Kidnapped at the Gun Show [Ransomed Hearts] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Free

bed. Emma had packed a few things for her last night and passed them to him early this morning. Sara’d be pissed when she saw just how complicit her friends had been, but he knew she’d be happy to have her things while they were here. It was a little rustic, but Riley liked his creature comforts, so electricity and running water were a priority. And the only bed in the place was a plush king with lots of pillows and high-end sheets.
    The only thing missing was a phone line. And because of the location, cell service wasn’t consistent. Sara stood in the doorway, cell in hand, glaring at him.
    “How long do you plan to keep me here?” she asked. “I have things to do—what the hell are you doing with that suitcase?”
    She was a fire-breathing goddess, and he couldn’t suppress his smile. Which did him absolutely no good. She threw her cell at him, since it was the only weapon she had, and screamed when he caught it.
    “You won’t need this, since there isn’t a tower for miles. And I didn’t coerce your friends into helping me. I told them the facts, and they believed me. More to the point, they believed you would understand, once you got over being mad.”
    Kale walked past her, brushing against her as he passed through the doorway, then carried her bag into the bedroom.
    “I’m not sleeping with you, Kale, so don’t even think about sharing that bed with me.”
    “Darlin’, when I lay down in that big warm bed with you, sleeping will be the last thing on my mind.” Kale laughed at her growl of frustration. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t hold it in. She was a wildcat in anger, and he hoped her wild spirit would be part of their passion.
    “I hate you, Kale.”
    “No, I don’t believe that, Sara.” He reached out, his fingers barely touching the soft skin of her throat. “I think you’re scared of how you feel about me. When you’re ready to talk about what happened three years ago, we’ll work it all out.” She was frozen in place, but he leaned forward anyway and skimmed his lips across the curve of her shoulder where it joined with her throat. Her trembling response told him more than words would.
    But he didn’t mention it, didn’t want to push her too far, too fast. Instead, he walked away, putting space between them in the guise of taking the groceries into the kitchen.
    He heard her step off the stoop and into the gravel drive. After a year of surveillance work, his sense of hearing was acute, and he could track her movements without looking. He knew she wouldn’t go far. There was nowhere to go, really. The Piney Woods stretched for miles in all directions, and the road they’d taken into the area was a simple two-lane blacktop. Sara was smart enough to know she needed to stay within sight of the cabin.
    He left her to her thoughts for the time being and pulled out a pot and some provisions from the refrigerator. He started a pot of chili, watching her through the kitchen window while he chopped an onion and added it to the cooking meat. Sara’s hands were stuffed in the pockets of her jeans, her brows down while she paced between the wooden bench and the picket fence surrounding the septic tank. Thinking things out. Working it through. It was a good thing.
    He hoped.
    For all he knew, she was planning to strangle him and take his truck back to civilization.
    After a while, she sat on the bench and wrapped her arms around herself. It was a warm day for late January, but the wind was a little brisk and she looked cold. Kale rifled through the linen closet and found a light blanket. Lost in her thoughts, Sara looked up in surprise when he dropped the blanket across her shoulders.
    “Thanks.”
    “Figured it out yet?” he asked, keeping his tone gentle, as nondominant as possible. A stretch for him, but she needed to feel in control, and he’d do whatever it took to make her feel safe.
    “What?”
    “You’ve been out here for over an hour. Have you decided what to do