and she reached for the hand holding her under, panic filling her and her
lungs burned for air. Just as suddenly, she was yanked back out of the depths
of the tub. Water spewed from her lips with the power of her cough.
“Get out,” he said
letting go of her hair and standing.
Jessica met his
crazed glare and decided the most prudent route would be to do as he said. She
reached for a towel and he stopped her.
“Just like you are.”
He pointed toward the room.
She crossed her
arms over her breasts and walked into the main room dripping wet.
He followed her.
“Sit down and
eat.”
Jessica obeyed,
kneeling down and eating, shivering from the cold concrete under her knees. She
refused to look at him. His agitation scared her; he was just as pissed off
with himself as she had been with herself yesterday. She stopped mid-bite at
that thought, hesitated and then continued. She finished the food and drank the
juice.
He reached down to
grab the tray.
“Thank you,” she
whispered.
He hesitated but
wouldn’t look at her either. He scooped up the tray and left the room.
Chapter 14
Ty walked into the
control room and stared at her monitor. She clutched the bathrobe, her arms
wrapped around her legs and her cheek resting on her knees. Her hair hid her
face and he inhaled.
“Shit.” Today was
the second time he wanted to kiss her. He never kissed them, ever. It was just
too personal. But this, this was different from anything he encountered before.
She took his breath away every time their eyes met. Her defiance, the stubborn
set of her jaw completely frustrated him, especially with the heat burning in
her eyes. It was a contradiction he didn’t understand. A contradiction he
wondered would change if someone else’s life rode in the balance. If he had
that leverage, would he ever have the luxury of hearing her cry his name in
ecstasy?
“I need some fresh
air.” He turned away from the monitors and headed out of the complex.
He stuck his head
in Frank’s office a few minutes later. “I’ll be back in a few,” he said ignoring
Frank’s shocked stare.
He hopped into his
little Nissan, undid the convertible top and drove out of the private garage. Speeding
down the access road, he skidded onto the street moments later trying to outrun
the feelings coursing through his veins.
The sun shone
down, melting the remaining traces of snow and Ty tilted his face feeling the
renewing warmth. It took twenty minutes to get to his studio apartment and
another ten minutes to grab a couple shirts and a couple pair of jeans from his
closet.
He hadn’t bothered
with much in the way of decorating and he sighed as he took a second to look around
the near empty apartment.
Empty, just
like my fucking life.
He wanted a life
of his own, not this horrific crap Frank had him doing. Closing his eyes, he
hung his head and drew a deep breath before turning back the way he came.
He didn’t drive as
fast on the way back, taking his time and enjoying the sun on his face and the wind
in his hair for a change.
Chapter
15
Jessica looked up
as the door opened. Frank walked in, leering at her as if she was his next
meal. He tossed a garment to her and she caught it.
“Put that on,” he
said.
Jessica looked at
the exercise top in her hand and back at him, swallowing. “Where’s the rest?” Her
voice cracked, betraying her unease.
He held the shorts
on his finger and twirled them around, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“Where is he?” Jessica
asked holding the bathrobe tighter.
“Out and you need
to work out today.” He continued twirling the shorts around. “Come on, let’s
go.” He pointed to the treadmill.
She turned her
back and slipped the sports bra on before crossing self-consciously to the
treadmill.
Frank watched,
still twirling the shorts on his index finger.
“My shorts.”
“Snap your wrist
in first.”
She pulled her
wrists to her chest, the shorts stopped spinning, and the peculiar smile
lungs burned for air. Just as suddenly, she was yanked back out of the depths
of the tub. Water spewed from her lips with the power of her cough.
“Get out,” he said
letting go of her hair and standing.
Jessica met his
crazed glare and decided the most prudent route would be to do as he said. She
reached for a towel and he stopped her.
“Just like you are.”
He pointed toward the room.
She crossed her
arms over her breasts and walked into the main room dripping wet.
He followed her.
“Sit down and
eat.”
Jessica obeyed,
kneeling down and eating, shivering from the cold concrete under her knees. She
refused to look at him. His agitation scared her; he was just as pissed off
with himself as she had been with herself yesterday. She stopped mid-bite at
that thought, hesitated and then continued. She finished the food and drank the
juice.
He reached down to
grab the tray.
“Thank you,” she
whispered.
He hesitated but
wouldn’t look at her either. He scooped up the tray and left the room.
Chapter 14
Ty walked into the
control room and stared at her monitor. She clutched the bathrobe, her arms
wrapped around her legs and her cheek resting on her knees. Her hair hid her
face and he inhaled.
“Shit.” Today was
the second time he wanted to kiss her. He never kissed them, ever. It was just
too personal. But this, this was different from anything he encountered before.
She took his breath away every time their eyes met. Her defiance, the stubborn
set of her jaw completely frustrated him, especially with the heat burning in
her eyes. It was a contradiction he didn’t understand. A contradiction he
wondered would change if someone else’s life rode in the balance. If he had
that leverage, would he ever have the luxury of hearing her cry his name in
ecstasy?
“I need some fresh
air.” He turned away from the monitors and headed out of the complex.
He stuck his head
in Frank’s office a few minutes later. “I’ll be back in a few,” he said ignoring
Frank’s shocked stare.
He hopped into his
little Nissan, undid the convertible top and drove out of the private garage. Speeding
down the access road, he skidded onto the street moments later trying to outrun
the feelings coursing through his veins.
The sun shone
down, melting the remaining traces of snow and Ty tilted his face feeling the
renewing warmth. It took twenty minutes to get to his studio apartment and
another ten minutes to grab a couple shirts and a couple pair of jeans from his
closet.
He hadn’t bothered
with much in the way of decorating and he sighed as he took a second to look around
the near empty apartment.
Empty, just
like my fucking life.
He wanted a life
of his own, not this horrific crap Frank had him doing. Closing his eyes, he
hung his head and drew a deep breath before turning back the way he came.
He didn’t drive as
fast on the way back, taking his time and enjoying the sun on his face and the wind
in his hair for a change.
Chapter
15
Jessica looked up
as the door opened. Frank walked in, leering at her as if she was his next
meal. He tossed a garment to her and she caught it.
“Put that on,” he
said.
Jessica looked at
the exercise top in her hand and back at him, swallowing. “Where’s the rest?” Her
voice cracked, betraying her unease.
He held the shorts
on his finger and twirled them around, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“Where is he?” Jessica
asked holding the bathrobe tighter.
“Out and you need
to work out today.” He continued twirling the shorts around. “Come on, let’s
go.” He pointed to the treadmill.
She turned her
back and slipped the sports bra on before crossing self-consciously to the
treadmill.
Frank watched,
still twirling the shorts on his index finger.
“My shorts.”
“Snap your wrist
in first.”
She pulled her
wrists to her chest, the shorts stopped spinning, and the peculiar smile
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