—“if a little nerdy.”

Kelsey was staring at him, making no effort to disguise her horror. He wasn’t reaching her. If anything, he was pushing her away.

James sat heavily on the bed. He looked at the woman he loved and made a decision. “I’d planned to wait until your leg had healed a little more to introduce the concept of punishment, but I think the time has come. As I’ve learned as a team manager at the bank, some folks respond well to a soft approach. Others need their lessons beaten into them. I’m coming to think you fit into the latter category.”

He jumped up, his resolve strengthening. He turned the chair so its back was perpendicular to the mattress, and reached for the naked girl, pulling her forward onto her stomach. “Ow!” Kelsey cried. “Let go!”

“Don’t struggle. You’ll hurt your leg.” James hauled the upper half of her body over his lap, leaving her legs to stretch out on the mattress. Her breasts were pressed against his groin, her head hanging at his left hip. He was in complete control. She was at his mercy. His cock hardened.