Give And Take: Taken Part 2

A yellow b.u.t.terfly flutters between us and lights upon the edge of the fountain. We stay still, watching it tip-toe and flit its wings. When it launches back into the air, you brush off the spot where it had landed and gesture for me to take a seat. "That has to be some kind of sign," you say. "I have something. Don't move. I'll be right back."

I sit on the edge of the fountain and watch you dart back inside. You seem excited now. I'm not sure how I feel. I don't know if it's stupid to feel safe with you, to feel like what happened is okay because of how it's turning out.

You still drugged and kidnapped me, no matter the reason.

I should despise you, but I don't. You know the legend of Turtle Tear Island-you told me the story. You want to share this place with me. No, I don't despise you. I feel something entirely opposite, and I wish I didn't. You said it yourself-I'm a smart woman. I should know better.

You come back out onto the patio with a bottle of champagne in one hand and two chunky clay mugs in the other. You set the mugs on the ledge beside me and shake the champagne bottle. "Would you like to do the honors?" you ask, holding the bottle out to me.

I take it. "Aren't you afraid I'll point the cork at your face?"

You grin. "I deserve no less."

I press both thumbs on the cork and wiggle it out a bit before it pops and sprays champagne like my own conch sh.e.l.l fountain. You take it and pour us both a mugful.

"To Turtle Tear," you say, holding up your mug.

"To Turtle Tear." I hold mine up, and you tap yours against it.

We drink, eyeing each other over the rims of our mugs. Where do we stand? What happens now? Where do we go from here?

Chapter Four.

You toss another log in the fireplace before striking a match and lighting the wadded up newspaper your using for kindling. Here in the lounge it's cool, unlike the stuffy attic bedroom.

The sun is setting. A blaze of gold and orange dapples through the tree leaves. A breeze blows through the open door behind me, and I pull the blanket you brought downstairs up around my shoulders and snuggle into my wrought iron chair from outside.

The champagne relaxed and warmed me a bit, but not enough to make it feel like I'm having an evening with a friend. I'm not sure there's enough champagne in the world for that.

"What are you thinking?" you ask. "You're so quiet." You refill your mug and offer the bottle to me.

I hold out my mug, and you top it off. "I'm wondering if anyone has ever been in a stranger situation."

You stare into the fire, considering. "Are you in love with me?"

"What? No! Why would you ask that?" I s.h.i.+ft uncomfortably in my chair.

You smile and laugh to yourself. "Because that would be a stranger situation, and it happens. Stockholm Syndrome. Women falling in love with their captors."

"I'm aware of what Stockholm Syndrome is." I take a deep drink, watching you smile like you know some secret that you aren't sharing.

"Be sure to let me know when that happens," you say.

"Don't count on it." You keep those deep, dark eyes on me with that c.o.c.ky grin on your face. Your skin glows in the firelight. There's a shadow of stubble on your jaw and chin. I imagine it p.r.i.c.kling against the delicate skin on my neck.

I rub my hand over my neck where it's flus.h.i.+ng with heat and look away. "You're too used to getting everything you want."

"Maybe so." You tip your mug back and empty it then set it on the floor. "You look like you're freezing. Why don't you come down here in front of the fire?"

I c.o.c.k an eyebrow. "Very smooth."

You hold your hands up and chuckle. "I won't try anything. If was going to, don't you think I had ample opportunity?"

I glance out the door behind me as another cool breeze blows over my shoulders and makes me s.h.i.+ver.

You pat the hardwood floor beside you. "Come on. Bring your blanket."

The fire cracks and pops, sparks fly up into the dark chimney. I sit, fold my legs to the side and lean my elbows on the hearth. I've always loved the smell of a wood fire burning, the way the smoke curls from the tongues of the tallest flames, the pounding heat on my face. "It feels nice."

"It is nice, isn't it?"

I feel your eyes on the side of my face. If I look at you, I'll be trapped in their depths.

I want to look.

I can't look. It's so wrong.

Thankfully, you lie back with your hands under your head, and I don't have to play tug-o-war with myself any longer.

"This reminds me of camping. I haven't been camping in probably twenty years." You roll onto your side and prop yourself up on your elbow. "My grandfather used to take my sister and me in his pop-up trailer."

My eyes dart to him. "A pop-up trailer? You?"

"I haven't always had money." You trace your finger along the seams between planks of wood on the floor. "Sometimes I'd trade it all to be that age again, to go camping and sit by a big fire roasting marshmallows without a care in the world." You frown and watch your finger on the floor. Your thick black eyelashes stroke your cheeks. "I'd do so many things differently."

I get the feeling you aren't just talking about what you did to me. I want you to keep talking, but I'm afraid if I ask, if I push, you'll stop. I sip champagne, watch you and wait for more words to fall from your lips.

You s.h.i.+ft and your foot touches my leg. My instincts tell me to move away, but I don't want to.

"This," you say, gesturing all around us, "and you are my way of trying to make up for things in my past. I hope you understand I didn't ever want to hurt you. I didn't want to scare you. I just want to make things right."

"What are you trying to make right? You don't owe me anything. We have no past to fix." I don't want any more talk about righting wrongs or giving back to the universe. It's bulls.h.i.+t, and I know it. I want specifics. "Who did you wrong, Merrick? What happened?"

You stare into the fire for a few minutes, then fall back again with your eyes on the ceiling. My questions shut you down. You won't answer me.

A log falls off the stack in the fireplace. Sparks rain and embers glow dark red and bright yellow.

"Did you ever camp when you were young?" you ask.

"One time in sixth grade with the Girl Scouts. I like indoor plumbing and hate spiders. Once was enough."

The grin sneaks back onto your lips. You reach for me and make your fingers crawl up my thigh like a spider. I laugh because it tickles and jump back because you're touch on my bare skin feels way too good.

"I can open a bottle of wine if you want." Your expression is so warm and open. You're begging me to let my guard down-to let you in. I want to, but it's insane. You have issues, and I haven't gotten to the core of them yet.

"I don't think so."

Your smile slowly fades, and you nod. "Let me know if you change your mind."

"Okay." I smile because I don't want to hurt your feelings, and this realization makes me question my own sanity.

Maybe I need to stop thinking.

Your hair, your eyes, your smile and lips, that body...the pull is so strong. I can't deny how much I'm attracted to you, how I don't want to look away from your eyes, just gaze longer, harder, deeper until I'm completely inside you.

"What is it?" you whisper.

"You," I whisper back.

You hover closer. Flames reflect in your eyes. Inches stand between us. The warmth of your body-your lips, I want you. I need you.

I inhale sharply and turn away. "I think the fire needs stoked."

You sniff a few times and cough, recovering your self-control.

The best thing for me to do is go to sleep. I don't trust myself with you, and I don't want to regret anything in the light of day.

"I'll sleep down here," I say. "Unless you want to tie me back up?"

You toss another log on the fire and turn to me on your knees. "Of course not." You take my hand and squeeze. "You take the bed. I'll sleep down here, or on the couch upstairs."

I take my hand from yours. "Okay. I'm going to head up then." Before I let things between us get out of control.

You smile, understanding my unspoken reason for abruptly going to bed. "Sweet dreams, Rachael."

I gather the blanket and flee the room, das.h.i.+ng down the hall and up the arching staircase. I know my dreams will be of you, and I'm not sure how I'll stay away from you in the morning.

It's bright and birds are chirping like crazy feathered alarm clocks outside the window. It has to be early. It feels early.

I sit up in bed and rub my eyes. I didn't dream of you. I didn't dream at all.

My feet hit the hardwood floor with a thud, and I realize everything's different today. A thrill of antic.i.p.ation runs up my back and down my arms. I wasn't kidnapped by a crazy man.

Okay, what you did was undeniably crazy, but also desperate and impulsive. There are deeper reasons behind your actions that I'm eager to uncover. Until I do, at least I know I'm in no danger, unless it's from my ever-increasing need to feel your lips on mine.

I shake my head to stem the flow of molten desire that takes over when I think of you. Today should be interesting.

Crossing the sitting area on my way to the bathroom, I stop when I notice you curled on your side on the couch. I had no idea you were there, sleeping silently. You're beautiful-it's the first thought that crashes through my mind. Men are rugged, handsome, athletic. You're all of these and more-you're a beautiful man.

I step closer running my eyes across your strong, s.h.i.+rtless back. The stubble on your face is darker, rougher. My fingers itch to touch it. I marvel at the angular shape of your face, your prominent cheekbones, thick-lashed, almond-shaped eyes, and how the dimple in your cheek dips in even while you sleep.

Your eyes flicker open. My heart jumps. You blink a few times while it sinks in that I'm standing above you staring. "Morning," you say, stretching and rubbing your eyes.

I should move away, stop staring, but I can't. "Morning."

You sit up and adjust your boxer shorts. I can't keep myself from peeking at the bulge pressing against the fly; the thin cotton barely contains you. My breath comes quicker, and I look away.

Dear G.o.d, I've never wanted someone so badly.

You stand and run your hands down each of my arms stealing my attention back. "I'm sorry you don't have any other clothes, but you can wear mine. Why don't you take a shower, and I'll lay something out for you?"

I step back and run into the coffee table. You pull me forward to keep me from falling, pressing me into your firm chest still warm from sleep. "Careful."

My nerves are quaking like some kind of freaked out animal. I tear myself away from you and stand a few feet away with my arms crossed over my chest. Confusion fogs your eyes. You have no idea what being so close to you does to me. "You can shower first," I say, grasping for words that make any sort of sense.

You stride to the dresser and pull open a drawer. "I showered before bed." You glance back over your shoulder. "A cold shower." Those dark eyes hold mine, fill my mind with your meaning. You feel it, too-that raw ache that's planted itself deep down low in my belly that only wants one thing.

It feels like we're breathing the same breath in sync across the room, hearts drumming the same desperate, lonely beat. You turn away, and I inhale deeply, silently.

"There are clean towels in the linen closet in the bathroom." You pull a t-s.h.i.+rt from the drawer and toss it on the end of the bed.

"Thanks." I dart from the room into the hallway, my skin moist and tingling.

One look at the stairs at the end of the hall has me running through our conversation yesterday recalling your words-I'm the only one you could trust this place to. What did you hear in my voice that made you so certain I was the one you wanted here with you? What is it about you that makes me not want to leave?

It's more than this intense physical attraction. It's something I can't name. Something that feels like it runs through the earth. Something ancient and eternal. Something that's always been and always will be; bigger than both of us.

Maybe all your talk about bringing me here to right wrongs in the universe wasn't a bunch of bulls.h.i.+t. Somehow I think I know what you mean.

Hot water sings through the pipes and runs down my back. The shower is small and cramped, the tile is chipped like all the other tile in the hotel, but it's clean. Your shampoo smells exotic lathered in my hair, floral and spicy like jasmine and ginger. I rub my lips together; the cuts from trying to bite through the rope are almost healed. Thin lines of scabs circle both of my wrists, but aren't severe. There won't be scars. Soon there will be no evidence that you took me away and tied me to your bed. We'll be the only two people in the world who know-it'll only exist in our memories.

Should I let it go? Forget? Not speak a word of this to anyone?

I don't know.

A knock on the door startles me. I squeeze my arms over my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Rachael," you say, "come downstairs when you're dressed, okay?"

"Okay." You're right on the other side of the door. What would happen if you opened it?

So much. So much could happen if I let it.

I wait and listen, but you're gone.

Chapter Five.

Your jogging shorts are big on me, but they have a drawstring that I pulled tight around my hips. The mesh material swings around my thighs like a skirt as I traipse down the stairs. The bottom of the sleeveless t-s.h.i.+rt you left on the bed for me is cut off. I saw a pair of scissors on top of the dresser, so I think you altered it so it wouldn't hang to my knees.