the post and hit the bottom of the bed. She darted a look back to his face to see him still grinning at her.
“I can keep you and I warned you that if you attempted to leave again I’d chain you to my bed.” He chuckled. “I like being on you.”
“You son of a bitch! Don’t even think about it.”
“I told you,” his grin died, “my mother happened to be a whore.”
5He kicked the other post and another chain fell. She swallowed hard, a little fear rising. She didn’t think he’d really hurt her but she was pretty sure he really would cuff her to his bed.
“I want to leave.”
“I want you to stay.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Brit. I know you’re upset. I saw the look on your face downstairs when we were caught in the act but I’m not letting you run.”
“You can’t really keep me here, River. I want to leave. I’m sure everyone in this house knows we’ve done each other and Dale will find out. I really do need my job. The best thing I can do is get out of here before there’s more damage done. I might be able to explain to Dale that it was just a tiny little loss of my sanity with all the stress I’m under.”
“It’s not happening. You’re here for a month and that’s how long you’ll stay. I’ll handle my family and Dale won’t hear a peep about us. Your job is safe.”
Frustration rose inside her. “Why won’t you let me go? I want to leave.”
“You don’t really want that.” He slowly shook his head. “You’re scared for some reason, spooked like some skittish mare, but guess what? I’m a horse wrangler.” He grinned. “It’s my job to tame them.”
“I’m not a horse.”
“And I’m happy about that.” He chuckled. “I’ve never wanted to mount one of them the way I do you.”
“Not funny.”
His grin faded. “Why are you so determined to run away from me and this
attraction between us? We have a month to spend together and I’m willing to stay here.
If you think I do this often, think again. I usually hit it and run, to be honest, but you’re different. I actually want to get to know you and spend time with you. If anyone should be packing a bag and running away, it should be me.”
“I’m not pinning you down.”
“You couldn’t if you tried. Talk to me. Why do you want to leave so bad?”
She looked away from him to stare at the headboard above her head. She hesitated, refusing to meet his gaze. “I became trapped in a hellish marriage and I don’t want to ever get involved again. Is that so hard to understand?”
His body tensed over hers. “Did he abuse you?”
She met his furious gaze, studying his features, seeing pure rage there. The idea obviously really affected him.
“Yeah. He was a real piece of work, all right?”
“You don’t seem the type to take that kind of shit.”
She turned away, staring at the bedding next to her face. “I’m not. I tried leaving but it got pretty complicated.”
5“You don’t seem to have a problem with trying to leave me and I haven’t hurt you.”
“I don’t want to talk about this. I left my past behind and it’s not something I want to rehash.”
“That’s too damn bad. If this guy is such an ass, why did you marry him?”
“I’m not talking about this.”
“We’re not moving until you do. I don’t care if we miss lunch and dinner or if we have to stay this way all night. Tell me what this guy did to you and why you ended up with an asshole.”
Hot tears threatened to spill so she blinked them back, still refusing to look at him.
She swallowed the lump that formed. “I didn’t know how he was at first. He kind of pretended to be something he wasn’t, married me fast, and then his true side came out.”
“He hit you?” River growled the words.
She nodded once, confirming his suspicion. “Yeah. He became a hitter. I tried to leave, even filed charges with the police, and did all the things they tell you to do. It wasn’t enough. I even got a
“I can keep you and I warned you that if you attempted to leave again I’d chain you to my bed.” He chuckled. “I like being on you.”
“You son of a bitch! Don’t even think about it.”
“I told you,” his grin died, “my mother happened to be a whore.”
5He kicked the other post and another chain fell. She swallowed hard, a little fear rising. She didn’t think he’d really hurt her but she was pretty sure he really would cuff her to his bed.
“I want to leave.”
“I want you to stay.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Brit. I know you’re upset. I saw the look on your face downstairs when we were caught in the act but I’m not letting you run.”
“You can’t really keep me here, River. I want to leave. I’m sure everyone in this house knows we’ve done each other and Dale will find out. I really do need my job. The best thing I can do is get out of here before there’s more damage done. I might be able to explain to Dale that it was just a tiny little loss of my sanity with all the stress I’m under.”
“It’s not happening. You’re here for a month and that’s how long you’ll stay. I’ll handle my family and Dale won’t hear a peep about us. Your job is safe.”
Frustration rose inside her. “Why won’t you let me go? I want to leave.”
“You don’t really want that.” He slowly shook his head. “You’re scared for some reason, spooked like some skittish mare, but guess what? I’m a horse wrangler.” He grinned. “It’s my job to tame them.”
“I’m not a horse.”
“And I’m happy about that.” He chuckled. “I’ve never wanted to mount one of them the way I do you.”
“Not funny.”
His grin faded. “Why are you so determined to run away from me and this
attraction between us? We have a month to spend together and I’m willing to stay here.
If you think I do this often, think again. I usually hit it and run, to be honest, but you’re different. I actually want to get to know you and spend time with you. If anyone should be packing a bag and running away, it should be me.”
“I’m not pinning you down.”
“You couldn’t if you tried. Talk to me. Why do you want to leave so bad?”
She looked away from him to stare at the headboard above her head. She hesitated, refusing to meet his gaze. “I became trapped in a hellish marriage and I don’t want to ever get involved again. Is that so hard to understand?”
His body tensed over hers. “Did he abuse you?”
She met his furious gaze, studying his features, seeing pure rage there. The idea obviously really affected him.
“Yeah. He was a real piece of work, all right?”
“You don’t seem the type to take that kind of shit.”
She turned away, staring at the bedding next to her face. “I’m not. I tried leaving but it got pretty complicated.”
5“You don’t seem to have a problem with trying to leave me and I haven’t hurt you.”
“I don’t want to talk about this. I left my past behind and it’s not something I want to rehash.”
“That’s too damn bad. If this guy is such an ass, why did you marry him?”
“I’m not talking about this.”
“We’re not moving until you do. I don’t care if we miss lunch and dinner or if we have to stay this way all night. Tell me what this guy did to you and why you ended up with an asshole.”
Hot tears threatened to spill so she blinked them back, still refusing to look at him.
She swallowed the lump that formed. “I didn’t know how he was at first. He kind of pretended to be something he wasn’t, married me fast, and then his true side came out.”
“He hit you?” River growled the words.
She nodded once, confirming his suspicion. “Yeah. He became a hitter. I tried to leave, even filed charges with the police, and did all the things they tell you to do. It wasn’t enough. I even got a
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