Primal Pursuit

He leans in, his nose moving up the side of my neck.

I swallow hard and clutch my bag. “I’m not putting that on, Elmer.”

I feel him smile against my skin. “Yes, you are,wabbit.”

I’m frozen as he slides the blindfold on, casting me in complete darkness.

“Remember your safe word?”

Resentment knifes through me. “I only came here because you threatened someone.”

“Ah, the other Rabbit in the room. The real Jacinta?” He slides a finger over the tattoo at my nape, exposed by the ponytail I’m wearing. I know what he must be thinking, and I wait for the comment, but none comes. “Do you take me for a fucking amateur, Rabbit?”

I clench my teeth. But I don’t say a word.

“Well, well, well.” Delight sparks his voice. “You’re adark thing, aren’t you? A knife and a gun?” There’s a soft click. “Loaded.”

I swallow again.

“For me?”

“It’s two in the morning,” I push out. “I didn’t know what would be waiting.”

“Yeah, you fucking did.” His warm breath tickles my ear. “Me. The big, bad wolf.”

I could end this.

Say “savage.”

He’d stop.

Release me, send me home.

But then I’ll lose the game.

Getting close to him again would be impossible.

“Do I have to wear the blindfold?”

“Not if you say the word.”

It’s a challenge.

Fucker.

He eases my coat off and tosses it to the ground, and there’s a thump like my bag joins it. It sounds a little light, and then I know why.

The gun’s not in it anymore.

Davian lightly traces a line down my bare arm with the muzzle. “Nice gun. Tell you what, pretty little Rabbit, if you can get the blindfold off by the time we get downstairs—without touching it, maybe you’ll get a prize.”

My heart lurches from one side of my chest to the other. He places his hand at my nape, covering the tattoo, and I’m very much aware it’s his left hand, the one with the rose tattoo.

How the hell do I get the blindfold off without touching it?

“Careful,” he murmurs. “First step here.”

He leads me slowly, carefully down what feel like spiral steps, and the air turns cooler, danker with the scent of oiled steel, of earth and blood and sex. I’m so focused on him and the heat and zing of his body I don’t even think about removing the blindfold, not until my foot meets the flat ground.