Read Online Stare Me Down (Stare Down) by Riley Murphy - Free Book Online

Wayne was Batman, where would the fun, the mystique, the adventure be?” She leaned forward so her forearms were braced directly opposite his on the desk and whispered, “The reason to keep watching every week was to see if he was going to be unmasked.” Mimicking the announcer’s deep voice, she said, “Same bat time…‌same bat channel.”
    It wasn’t until her words echoed to silence in the room that he noticed how close they were in proximity. How dark the cornflower blue color in her eyes had turned. How great she smelled and how badly he wanted to lean forward and taste her.
     
    Jaxx felt the sexual pull. The erotic hum that gripped her as they stared at one another. The novelty of experiencing that kind of desire was shocking and before she could stop herself, her gaze dropped to his lips. He’d see her eyeing his mouth. She was sure of it. God, they were so close he’d probably hear how rapidly she breathed.
    She didn’t look up, knowing, if she did, she might not be able to resist the temptation. “I, ah, better get the paperwork signed. You probably have something important to do after this.”
    “Yes. Very important.”
    She nodded and stood, awkwardly waiting for him to vacate her chair so she could see to the form.
    She filled in the required boxes and put her signature on it. “There. Here you go.” She held it out, feeling more like herself now that their places were reversed and he was on the right side of her desk for a change. “It’s all done. Your life is now officially free of my psychobabble.”
    He took the paper and examined it. “You’re no longer my therapist?”
    “No, I’m not.”
    He folded the form and put it in the wicker trunk. When he pulled out the hook, she frowned. “Then I sort of feel bad about keeping you.”
    She eyed the hook and then shot a look up. “Keeping me?”
    “Yeah, it’s my turn for show and tell, remember? I guess we’ll be doing it on regular civilian time. I don’t mind.” He winked at her. “In fact, this might make it more interesting.”
    Interesting? She gulped.
    “Now,” he said as he dug through the trunk, “where did I put that tape?”

Chapter Five
    “What do you need the tape for?” Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “I thought you were leaving?”
    Aries ignored her, knowing if he hesitated for even a second, it would give her the time to think and he was doing enough of that for the both of them right now. And that meant he wasn’t going to leave. How could he when he had to learn the truth about her. Was she a fluke? She seemed like the perfect vanilla doll on the outside, but deep down, there was something that tempted him. Drew him. Taunted him in the rawest way possible. Why else was he getting all fox-up in her hen-house?
    “You’re staying? Why?”
    “Yes,” was all he said. He wasn’t prepared to explain that it was time he confirmed that his suspicions about her were all wrong. That it was just his imagination because someone like her could never actually be a part of the world he wanted to create with the right woman. She wasn’t the right woman. She couldn’t be.
    In order to find out though, he needed her to go along with his spur-of-the moment plan, and not to be thinking. Because even though he’d gotten exactly what he wanted‌—‌his freedom and that certificate‌—‌he couldn’t let the matter go. The moment he’d chosen to stay, he knew he was going to finish this the way it needed to be finished between them.
    “No, not like that.” He adjusted the hook in her hands until she had hold of the base with the curved part facing down. “Like this.” He didn’t give her a chance to escape as he held his hands over hers. “Great, now hold your arms out straight, just…‌a little higher. Good.”
    “I don’t‌—‌wait—” she tried to pull away, “—you’re going to use the tape?”
    He didn’t stop but quickly continued to wind it around her wrists and hands, over and over