He sighs, as the wind howls outside the door. “And what are you going to do out there anyway? We should just stay inside where it’s safe. I need to be sure the roof stays put. That no huge branches crash into this place and kill us. Gotta make sure we’re safe. I want to make sure the motherfucking wolves are gone,” he says. “Wish I had a goddamn gun.”
I wonder inanely if he’d know how to use a gun and then I realize, of course he would. He’s military, a street fighter, and something tells me if he had a weapon, he’d find his way around it easily.
“Take me with you, then,” I insist. “I can handle myself.”
“No,” he says stoutly.
“Cy, I can—”
But a quick tug of my hair interrupts me.
“Hey!”
“Hey yourself,” he says, and the tone of his voice brooks no argument. “You’ll do what I say or I’ll tie you up, and once things settle, punish you for giving me shit.”
Goddamn it, even as the threat of a punishment raises my ire, I still feel the little tingle in my chest that turns me on. I love being dominated by him, even when I hate it.
Figure that one out.
“I don’t have to do what you tell me,” I protest, though I know the argument’s weak. Of course I do. He’s stronger than I am, and there’s nowhere else for me to go.
“We playing that game again?” he asks, with his hand under my chin. “Really, Harper? Did you somehow forget in the middle of the night who I am? Who you are? And what happens if you get all headstrong and silly on me?”
“It’s not headstrong and silly to want to go out there with you,” I insist, mustering up my courage, because defying a man like Cy is no small task. I swear my butt tingles just thinking about him pulling me over his lap again, and even though a part of me likes it, it also fucking hurts.
“Cy, we can compromise,” I try.
“No.”
“Yes.”
He growls, tugging my hair again. I still his hand in mine, put my hand on his chin and give him my most pleading look. “Please?” I ask.
He looks into my eyes, and I can tell he’s softening when he whispers, “Goddamn you, woman.”
“What?” I say, giving him my most innocent expression.
“You know I can’t tell you no when you look at me that way,” he growls. “I should punish you for trying to manipulate me.”
“Or better yet,” I say brightly. “You can let me manipulate you and then punish me later.”
His lips twitch as his eyes narrow. “Deal.”
Welp.
“So you’ll let me go?”
“I’ll let you go,” he says. “But I’ll warn you, I have an excellent memory.”
I nod. Something tells me I might regret this bargain with the devil, but I don’t care right now. “Got it. Let’s go!”
He sighs, takes me by the hand, and reaches for the latch.
“Fine,” he says. “We’re only checking out the perimeter for now, but I want it clear that you’ll do exactly what I say, and if you don’t, I will bring you back here, tie you up, and whip your pretty ass when we’re done.”
“Deal,” I squeak, because he’s a man of his word and hell if that doesn’t scare me.
And I know right then, while the winds howl outside the shelter, and the memory of wolves pacing outside is still fresh in my memory, isolated on this island in the middle of nowhere, I know.
I like being with a man that scares me a little.
I can’t think anymore, though, because the next thing I know, he’s opening the door, and we’re covering our heads as we survey around the cabin. There’s no sign of any wolves, and rain beats down so hard and fast, it’s hard to see anything.
“Harper!” he’s yelling at the top of his lungs. I look to him just in time as a small palm tree comes toppling over. I duck as he pulls me to the forest floor. We’re safe for now, but we need to get back to the shelter.
“I don’t see anything,” he says, and as we get to our feet, a flash goes by several yards in front of me so quickly I stifle a scream. I peer into the darkness and see masculine features and dark blond hair before he’s gone.
It was a person. I saw a person. I know I did.
“Cy!” I shout, but my voice is drowned out in the wind. “Cy!” I scream so loudly it hurts. He’s dragging me to the shelter, but what if the other person—Will, or whoever the hell it is—went inside? So I pull back on his hand. He gives me a quizzical look and shakes his head.
He mouths something to me, but I can’t hear him. And what good does it do staying away from the shelter anyway? If someone’s in there, we’ll have to deal with it. We aren’t safe out here with the winds and rain.