Captured and Kept: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  The lights were closer. Dear God, she was being followed. Think, Dani.

  “No, you don’t.” Her fingers were white knuckled as she gripped the wheel with both hands, her windshield wipers going furiously. She was shaking all over as the lights remained behind her, keeping at least three car lengths. Where could she go? The police station? That wasn’t a bad idea. She could make it there, tell her story and be safe.

  Then the nice police officer behind the counter would laugh his or her ass off. How was she supposed to explain why she was being followed without being charged with some crime? Hey, I just spent a week with men mining diamonds illegally. Fucking fantastic. Okay, she’d go to the diner. That was always open. Then what? Stay there until she was snowed in? She wasn’t going to be terrified every day of her life. Wasn’t going to happen. She’d go to the diner and wait, just grabbing coffee until the jerkoff got a hint.

  If he got a hint.

  Just as she was about ready to make the turn, the car behind her slowed down, pulling against the curb, immediately flicking off the lights.

  She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until she almost gasped. “Jesus.” There was no other car on the road as she made her way on the side streets, pulling in front of her apartment building fifteen minutes later. Conditions were rapidly getting worse, the wind howling and the snow blowing sideways. She continued to have the creepy crawlies as she walked closer to her front door, scanning the entire area before sticking the key into the lock.

  Everything was exactly the way she’d left, no evidence of window or door tampering. Still, she made certain every lock was in place before dropping her things. She also double checked that every blind was closed as well. Then she stood in the middle of the living room, cursing under her breath. This was more than just ridiculous. Turning on the television if for nothing but noise, she stormed into the kitchen, yanking a wineglass from her cabinet. She almost ripped the cork out of the already open bottle with her teeth. To say she was rattled was an understatement, but she was going to develop a plan.

  She was a reporter, for God’s sake. She’d been around this block more than once herself. What she’d never told her father was that she’d saved copies of all the articles she’d written before, as well as the documentation and evidence her father had collected. Granted, after the scandal, she’d almost burned the entire box, but her instinct had told her otherwise. If these investigations were opening up again as Jacob had been told, perhaps the collected information would be useful.

  Lifting her glass, she felt invigorated and ready to reclaim her spot as one unrelenting investigative reporter, even if it was for a smaller newspaper. After taking several sips of her wine, she could feel the tension easing, at least slightly. She leaned against the counter, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Why she was doing so, she wasn’t entirely certain other than she had a feeling the stint on the mountain wasn’t going to remain a simple, warm memory.

  A creaking sound just outside her window drew her attention, forcing her to suck in her breath. No, this couldn’t be happening. Just the wind tossing tree limbs against the glass. That’s all it was. Two minutes passed. Three. No additional sounds. Breathing out, she reached for the wine to refill her glass when what sounded like sharp nails being slowly dragged down the glass made the hair on her neck stand on end.

  Keeping her actions slow and easy, she slid the crystal goblet across the counter and turned off the kitchen light before moving into the bedroom to grab her gun. Jesus Christ, her hands were shaking. She fumbled trying to load but calmed her nerves, finished the task, and stood in the doorway of her bedroom. The freaking television was still on. She glanced at the windows, almost wishing she’d left the blinds open. There were no other scraping noises, nothing she could detect.

  As she made her way into the living room to find the remote, she could have sworn she heard another sound.

  Tap! Tap!

  “Shit!” Slapping her hand over her mouth, she glared at the door. If the asshole thought he could just walk up and knock on her door, expecting her to answer then be kidnapped or worse, the bastard had another think coming. She carefully unlocked the door, took a deep breath then as she swung the door open, she jumped back, slapping both hands together, the gun at arm’s length. “What do you want, you fucker?”

  “Dani?”

  The deep voice was one she’d never forget, but there was no way he was here. Even the silhouette was different. She remained quiet but inched closer.

  “Dani, it’s me, Danger.” He dropped whatever he was holding, his hands in the air.

  Time seemed to stand still as she crept forward. “Danger?”

  “Are you going to shoot me?” he asked, half chuckling.

  “I thought you were... I mean, I...” Flicking on the safety, she raced toward him, throwing her arms around his neck. “You’re here. Oh, my God.”

  “Yeah, I couldn’t stay away. I had to see you.” Cupping her chin, he breathed across her face before capturing her mouth.

  The kiss roared with passion, their tongues entwining, moans and savage growls coming from both. Dani’s heart pumped wildly as electricity shot through her, creating a rush of tingles dancing down every inch of her body.

  Danger pulled her closer, taking the gun out of her hand and fisting her neck. When he broke the kiss, he shook his head. “God, I missed you.” They both breathed in heavy gasps, their lips almost touching. “I missed the scent of you, the way you kissed me. I craved your touch more than you could know.” He kissed her again, their lips barely connected.

  Dani was so alive, struggling to comprehend that the man she adored had come for her. Fisting his shirt, she pulled away. “You’re here. Why?” Laughing, she nipped his lower lip until she realized snow was still falling across the back of his head. “Come inside.” She remained shaking as she turned on a light, gasping from the change in his appearance. Her caveman, the primal and dangerous man had disappeared. The man hovering in her doorway was a rugged replication, but his eyes would forever be the same. Twinkling. Longing. Gone was the long beard and hair. Standing in front of her was an incredibly handsome man with wavy blond hair and high cheekbones, the haircut framing his chiseled face and the small dimple in his chin.

  Grinning, he closed the door then placed the gun on the table, taking a second to scan her apartment. “I had difficulty finding this place. You know how to disappear when you want to.”

  “I never disappeared. You did.”

  He nodded, giving her a slight smile. “And you know why I had to.”

  The little voice wanted to berate him, throw angry words in his direction, but all that was in the past. “Why didn’t you call me? I mean, I’m sure you could have found my number.”

  “Yeah, I found your number and I called twice.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve had your number for a couple of weeks. I wasn’t certain I would be able to pull it off and it took me a little while to make arrangements to come here. I called you one time and there was a bad connection. When I called again as I was trying to find your apartment, some woman told me off then hung up on me. After that, my calls went straight to voice mail. I even stopped by your office, but you weren’t there. I wasn’t certain you wanted to see me.” His face was pinched, his eyes darting back and forth.

  “Oh, my God, you were the one who called.” A wash of relief was followed by the realization that the man she loved was standing in her living room.

  He walked toward her, removing and tossing his jacket. “I can’t get you out of my system. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

  “You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about you. I just...” As he closed the distance, his body tense with desire, she no longer cared about the past or even the future. At this moment, she simply needed the man. There was no more talking as she yanked at his shirt, tugging the hem from his tight jeans.

  Danger made a series of anima
l noises as he yanked the material over his head then pulled at her blouse, nearly ripping the material in his effort to release her from the confines.

  A nervous laugh bubbled to the surface as she fumbled to unfasten his belt buckle, her mind reeling with the possibilities of what the thick leather belt could do. She wanted nothing more than to feel the strap slicing across her backside, reminding her that he was the one in charge. That he was the man who owned her.

  Bending over, he yanked off his boots, snarling like a true predator. His eyes continued to sweep over her body, his lust-filled expression a reminder of the darkness buried deep inside.

  She struggled to remove her bra, her extremities shaking to the point a cold chill enveloped every inch of her skin. No man had ever turned her on this much. No man ever would again.

  Clothes were tossed in every direction and when they were both naked, he issued a sensual growl before pushing her down on top of the kitchen table.

  Swinging her arms and knocking off assorted mail and other papers, she purred as the items whisked onto the floor. When he forced her legs up and out, until her knees were pushed against the edge of the table, she panted and reached for him. A string of pulsing light flashed in front of her eyes and all she could concentrate on was the wild beating of her heart echoing in her ears.

  His body pressed on top of hers and Danger leaned down, dragging his tongue across the seam of her mouth before sliding the tip from her chin to her chest. Every breath, every noise he made was laced with savage intent. He sucked on her nipple, taking his time to suckle and tease.

  “Oh, God.” Dani kept one arm over her head, arching her back as a delicious hint of pain washed through her. When he slid his mouth to her other breast, swirling his tongue around her hardened bud, she clamped her other hand across the back of his head.

  The primal growling continued as he sucked on her nipples, moving from one to the other. He planted his hands on either side of her, using his strong arm muscles to push up, the move allowing him to slide his tongue down the center of her chest.

  Her eyes closed, she tossed her head from side to side, shivering as his wet tongue slathered her with saliva. Everything about this man was primal and she’d never been so open, so ready to give him everything he craved. The second his tongue lapped around her clit she jerked up, issuing a husky wail.

  “I’m going to eat you for days,” he whispered, the words almost inaudible. He swirled his tongue in circular motions, going around and around her clit before taking the tender tissue into his mouth.

  “Yes!” The embers that had been burning since she’d left the mountains were aflame, creating a wave of heat rocketing through every cell in her body. She bucked as he continued sucking on her swollen clit, gasping when his fingers found their way into her pussy. As he began to thrust, plunging in and out, her toes curled in reaction and her mouth opened wide. She wanted to scream out, to announce to the world that her lover was here.

  Danger buried his face into her pussy, lapping her cream as he flexed his fingers open, driving deep inside. He was like a wild man, unable to stop his actions, his hunger off the charts.

  Panting, she could no longer focus, her entire body riddled with the most intense sensations. “I’m going to...” Unable to finish the words, she tried to hold back the climax. She wanted to savor this, giving him everything, but she was thrown into a crazed moment, her body refusing to cooperate. She gripped her knees, pulling her legs open ever wider and back even further.

  He thrust harder and faster as he slipped several fingers of his other hand along the crack of her ass, finding her dark hole. Both hands working in orchestration, he plunged his fingers in manic drives as he continued licking in fevered motions.

  There was no holding back, no way she could stop her body’s reaction. Her mouth open wide, she let off a jagged scream as the orgasm swept into her, the tidal wave smashing into every inch of her body. “Oh... Oh!”

  His actions became more crazed, licking and sucking, driving his fingers deep inside. Only when her body stopped shaking did he rub his lips across her belly, snarling as he lifted his gaze.

  Drained but more sated than ever, she tried to focus on her man’s sexy face and the way he was staring at her, as if she was nothing more than his nightly feast. She tried to reach for him, but he yanked her further down the table and a mere second later, thrust the entire length of his cock deep inside her quivering pussy. “Fuck!”

  Danger let out an elongated howl as he drove his cock in and out, yanking her body down to meet his hard thrusts. His body rocked, every muscle strained and the man standing in front of her became the beast she remembered.

  Her arms flailed, her body thumping hard against the wooden surface of the table as he took her. She now belonged to him, body and soul.

  He lifted her legs, dragging her ass several inches off the table, his hard thrusts continuing. His fingers dug into her skin and his eyes became glassy, beads of sweat trickling down from his face.

  She had no control and she simply let go, jerking up as another climax racked her arms and legs as the tip of his cock pushed against her G-spot. “God!”

  Pounding harder and faster, his face reddened and the veins in his neck standing out, he tipped his head back, roaring. But he wasn’t finished with her yet. Seconds later, he yanked her off the table, turning and pushing her over at the waist.

  Splayed out, her face pressed against the hard surface, she whimpered as he smacked her ass, the flat of his hand spanking her bottom. One severe crack came after the other, moving back and forth from one ass cheek to the other. The pain was exquisite, sending her into a moment of heated bliss. She gripped the edge of the table as the spanking continued, the slapping sound like a powerful aphrodisiac.

  “My bad girl. Mine.” Danger whipped her for several minutes, the momentum never slowing.

  She was sent into a wonderful sense of nirvana as pain turned into anguish then into a sublime state.

  Breathing raggedly, he caressed her ass cheeks, his fingers dancing along her heated skin. Leaning over, he pressed a series of kisses along the back of her neck before whispering, “Every inch of you belongs to me. Now and forever.”

  The moment he plunged his cock into her asshole, she let out her own primal scream. She’d never been so filled.

  He thrust in brutal motions, the force pushing her hard against the table. His husky and very dark moans became scattered breaths and she knew he was close to coming. Squeezing her ass muscles, she drifted into that perfect moment of ecstasy, her heart filled with love as she heard the words she never thought he’d say.

  “I love you.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Danger sat with his back against the headboard, Dani’s head in his lap. He wasn’t certain how long he’d spent caressing her face or running his fingers through her hair. The fact he was here, in this place and with her was all that mattered. He hadn’t planned on attempting to see her or on fucking up her life, but he simply couldn’t live without seeing her again. No matter the danger, he knew he could protect her.

  He’d been minutes from boarding a plane, the one-way ticket to paradise in his pocket, but everything about Dani fueled the man he’d once been. The man he’d thought had been destroyed. She was more than just his lover and the woman who’d stolen his heart. She was also his salvation. The phone calls he’d made, the series of interrogations had been some of the most difficult things he’d done in his life, but they’d also been the right thing to do.

  How many hours had he spent trying to explain his work on the various mountain ranges, providing what little information he had about Mr. X, as well as his other companions? He wasn’t certain the government officials believed him. He held back a laugh at the thought. Of course they didn’t. He had no corroborating evidence, not really. Just his story, and one coming from a dishonored man. But he’d been allowed to come here, to share whatever time he had with the woman he adored.

  If only this could
be the time spent in the mountains, far removed from anyone or anything. He could be happy there, with her and a little house. As if that could happen. At least he’d done the right thing.

  Stirring, she opened her eyes and yawned. “What time is it?”

  “Late. You fell asleep.”

  “Mmm... In your arms. Perfect,” Dani cooed and shifted until she was able to glance up at his face. “What are you thinking about?”

  “The sexy articles you wrote. Cavemen. I think I like that expression now. Might have to change my name.”

  Dani giggled. “Caveman Danger. Nice ring to it. I admit, I kinda hoped you read the sexy expose.”

  He wanted to gather her into his arms, keep her here for days on end. Unfortunately, he only had two days before facing one of his worst fears, something he wasn’t ready to tell her yet. “I think the entire country read them.”

  A groan slipped from her mouth. “I wonder if I’ll ever live them down.”

  Pinching her nipple, he issued a single growl. “I will need to punish you for everything you wrote.”

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” She pressed a series of kisses against his chest.

  “Be careful, babe or we won’t leave this bed.”

  “And that’s a problem, why?” She dragged her tongue across his skin and purred. “Are you okay?”

  “Better than okay. There is no place I’d rather be.” He wrapped his hand around the glass of wine, taking a huge gulp. Maybe he had taken a risk returning here, but he refused to live his life by someone else’s terms.

  She snuggled closer and lifted her arm, running her fingers across his chin then down his chest. “You’re tense.”

  “There’s a lot I need to tell you.”