His Abductor's Desire by Harper St. George Read Free Book Online Page B

though she had always left them well supplied to make it through the harrowing months, that did nothing for the cold and boredom. Sometimes Charity didn’t know which was worse.
    Still half-asleep, she shivered and snuggled deeper into the fur, though it did little to warm her, and soon became dimly aware that she was naked. It took a few moments for her sleep-fogged brain to process that knowledge and it was only when she shifted and felt the pleasant soreness between her legs that she fully remembered what had transpired earlier that night. She should have felt shocked to her very core, but she only felt happy and awash in an unfamiliar feeling of contentment. Maybe in the morning the shock would set in but for now she just wanted to snuggle against Brent’s warm body and go back to sleep.
    But when she reached for him, she found his side of the bed empty and cold. Her eyes shot open to confirm that he was gone and as they gradually became adjusted to the darkness she made out the shadowy bulk of his chains and shackles strewn casually across the bed.
    “Oh, God!” she whispered and scrambled out of bed.
    Two concerns hit her at once. The first was that he had stupidly attempted to leave and was out in the storm; the second was that he was wise enough to wait for the storm to pass before leaving which meant she had become the captive. The first worry was put to rest when she stopped at the top of the ladder and made out his form wrapped in a buffalo robe sitting before the blazing fire. He saw her at the same moment she saw him and slowly came to his feet.
    Charity hesitated, unsure what to do without a weapon for protection. Her gaze flicked to her gun but it was hanging in its holster near the fireplace. Closer to him than to her.
    He must have read her fear because he stayed where he was and spoke softly. “I could have chained you while you slept if that’s what I wanted.”
    He waited for the truth of that statement to sink in before he invited her down. “Please join me at the fire. I just added more wood.”
    Still she hesitated. “How did you get free?”
    “The key.”
    Charity knew she had left the key hanging on the nail near her gun. “That’s impossible,” she stubbornly insisted.
    He raised a brow, too much of a gentleman to point out the absurdity of her disbelief given he stood before her a free man.
    She thought back to the last time she had seen the key and immediately knew who the culprit had been. Elle. Elle had transferred him to the cabin and secured him in the loft. Charity had been too trusting to make sure the key had been returned.
    “If it’s any comfort, I’m not entirely sure she meant to leave it.”
    It wasn’t, but by then she was too busy wondering why he had not freed himself during the day while she was outside avoiding him.
    “Why did you let me think you were still my captive?”
    His eyes appeared almost black in the shadowed cabin, giving nothing away. “I wanted you.”
    Of course, what able-bodied man would turn down sex when it was so blatantly offered? Not that it mattered, really. The whole thing had been ridiculous. She realized now there was no purging him from her system. No matter how many times they made love, she would always want more of him.
    With a sigh of resignation, she pulled the heavy fur around her like a shield of armor and carefully made her way down the ladder. “Don’t worry. I probably would have returned you after the storm anyway. I’ve realized my folly and the logistical nightmare of ransoming you.” She tried to sound strong and in control of the situation as she walked to the warmth of the fire.
    “Done with me so soon, are you?”
    Charity kept her eyes focused on the flames, unwilling to answer and expose her feelings on the matter. The thought of living with her unrequited love—she knew now that love was the appropriate emotion—made her miserable, but that wasn’t even her biggest problem now. The biggest problem was staying