Claimed

He glanced again in her direction. Her face was still turned away, her head now resting against the back of the seat. The thought of how close he’d come to losing her earlier that day made him grip the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. He would be more careful going forward to make sure she didn’t try to run away again.

You’re mine now. I’ll never, ever let you go.

~*~

Though it seemed impossible, Kelsey must have actually drifted to sleep, because she came awake with a jerk, taking a second to orient herself. James was humming softly beside her.

She’d been intending to pretend to come after a decent interval so he’d leave her alone, but had surprised herself by actually orgasming against his fingers. It was that thing he’d done with his palm, she realized. Whatever it was, it had worked, and once she had climaxed, he had, thank god, let her be.

He was watching the road, and she was glad of at least a moment without his unwelcome attention focused on her. Her mouth was dry, her arms numb, her leg aching. Her tongue worried the split on her lower lip from his repeatedly backhanding her. James had a temper, one he’d hidden remarkably well when at the office, but he’d hidden far more than that in the months they’d worked together.

Kelsey tried to bring her hands to her face to push away her hair, but the tight grip of the bungee cords around her wrists quickly reminded her that she could not. Warily she glanced again in his direction, glad he hadn’t yet noticed she was awake. She stared at his profile. He had an aquiline nose and a square, masculine jaw. With his gray eyes, dark, straight hair and muscular build, he was an attractive man.

She remembered with sudden horror that she’d confided this to the person she’d thought was Brittney from high school, the “girl” who had so eagerly friended her on Facebook. She had shared with the false Brittney about her boss at the bank, admitting that she’d considered going out with him, even if he was kind of nerdy and quiet. She remembered how Brittney had said those quiet ones were the ones to watch out for. They were usually dynamite in bed, she’d said. Now that Kelsey thought about it, it was Brittney, a.k.a. James, who had brought up the subject of dating in the workplace.

And to think, she’d been sitting in that front desk all those months, under James’ watchful eye. Christ, for all she knew, he’d been masturbating under his desk while he slyly watched her working. And all those pictures of her on his bedroom walls! From literally the moment she’d joined the bank, he’d begun to stealthily stalk her. Maybe he’d planned this whole thing all along. And now he was taking her somewhere secluded—somewhere no one would ever be able to find her.

The thought made her squeak with fear, the sound bursting from her lips before she could stop it. James turned in her direction and smiled. “There she is,” he said in a jovial tone, as if everything were fine and dandy. “I was wondering when you’d wake up. We’re almost there.”

She realized they had left the highway and were now driving along a narrow road that was bordered on both sides by tall, swaying grasses and wildflowers, beyond which loomed a thicket of brush and trees. James slowed the car and turned onto an even narrower road. As the trees thinned, the view expanded to gently rolling hills and the shimmer of gold coins dappling a large lake in the setting sun.

Each bounce of the car along the rutted, unpaved lane sent a jolt of pain through Kelsey’s hurt leg. She shifted on the seat, trying to get more comfortable in her awkward position. “My arms are asleep,” she said, unable to keep the whine from her tone. “Can you please take these cords off? There could be permanent damage from lack of circulation.”

James didn’t look at her as he replied. “You’ll be fine. We’ll be at the cabin in a minute or so, and I’ll untie you then.” He glanced in her direction with a warning expression. “Do you promise to be a good girl from now on?”

What the fuck did that even mean? She wasn’t eight years old, for god’s sake, and he sure as hell wasn’t her father. No, he was just a sick bastard, apparently determined to play out some kind of sado-masochistic master/slave scenario. How did she fight, when he had all the power, and she had none?

You have to be more cunning than he is. Keep your wits about you. Bide your time. Your strongest weapon is his love, or what passes for love in his twisted psyche. Use it, Kelsey.