The Abduction of Kelsey Read online

  “Me?” James offered a confident smile. “Sure, I’m fine. Let me just settle up this bill and I’m good to go.”

  Kelsey reached for her purse. James stopped her by placing his hand over hers. Oh god, her skin was so soft. “This one’s on me, okay?”

  She looked as if she was about to protest, but he caught her gaze in his and smiled gently. She pulled her hand slowly from beneath his and nodded. “Okay. Thanks. That’s really nice of you, James.”

  James. He loved when she said his name. It sounded sexy in her mouth, like the promise of something more.

  She sidled from the booth and turned to face him with a smile. “I’ll just pop to the ladies’ room, okay? Then we can go.”

  “No problem. I’ll be waiting.” James watched her walk away, drinking in the sight of her small but shapely ass as she glided like a geisha through the crowd. He refused to entertain a sudden niggling thought that she might not come back. Clearly she’d stayed late just so they would be the last two at the table. It was up to him, as the man, to make the next move.

  He was waiting by the table when she returned. She’d reapplied her lipstick and smoothed back her hair. Her cheeks were still flushed and her eyes were shining. Her suit jacket was flung over her arm, and she’d opened the top two buttons of her blouse. James’ fingers itched with the sudden desire to push her down against the table so he could claim her then and there. He shook away the image, hoping she wouldn’t notice his sudden erection in the dim light of the bar.

  He dared to place a hand lightly on her lower back as they pushed their way through the loud, drunken throng. It was a welcome relief to breathe the air outside, in spite of the fumes from a nearby bus. They walked in companionable silence to the car garage and James exercised every ounce of self-control to keep from reaching for her hand, or worse, pulling her into his arms.

  Not yet, he warned himself. Not yet.

  He felt lightheaded and almost reckless, and realized he, too, had had too much to drink. But so what? It only gave him the added courage he needed to make his move. Because tonight was the night. He was sure of it.

  When they got to the garage, he led her to the small elevator that would take them to the top floor where he always parked. At this hour the place would be nearly deserted. As the elevator lurched upward, again he exercised all his self-control to keep from pressing her against the wall and kissing her.

  As they walked through the empty garage toward his car, James clicked the button on his key fob to unlock the doors of his car, which flashed its lights in greeting as they approached. “I wish you’d let me take you all the way home. I don’t like the idea of you waiting for a bus at this hour. The crazies come out at night, you know.”

  “Well, if you’re sure it’s not too much trouble,” Kelsey said hesitantly.

  “It would be my pleasure,” James assured her, already imagining her inviting him up to her apartment. They would share a nightcap. She would smile shyly at him and lift her face for a kiss. When their lips touched, they would both know beyond a doubt that they belonged together as man and wife.

  As they approached the car, Kelsey gave him her address and directions to her place, not that he needed them. The garage was empty and silent, save for the clacking of her heels against the concrete. The moon had risen and was shining in through the wide slats in the walls, casting a pearly glow over everything. Kelsey stood by the car like a shimmering angel.

  James hadn’t meant to do it, but somehow he found himself pressing Kelsey gently against the car, his hands on her shoulders. He dipped his head, unable to stop himself, the need to kiss her suddenly overwhelming him. A small voice whispered to wait, but James could wait no longer.

  “Hey!” Kelsey twisted from him, turning her head sharply away. “James! Stop it. What’re you doing?”

  “What I’ve wanted to do since the moment I saw you.” He tried to pull her back into position.

  “James, cut it out. You’re drunk. Look, I can just take the bus—”

  James came suddenly to his senses. Holy shit, what the hell was he doing? His timing was off. He was going to blow this before it had begun. He tried desperately to backtrack. “Please forgive me. I lost my head for a second. You’re right. This isn’t the place. I—I got carried away. You’re just so beautiful, Kelsey.”

  He realized Kelsey was backing away from him. She wasn’t smiling. No, if anything, she looked horrified. Horrified! Like he was some kind of sex fiend or ax murderer or something. What the fuck? After all they’d shared? All the secret glances, the knowing smiles? What about tonight? She’d waited, along with him, until they could be alone at last.

  Yeah, so he’d jumped the gun a little, but it wasn’t like he’d whipped his dick out in the parking lot or anything. What was her problem?

  She began to shake her head. “Look, I’m sorry if we got our wires crossed or something, but I’m not interested in you in that way, James. You’re my boss. And anyway, I’m not looking for a relationship right now. Let’s just forget this happened and…”

  Her mouth continued to move, but James could no longer hear the words. The blood was roaring in his ears. He felt like he was going to explode. Rage hurtled through his loins and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

  This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be like the rest of them—just another prick tease, another fluff ball with nothing in her head or heart. How could he have gotten it so wrong? He brought his fists to his chest and pressed hard. His heart felt as if it had collapsed in a hard, tight ball in his chest.

  Without realizing what he was doing, James reached for Kelsey. He grabbed her arms and pulled her toward him. “James! You’re hurting me. Let go!”

  He didn’t let go. He dragged her back to the car and managed to pull open the passenger door, while still keeping her in a tight grip. He shoved her into the car and slammed the door. He pressed the lock button on the key fob while he sprinted around to the driver’s seat. She was still trying to get the door open when he pressed the child lock button that only he controlled from the driver’s side. Kelsey wasn’t going anywhere.

  Still blind with rage and grief, he started the engine and gunned the gas. Skillfully he maneuvered the car rapidly down the spiraling exit ramp toward the ground floor as if his life depended on it. Kelsey pawed at his arm while he drove. “Let me out!” she screeched. “James, what are you doing? Stop the fucking car!” She fumbled in her purse and pulled out her cell phone. James grabbed it from her hands and threw it in the backseat.

  Keeping one hand tight on Kelsey’s arm, James drove as quickly as he dared down the city streets and onto the highway that led to his home, thankfully only ten minutes from the office. A vein pulsed at his temple, beating time to Kelsey’s caterwauling. Somehow he made it to his driveway.

  He let go of Kelsey long enough to use the garage door remote that was clipped to his sun visor. He slid the car into the garage and pressed the button again to close them off from the world.

  James turned to the beautiful, trembling girl beside him. His heart was pounding, his cock throbbing at full erection. He felt more alive than he ever had in his life.

  Chapter 2

  Kelsey grabbed for the door handle, wrenching it hard in her effort to get the damn thing open. Her fingers fumbled ineffectually with the lock.

  Beside her, James threw his door open and raced around to the passenger side of the car. Acting purely off instinct, Kelsey changed her strategy, reaching wildly for the lock button. But James held the key, and Kelsey nearly fell out of the car as he jerked the door open. He dragged her from the car. As she tumbled out, her jacket and purse fell from her arm and she lost a shoe.

  Unaware or indifferent to this, James yanked her through the door and into the house. This couldn’t be happening. It just could not be happening.

  Breathlessly, Kelsey cried, “James, please, James! Whatever you’re doing, you have to stop. This is crazy. I know you don’t want to hurt me.” But d
id she know that? Kelsey tried to jerk out of his tight hold, but he was strong, much stronger than she would have thought. “You’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re doing. Please,” she entreated, “I promise I won’t call the police if you’ll just—”

  “The police?” James’ face was a mask of incredulous anger. “How dare you? After all we’ve been though together! You have no idea…” He pressed his lips together and angrily shook his head. “What, don’t tell me you’d rather be with that prick, Fowler Chandler, is that it? Don’t think I don’t know about him, and Steve and Frank, too. What other poor slobs have you been leading on? How many other hearts have you casually stepped on and ground into the dirt?” His grip tightened on her arms. “Well, you picked the wrong person this time, you bitch!”

  “James!” Shock and panic bloomed into stark terror as James jerked her along through his kitchen and into the living room. He threw her roughly onto a sofa. Her other shoe fell to the carpet. Kelsey tried to slide from the sofa to the floor with an idea of scuttling away from him, but he was too fast for her.

  He fell on top of her, one strong hand closing over her throat. He squeezed hard and she began to choke. She clawed at his hand with both of hers, but it was like pulling against iron. “James! No!” she tried to gasp, but it only came out as a squeak. She felt a steady, throbbing pressure building behind her face and her lungs ached for oxygen. Jesus god, was she going to die like this? Why? Why, why, why was this happening?

  James released his grip just enough for her to draw a tremulous breath of air into her burning lungs, but he kept his hand around her throat. He unbuckled his pants with the other and pulled his cock out of his underwear. A new spurt of adrenaline hurtled through Kelsey as she realized what he must be intending, and she jerked and twisted hard in the man’s grip.

  She brought one knee up hard into his groin. He grunted and fell away, giving her the chance to roll from the sofa. As she struggled to get to her feet, he fell on her again, this time flattening her on the carpet with the full weight of his body.

  “You bitch!” he snarled.

  Kelsey started to scream, but her cries were cut off abruptly by a hard hand clamping over her mouth and nose. James loomed over her, his eyes wild, spittle on his lips. “Shut up,” he hissed. “Shut the fuck up! You asked for this. You know you did. It could have been wonderful. We could have had it all.” His voice cracked and tears filled his eyes, but then his gaze hardened once more.

  He kept her pinned beneath him as he jerked her skirt upward and ripped down her pantyhose and underwear. She struggled hard beneath him and managed to dislodge his hand from her mouth. Again operating off pure instinct, she closed her teeth on the side of his hand and bit down as hard she could.

  James shouted, “Damn it to hell!” He backhanded her hard across the face and Kelsey gasped in shock and pain. Then he was on her again, pushing his hard, thick cock between her legs. His shaft was like a knife plunging into her and Kelsey screamed. James cut off her cries with his hand, which clamped again over her mouth and nose.

  He groaned as he pushed deep inside her. “I didn’t want it like this, Kelsey,” he gasped into her ear. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” He pummeled her, his cock like a steel rod thrusting inside her. “This is your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Oh, god!” He stiffened suddenly and then jerked spasmodically for several long, painful seconds inside her.

  Finally his hand loosened from her face and Kelsey was able to turn her head to the side. She gasped beneath the man’s deadweight. The air seemed thick and sticky and she found it hard to draw a breath. She realized she was crying in hiccupping, gulping little sobs. She tried to bring her hands to her face, but they remained pinned beneath James’ heavy, inert body.

  Finally he rolled away onto the carpet beside her. Though she still felt as if she were swimming through Jell-O, Kelsey tried to scoot away, but James caught her. He pulled her into his arms as he lifted himself into a sitting position. She tried to struggle against him with an idea to sprint from the room, but her rubbery limbs refused to cooperate.

  James was holding her now in a tight embrace from behind, his arms wrapped around her torso as she sat between his legs, her back against his chest. She felt him begin to shake behind her and a strange sound came from his mouth. It took her a moment to realize it was a stifled sob.

  He nuzzled his face into the side of her neck. “Kelsey. Oh god, Kelsey. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I didn’t mean it. I swear.” He began to cry in earnest.

  Goosebumps prickled Kelsey’s skin. James seemed to genuinely believe that she’d been into him—that they’d been flirting somehow at work and just biding their time until they could be together. The guy was out of his fucking mind. She had to get away from him, and fast.

  Think of something, she ordered herself. But her mind remained blank as a white slate.

  James pulled himself up, hauling her upright with him as he stood. He was no longer crying, though Kelsey wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Her pussy felt bruised and torn, and she felt the bastard’s semen trickle down her leg. Rage bloomed in her brain, making her head throb.

  Kelsey tried to twist in his grasp so she could face him. She willed her face into a smooth mask to hide the fury inside her. “James. You just had too much to drink. I get it. I just want to go home, okay? We’ll both forget this ever happened,” she lied. “Let’s just put this behind us, all right?”

  Far, far behind us, once you’re in jail, you rat bastard.

  James held her in place, not allowing her to face him. He pulled one of her arms behind her back and pulled it up hard. Kelsey cried out, wincing with pain. “I wish we could, baby,” he said, his voice suddenly hard. “But you and I both know what’s done is done.” His voice softened. “I’ll make it up to you, Kelsey. I swear I will.”

  He kept her arm twisted behind her back, though he eased off a little as he began to propel her through the room. He walked her in this awkward way to the doorway of what she saw must be his bedroom. Flicking on the light, he guided her toward the bed and fell onto the mattress, dragging her down beside him.

  He drew her into a tight embrace, curling himself around her as she lay on her back in a shocked stupor. After a few moments, her eyes began to focus on the walls of room and a chill of horror turned her blood to ice water. Every wall held photographs, some framed, some blown up to poster size, every single one of them of her.

  Holy. Fucking. Shit.

  ~*~

  Kelsey’s hair had come loose in the struggle and spread now across his pillow in a wild tumult of red, copper and gold, just like in his favorite fantasy, only now it was real! James inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he savored the moment. She smelled so good. A hint of perfume, the clean scent of soap, and beneath it the sharp, erotic tang of fear sweat. He couldn’t deny her fear turned him on. It made him feel powerful in a way that was new to him.

  He flashed back to the wild look in her eyes when he’d had his hand clamped over her mouth. He hadn’t expected the fierce, intoxicating rush of power her fear had engendered. He couldn’t deny it—he’d loved the struggle—holding her down while he ripped at her clothing and pulled out his hard, hard cock. It was like an incredibly hot porn video, the kind he’d jerked off to a thousand times, except this one was starring James Bennett and the sexiest, most desirable woman alive.

  He had fucked Kelsey Anne Rowan. He had come inside Kelsey’s hot, tight, perfect cunt. His cock stirred. He could fuck her again, right now, if he wanted to. And he wanted to. Oh god, did he ever. He growled and nuzzled his face against Kelsey’s neck, feeling like a caveman, operating off primal lust and basic instinct.

  She yelped in fear as he did this and tried to pull away, but this only made him clutch her tighter to him. Again he experienced that perverse, wild rush of power that turned the blood in his veins to fire. She was so small beside him. He could feel her heart beating fast and hard.
He reached into her torn blouse, slipping his hand into the cup of her bra. Her breast was so soft. Satin and cream. His heart ached with the sweetness of it as he squeezed.

  Though he knew he should feel only remorse and abject shame, instead he felt alive! The tears he’d shed back in the living room would be his last. With those tears, he had washed away any regrets. What was done was done. There was no rewind button on life, no wiping out what had happened. He’d changed the path of both their lives inexorably and forever with one single, wild act of passion.

  James had reinvented himself in that one moment of unfettered lust. He was a different man. The old James was gone, and good riddance. The new James Bennett was a man who took what he wanted—who claimed his woman with sheer, brute strength. Yes! James Matthew Bennett was now that man.

  Kelsey belonged to him. Whatever he’d dreamed of or planned up to this moment no longer mattered. Kelsey was his and he could never let her go. With that one brutal, thrilling act he’d made her his own. His cock pulsed with excitement and he tightened his grip around her.

  “James, please, let me go.”

  “Shh.” James moved to kiss her mouth but Kelsey turned her head away and he caught only her ear. He reached for her face and pulled it back to his. Holding her by the chin, he kissed her lips, forcing his tongue between them. She whimpered against his mouth and tried to squirm away, but he only held her tighter.

  “Kelsey, you have to stop struggling. Don’t you see? You’re mine now. I’ve claimed you. You belong to me.” His voice was deeper and stronger, and this pleased him. Did Kelsey notice the transformation? Did she realize she was lying with a new man? Did she feel his power? His passion?

  “Ow! You’re hurting me. James, quit it. Please. Please, just let me go.” Kelsey began to cry, the sound ugly and guttural. Tears spurted from her eyes, which were squeezed tightly shut. Her mouth was open, the lips pulled down in an unflattering frown, and the tip of her pretty nose was reddening.