STORY EXCERPT

The woods weren’t too overgrown, and Libby was able to keep up a pretty good pace. She photographed a few birds and interesting trees she spotted and even a rabbit she had startled into sudden movement. The day was starting to warm up as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, so she took off her light jacket and tied it loosely around her waist as she continued on, much more comfortable in just the plain white T-shirt, khaki shorts, and hiking boots. Taking several more shots, she made her way leisurely through the woods.

She’d been walking a while when she thought she heard the gentle trickling of water. Confident that she must be close to a creek, she headed toward the sound. There was bound to be an abundance of wildlife in the area. When she entered another clearing, she surveyed it with her usual thoroughness. A cry high above her head reached her, and she glanced up to see a hawk circling above. In a single movement, she’d raised the camera, zoomed in, and snapped several pictures of the majestic creature. Then it darted down toward the trees and disappeared from her view. That would be a great shot, she thought jubilantly. Maybe this was going to work out all right.

She started forward again, searching for something else to photograph. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. Swinging her camera up, she peered through the viewfinder, hoping she had stumbled onto something interesting, maybe a doe or a fawn.

As the scene came into focus, she froze in disbelief.

Oh my God. Oh my God, she thought. A body was sprawled on the ground in the center of the clearing. The camera dropped from her suddenly nerveless fingers to dangle uselessly from its strap, and she barely managed to squelch the scream that trembled on her lips. For several moments she couldn’t move, shock robbing her of thought. Then she sprinted forward, the camera banging against her chest with every stride. As she got closer, she could see that it was a man, and he had been staked out like some kind of ancient sacrifice, his arms and legs spread-eagle on the ground and held down with heavy chains.

“Jesus!” She threw herself down beside him. He looked horrid. He was burned, burned so badly his skin was red and blistered. What the hell had been done to him? Had someone set him on fire? How long had he been here? Please, God, let him be alive.

When she leaned over to check for a pulse, her forgotten camera flopped forward, almost striking against the man’s face. Quickly, she pulled the strap over her head and set the camera aside. Then she reached out to lay hesitant fingers against his neck. At first, she couldn’t feel a pulse, so she pressed harder, trying not to lose her nerve. She’d just moved her hand lower, thinking maybe she was feeling in the wrong spot, when his eyes opened and stared straight into hers.

She jerked back, startled, before letting out a small, relieved laugh.

“Mister? Mister? It’s okay. I’m going to help you. Can you hear me?” He blinked his eyes closed and then opened them again, but they seemed unfocused, and she couldn’t tell if he knew what she was saying. Suddenly, he let out a low moan of such pain that Libby’s heart pulsed in sympathy. “I’m going to get you loose,” she assured him when his eyes closed again, hoping the man could understand her.

She examined his bonds with a growing feeling of helplessness. He had been bolted to the ground with heavy chains and locks. She tried pulling up the stakes, tugging and bracing herself against the ground, but she just didn’t have the strength. They didn’t even budge. There was no way for her to get him free like this. What the hell could she do? She didn’t want to take the time to drive all the way back to civilization and then get someone out here to help her. He might be dead before she could do all that. Or whoever did this to him might come back. Hell. They might still be around somewhere.

She could feel herself about to panic, her eyes darting nervously around trying to catch a glimpse of anything suspicious looking, but she saw nothing. She needed to do something to help him. To keep them both safe. Wait. Her gun. It was in her truck under the front seat. She always carried it with her when she traveled any distance. She would feel much safer with it—plus, the thought suddenly occurred to her—she might be able to use it to shoot through the chains.

 “Mister?” He opened his eyes again. They were such a clear blue that they seemed to pierce straight through Libby when they focused on her face. “I don’t know if you understand what I’m saying, but I can’t get you free like this. It’s impossible. I’m not strong enough. I’m going to my truck for my gun. Okay? I’ll be right back.”

He shook his head, finally responding to her. “Don’t go.” The words were rasped out in a barely intelligible whisper. “Please. Hurts.” 

She had to close her eyes against the agony she saw etched on his face. Tears blurred her vision. “I swear I’ll be right back.”

ADULT EXCERPT

His jaw was rigid, his whole body tight, as though he was attempting to leash some ravening beast. But she didn’t want the beast leashed. Leaning forward, she gently touched her lips to his. As if she had given him a signal, he made a harsh sound deep in his throat, and his hands tightened on her with a grip of iron. Then his mouth was covering hers in a kiss that was devouring in its intensity. Her senses were drowning in him—his taste, his smell. The rough bristle of beard scraped against her cheek. His tongue speared boldly into her mouth with a masterful stroke that was devastatingly erotic and mesmerizingly delicious.

She writhed against him as he devoured her, pressing against his hardness, needing to feel it once again thrusting into her feminine softness.

“I can smell your heat,” he murmured as he pressed hot, greedy kisses down the line of her jaw. His hand slid down to cup her mound, probing delicately. “You’re so wet for me, baby.”

His finger stroked across her clit, and she arched against him, urging him to explore further. He circled around and around the sensitive nub until she cried out. “Oh, God, Ty. Please.”

A harsh laugh was his answer to her plea. “Oh, I will please you, Lib. Count on it.” His finger probed deeper, pressing up into her hot channel with a sure touch. In and out he stroked her, first one finger, then two. The wet sucking noise sounded loud in the small confines of the shower.

He added a third finger and she whimpered, “You’re killing me, Ty.” She needed more.

“Always so impatient, Libby.”

“Fuck me.” She barely recognized the hungry plea in her voice.

“Soon.” She heard the promise in his words as he bent his head and took one nipple into his mouth, working it with his lips and tongue, until she squirmed against him in desperate need. Then he gave equal attention to the other nipple, sucking and nibbling until she was ravenous. Her hands clasped his head, pulling him tighter against her, loving the feel of his rough beard against her sensitive skin.

He raised his head again to stare into her eyes, and he laughed huskily at the stunned look on her face. “What is it, baby?"

Libby felt dazed as if she could hardly form a coherent thought, much less a complete sentence. “I need you, Ty. So bad.”

“I know how you feel, Lib. I feel it, too. See.” He took one of her hands and drew it to his cock, wrapping her fingers around the hot shaft as far as they would go. He was so thick. No wonder she’d felt so full earlier. Then he was guiding her, directing her in how to stroke him, how to please him. “Harder, Lib. Touch me harder.” She complied, blindly giving him what he asked for. “Oh, yeah, baby. Just like that. That feels so good.”

She slid her thumb across the head and felt the dampness of his pre-cum. Rubbing it around in short circles, she wished that she could lick it. Never before had she wanted to go down on a man, but the need to engulf Ty’s cock in her mouth was almost overwhelming. She told him, “I want to taste you.”

He kissed her hard and quick. “I want that, too, babe. But not this time. Right now, I’m dying to work my cock back into that tight pussy of yours. So we’ll have to save the other for next time.”

That sounded like a brilliant plan to her. One knee came up to press her legs farther apart. “You ready, babe?” She nodded. Then he was thrusting home in one hard, slick slide until he was buried in her to the hilt.

Libby pressed her face against his neck, barely suppressing the groan of pleasure that trembled on her lips at his fierce possession. His cock was like a hot brand stabbing through her inhibitions, leaving room for nothing but complete and utter submission to his demands. She felt his hands clasping her hips, digging into the soft flesh and probably leaving marks. But she didn’t care. She wanted his boldness. His recklessness.  

She reached up to pull his mouth back to hers, greedily sucking his tongue in and winding her arms tighter and tighter around his neck. Her nipples were erect and aching, dragging against the light sprinkling of hair on his chest with each breath until she was almost mad with desire.

He leaned back. “Look, baby. See how gorgeous we are together.” She looked down to where he was embedded in her. It was the sexiest thing she had ever seen. “Isn’t that beautiful?”

She moaned and nodded. “Yes. Oh, yes. Please, Ty. Do it now. Please.”

He pulled out and slammed home again. All teasing, all playing over. It wasn’t pretty. Just hot and hard sex between them now. It wasn’t romantic or sensual or erotic. No sultry invitations. No languid strokes. It was basic and fast and amazing. She came right away. Two strokes and she erupted all over him, her muscles squeezing tightly around his cock. She gave a gasping scream as he continued to fuck her through the orgasm, not slowing down, not petting her. And she came again. Amazing.