Stolen By The Boss

Inside my chest, my heart is pounding.

Dean pauses, no longer trying to slap the handcuffs on me. “Sophia, we’re never going to be able to work together if you can’t trust me.”

I know he’s right. I need his help to get off this island. I need his help to find Bishop. Because whatever intel I’m getting from Rosa, I can no longer trust. As hard as it is, I have to take this leap of faith with Dean and hope and pray he’ll not betray me.

“I swear to you, I’ll work with you to find Bishop.”

Dean moves around the room lighting a few candles. “I can’t have you escaping on me, Sophia.”

“I won’t. Promise.” I cross my heart with my fingers.

“I mean it, Sophia.”

“I promise you, Dean Maddox.” I stare into his eyes so he knows how serious I am. “I need you.”

The side of his lip quirks upward. “Do you definitely need me?”

I smile. “Yes, definitely.”

Chapter 7

Dean

* * *

Hearing the words I need fall from Sophia’s lips does something funny to my chest. It makes my heart beat a little harder. How can I trust her, though? How can I be sure she won’t just try to escape as soon as I fall asleep?

“You have to know it will take me awhile to build back trust with you.”

She nods. “I understand.”

The good thing about tonight is my men guarding the plane will be back on duty here at the mansion. I don’t have to worry about monitoring Sophia solo because they’ll all be watching her as well.

“Do you understand?”

She gives me a look like she’s finally submitting to me. And my brain runs away with the thought of Sophia submitting to me fully. I stare at her high cheekbones, the lines of her flawless face. Her skin is like an exotic fruit begging me to feast upon it. I think about kissing her, along her jawline, across her collarbone.

“I do,” she says, and her voice has dropped an octave or two, like she’s also thinking about me doing naughty things to her in the night’s darkness.

I still don’t trust her, though. There’s been too many instances so far to trust her. She can’t possibly think I do. And even now, what makes it different from the other times? Most likely she’s playing me, and I kind of wish I could just keep her down here all night long.

“Get some sleep,” I say. “We have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Doing what?”

“We need to do more repairs to the house and fix that goddamn generator.”

Her beautiful brown eyes widen, and she looks like a deer caught in the headlights. “Are you thinking the hard work will scare me off? Do you think I’m some debutante that can’t handle getting my hands dirty?”

For about five seconds, I kind of thought this of her, but the more I reflect on our time spent together, I know Sophia is not the type of woman to run away from hard work. “Rest up.” I walk out the door and slam it.

“Am I supposed to sleep down here?”

Honestly, she could sleep either place, but it will make it easier if she stays down here in the basement. “Sure, sleep here,” I yell through the door and head toward the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time until I’m on the main level of the house.

I let Zack and Leo know to watch her tonight. The power is out and we don’t have the security system or monitors up and running, but we don’t need them. There’re no windows in the basement. There’s no way out.

Leo asks, “Do you really think she won’t try to escape again?”

I shake my head. “I have to believe she won’t.”

“You both want the same thing,” Leo says. “I really can’t understand why she just won’t work with you on this.”

I pat my friend on the shoulder as I walk by. “Someone must have hurt her really bad, and my guess is Bishop Blackstone.”

I head into the kitchen to make a snack before bed. I know Leo and Zack won’t let me down and will ensure they keep Sophia in the basement all night.

Sure, it may be harsh. Maybe I’m being a complete fucking asshole, but Sophia is not one to be trusted. Her beauty is her weapon, and I can’t let it pierce my heart.

The next morning I’m awakened bright and early by a loud commotion going on downstairs. I dress and pad out of my room to find out what’s going on. When I head into the garage, I’m baffled by what I see before me.

Sophia is on her knees, tinkering with the generator and shouting at one of Javier’s men, who’s apparently trying to help.

“What’s going on here?” I ask.

“I’m fixing the generator while this moron here gets in my way.” Sophia points her wrench at the man in question.