Capturing Kate by Alexis Alvarez Read Free Book Online

touch, wrapped her wrists with gauze, and gently placed her hands back in her lap. “There you go. By tomorrow those should look a lot better. And just as an FYI, when I have to tie you up again, I’ll use bondage cuffs instead of rope. Much easier on the skin.”
    “Bondage cuffs? What are you, some kinky pervert in your spare time?” That should be scary, right? So why did it make her want to lean in a little closer, get another whiff of his faded aftershave? Why did she want to run her fingers down the stubble on the side of his cheek?
    He didn’t answer, but rummaged through a leather duffel bag and extricated a pair of black leather cuffs with silver rings and buckles. They looked strong, secure… and scary.
    Kate shuddered and he looked at her with an unreadable expression. “They’re padded on the inside for your comfort. They won’t graze and burn like rope. You can wear them for a long time without issues.”
    “No. Please, don’t. I—please don’t tie me.” Claustrophobia and panic welled, and her breathing accelerated. The room tilted and swam as tears came to her eyes. Her emotions were a train wreck—Jesus God, one minute she wanted to jump him, the next she was terrified. She had no idea how to even the seesaw, to catch a real breath of air to try to figure things out.
    He was at her side in a second. “Kate? Deep breaths. You’re hyperventilating. Look at my eyes. I told you, I’m not going to hurt you, and I mean that. I’m just showing you the cuffs so you understand that I’m serious about the need to keep you here. Breathe deep. Yes. Like that. You’re okay. I know this is scary, but it’s going to be okay.”
    He knelt and held her hands, stroking with his thumbs, and his touch, and the fact that he’d made himself lower than her gave her comfort. He wasn’t going to hurt her. Right now, he wasn’t even putting on the cuffs. She sucked in a deep breath, then another.
    “See? Okay, right? Look, I’m putting these away now, Kate.” He tossed them back at his bag. “I’m not trying to give you a panic attack. I’m being honest with you. I need you to be honest with me, too, completely honest. The better we work together, the faster we get out of this situation. You want to get of this situation, right?”
    His voice was soothing and firm at the same time, and she nodded, mesmerized by the tone. “Tell me you want to help us get out of this situation. You have the power to help, Kate. I want you to help me. Will you help me?”
    It wasn’t the poem she wanted, but the sound—the soothing cadence more than the actual words themselves—trickled into her psyche.
    Tension flowed out of her shoulders, and she slumped down. “I do want to get out this. Yes, I’ll help.”
    “Good.” He rubbed her hands once more, then stood up. “We start tomorrow. I’ll explain more about the situation and what we need to do.”
    She bit her lip. Tomorrow? The future loomed, uncertain, bleak.
    He opened a knapsack and pulled out a sandwich and an apple, and tossed them to her on the bed. “Eat up. Ham and Swiss on rye.”
    “What if I’m a vegetarian?”
    He gave her a look. “I suggest you discover the joy in eating meat.”
    “What if I’m allergic to gluten?”
    “I know you’re not. You eat pastries in the café. And bacon.”
    “You were paying attention.”
    “Yeah, I was.” His eyes roved over her and she flushed.
    “Because you were worried he’d kill me.” The bite of sandwich clogged her throat and she felt sick again despite her ravenous hunger.
    “I was watching you because you’d tripped his attention, and I wanted to find out why. We’re so close to that auction, and his behavior was out of character.”
    “I don’t even understand how someone who looks like you could be an FBI agent.” She frowned and gestured. “You’re too handsome to go undercover.”
    “Agents can’t be handsome?” A smile twitched on his face.
    “No. They can’t.” She put down