Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 60904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
It’s just the signal for the hunters, I reason.
The blast came from the direction of the gardens. No one is shooting blindly into the woods at night.
I close my eyes and draw in several deep breaths.
I’m not on the rotten estate where I was abused by my foster family. I’m not in that dilapidated stable.
Carter and Brandon aren’t here to threaten me.
They never will be.
“Safe,” I pant to myself. “I’m safe.”
Bones is only a shout away. I could call his name, and I know he’d come running straight to me.
I shake my head. I don’t need that kind of protection from him. I’m happy for him to keep the other hunters at bay, but I don’t need him to fight my own personal demons.
I can’t rely on him in that way. That’s not the nature of our relationship.
The vibrator increases its intensity, and it’s a merciful distraction. I take a moment to lean back against a tree and focus on sensory information to distract myself from my tangled thoughts.
The tree bark is rough against my shoulders. The woods smell damp and earthy. And the vibrations at my core keep my lust for Bones simmering.
I allow myself precious seconds stimulate my breasts until my nipples harden against the silk. I imagine his gloved hands on me, not my own. I think about how hot our time in the limo was, how he gagged me with arousal-coated fingers while he edged me.
My body hums for him, and my heartrate ticks up a notch—with desire, not fear.
A moan escapes me before I think better of it.
“Karolina…” He calls my name, distant but still far too close.
He’ll be able to see this damn collar glowing if he gets much closer. He might even hear the buzz of the vibrator. It’s going so fast now that it’s not exactly silent.
I consider removing it and leaving the toy for him to find by this tree. I could use it as a distraction to get farther away. I could also remove the red collar, but that might make me vulnerable to other hunters.
I decide against both courses of action and start running again.
I want to make Bones work for it, but I don’t truly want to evade him.
I’m desperate for the orgasm he’s denied me for far too long now. If I didn’t have my pride, I’d run straight to him and drop to my knees to beg for release.
I grit my teeth and increase my pace. I’m panting more from lust and the thrill of the hunt than from exertion. I could keep up this pace for hours, but I’m far more winded than usual.
Then I hear twigs snap beneath a heavy footfall behind me, and I can’t hold in a sharp gasp.
His low laugh threads through the trees to caress my skin.
How did he get so close without me hearing him? I expected him to stumble and crash through the brush like a wild beast. But he’s a careful predator, far more cunning and dangerous than I gave him credit for.
I take off again, barely dodging thick tree trunks and branches as I scramble to put distance between us.
It’s gone quiet behind me. I can’t hear him at all over the sound of my own sawing breaths and the buzz of the vibrator.
I take a precious moment to glance over my shoulder, and I slam into something warm and solid.
Strong arms close around me. I shriek and kick out, but I immediately recognize the low, cocky laugh.
He caught me. Somehow, he actually ran past me to block my path.
It should be impossible for such a big man to be that fast and that quiet.
My mind blanks in disbelief, and he takes advantage of my moment of weakness.
He spins me easily, and his gloved hand clamps over my mouth as his body folds around mine. He doesn’t shove me to the ground, but the takedown is swift and strong. In the space of a few racing heartbeats, he has me tucked beneath him. My breasts press into the damp earth, and his bulk at my back keeps me nearly immobile.
My fingers scrabble uselessly in the dirt, and I thrash. His hand tightens on my face, smothering my impotent scream.
“Calm down, kitten. Don’t injure yourself.” His words are meant to comfort, but the mocking lilt to his voice betrays his dark amusement at my predicament.
I scream louder, a muffled curse at him. I try to get purchase on my knees to push to my feet, but his corded thighs pin the backs of my legs.
“So disobedient.” He tuts. “You’re a wild little thing, aren’t you? Don’t worry. I’ll tame you.”
Two thick fingers hook through the collar at my nape, drawing it tight around my neck. I can only draw shallow sips of oxygen through my constricted throat.
My next outraged scream is a garbled whine. I clutch at the ground, and dirt presses around my fingernails.