back into storage for the next time you need it. This was just a demonstration, though, so I’ll vacuum the pieces up and put fresh rice in a bag for next time.”
I looked at my knees — deep red with dozens and dozens of little rice-shaped impressions on each. Deep fucking impressions. No wonder my nerves had screamed so loud. I could already feel the skin growing tight. Swelling.
He touched my chin. A single finger. I turned and lifted my face towards him, and met his gaze — his eyes were the color of deep, warm chocolate, but that didn’t fool me. He was dead serious about this.
“Your safety is my number one priority. Tell me you’ll follow instructions designed to keep you safe, so we don’t have to spend time with you on your knees on rice in the corner, Kitten.”
Part of me wanted to agree to anything he asked, but a bigger part of me couldn’t. I wasn’t going to let the ambush force me to be an almost-prisoner again.
“I haven’t agreed to anything more than checking in with you before I go against orders for the rest of the week. I’m not agreeing to a permanent babysitter, Squatch. I didn’t fight for my freedom just to let you put me in a safe box again. I won’t be stupid. I don’t want to be captured, I don’t want to do anything to risk being able to live my life with you, but I can’t agree to your demands past the end of the week, and if I don’t agree to them, you can’t punish me for not following them.”
His jaw muscles jerked and tensed, and his glare would’ve terrified anyone with a lick of sense, but it just made me clench my own teeth and stare back.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Squatch
I’d told her once that if I wanted a doormat, I wouldn’t have fallen for a tiger. I took a breath and reminded myself that her fiery disposition and hard-headedness was what brought her to me, and part of the reason I loved her.
“Okay, Kitten, but that means we have this discussion again at the end of the week. Meanwhile, we both have the evening free, so what would you like to do? I’m hungry, so food should factor in somewhere, but we can do whatever you want. Well, within reason.”
“I’ve never been on a boat.”
“I’m going to step outside and make a phone call. See what I can do about fixin’ that.”
Magnum owns a house on Logan Martin Lake. He has a pontoon boat and some waverunners, but it was the boat I was interested in.
“Yeah, sure. I can take ya’ll out. I need another hour to finish what I’m working on. Why don’t ya’ll go to the Island Bar and Grill, just down from my house, and I’ll pick ya’ll up there. Order me three burgers. I’ll bring beer. Should I bring someone so I’m not a third wheel?”
“Can’t hurt. You seein’ someone?”
“No, but Muppet’s hanging around and looks bored.”
Muppet was a new sweetbutt, meaning I’d never fucked her. “Up to you. I’d never give a sweetbutt that much attention.” They get ideas that they’re special, when they aren’t.
He sighed. “Yeah I guess you’re right.”
“Find Freckles and grab him. He’s gonna be stuck to my Kitten like glue when she’s out without me, so we’ll use this opportunity to introduce them.”
I walked back inside and grinned at Kitty. “Go put a bathing suit on, and riding clothes over it.”
I gathered together some towels and sunscreen, went to my closet, stripped down, put swim trunks on, and then pulled my jeans back over the top of them. I’d bought special riding shirts for us to wear in summer – mesh on the front of your arms, hi-tech armored fabric over the elbows and shoulders and spine. Even the mesh is super-strong and protective, but it breathes, so you aren’t completely miserable in long sleeves. Kitty’s is white and charcoal, mine is light charcoal and dark grey. They cost hundreds of dollars, but they’ll be worth every penny if we end up on the pavement.
Kitty came out in faded jeans and her riding shirt, and I looked to her feet. Riding boots, which was good on the bike, but she’d need something else once we arrived. “Grab some sandals or flip flops, something with a good sole that can get wet. We’ll change shoes once we get there.”
It was only a thirty-minute drive to the lake, but it’d been too