When his smile widens, I realize I’m just a joke to him.
“I will call you whatever I like, Babydoll.”
He walks over to the bed and sets the sheets down. Then he holds out a sweatshirt in one hand and a white dress shirt in the other. I notice the sweatshirt says M.I.T. on it, and I’m surprised. He doesn’t look like someone who would have gone there.
“Take your pick.”
“What’s happening? I need to know what’s happening.” That’s all I want to know.
“Take your pick,” he repeats with more insistence.
I try to tamp down my anxiety and the rage building inside me. It’s very clear he wants me to do what I’m told. I’m so sick of people treating me like I’m some kind of animal.
“Is that all you expect me to wear? That won’t even cover my legs,” I challenge, and he gives me a disarming smile.
“Maybe I like looking at your legs. And other parts of you.” His eyes land on my panties, and I hate the way my pussy clenches when I note that fascination lurking in his eyes.
“Don’t.” I frown.
“Sorry, I don’t think I can help what my eyes decide to do. In case you didn’t notice, I’m a man. Fucking is always on my mind.”
Fucking, again. That’s the second time he’s said something like that to me. He looks just as serious as he did before, and like the first time, my cheeks flush from the thought of what it would feel like if he did fuck me.
I bite down hard on my back teeth and school my thoughts as I decide to ignore the comment and my stupid reaction to him. Now is not the time to falter in focus. I need to know what’s going on.
“The shirt,” I decide. “Does that mean you’re going to take me down from this wall?”
Eric tosses the sweatshirt next to the sheets and approaches me with the shirt.
“I like you chained to a wall. It’s a good look for you, Summer Reeves.”
I hate the way he says my name. Like he knows me. He doesn’t know a damn thing about me, and I don’t want him to. I don’t want anybody to know me.
“You’re an asshole.”
“Yes, I am. You’d do good to remember that.”
He comes closer, leans in to taunt me with that mocking smirk from earlier, then catches my face.
His fingers dig into my neck, and he squeezes so hard I think he might cut me. His gaze is so intense I try to look away, but it’s hard to when he’s holding my face the way he is.
“Eyes here, Babydoll,” he commands, squeezing tighter as he motions for me to keep my eyes on him.
I gasp and obey because I don’t want him to hurt me anymore than he is.
“Listen to me, Summer Reeves,” he continues in a low voice. “As I said before, I don’t want to hurt you. I’m going to undo the chains, and we’re going to have a little chat about that information I need from you.”
“What makes you think I’m going to tell you anything?” I don’t know why I say that. Maybe it’s because I don’t know what the hell is happening, and I have no idea what kind of information he wants from me.
He chuckles, and the sound makes my blood cower in my veins.
“Because right now, I’m the only guy standing between you and death. I don’t think you realize that it wouldn’t matter what corner of Heaven or Hell you run to. Those men you’re running from would eventually find you and kill you. The same way they killed your sister.”
My eyes widen at the same time my heart stops beating.
He knows what happened!
And it sounds like he knows everything.