Page 45 of Don’t Break My Heart (Secrets of Ravens Hollow #3)

He takes my hand, pulling me up to standing with him. “I knew I didn’t need to. I know everything about you, Sloane.”

“So, you did cheat? ”

“If cheating is knowing you so well that I could guess how you would answer the questions, then yeah. Do you really think I would risk what we have on a game?”

Oh fuck, the way he is looking at me has my insides lit up completely. “We still have two more rounds to go. You could still fail.”

His hand moves into my hair, and he tugs me back so I’m looking directly into his eyes.

“You know I won’t.” He slips a pair of soft leather cuffs and a black silk blindfold from his suit pocket.

“You ready to play bound by trust? It won’t be as much fun without an audience watching and voting, but I’m sure we can still make it work. ”

Oh fuck, here goes nothing.

“Turn around, doll face.”

I do as he says, and he places the silky blindfold over my eyes.

My heart kicks up a beat even though I know we’re alone in here.

I don’t know the space. Our concept was escape room meets obstacle course, and the male has to lead the female through to the end safely with only his words.

It’s supposed to be a fun flirty way to build trust. But I already know Romeo and trust is our downfall.

“Can you see how many fingers I’m holding up?” he asks.

“You know I wouldn’t tell you if I could.”

“Sloane, take it seriously,” he snaps, and I know he is.

“I can’t see anything, I swear.”

“Good.” He takes my hand and clasps the cuff in place around my wrist. “Help me get mine on.”

I feel around until I have it in my hand and then find his wrist, carefully locking the buckle in place. “Done.”

“There are a few rules. We can never turn back or we fail. If you don’t trust me to get you to safety at any point, we fail.

We also have a time frame to complete the course, twenty minutes, and if we don’t get to the end in time, we fail.

That’s pretty much it. Normally there will be audience votes as well for compatibility, but since it’s just you and me, we can leave that part out.

” His lips brush my earlobe, sending a scattering of goosebumps over my skin.

My senses are on overdrive, not been able to see.

“Can you trust me to get you safely out of here?”

“Yes,” I whisper back. I feel his muscles relax. He was worried I would say no. “You built this course, didn’t you?”

“No, sweetheart, I have no idea what is in front of us. I gave the building team ideas, but this is as much a mystery to me as it is you. Do you still trust me?”

My heart kicks up a beat. I fucking hate being in the dark and he knows it, but he can see. He will talk me out of here safely. “I trust you to get me out safely.”

“Walk forward, I’ll tell you when to stop.”

My shaky legs do as he says and step forward, my body as close to him as possible. The hand that’s cuffed to me laces in mine, holding it tightly.

“You’re safe with me, Sloane. Even if you’re scared.”

“How can you tell I’m scared?”

“I can hear your racing heart from here.” He chuckles lightly. “The timer is set. We’re going to push through the velvet curtain. I’ll go first, but that’s what you’re feeling on your arms when you pass, okay?”

“Okay,” I whisper. That’s all I have. I know this is a controlled environment and it’s safe, but when all I can see is pitch black, it doesn’t feel like it.

Heavy velvet brushes past me, sliding over my skin as I’m pulled behind Romeo.

I hear running water, like a waterfall. Where the last space was dark and deathly quiet, this one has a humid feel.

“Is there water in here?” I gasp, praying to God we don’t have to get in it.

I feel him suck in a sharp breath. “Yeah, and from what I can see, it’s the only way out. ”

“What?”

I feel him turn toward me, his hand running up my arm. “I got you, Sloane, hang on to me and I will get you through it.”

Fuck. My heart races out of control. I’m ready to quit already, the fear taking over any rational thought. He pulls me in close, his lips gently brushing mine.

“I won’t let anything happen to you. Give me all your fear, and I will show you you’re safe.”

I know Ricky said the best way to overcome your fears is to face them, and do it over and over again until you’re no longer scared anymore.

But this. Romeo’s kiss deepens, and I know it, he would never let anything bad happen to me.

It’s why they got me out of Italy when they did.

It’s why Reef is so angry with me for being selfish.

I don’t trust them because they keep shit from me, but they can’t trust me to look after myself, they do it to keep me safe.

I am the asshole. “Okay, Romeo, get me out of here.”

He takes my hand, and we step into a pool of water, wading through until it’s waist deep. It’s not cold, but the sensation of being in water with my clothes on takes me back to the night Orlando took me, and it sends my pulse into overdrive.

“It’s going to get a little deeper. Here.

” He scoops me up so I’m clinging on to him, my legs wrapped around his waist, my free hand around his neck.

I’m so close now I can feel the way his heart races, and I hope it’s not because he’s shitting himself like I am.

The water laps at my middle even when I’m in his arms. Then it all of a sudden gets deeper, and it’s up to his shoulders.

“You’re okay, sweetheart. I got you,” he says, his strong arms gripping me tightly to his chest. “Hold your breath, we have to go under the waterfall. ”

Oh, dear God. I suck in a breath, and he quickly pulls me under the water with him.

We come up on the other side moments later, and I inhale a deep breath.

“Good girl. You did it. We’re on the other side now.

” I feel as he carries me up some steps, then he lowers me back down to standing by his side.

His lips meeting with mine, he kisses me softly, his hands roaming down my body.

“This is another door we have to go through, but first, we have to solve a puzzle.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“I’ll talk you through, but I can’t touch the pieces, you have to do it.”

He talks me through each step of the way, telling me what direction to turn the pieces in and exactly where to place them. I hear a click as I place the last puzzle piece into place. “Is that the door?”

“Yeah, but it’s only half a normal size, we need to get down low.”

“Okay.” I have stopped questioning him even in my head, and I’m now just following what he says, the need to get the fuck out of here ASAP a priority.

I’m now soaking wet and cold, on top of blind and bound.

We crouch down and get through the door together.

The air temperature in this room is cooler, and my teeth start to chatter.

“Shit, Sloane, you’re really cold.”

“I’m soaking wet,” I whimper.

“I’d give you my jacket, but it’s going to be impossible to get it off while I’m attached to you.” I feel him tug on my arm, and I think he’s looking around. “Here, drink this.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t tell you. You have to trust me. ”

Fuck. Was this game built for me? I smell the shot glass and think it’s fireball whiskey, that’s the whiff I get anyway. I throw it back, and I hear him do the same. “What is this room?”

“It’s a mini bar, that’s why it’s so damn cold. I think we have to go up next,” he says.

“Okay. Let’s do it then before I freeze to death.”

“This way.” He takes my hand and drags me over to the other side of the room. “It’s a ladder. You go first so I can catch you if you fall, just don’t go too fast. Remember you’re attached to me and we can’t fall back.”

With my free shaky hand, I clutch the ladder and climb one step at a time with Romeo tucked in behind me. Every step I take, he’s right there. We have to work as a team or we will end up on our asses at the bottom of the ladder and that would be a fail.

My wet heel slips, but he’s quick to correct my footing and throws both of our bodies through what feels like another doorway.

“This is like a bad dream, Romeo. Please tell me we’re at the end already.”

“This is the last room, sweetheart, but we only have two minutes to complete this room or we fail.” He lifts me and positions me on a hard surface, what I think is a table.

“Why do I already feel like I’m not going to like this room?”

“You have to guess what these five items are. Be quick, doll face, or we fail.” He says it like a test, like he’s telling me I can fail this for us if I want to.

The first thing I feel is him leaning in closer to me, something warm and wet gliding up my neck. “Your tongue,” I whisper, crossing a leg over the other as my pussy clenches.

“That was the easy one.” He laughs. He shoves in between my legs opening them for him, his body warming mine .

The next sensation is colder and sends goosebumps over my already cold skin as it travels up my thigh.

He takes it all the way up then runs it over my pussy.

I suck in a breath as fresh moisture pools in my panties.

Fuck, how can he be turning me on when my body is freaking the hell out at the same time. “Ice cube?”

“Perfect.”

It’s followed by drips of something hot. It burns my skin initially but then the pain eases quickly as it cools. “Hot wax?” I ask, praying that’s what it is.

“I knew you would be good at this. Now eat,” is all he says as he places something in my mouth.

It’s hard on the outside, but as I bite into it, it’s squishy in the middle. It’s sweet and tart at the same time, and I know exactly what it is. “Chocolate-covered strawberry,” I say as soon as I finish eating.

“Last thing, and this one is the hardest. You can only use your nose. We also only have thirty seconds left. If you want us to progress to the next round, get it right.”

Do I want us to go to the next round? I know what it means.

Every single sexual item I ticked will be up for grabs.

Romeo will get back the control I know he wants over me because I won’t be able to help myself.

But his question was like him silently giving me an out if I want it.

A slightly sweet scent is wafted in front of my nose, and a shiver runs down my spine, because I know exactly what it is.

I’m instantly transported back to Orlando’s villa in Italy.

“Ten seconds, Sloane, do you know the answer?” he asks a little more nervously.

“It’s a rose,” I whisper.

“What color?” I feel his breath ghost over my ear.

This is it, if I get this wrong, I can walk away from him right now, he said he would let me.

I suck in a breath, my body tingling all over with anticipation of what’s to come if I leave this room with him.

I know what my greedy body wants, she’s practically begging me for it.

But my heart is more fragile. She can’t take much more pain.