He pulled her toward the cabin door and unlocked it with an old key. Once inside, the musty smell told her the cabin was quite old. Rollo directed her to sit on an ancient loveseat from the nineteen eighties while he went to the fireplace mantel and lit a kerosene lantern. The light illuminating the cabin allowed Zoe to see the details of her prison.
It was a one-room cabin with a fireplace, a hand-hewn log table, and a rustic queen-size bed. The couch was under the front window, right next to the fireplace and across from the table. The bed was shoved against the wall and the other corner.
“I hope the accommodations are up to your standards,” he said, lighting a second kerosene lantern.
“I’ve seen worse,” she said.
One year, she had lived in a surf shack on the beach in Mexico. But being kidnapped by her cop mate and taken to a crappy cabin was actually far worse than not having indoor plumbing on the beach.
“I’m glad you approve,” he said, kneeling in front of the fireplace to arrange the logs and hearth.
Zoe fidgeted in her seat, her hands still bound behind her back. If she could just angle her hand the right way, she could use her claw to pick the lock. Rollo had a fire going several moments later, stood up, and walked toward her. He gazed down at her, his blue eyes radiant in the firelight. She could smell his desire, and she could see his arousal bulge in front of her as he looked down at her.
“You can’t hold me like this,” she said, her throat dry.
“Why not?” he taunted.
“You and I both know this is all kinds of illegal,” she said.
“By whose standards?” he asked, kneeling in front of her so that they were looking right into each other’s eyes.
“By the standards of the government you work for, jackass,” she taunted back.
“Oh, little kitty, how wrong you are. For one thing, you are obviously guilty of the crime I arrested you for. You yourself told me that you were in danger. I’m protecting you from whatever dangers are out there. Let’s call it a witness protection program.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. You haven’t even booked me. I’m not even in the system,” she growled.
“That’s exactly the way I wanted it. One more thing, kitty cat, I’ll do with you what I please. You are mine.”
“What makes you think I would want to mate with someone who would treat me like that?” she said, his words sending a hot thrill through her core.
The argument had ceased to be about the law and was now about the power dynamic between them. Hot lust rolled off both of them, and the scent of their pheromones filled the room. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. But she refused to give in to his demands.
No matter how much she wanted Rollo, and how much she was enjoying their little game, she knew she had to get away from here and away from him.
Dimitri Ivanov was waiting for the jewels. He would find her and Rollo. Dimitri would end them both. Human or not, Dimitri Ivanov was a badass motherfucker who had killed his fair share of shifters and humans alike. Zoe did not underestimate his reach or his potential for destruction.
“I’ve got the feeling that’s exactly the kind of mate you want,” he growled into her ear as he stood above her.
“You couldn’t be more wrong, Rollo,” she said.
“Then why can I smell the sweet scent of your cunt, calling out to me?” he said, his massive erection only a foot away from her face.
She bit her lip, he was right. She wanted him now more than anything she had ever wanted in her life. Resisting the urge to spread her legs and invite him on top of her, was killing her. Her jaguar was practically manic with lust. She could almost hear the sound of Rollo’s grizzly growling as well. It all collided in a cacophony of sound that would only drive her madder the longer she resisted it.
“Is this how you get off, Rollo? Arresting women and then holding them hostage until you get what you want? If that’s the case, then why don’t you just take it,” she dared him.
He leaned down to speak and her ear, his voice low and gravelly. “Because I want you to beg for it,” he said.
“We’ll both die waiting for the day I beg for you, Rollo Morris,” she spat back.
“We shall see, little kitty, we shall see.”
10
Zoe Bright was a tough nut to crack. After only twenty minutes of holding her in the cabin, Rollo already felt exhausted. He had to pace himself, she obviously wasn’t going to give up any information that easily. She was protecting something. Perhaps she was still under the misguided impression that the only way to ensure her safety and freedom was to deliver the jewels to Ivanov.
If he gave her the jewels, he would be an accomplice in the crime. If she somehow managed to take the jewels and slip away, he would never see her again. He couldn’t allow either to happen. Rollo loved his job and he loved the law. But he loved Zoe even more. The revelation that he was already in love with her hit him in the chest. He had to turn away from her and stand beside the flickering fire in the hearth.