Wild Men of Alaska Collection - By Helmer, Tiffinie Page 0,123
return.”
“Sergei, you can’t leave me tied up like this.” She struggled in her bonds, and the quilt slipped, revealing a plump breast that tempted him to either stay and entertain himself with her or untie her and take her with him. Both decisions could be his last. He walked to the bed and covered her up, tucking the quilt in around her, and checking the knots.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
“Don’t hurt yourself vhile I’m gone. Rest.” He smoothed hair out of her eyes and turned to leave.
“Sergei...”
He turned at the door.
He could see the worry in her eyes, but was it for him or herself? Most likely herself.
“Don’t get yourself killed,” she said through clenched teeth.
“I thought you wanted me dead?”
“I do, but by my hand, not by some wild animal or freak of nature.”
“You are not in the best position to still be threatening me.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Tempt me to stay,” he threw out before he could bite it back. What the hell. He’d never have her thinking different about him if he didn’t bare all that he felt about her. It wasn’t like she could hate him more.
“There is nothing at the campsite except my supplies hidden within a backpack. You’ll never find it in the dark.”
“How about giving me the coordinates?”
“How about I don’t?”
His lips twitched. He loved sparring with this woman. Whether physically or verbally, she was a challenge. And he was always up for a challenge. There was another part of him standing at attention too. “Be back soon, Katja. I hope you vill think on vhat ve have done and spoken of vhile I’m avay.”
Then he walked out the door before he was tempted to stay and forget the world in her bewitching body.
A smile slid over his face when she hollered his name with insults about his mother and his ability to think straight. He hurried into his gear, knowing she wouldn’t do as he’d asked and rest, though she’d need magical powers to free herself of the bonds he’d tied her with.
Just as he would never be free of the bonds tying his heart to hers.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
How dare he leave her here like this? Trussed up and so turned on her vision blurred.
Kate listened hard, past the snapping of the fire he’d started for her—wasn’t that fucking thoughtful—and the pulsing of her molten blood rushing through her veins. There was a silence within the lodge that told her she was completely alone. What if she needed to use the bathroom or the lodge caught fire? Or the phone rang? Okay, the last one was a stretch. But, seriously, what if Sergei had decided to leave and not come back?
She kicked off the blanket, and the cold air spanked her bare flesh. If she didn’t get free of the ropes, she was now in for an uncomfortable night even with the fire burning cheerfully. At least the chillier air helped cool her over-heated sensibilities.
She craned her neck to look at the headboard and the canopy above her. The whole bed was made of logs, though the canopy rails were quite a bit thinner than the posts. The posts might as well have been tree trunks rooted into the ground. There was no sway, no give in the ropes no matter how hard she strained against them.
She took a moment to think.
Looking around the room she scrutinized what she could reach—nothing—or use to help free herself.
Again, nothing.
Sergei must feel pretty secure that she wasn’t going anywhere. She snarled through her teeth in aggravation. She couldn’t still be here tied up like this when he returned. What would he do to her then?
Never had she been at the mercy of a man like this. Yes, she’d been captured, tortured, but this was different. This was Sergei, and he had always been able to get to her on a deeper level than anyone she’d ever met.
There was something not right in that the one man she wanted to hate, needed to kill, understood her. Not the person she showed the world, or even the person she pretended to herself to be. He saw her. Flaws and all.
That’s it. If she had to use the ropes to saw through her wrist, she was getting out of these bonds. She struggled against the ropes. If she could just gain a little extra room...but Sergei had stretched her arms far enough apart that there was no possible way for her to do that.