Dammit. I am into him, and I probably would’ve tried to resist for reasons that don’t seem to matter so much now that the two of us are speeding along out of town. I look out the window, trying to hang onto my mad. It’s wrong to kidnap someone. And handcuff them too!
I turn to him. “I’m not going to leap out of a moving vehicle. You can unlock my cuffs.”
“I will.”
I hold up my cuffs.
“In five hours. Once you’re safely locked in our room. Or maybe I’ll handcuff you to the bedpost. Think about it, beautiful. You, at my mercy.”
My mind conjures that so perfectly I throb. No. Stop. This is crazy. I am not turned on by Eli doing the wrong thing. What if there was no one to cover for me at work? I can’t afford to lose an entire day’s worth of sales. Audrey smiling like a loon flashes through my mind. Crazy lady. She’ll take care of my shop like it was her own.
He glances at me. “On a scale of one to ten, ten being kick-my-shin furious, how mad are you about being kidnapped?”
“Take my handcuffs off and see,” I say sweetly.
He slides a sideways look at me. “I’m guessing ten. I probably should’ve tied your ankles together too.”
“Don’t get any ideas. So I guess I’m just supposed to wear the same clothes, never brush my—”
“Audrey took care of it. Bag’s in the trunk.”
My jaw drops. She has my spare key in case of emergency but still. “When did this happen?”
“This morning when you were at work. You’re welcome.”
I purse my lips. “Where are we going?”
“A lodge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They take dogs, and we have a first-floor suite with a patio so Lucy can hang there if she wants. It’s good leaf-peeping time up there too. Not peak time, where we have to fight the crowds, but enough to look colorful.”
I want to be pissed and hammer home that what he did is wrong, but it actually sounds fantastic. I haven’t had a real day off in forever. Even when my shop’s closed on Tuesdays, I always end up doing laundry, running errands, cooking ahead for the week, bills, etc. All that boring adult crap. I never just chill.
He stops at a red light and gives me a stern look. “Don’t expect sex on this trip.”
My brows shoot up in surprise.
The light turns green, and he hits the accelerator. We’re cruising along again while I sit there stunned. The man kidnaps me and gets us a room but doesn’t want sex. And he even teased me about handcuffing me to the bedpost. I have to know.
“What kind of kinky game are you playing?”
He barks out a laugh.
“Are we sharing a bedroom?” He really is crazy if he thinks sex is not happening in that scenario.
“It’s a two-bedroom suite. One room for me and Lucy to share, and one for you.”
He’d rather sleep with his dog than me? Well, she is his favorite female. “You’re kidding me.”
“Nope.”
“And what will we be doing on this surprise road trip where I’m handcuffed and you sleep with your dog?”
He grins. “We’ll be hiking, apple picking, and eating ice cream. Your basic nightmare scenario.”
A laugh escapes. “I can’t believe you planned all this.”
“It wasn’t hard, and it gives me a chance to get to know you better.”
I gulp, my heart thundering. “Someone could get hurt. And Sydney wants you to be with Brooke. She made it clear she wants me to leave you the hell alone. She knows how damaged I am.”
“Brooke, Wyatt’s sister?”
“Yeah.”
“Why in the world would you think I’d just blindly be with someone my sister wants me to be with? She has no say in who I spend time with.”
I stare at him. “Didn’t you hear the part about someone getting hurt? That’s what Sydney’s so worried about, and, honestly, so am I.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Listen, give me these two days, and then I’ll leave you alone for good.”
I blink. “Really? Just two days?”
“That’s right.”
I fidget in my seat, trying to wrap my mind around this. For some reason, I thought we were dealing with something much bigger here. The big R. Relationship. I don’t know why I thought that. I guess there were some unexpected feelings on my part—really warm feelings—but he doesn’t feel the same way. I should be relieved. It’s just a secret casual thing. Not quite a fling since he said no sex. More like a secret getaway.
“What if Sydney finds out?” I ask.
“Audrey swore this would be a private venture.” He grins. “Wouldn’t look good if the future chief of police was a known kidnapper, and Syd is probably too busy with Wyatt to notice what we’re doing on a Monday.”
“And Tuesday.”
“And Tuesday, yes. I never see her early in the week, do you?”
“No, not usually.”
“Then what Sydney doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
He can’t be so sure about Sydney. She could find out and be pissed I went behind her back, but it’s not like I had a choice. I let out a breath of exasperation. I was handcuffed by a clueless alpha who didn’t think through all the consequences.
I glance at him. He looks so relaxed behind the wheel. I can’t fully relax until I’m sure he understands the gravity of the situation he’s put me in. “Sydney told me she’ll never forgive me if I hurt you.”
“Do you plan to hurt me?”
“No, but I don’t think she’d approve of—”
“Two days. That’s it. If she finds out and gets upset, I’ll deal with her.”
“Sydney and I are like sisters. I want to be old ladies together, slugging back gin and cheating at cards.”
He chuckles. “Is that you at the nursing home?”
“It sounds silly, but it’s true. She’s my people.”
“That doesn’t mean you keep out all the men people, does it? She’s married now. If she can make room in her life for a man in between the gin and cards, then why can’t you?”
“I’m never getting married.”
“Okay.”
“No, I mean it.”
“I know you do. Relax. You’re just being kidnapped on a two-day forced vacation, where you won’t be getting any of my sweet loving. Enjoy.”
I laugh a little.
It’s only two days.
He stops at a red light, fishes a small key out of his pocket, and unlocks my handcuffs, tossing them in the cup holder. I rub my wrists, and he lifts them to his mouth, his hazel eyes intent on mine before placing a gentle kiss on the inside of each one. Heat flashes through my system, my pulse thrumming through my veins. It nearly feels romantic.
He glances at the light, still red, turns back to me, and wraps his hand around the back of my neck, pulling me close for a kiss. A jolt goes through me on contact. The graze of his warm lips on mine only makes me want more. A perfect first kiss.
He pulls back enough to look into my eyes. “I don’t expect much, Jenna. Just a chance to get to know each other a little better.”
My lips part in surprise. That doesn’t sound as terrifying as I first thought. In fact, it sounds very doable. Two days of getting to know each other a tiny bit more. I must admit his expectations are set reassuringly low.