Two Books in One - Ominous Love and Paradox - The Angels Are Here by Patricia Puddle

his face, I lose consciousness.

Chapter Thirteen
     
    My eyes flicker open and I glance around. Where the hell am I? Adrenalin rushes through me and I bolt upright. My wrists are handcuffed together and my feet are tied to the bottom of a four-poster bed. Holy shit. I've been kidnapped.
    Though I'm wearing my jeans and sweater, my boots and jacket are gone. I swallow a big lump in my throat and try to pull my feet free, but they’re tied too tightly. The only light in the room is from two candles burning on the dresser and a fire blazing in the hearth. There's a dark carved door in the corner and the window is covered with full-length crimson curtains. I've never seen this place before and I don't know why I'm here.
    The fog in my brain clears and I suddenly remember being dragged away from the party by a strange man. Holy shit. My world drops out from under me and I frantically rip at the rope around my ankles. I have to get out of here, and fast.
    My feet hurt, but I can’t get them free. As I dig my fingernails into the binding, a floorboard outside the room creaks.
    I freeze and stare at the door. Shit! Someone's out there. My heart is in my throat and my pulse is pumping. I bite my lip. Please, God , don’t let him come in here. Taking short raspy breaths, I watch the doorknob. It turns and I shudder with terror.
    A dark-haired man dressed like a lifeguard walks in. All he's wearing is budgie smugglers, sunglasses, and a black towel around his shoulders. As he closes the door, I yank at the rope and tremble. He's over six-feet tall and built like an athlete. As he walks towards me, he takes his sunglasses off and tosses them on the dresser. He smirks, his coal-black eyes gleaming with menace.
    Crap! Now, I'm in big trouble. It's Devlin Sulphurous, the sleaze from the party.
    Sitting on the bed next to me, he smiles, his white teeth gleaming in the candle light. “So, you finally woke up, Eloise.”
    I grab a pillow and hold it in front of me. “Why have you brought me here?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm. “What do you want from me?”
    He caresses my cheek with his long slender fingers. “So many questions, my love. Be patient, you'll find out soon enough.”
    The little hairs on the back of my neck stand up, making me shiver. “I'm not your love. Let me go home.”
    His eyes flash. “Oh, yes you are. You're the only one for me, and you'll learn to love me back. You'll see.”
    I shake my head. “No, I won't. I don't even know you. Please, take me home. My parents will worry about me.”
    “Oh? Your parents will worry?”
    “Of course they will, so let me go.”
    He moves further onto the bed. “What about your boyfriend, will he worry?”
    I chew my mouth. “I guess.”
    “Hmm, you guess, do you?” He strokes his chin. “Didn't he go off to make love to the beautiful Francesca?”
    My stomach churns. How did he know that?
    “Well?”
    I gulp. “Maybe.”
    He narrows his eyes. “And is he still your boyfriend?”
    “No, but he's still my friend.”
    “Don’t you care that he went off with one of your pals?”
    I shrug. “Not really.”
    “You don't love him?”
    “No.”
    “Did you sleep with him?”
    “No,” I yell. “And why are you asking me all these questions. Just let me out of here.” I hold my wrists out. “And please undo these handcuffs. They hurt.”
    “Will you attempt to escape?”
    I shake my head.
    “Say it.”
    “I won’t attempt to escape.”
    He walks around to the bottom of the bed and unties the rope around my ankles. Then he stares at me through thick dark lashes as he kisses my toes and massages my feet.
    Eww, he may be good-looking, but all I want to do is kick him in the head.
    “Stop scowling, Eloise. You know you like it.”
    I move my feet away. I'm tempted to poke him in the eye with my big toe, but I'm still handcuffed, so I tell a lie. “I'm just ticklish, that’s all.”
    Still holding my gaze, he unlocks the handcuffs and caresses my wrists.