I bounced down the stairs after the best oral sex of my life to fix her something to eat. I was on the right track, and I knew I’d get my dick in her yet. I narrowed my eyes as I walked past the bathroom on the way to the kitchen. I didn’t expect someone, but someone was in the bathroom with the water running.

I slammed the door open and scared the shit out of Tim. “Motherfucker!” He jumped and fell backward, landing on the toilet. “Why the fuck did you do that?”

“Why the fuck are you here?” I walked back out and headed toward the kitchen. I wondered how long he had been there and if he looked at the monitor. I didn’t think he had it in him to masturbate in someone else’s house, but when provided great spanking material that I could’ve just given him, he may not have been able to resist.

“You asked me to come over so you could follow Bryce again.”

I did do that. “Well, how long have you been here?”

He stepped forward and sniffed. “Please tell me you’ve got another guest and this one is willing.”

“Oh, this one is willing.”

“I don’t believe it.” He looked to the ceiling. “There’s no way she slept with you.”

I rubbed my face against his. “Does this feel like I had to force her to do anything?”

He shoved me. “You’re fucking sick.” He turned and I grabbed his arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to check on her. I don’t care that you got her juices flowing. It doesn’t mean you didn’t rape her.”

I punched him in the face. “Don’t you ever accuse me of that again.” I pulled him into the den with the monitor. I turned it on and waited for the room to come into focus. I was just as anxious to see her response as he was. I should’ve done it first, but I didn’t think about it.

She had new clothes draped over her arm, and she brushed out her hair. She was going to take a shower. “See?”

I stepped aside and let him look. She didn’t look upset. She looked a little tired, but nothing like he was expecting. I shoved him out of the room.

“Did that look like a woman forced to enjoy the orgasms I just gave her?”

He shook his head more in disbelief than answering my question. “I can’t believe you got her into bed.” He looked at me. “I can’t believe you actually did it.”

“Well, not exactly. We played with my favorite number and played well, but it was just oral. I haven’t fucked her yet.” I walked past him to the kitchen. “But it’s coming, no pun intended.”

“I will talk to her tonight. I’ll give her the space for the shower and let her find peace with it before I talk to her, but I will talk to her and hear it from her that she wasn’t forced.”

I ignored his statement. If he wanted to make sure I didn’t hurt her or force her to have sex, he could ask all he wanted. It didn’t change the fact that she started it and was more than happy to see it through. She may have had buyer’s remorse after it was all said and done, but I would remind her how much she enjoyed it and begged for me not to stop.

* * *

Just when I thought progress was being made, it was ripped out from under me. I’d been out every night for the last week, and I couldn’t find Bryce anywhere. He stopped going home, the bank said he took a leave of absence a couple of days ago, and even Joshua Mosley had stopped hearing from him.

I pulled a few favors with some people who worked in commercial flights, and they couldn’t find anything on him, either. They could’ve been lying to me thinking I was going to spill their dark past to their current employers if they told me they couldn’t help me, but I’d never do that. I had to trust they couldn’t locate a flight with his name on it.

It was making me cranky and, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, worried. He had to be out there somewhere. Maybe he had started to go door-to-door in the hopes of finding her. It was hard to say, but I had to find him.

I wanted to get Laney talking again, too. She wasn’t as quiet as when she first came to my house, but she wasn’t starting any conversations, either. Ever since the night we had oral sex, it had been different. She’d been different. She was more resigned to the fact that her life was within my four walls. I hadn’t seen the fight in her that she once had. The fight was what turned me on. I needed to figure out how to get it back.

“I’m surprised you’re still working on this puzzle.” I tossed a piece I was holding onto the table. “I’ve found more pieces than you have lately. What gives?”

She shrugged. “Nothing. What’s the rush?”

“I’ll give you ten minutes outside as soon as you finish this puzzle. But,” I held my finger up as I spoke, “you have to be the one to place the last piece. If I get it before you, you don’t get to go outside.”

She looked at me and sat up. “Are you serious?” She looked toward the window. “You mean I can actually get some fresh air?”

“I swear.” I smiled when she sat on the edge of her chair and worked on the puzzle as feverishly as she did just a week ago. That puzzle would be finished before I got back with lunch. I laughed and stood. “I’ll go and get lunch. Maybe you can crank this out today yet.”

She didn’t pay any attention to me as I walked out. It was good to give her a reason to fight again. Maybe I should’ve expected it when I took away her reason for fighting for Bryce, but I didn’t. I didn’t think she would’ve given up as much as she did. I’d never understand people allowing others to have a hold on their emotions. Of course, I’d have to have emotions to understand it in the first place.

I popped an olive into my mouth just as my phone rang. I thought it would’ve been Tim checking in again, but sighed when I saw it was Mosley. “Yeah.”

“When the fuck are you giving me my daughter back?”

“When she’s fallen out of love with Bryce. That’s what you’ve hired me for. Right now she’s moping around, but I think she’s turning a corner to acceptance. Then we can talk about when she can come home.”

“You have had her for over three fucking months. If you’ve done anything to hurt her or touch one hair on her fucking body, I swear—”

“You’ll do what?” I gripped the phone until I heard it pop. “I told you before, asshole, I have the upper hand with this. She’s about had it with your involvement and meddling with her life. All I have to do is say the word that you hired me, and all the work I’ve done will be out the window. I’d be happy to deliver her back to where she belongs . . . with Bryce.”

“Listen here, you fucking cocksucker.”

I hung up on him. I wasn’t going to take his threats. I did have the upper hand. He had no idea what I was doing. I was doing my job, but of course, I was going to have fun while I did it.

I smiled as I picked up the tray with our salads and went back upstairs. I placed my phone onto the counter before I left. I didn’t care that it was vibrating. He could go to hell. Nothing could get me to answer that phone.

I unlocked the door and opened it just as Laney took her hand out of her shirt. I narrowed my eyes. “Is everything okay?”

“Of course. Guys can scratch their balls all the time. Why can’t women scratch their tits?” She made room for the plate.

“Don’t let me stop you. Take your shirt off if it gives you easier access.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled. It was nice to see it again. I handed her a plate and the ranch dressing. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I sat next to her and looked at the puzzle. “You’re getting closer. Not that many pieces left.”

She loaded her fork and shoved it into her mouth. Apparently, she wanted to get outside. I wondered if she would try to make a run for it. I narrowed my eyes and took a bite. I’d need to get the handcuffs to ensure that didn’t happen. I didn’t think she’d get far if she did try, but there was no point in taking the risk.

She picked up a piece and set it into place. She shook her butt in her seat and celebrated before she took another big bite.

“Outside will wait for you to finish your lunch at a reasonable rate of speed.”

“I know,” she spoke with her mouth full, “but I can’t wait. I long for the outdoors.”

“Really?” I looked at her. “I figured with all those dresses and girly things around, you’d rather not get dirty.”

She looked at the bed behind me and smirked. “I think we both know I don’t mind getting dirty.”

My dick twitched. “Well, this is true, but that’s a different kind of dirty.”

“I love camping and hiking. Just because I love getting dressed up and becoming beautiful once in a while doesn’t mean I don’t equally love getting my fingers in dirt.”

“Good to know.”

I watched as she finished her last bite and drank the rest of her water. “Could I have some more water, please?”

I looked at my plate with half of my salad still waiting for me and looked at the puzzle. She really wanted to go outside. I narrowed my eyes when I saw the two empty spaces, but no puzzle pieces left on the table. She wanted me to get more water so she could pull the pieces out of her shirt and finish the puzzle. I smiled.

“You think you’re smart. I admit you are a little quicker than I am, but you can’t get anything past me.”

She looked around as if she didn’t know what I was talking about. “What do you mean?”

The smirk she gave at the end of her question did it. I got out of my chair and lifted her off hers. “Scratching your tits my ass.”

She laughed and pulled her arms to her chest to protect the puzzle pieces. I was getting those from her if it was the last thing I did. They were mine. I’d still let her go outside, but I wasn’t going to let her get the best of me.

I got behind her and tried to put my hand up her shirt, but she blocked me. It was good to hear her laugh again, but I wasn’t going to let her win. I tried to go down her shirt in the front, and her hand slipped in before mine. I fought her hand for space in her bra to look for the pieces, causing her to laugh even harder. It was making me laugh, too.

“Those are mine.”

She turned quick and raised an eyebrow. “The puzzle pieces or the tits?”

I was taken aback by the question and let her go. Was she suggesting her breasts could be mine? As soon as I let her go, she was at the table putting the two pieces into place. She lifted her arms above her head and shouted, “Yes!”

I smiled as I watched her break out into a happy dance not unlike those who scored touchdowns. It probably was a touchdown to her. She hadn’t been outside for months.

“Okay, you got me. Let me clean up the table and take care of this stuff. I’ll take you out in just a few minutes.”