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I offer her a smile. “I thought we could share dinner.” I gesture to the seating and dining table across from us. “I will answer anything you would like to know while we dine,” I tell her. “All I ask is that you keep an open mind.” I would prefer to ask her to open her heart, but I am well aware she is keeping it tightly guarded. First, I must earn some degree of her trust.
Scarlet stares at the table setup for several seconds before finally twisting her hand free from mine and adjusting to face me. She stands with her knuckles resting on her hips, her feet braced. Her body language clearly states that she has had her fill.
“Are you serious? You promised to take me outside today, then waited until after sunset to come get me? All so we could have a fancy outdoor dinner in your backyard? Am I supposed to be impressed? Is this supposed to make me want to talk to you, let alone trust you?”
I find myself fighting a smile as she berates me, her voice steadily rising. This is the firecracker I have come to crave.
“I wanted to do you the respect of showing you where you are staying now,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “I thought you would appreciate the fresh air.” I motion again toward the table. “The rest I will explain, as I promised, if you are willing to sit and dine with me.”
“And if I run?”
I frown. “I will catch you before you reach the trees.”
Scarlet glances toward the line of forest and draws a breath. Her heart rate spikes and she pulls her lips between her teeth. She squares her shoulders, faces me, and says, “Fine. Okay. But you better answer my questions.”
Chapter Nine
Scarlet
And if I Run?
It’s beautiful out here. I take a moment to appreciate it all as Kyson rounds the table to take his seat after helping me into mine. The dark forest looms around us as the crickets start their nightly song. The sun is quickly disappearing below the horizon allowing the shadows to creep in and surround us. Kyson watches me carefully as I survey everything around me. If I am ever going to escape this madman I will need as much information as I can gather.
“You’re not a captive, you know?” The deep timbre of his voice disrupts me.
I glare at him. He is wearing dark dress pants and a crisp white button-up shirt, his long dark hair in a messy man bun on top of his head. I’m still a little wound up from earlier when he kissed my neck, and I hate feeling this constant attraction to him. Plus, I think he wanted to do so much more when he had me pressed against him.
The thing that pisses me off is I would have let him.
“No?” I ask with a raised eyebrow letting my anger with the situation bleed into each word. “Then perhaps you can explain why the room I am staying in is always locked from the outside.”
Kyson tilts his head to the side, studying me. “If I gave you free rein of the compound from the first day we wouldn’t be here right now.”
“You can’t say that for sure.”
“But I can. And if you are honest with yourself for a moment, you’ll know I am right.”
We both lapse back into silence. It irritates me to no end that he knows me so well but I know nothing about him. He promised to answer any questions I asked, though, and if I am going to be stuck here for the foreseeable future, I might as well gather some information. Time to ask some questions.
“Fine,” I concede. “I would have left the moment I had the opportunity.”
Kyson nods in agreement, his lips twitching at the smirk he tries to hide. Have I mentioned that I hate the fact I find him attractive? That his scent makes my hormones stand up and wave, trying to draw his attention. It doesn’t help that I constantly dream of fucking him in every possible way imaginable. The attraction is driving me insane.
“Where are we?” I ask, trying to distract myself from the constant lust I feel around him.
“About five miles outside of a little town called Sangre. Just beyond the Black Forest.” His reply is instant and I have a feeling he will answer all my questions in the same way.
For a single moment, I’m not sure I want answers anymore. My sense of self-preservation is screaming at me and for some reason, I am certain I will never leave this place again.
Kyson stands to move to a smaller table off to the side that has covered dishes scattered across it. He lifts a dome off one and brings it over to set it down in front of me. Instantly, my mouth starts to water as I gaze down at a perfect slice of lasagna.
“Thank you,” I say before digging in.
A moan escapes me at the first bite. The creaminess of the sauce along with the perfect amount of meat and pasta is enough to have my eyes rolling back.
“Fuck,” Kyson curses lowly before grabbing his glass of wine and taking a large sip.
“Language,” I chide before taking another bite. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
