Adrien shakes his head, and his grin widens. “It’s too late for that. You can’t chicken out. Once you take the hard way, you’re committed to going the distance. Blade or lighter. You have three seconds, or I’ll use both.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. A shot of adrenaline bursts through my body, and it makes my heart rate do double time. If he’s going to burn me, that’ll be excruciating pain. If he cuts me in the right place, that could mean death. All he has to do is nick an artery and I know he’s more than capable of it.
“Both it is.” I blink. There was no way that was three seconds.
“No, lighter,” I croak. My throat is all choked up, but I get the words out. I can’t handle both of them, and he knows it.
Adie advances towards me, before climbing up onto the bed and straddling my waist. By this time, my heart is pumping so fast it wants to burst out of my body. What the hell have I done?
Putting the knife and lighter down for a second, his fingertips draw a long, slow line down my satin slip, dipping between my breasts, barely grazing them as they move south. My thighs tense as he moves lower. I desperately want to slam my legs closed, but my feet are tied apart and not together, like my wrists. This man knows his stuff. Intimidating people is almost second nature to him.
“Since when do you think you call the shots here?” he says, stopping just shy of where I desperately want his hands to be. Mel. What the fuck?!?
“I made a mistake. I’m sorry,” I bleat. What is it going to take to be able to wriggle my way out of this mess without being burnt or sliced up? Oh God. What have you done, Mel? What have you done?
Adie isn’t going to let me off that easily, though.
“If I said both, both it is. Let this be a lesson to you. Don’t ever fuck with me, Ione. I’ve been programmed from birth not to give a shit. I enjoy hurting women. The last thing you want to do is give me a reason to take out my craziness on you because I’ll be only too happy to oblige.”
“What are you going to do to me?” My voice wobbles.
“It’s no fun if I tell you before I do it,” Adie says, almost affronted. His fingers make slow work of travelling the last two inches down my body until they reach that sweet spot between my legs - the one I am generally reluctant to let men touch. When his fingers slide down the satin, I have to hold myself down to stop my body from responding to him. No way is he getting that.
“Are you softening me up, so I won’t resist when you try to burn and maim me?” I ask acerbically. High above my head, my fingers form into helpless fists. It’s been so long since I’ve succumbed to panic like this, and the emotions running through me are toxic.
Adie picks up his knife and flicks the blade up. “Who says I’m going to burn and maim you? My, my, don’t we have an overactive imagination? We’re not at the torture stage yet. That comes later, princess. I don’t like to rush these things.”
His fingers then glide up and down my sex, dragging the satin backwards and forwards as I choke on what I was about to say next. Fuck you. Fuck you, Adie. He’s just as dangerous as everyone told me, and although I’ve run rings around him on the last few occasions we’ve crossed paths, that was more down to careful planning than skill. It seems I have gravely underestimated this man and will probably pay dearly for the fact.
Adie gently removes his hand and sits back on his haunches. Picking up the edge of my satin slip, he brings the knife up to it, and the razor-sharp blade slithers through the entire length of satin like it’s made of nothing more than air. When he reaches my neck, he has to grip the fabric to get past the final row of piping that decorates the edge. The blade saws through the last little hurdle before it ends up pressed tight against my throat. I then swallow convulsively, but thankfully Adie isn’t looking at my face. His eyes are glued to my naked body.
For a moment, he looks mesmerized, but then he blinks and remembers what he’s doing. His eyes return to mine.
“Are you nervous, princess?” he purrs. It’s a stupid question. There’s a knife pressed against my neck.
“I’m not going to make any sudden movements,” I reply, “but I don’t think you’re going to kill me. At least not until you’ve had your fun, anyway.” At the moment, I am his only leverage to get Lois back. If he kills me, he has nothing.
Adie smiles. Removing the blade from my neck, he trails the flat of it slowly down my body, and it’s cold enough to make me shiver.
“Lesson one: naughty girls don’t get to wear clothes.” Before the blade goes anywhere serious, he sits up and finishes what he’s started. Cutting each shoulder strap, he then drags the material from beneath me and bunches it up in his fingers. “I much prefer you naked, Ione.” Leaning over me, so that his lips are inches from mine, the soft heat of his breath fans over my face. “Oh, the things I am going to do to you, my stubborn little princess. The things. I am going. To do.”
“You’re an asshole,” I growl. His erection is now pressing between my legs, and my traitorous body is turning to liquid.
“I am,” he confirms, “and you’d do well to remember the fact.”
Adie is still staring at me as if he wants to eat me, and playing right into his hands, my tongue comes out to wet my lips. What the fuck, Mel? Have you no shame? My tormentor then laughs as if he’s got me right where he wants me, and to be fair to the guy, he pretty much has.
“Body still at war with that mind of yours, Doctor Leverett?” The bastard is taunting me now.
“I’d rather fuck Ted Bundy than come within five miles of you.” It’s a lie, but no one is going to call me on it because thankfully the man was executed a long time ago.
“You do know Bundy dismembered his victims and kept their heads as souvenirs?” Adrien looks at me questioningly.
No, I didn’t know that, but thanks for sharing. “Even so,” I confirm, although I have to confess I’m a little less sure now.
“Ouch, I’m crushed.” The mocking frown he gives me shows that he’s anything but, however.
Reaching for his lighter, he stops my next sentence dead and my lips slam shut. What is he going to do with that?
Flipping the lid open, a flick of his fingers sparks the flint into life.
“Who else would you rather fuck, while we’re at it? I find I’m very curious to know.” Adie’s black eyes stare down at mine menacingly, while the bright flame flickers between us. My throat dries up instantly and all my former confidence evaporates while Adie’s gaze continues to bore into me.
“Come on, princess, don’t turn shy on me now. Who else goes in front of me on your list of fuckable men? Enquiring minds need to know.”
Squirming beneath his gaze, my eyes close for an instant. “If you’re going to burn me, burn me.” There. It’s out. If he’s going to do it, I’d rather he just got on with it.
Adie looks at me oddly. “I’ve never met someone so impatient to be hurt.”
“Then you haven’t lived,” I remark dryly. I’m not impatient to be hurt, but the sooner we get on with things, the sooner they’ll be over.
“Hmm. Is that right? Tell you what, kiss me, and I’ll let you pick where I burn you.” He studies me closely after that sentence. What is he expecting? That I’ll start crying and go to pieces? He should be so lucky. There’ll be time for that later. As long as he doesn’t go nuts with the lighter, I’ll live.