“Yeah,” I say. It doesn’t sound as bold as I want it to.
He lets out a short chuckle. “We had an agreement, Briarlee.”
“No, you told me what to do. Maybe I’m sick of you telling me what to do. Maybe it’s time you did what I say.”
“You think so?”
“Yes,” I say, getting bolder. Yeah. I’m going to see this through. He’s going to see things my way. I walk up to him and crouch down in front of him, so close our noses are almost touching. I look deep into his eyes, see the beast within the man. “You’re mine. You’re going to do as I say. You’re going to stay tied to that tree until you promise.”
A muscle in his cheek twitches. “Until I promise what?”
“Until you promise to take me back home and then do as I say. No more dominating me. No more Mr. Boss Man. I’m in charge now, Danny.”
His eyes flash with irritation. He always hated being called Danny, even when we were kids.
“You won’t be in charge after these ropes come off.”
“Then they’re not coming off,” I say, giving him a sweet peck on the nose.
I stand up, feeling very smug and satisfied, and I go to the rations. There’s some chocolate in there, I’m sure of it. What better to eat while Daniel gets used to the idea that the tables have been turned.
“You’re going to untie me,” he says casually. “Because you’re a good girl. And good girls keep their end of the bargain.”
“Eh, I don’t think I care about being a good girl anymore,” I shrug.
“Good girls also don’t have their asses switched and fucked.”
“Who are you going to switch my ass with? There’s no one else out here.”
He gives me a dark look, no trace of amusement on his brilliantly handsome features. “I mean I’m going to cut a nice long branch from one of these trees and use it on you until you cry.”
“Oh,” I say, taking a bite of chocolate. “Well, you can go fuck yourself then. I hope you’re comfortable. Hope you don’t have to pee.”
“Come over here and untie me,” he growls. “Now.”
“Ehhhhh, no, I don’t think so.”
It feels so incredibly good to take my power back this way. It makes me feel excited, and giddy, and only a little nervous. Daniel’s expression has become stormy. His eyes are locked on me with an intensity that makes my stomach do little flips. This is so worth it.
“I’m going to count down from five. If you haven’t untied me by then, you’re going to be in a world of hurt.”
“You can count down from five, or you can count up to five hundred,” I say, stuffing the last delicious part of the chocolate bar into my mouth. So damn good. I’d usually worry about having another one out of concern for my waistline, but now I don’t think I care. I’m filled with reckless energy and I’ve abandoned all consideration of consequences. Right now, right here, nothing can touch me. Not the calories in this candy, not the angry man tied to a tree.
“Five…”
I let out a giggle as he begins.
“Four…”
“Forty-two,” I sass.
“Three…”
“Six hundred and ninety-two point nine recurring…” None of these numbers mean anything, so why be so linear about it?
“Two… Briarlee, if you don’t start moving, you’re going to regret it…”
I smirk and peel another bar.
“One.”
I snap a block off and smirk at him as the countdown ends. “Oh, well,” I say. “Maybe give it another try. Maybe start from ten this time. That might work.”
He lets out one of his near feral growls, the sound rolling right through me as I chew my chocolate. This is so funny. And so perfect.
He shifts in his bindings, shuffling maybe an inch or so.
“You shouldn’t have tied them so tight if you wanted to be able to get out of them,” I snort. “You weren’t really thinking right, were you, Danny? You should really be more careful, you silly boy…”
Daniel flexes. The muscles in his shoulders, chest, biceps, and back all bulge at the same time. The rope holding him snaps like a piece of cotton before my stunned eyes.
“Oh, shit.”
He’s standing up. I have about 0.002 seconds before he grabs me.
I drop the candy and I run.
I make it 0.004 seconds before his huge hands grab me around my waist and pluck me, screaming, up off the ground.
“Okay, Daniel, that wasn’t fair! This isn’t fair!”
He doesn’t say a word. He sweeps me around and holds me under one of his armpits, his left arm wrapped around my waist to press me up against the powerful side of his torso. His right hand goes to tear a small branch from a tree. Just like he said he would. Oh, fuck. Oh, god. I’m stammering, begging, lying. I’m telling him that it was just a joke, that of course I was going to untie him. That he knows that, surely he has to know that.