“I’m not sure what I said to make you think otherwise.”
I swallowed, glancing between Erik standing right next to my bed, and Ash down by the foot of it. Their eyes — Erik’s sharp blue ones and Ash’s piercing dark ones — burned into me, seemingly looking right through the sheets and the thin silk robe, as if they were looking at me bare and naked.
I squeezed my thighs together, dropping my eyes and trying to will the heat away from my face.
The room felt warmer, closer with the two of them there looking at me like that. And just like before, with Oliver, I felt that horrible sense of attraction to them that I knew was so wrong, and so terrible.
I was their prisoner, and here I was getting caught up and pulled in by those chiseled features, those gorgeous eyes, and the demanding, dominant way they spoke to me.
I shook my head quietly but when I looked up, I felt that shiver as I caught them both looking right at me.
“Get up, Ms. Thorne.”
There was something so commanding in Ash’s voice that I found myself doing as I was told. I swung my legs out of bed, clutching the robe tight as I stood, avoiding Erik’s eyes.
“We’ll have clothes brought in. In the meantime, you may run a bath.”
“I took one last night.”
“And I wasn’t asking.”
I glanced up sharply at Erik, seeing that smug grin on his perfect face, those eyes lancing into me. I quickly turned away.
“Fine,” I muttered, stepping for the bathroom. I stepped in, and I turned to get the door, when I gasped, finding the two of them standing right there.
“Do you mind?”
Neither man said a word.
“I have to get undressed to take a bath.”
“No one’s stopping you.”
My cheeks flushed hot, my eyes darting between them.
“Can you look away?” I said quietly.
“No.”
I swallowed, that traitorous tingle creeping through my body as I turned away from them and stepped into the luxurious bathroom. I shivered again, feeling their eyes on me, but I took a deep breath as I untied the robe, and then shrugged it off. It pooled at my feet, and I felt the heat of their gaze on my bare back as I sucked my lip between my teeth.
“We’ll be waiting,” Ash said in what was apparently his persistently gruff voice.
I nodded, glancing furtively at them over one bare shoulder as they left the bathroom, leaving the door open. I cranked the hot water on, my pulse racing at being so naked and vulnerable in here, with two men like that standing right outside the open bathroom door. And, again, those warring feeling came rushing up inside — the part of me that felt drawn to them as the gorgeous, powerful and dominant men they were. And then the other part of me.
The part of me that was their prisoner.
I reached to turn the water down, when my eyes landed on the safety razor from the night before.
I froze, glancing quickly at the open door behind me. They thought I was in here bathing. And a naked, scared woman was hardly a threat, especially with two of them.
It meant their guard would be down.
It meant this was my one shot.
I didn’t think through what I had to do next. I couldn’t. I had to concentrate on the immediate step, which was getting out of this room and away from them. From there, maybe I could run for it, or find a phone and call the cops, or something.
But it all hinged on me making this one big step.
I snatched up the razor, fingers picking at the plastic safeties and pulling it apart to get at the flimsy blade inside.
And then I had it.
Heart pounding, I snatched a towel, wrapping it around myself and holding the little blade between my fingers. This was my chance.
They glanced up as I stepped from the bathroom.
“I, uh, I need a hair tie,” I said lamely, quickly stepping past them to the bed, as if I’d left it there.
“You weren’t wearing one.”
Ash’s voice chilled me to a stop, right next to the bed and five steps from the door. I could feel my pulse pound, my fingers clutching the blade.
“What?” my voice shook.
“You weren’t wearing a hair tie when you came here,” he said again, his voice getting closer as I felt him step closer behind me. “Now get into that tub, and—”
I yelled as I turned, slashing at him with the blade. He roared, jumping away from me, and I made a break for it.
I only made it two steps before I screamed as hands caught me. I gasped as the two of them spun me around and slammed me up against the wall, one on each arm and both sets of eyes burning right into me.
“That was not smart,” Ash growled, glancing down at the tiny nick I’d made in his shirt and the few drops of blood staining around it.
“Neither was trying to keep me here like an animal!” I screamed back.
“You’re here, because it’s safe here!” Erik roared back, his hand tightening on my arm.
I was panting, my chest rising and falling as the two of them held me fast against the wall. I could feel the heat exploding between us. My head spun and my pulse pounded at how wrong a reaction this was. I should’ve still been fighting. I should have been kicking at them, and screaming and clawing to get away.
Not panting with lust for them. Not feeling my body react to their presence — my pulse quickening, and my body arching up from the wall towards them. I could feel my nipples getting harder, poking at the towel, and my pussy throbbing with heat between my legs.
My eyes darted between Ash’s and Erik’s, standing on either side of me. I’d lose myself in Erik’s ice blue ones — both his hands gripping my arm tight against the wall. And then I’d look at Ash, and those brooding dark eyes would draw me in.
Something in my brain clicked, and I made one more effort to shove away from them.
And my towel fell away.
Time stopped, the room totally silent except the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
My breath caught, my eyes darted between the two men now pressed right against my naked body, holding me firmly to the wall.
My eyes moved to Erik’s and suddenly, I was lost.
I moaned as he hungrily pressed his lips to mine, demanding the kiss and growling into my mouth. I whimpered as his hand dropped to my hip, holding me tight as he pressed himself against me. I strained against him, fighting it but also wanting it so badly it hurt. I wanted both of them so badly in that moment, like some sort of crazy perfect storm of hormones and pent up frustration. The ordeal of being taken and sold, all came rushing out in this insane way.
An insane way I couldn’t say no to.
Hands pulled me away from Erik, and suddenly, it was Ash who was searing his lips to mine, and claiming my mouth. His hands grabbed my waist, fingers tracing over my skin as he devoured my moans.
I moved back to Erik, melting into that kiss and falling as I felt Ash’s lips on my neck, both of their hands moving over my body.