The Game Has Changed by D. L. Wu Read Free Book Online

daydream, then;
more of a longing vision. One she had never experienced before. She
imagined them lying together just like this, but naked and in the
aftermath of sex. Still, she couldn't begin to imagine the act
itself. She had little idea of what to even think about, but what
was in her head was enough to get her private parts
tingling.
    The long silence was broken by his lovely,
soft, and deep British accent. “Are you okay, Luv?” he
whispered.
    She turned her head toward him, entranced by
his tenderness. He turned his head to face her and gave her a
tender smile that she could see a little better now because of the
light that was beginning to stream inside through the cheap
curtains on the motel's window. “I'm . . . okay,” she
stuttered.
    “Did you sleep well?”
    “Yes.”
    “So this wasn't so bad after all, was it?” he
asked with amusement, lifting up their bound hands.
    She hesitated, unsure as to how to answer his
question. He was making her a prisoner. How could she possibly say
it was good? Yet it hadn't deterred her sleep, so the honest answer
had to be, “No, not so bad.”
    She decided to be truthful. “It didn't keep me
awake, put it that way.”
    “Sorry.” He smiled again, knowing he had backed
her into a difficult corner with the question. “But if you prove to
me that I can trust you, we won't need it anymore.”
    She gave him a confused and concerned look.
“Just how long do you suppose we're going to be together, anyway?”
she asked testily.
    Evan sighed. He decided to be honest with her,
but knew he'd have to deal with her ultimately forthcoming protests
and panic attack. “I need your car to get back to California,” he
admitted.
    As he’d expected, shock set in and Jaime's
whole body began to tremble, causing the entire bed to shake as if
there was a small earthquake. Ironically, she didn't cry out or
scream. Nor did she yell at him. Tears spilled down her cheeks as
her entire body quivered. Sadness pervaded every inch of her sweet
face. She pressed her free hand against her mouth to keep herself
from crying out.
    “I'm sorry, Sweetheart,” he said with
sincerity. He wanted so much to comfort her, but he knew he
couldn't. He pulled himself onto his elbow, watching her dissolve
with misery. “But I will make you an honest promise right now and I
really, really want you to trust me. Even if I can never trust you,
I want you so very much to trust me.”
    She was speechless. Her whimpering could be
heard beneath the hand covering her mouth.
    “Listen, okay?” he prompted gently. “I swear to
you that I will never hurt you. I won't touch you and I certainly
won't kill you. I need you as my companion. I know you don't want
to be here with me and I won't expect you to ever be happy or like
it, but I'll feel better knowing you're with me.”
    He was being truthful. He even felt it within
his heart. He did want her there, but he knew there was a selfish
reason attached to his sweet, imploring directive. He wanted to
convince her that she really wasn't his prisoner.
    “Give it a couple of days. Maybe you'll begin
to trust me, then. But if after those couple of days, you're still
miserable and unhappy, then . . . then . . .” He took a deep breath
and let it out slowly. “I'll put you on a plane and send you home.
I promise, Jaime. And I will get the money for your car to you,
somehow. Whether you give me your address or not . . . I'll get it
to you.”
    Her hand was still pressed over her own mouth
when a muffled gasp escaped.
    “I'll take care of you in the meantime, I
promise,” he said beseechingly.
    She believed him.
    He smiled at her and because of the tender
moment they both sensed they were having, he took a chance. He
softly caressed her forehead again. She didn't admonish him this
time. Her hand slowly came away from her mouth. Before the hand
could drop down, he quickly grasped it. To her absolute amazement,
he took her hand and brought it toward his own thick, soft