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As if I’d want her any other way.

“Are you making fun of me?”

It’s a simple question.

“Do you always tease the girls you kidnap?”

This ruins the fun somewhat. “I’ve never kidnapped anyone.”

“Before me.”

I hesitate. “That was for your safety.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Keep telling yourself that.”

I rush at her, feinting one way, then springing the other. With a gentle sweep of my legs, I knock her off-balance, but I catch her before she can hit the ground. I push my lips against hers, loving the way she gasps and moans caught off-guard.

After the kiss, she says, “I thought we were done with that tired old story?”

“You can’t blame me for rising to your level…or sinking to it.”

“So I’m morally corrupting you, huh, Mr. Don? I’m the bad guy here?”

I was probably an idiot for thinking her certainty would last untouched into the light of day, for believing that she would want me, need me, and nothing else, with no confusion or doubt. But she’s here, and that means everything.

I kiss her again, lifting her off her feet. She moans through the fusion of our lips and wraps her legs around me. I press her against the wall, angling so that she can feel my throbbing mass through my shorts.

“Anybody would think you get off on sassing me.”

“Well–anybodywould be right.”

“Have you thought about what I said? About staying here? About…”

“Leaving?” she murmurs. “It’s like you can’t say the word.”

I gently put her down, hold her hands, our touch entwined with the MMA gloves, as if symbolizing that we’re going to fight through this. Together.

“That’s because I can’t. I don’t even want to think about it. I know we had a less-than-ideal beginning, but that doesn’t mean we’ll have a bad ending.”

“I want to stay,” she says. “That hasn’t changed. But it makes me feel guilty. It makes me feel like a silly little girl, honestly, like Mason when he…”

She turns away, tragedy making her voice raspy.

“What did Mason do?” I say, voice trembling, struggling not to yell the question.

I know some of it, of course. What he did to her mom, twisted her mind. But is there more?

“How long until you find him?” she asks.

“You’re changing the subject.”

“And you’re ignoring my question.”

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “They’re skilled at hiding in the cave systems. I fucked up yesterday letting them get away.”

“You freed their women, though. That’s how Mason thinks of them.Hiswomen. Like property. He was never shy about that.”

“But they’re still out there, and the deadline’s almost up,” I snarl. “Which means he’s going to release that video of you. Meaning that sad, pathetic prick is going to ruin your life.”