Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
"It really is," he agrees, and that’s not what I thought he was going to say. "I'm over the cat and mouse game."
"Cat and mouse game?" He grunts a response. "That's not an answer."
He turns to face me. "You're mine, Lucy. I have given you time, and now that time is up."
I must be in some sort of alternate universe because the words coming out of his mouth make absolutely zero sense.
I just stare at him as my brain tries to catch up. He’s given me time? Yeah, he really is insane. Maybe I should call someone. My phone is still in my back pocket, but I don’t go for it. With the storm, I’m sure there are other people that need more help at the moment. It would be selfish of me to call the police or even my brother. He too sometimes has to help bail people out of trouble. I can handle Hollis. As soon as I have the thought, I know I’m lying to myself. I guess we're both insane.
“Now eat.” He places the bowl and a buttered piece of bread in front of me. When I take a bite of the stew, he leans down and kisses the top of my head. “That’s my good girl.” My eyes widen, and I have to press my thighs together. I learned recently that those words have an effect on me. “Eat it all, and then I’ll give you your treat.”
“My treat?” I ask. What the heck kind of treat do I want from him? I must be losing my mind. That is the only explanation here.
Why am I so attracted to him? Even though I should despise him, I can't help but crave him. The hardest part of sending him those photos is that I would always get so turned on. It made me feel sexy, and that is not what I’m used to. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was sexually broken until Hollis entered my life. I even contemplated the possibility of identifying as asexual. That’s when I started to dig deeper online and ended up finding out a few things about myself.
Hollis grabs the other chair, moving it so he is right next to me. "I believe it's time for us to move things forward. The pictures aren’t enough. I need more.”
The way the word need rolls off his tongue actually does sound needy. He sounds like an addict seeking his next fix. From what I’m grasping, I’m it.
“I’m sure you can get more somewhere else.” I force myself to look away from him because I don’t want to see his expression. In fact, why did I even say that? I take another bite of my food so I don’t say more. Hollis does the same, not responding to what I said.
Every second that passes, my anger intensifies. “You have nothing to say to that?” I finally snap.
"No.” He takes another bite.
“You know what—” I start to stand, but his hand comes down on my thigh, stopping me from moving. Jesus, his massive hand engulfs my thigh like a bear paw.
“Calm down, love.”
“You don’t tell a woman to calm down.”
“I’ll tell my woman anything I want.” I’m his? Does he truly believe that? “Your ridiculous comment didn't need a response, but if you insist, I'll take you to bed and show you how you're my woman. My only woman.” The intensity of his stare has me almost believing him.
"I can't be your woman. You barely know me."
Hollis barks a laugh. "Trust me, love. I know every fucking thing about you." He leans closer, and the hand on my thigh tightens. His other hand grips my chin so I have to stare into his eyes. "My good little girl."
Oh crap, maybe he does know me.
Chapter Three
HOLLIS
Lucy’s eyes widen, and I wonder if she’s putting things together. I’ve been watching her for a while, but it all started innocently enough. Our first meeting was by chance. She had no clue who I was, and that was part of the appeal.
I created Anomio but don’t use it. Not in years. The site is a mashup of Reddit and Discord all in one. It started as a pet project, but I was unaware of the extent to which it would explode. Now it has a life all of its own, and I’m over dealing with it. I don’t want to manage things. I find enjoyment in creating, but once I finish, I’m ready to move on to something else.
After making plans to sell it, I let the bidding begin. For old times' sake, I jumped back on, and there were all kinds of groups. The ones that caused us the most trouble and initially motivated my decision to sell were, naturally, those related to sex. Let’s just say they were quite interesting. So much so that I’d gone down a rabbit hole that day, and the path led me directly to her.