Page 20 of Duplicitous
Because this isn’t just any run. This is erotic. And dangerous in more ways than I’d like to admit.
We’re a perfect match.
I shake off the echo of Bones’ declaration. I don’t have to worry about emotional intimacy blossoming between us when he’s about to pin me in the dirt and ravage me. That will be a purely carnal act, and there’s no room for romance in our depravity.
I reach the tree line. I’m not sure how much time has passed, but I don’t think my five minutes are up yet. I haven’t heard any indication that the hunters have been cued to start, and even the sounds of my fellow fleeing prey are falling behind my faster feet.
The shadows of the woods enfold me, and I’m forced to slow my pace to a jog. My eyes strain to adjust, and it takes several precious seconds for the darkness around me to coalesce into midnight tree trunks that interrupt the navy-blue night. I stick to the lighter spaces, dodging around the thickening trees.
Luckily, brambles don’t cling at my ankles, so I don’t have to worry about any minor injuries with my legs exposed by my knee-length dress.
The skirt swishes around me as I make my way deeper into the woods. The canopy above me is denser now, a dark cloud that blots out most of the rising moonlight.
A shotgun blasts far behind me, a sound that haunts my worst nightmares. True terror spikes through my chest, piercing my lungs so I can’t draw breath.
I stumble to a stop and clutch my hand over my racing heart.
It’s just the signal for the hunters,I reason.
The blast came from the direction of the gardens. No one is shooting blindly into the woods at night.
I close my eyes and draw in several deep breaths.
I’m not on the rotten estate where I was abused by my foster family. I’m not in that dilapidated stable.
Carter and Brandon aren’t here to threaten me.
They never will be.
“Safe,” I pant to myself. “I’m safe.”
Bones is only a shout away. I could call his name, and I know he’d come running straight to me.
I shake my head. I don’t need that kind of protection from him. I’m happy for him to keep the other hunters at bay, but I don’t need him to fight my own personal demons.
I can’t rely on him in that way. That’s not the nature of our relationship.
The vibrator increases its intensity, and it’s a merciful distraction. I take a moment to lean back against a tree and focus on sensory information to distract myself from my tangled thoughts.
The tree bark is rough against my shoulders. The woods smell damp and earthy. And the vibrations at my core keep my lust for Bones simmering.
I allow myself precious seconds stimulate my breasts until my nipples harden against the silk. I imagine his gloved hands on me, not my own. I think about how hot our time in the limo was, how he gagged me with arousal-coated fingers while he edged me.
My body hums for him, and my heartrate ticks up a notch—with desire, not fear.
A moan escapes me before I think better of it.
“Karolina…” He calls my name, distant but still far too close.
He’ll be able to see this damn collar glowing if he gets much closer. He might even hear the buzz of the vibrator. It’s going so fast now that it’s not exactly silent.
I consider removing it and leaving the toy for him to find by this tree. I could use it as a distraction to get farther away. I could also remove the red collar, but that might make me vulnerable to other hunters.
I decide against both courses of action and start running again.
I want to make Bones work for it, but I don’t truly want to evade him.
I’m desperate for the orgasm he’s denied me for far too long now. If I didn’t have my pride, I’d run straight to him and drop to my knees to beg for release.
