Slowly, she opened her eyes. Desire swam with her gaze.
I slipped my hands down to her chin. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine. Considering.”
“Considering what?”
She looked up at her handcuffed wrist.
“Aww.” I gave her a sad smile. “It’s temporary.”
“No.” Yawning, she leaned her head against me. “They need to go today, Cain.”
Humor filled me. I quirked my brows. “Is that right?”
She lifted her view back to me. “Yes.”
“The handcuffs will go when I trust you.” I leaned forward to kiss her.
She backed away.
That response ignited the beast within me.
You’re mine.
I slipped my hands around Phoenix’s waist and pulled her back against my chest. My mouth collided against hers. She parted her lips and returned my kiss. Our tongues swirled together. A delicious tingle ran through my body.
A soft moan left her—low and sultry.
My dick jerked to life.
There we go.
She left the kiss and scooted back. “That’s it.”
I floated in a lusty daze. “What?”
Silent, she gazed back at me.
I licked my lips. “Come back.”
She remained there.
It was hard to keep the need out of my voice. “Please.”
She turned over and put her back to me, causing the handcuff on her wrist to clink against the bed’s gold bar. Then, she grabbed Dr. Fuzzy and held him.
I wished her arms were around me in the same way.
I frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Get rid of the handcuffs, Cain.”
She can’t be serious.
I rubbed my face with both hands as if needing to return to reality. “I told you when the handcuffs will leave. Turn around.”
She didn’t. “Last time, I was your prisoner. The rope and cuffs made sense. Now—”
“Now, you’re even more to me, but I still don’t want you to run—”
“So, then what’s your plan, Cain? I stay trapped in handcuffs forever?”
“It won’t need to be forever.” I moved in closer and pressed my dick against her soft ass. “Just until I’m comfortable with the idea of you not having them on.”
“I see what’s going on.” She scooted away. “You think I’m a dog.”
I gritted my teeth. “I don’t.”
“You definitely think you’re going to train me.”
“It wouldn’t be training. It would be—”
“Conditioning.”
“Turn around.”
She remained still. “If you want me to turn around then you’ll have to do it yourself.”
Pissed, I did just that. I rolled her back to me. The handcuffs clinked against the gold bar.
Anger covered her face, and defiance blazed in her eyes.
I steadied my voice. “Last time when you were with me—”
“I was your prisoner.”
“You were and now—”
“I’m your prisoner again.”
“You’re not.”
“Then, get rid of the handcuffs.”
“Last time, I took them off, you ran away—”
“Because you were going to kill me after we made the exchange with Quin.”
“Actually, after our sensual moment in the mud, I decided to keep you alive and with me forever.”
“You don’t get to decide whether I live or die. I don’t have any regrets for escaping.”
“Which is why the handcuffs remain.”
“Then, I won’t remain. The true me.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I don’t understand.”
“You must only want my body.”
“You know I want more than that.”
She closed her eyes and held Dr. Fuzzy closer.
“Phoenix. . .”
Sighing, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers. This time they didn’t part. This time they didn’t soften. I slipped my hand along her waist, trying to warm her to me.
No response came.
She stayed still like a limp doll.
I moved away. “You think that I can’t get your body to wake up.”
Silent, she didn’t move or open her eyes.
“I can make you moan.” I reached my hand to her face and combed my fingers through her silky hair. “I can make you scream.”
Open your eyes, Phoenix. Come back to me.
This afternoon, I hadn’t wanted to bring out the knives. I’d simply yearned for her warmth, needing to dance within her feminine softness.
I watched her for several minutes.
Had her chest not been rising and falling, I might have thought that she had instantly died.
Well-played, Phoenix. Well-played.
I sat up. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
She opened her eyes. “Will you take the handcuffs off and let me go on my own?”
“No.”
“Then, I will piss and do everything else in the bed.” She shut her eyes. “Have fun with cleaning up that.”
A smirk hit my face. I shouldn’t have been tickled with her resistance, but this part of her was the exact reason why I’d fallen.
“Okay.” I grabbed the keys from the night stand on my side and undid the cuff hooked to the gold bar. “Go to the bathroom.”
Her expression brightened. She put Dr. Fuzzy down, stretched her arm, and then rubbed the wrist where the handcuff still dangled. “Are you going to take this off?”
“Go to the bathroom.”
She rolled her eyes and left the bed.
I watched her the whole time, making sure she didn’t linger too close to the bedroom door. It was locked, but she was fast. It would be a nice chase for her downstairs and out the front door. The circular driveway had an electric remote that she didn’t have. She would need to climb the gate to get out of there fast. I was certain I could get to her before she hit the neighborhood.