BLYSS (Blyss Trilogy #1) (14 page)

Taken aback by the technology, I trip over my own two feet, forgetting we are still supposed to be in motion. Travis pulls me into the room—no, not a room…that would be like comparing a dollhouse to a mansion. My jaw drops as my eyes scan over what appears to be a full wing of a hospital. My brow furrows as I try to absorb the monstrosity of the space laid out before me. There are no windows, which leads me to believe I am underground. My heart speeds up, I’m trying to keep my composure, but honestly, I’m a nervous wreck.
 

It’s like Grand Central Station in here. Computers and lab equipment line countertops located throughout the room. I can’t help but think I’m standing in the middle of a highly-operational crime syndicate hub.
 

I can only hear bits and pieces of conversations as we walk past people, and I strain my ears to hopefully pick up on some information that would be helpful in getting me out of here. This facility is too overwhelming; it has to be more than just a human trafficking compound. The scientific technology before me is too complex to describe, and the extensive types of security required to get in and out of these doors has me baffled.
 

My nerves spike upward in an instant when I’m suddenly steered toward one of the closed doors. Travis waves his hand over the sensor beside the doorframe, and the door clicks open. I begin to wonder, if they have this much newfangled technology on the inside, what do they have on the outside? I can’t imagine what security they have in place to stop people like my father and his men from getting in. I’m trying desperately not to panic, but my body isn’t getting the memo. I can feel the blood pulsing through my veins at a breakneck speed. I swallow hard, hoping beyond hope my rescuers won’t be too late, praying they’ll get here before these men truly break me down and squelch my free will. I shudder at the thought of becoming a mindless robot, being used for my body, them violating me in ways that would surely crush my spirit.

Travis casually enters the room, pulling me in beside him, and immediately my mouth goes dry. The door automatically closes behind me with a final sound of doom. It doesn’t take a genius to realize the next thing to come won’t be something I’ll like. Immediately, I smell disinfectant, and my gut coils as if a gallon of milk is sloshing around in my lactose intolerant stomach. God, I hate that smell; it reminds me of a dentist’s office. The smell only serves to increase my anxiety, and my nerves are already shot. The room is cold to me, but maybe it’s the heebie-jeebies. I feel the chills race down my bare arms, followed by raised goose bumps, and I physically shiver.

I jump a mile high when Travis suddenly places his hand at the small of my back, guiding me toward an exam table against one of the walls. The treatment room looks like any other in a doctor’s office. At least the room looks sterile; it sure as hell smells like it. It has beautifully-framed landscape pictures on the walls, and I wonder again why these people even remotely care about decor here. I scold myself for gazing a tad too long at a particular piece of art hanging on the wall.
Why can’t I focus?
I need to be agile and ready to run at any given opportunity, and I sure as hell can’t do that by being enamored by a piece of art.
This must be one hell of a high-class sex traffic club.

Travis’ voice jolts me from my thoughts, breaking through the silence of the small exam room. I’m strung so tightly right now, any little noise or movement sends my heart racing. “Have a seat on the table.” His tone brooks no argument, so I cautiously slip onto the table, swallow hard, and decide to sit on my hands to keep them from visibly shaking. It’s only the second thing he’s said to me all morning. He’s been short and abrupt, and his behavior has my nervous system wrought with tension. I wonder what happened to the sweet, caring man from last night. I chastise myself for thinking there was anything human and compassionate about these men, especially Travis. I feel tricked.

“You need to get undressed.”
 

Licking my lips nervously, I shake my head, not wanting to believe this is happening. I want to go back to my prison cell, be anywhere but here. He closes his eyes, obviously searching for the patience to deal with me. He lets out a deep breath, and when he opens them, he has a determined look on his face. The hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.
Shit, he means business.

“Either you can do it, or I can do it. The choice is yours.”

I arch my brow to portray a boldness I don’t have. “No,” I say firmly, lifting my chin bravely. I have every reason to expect I will be violated here against my will, and that thought has me stiffening my backbone. I’ve never had a gynecological exam before, and I’m not going to have my goods invaded here under duress, especially for strange men to see.
 

He lets out a slightly exasperated sigh, and says, “Have it your way.” He then moves toward me, and I immediately jump from the table, sprinting for the door. With my hand on the doorknob, I twist and pull at the same time, but nothing happens.
Shit, it’s locked!
The knob won’t turn, and my gut ties itself in a knot. I try again, just in case I was imagining things, but it still won’t open. Looking back over my shoulder, I see Travis has his arms crossed, and one eyebrow raised, looking half-bored.
 

“Are you done?”

“I’ll never be done trying to escape. You have no right to do this to me,” I hiss.
 

He begins stalking toward me, and I find myself shrinking away from his advancing form; so much for renewed determination. With my back pressed into the wall, I try my damnedest to meld into it, to disappear, but it doesn’t work. I start sliding my body along the wall to try to escape him, until he has me caught in the corner. My heart begins to pound loudly against my breast bone. He’s taunting me with his dominating power as he slowly trails me; his eyes portray a hungry wolf getting ready to devour his trapped prey.
 

“Even if you thought you could escape, which you can’t, we have cameras in every place imaginable,” he states matter-of-factly. “We’re so good; we can hear you devising a plan before you can even act on it.”

I blink hard, shaking myself from the shock, and start running scenarios through my mind of where they would hide cameras. I gasp, horrified to think...no...I shake my head and whisper with incredulity, “You guys watch me use the bathroom?”

Travis chuckles, finding my mortification amusing, and lifts a brow. “I did say everywhere, sweetheart.” He then takes another step towards me, and I can do nothing at this point. Being pinned in the corner, with my back to the wall, I’m a helpless victim. My heart sinks to my toes as I slide my body down the wall and curl myself into a tiny ball, trying to feel safe. The fear I feel has me losing my breath, and the moment my bottom comes into contact with the cold tile floor, I hug my knees to my chest. It’s my only defense at this point.
 

He steps into my personal space, squatting down in front of me on his haunches, his fingers laced together, his elbows resting on his thighs. His thick, muscular thighs are outlined perfectly in his form-fitting jeans; he looks breathtakingly handsome. Everything about him is perfect, right down to the way his biceps bulge from underneath the short sleeves of his tight-fitting t-shirt. The desire to touch him is overwhelming. He’s freshly-showered, and I smell his unique scent of leather and soap again. He has an unspeakable amount of control over me, and I hate him for it. I despise the effect he has on me, and I find myself glaring at him. I will him to touch me so I can scratch his eyes out.
 

“Sometimes,” he says softly, “I can almost feel you trusting me, and it bothers me during the times when I don’t think you do.”

I scoff in his face. “Trust? Yes, let’s talk about that. It’s rather difficult to trust criminals,” my voice raises an octave throughout my last words, “who steal young women right out from under their father’s nose, right from their own home!” I narrow my eyes on him and seethe in a heated voice, “You men are despicable.” I know I wouldn’t get away with this rant if it were Nick here in front of me. He seems ruthless, and the thought makes me shudder.

Travis bites his lower lip and leaves it there between his teeth, visibly contemplating how he’s going to proceed with me. It would be a sexy look if I wasn’t preoccupied with getting the hell out of here. Hell, who am I kidding? It
is
a sexy look, no matter the circumstances. I briefly wonder if this is the point when things get physically rough, and I wind up hurt again.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he says carefully and calmly. “For the second and last time, the choice is yours.” He pins me down with his emerald eyes, which are sparkling with confidence. “It doesn’t matter to me; either way, you will wind up on that exam table with no clothes on.”

Well, now, that just pisses me off more. He’s freaking nuts if he thinks he’s going to order me around and make me strip naked so he can do God knows what to me! I’m sure as hell not doing this the easy way. Why did I even get dressed this morning? I mean, why did they even bother getting clothes for me to wear, let alone have someone lay out my attire this morning? Why not just have me parade around naked? That way, they could access the goods twenty-four-seven. I’m livid now, and I feel my heartbeat pick up its pace, readying me for a fight-or-flight situation.

“I was hoping we wouldn’t have to start our day out like this.”

“We? Is there someone else in the room?” I ask angrily, dramatically rocking side-to-side to look around behind him. “I don’t see you stripping naked and sitting your bare ass down on that exam table.”

His lips quirk; he wants to laugh at me.
Smug bastard.
“I’m not the one who has an appointment here.”

“Pft...and I do? No, I don’t think so,” I say with a snarky attitude while shaking my head violently. “I don’t remember calling in to make this appointment; in fact, I don’t even remember how I got here. Oh, yeah, now I remember…” I pause before raising my finger in the air and shouting, “I was taken…stolen…abducted…whatever you want to call it, and drugged—Against. My. Will!”

“I’m going to count to three—“ he begins to say, but I don’t let him finish.

“One, two, three! Oohhh, the big, bad kidnapper can count? Who would’ve thought?” I taunt him with a condescending tone.
 

His tongue slips over the front side of his perfectly-white, straight teeth, slowly licking across them. He’s trying to keep his cool, but I know I’ve poked the beast. He nods his head a couple times at me, his tongue playing with one of his canines. That just serves to make me even angrier, because that shit is sexy. “Okay, I can hear you’ve made your choice loud and clear.”

My heart rate picks up, and before I can make my move to kick him in the nuts, I realize I’m too late. He drops onto his knees, his legs straddling on either side of mine instantaneously. His body weight squishes my crossed arms and knees further into my chest, trapping me. His hands are on either side of my face, lifting my lips only inches from his.

“This ought to be interesting,” he says in a heated whisper.

I’m breathing in rapid pants, from fear, and from his close proximity, and what I think is about to happen. He’s too damn handsome for his own good, and as I’m being assaulted with the potent smell of leather, butterflies begin to take flight inside my womb.
 

Suddenly, with no warning, his lips crash over mine. His soft, sensual lips feel so damn good as his seductive kiss teases me, and then he taunts me with the tip of his tongue, willing my lips to open for him. “Mmnnn,” he moans as he changes the angle of his head so he can work those lips over mine from a better angle. I’m caving quickly, and for all that is holy, I want a taste of him.

This just isn’t right. I know I shouldn’t want this, but even as I have these conflicting emotions, damn it if I can resist him. The temptation I feel could equal what Eve must have felt in the garden, wanting just a sweet, juicy, and luscious taste of the forbidden.
Oh, forgive me, please, Adam.
 

I give in, responding to his advances, opening my mouth to his. Our tongues tentatively meet for the first time, and I’m jolted as an unexpected electrical current runs through me. It shocks the living hell out of my soul, ripping through me unapologetically. I hear a whimper escape from my mouth into his.
 

“Julianna,” he whispers over my lips before he suddenly deepens the kiss. Holy hotness, I can’t even think. I’ve never felt this extreme zing with anyone before, especially from just a kiss.
 

We continue with intense passion, and I can’t seem to get enough of him—his hot body, his taste, the sounds he’s making. His hands glide from my face down to my shoulders, clasping them tightly. Never breaking the kiss, he makes his way to his feet, pulling me along with him. I’m drunk and dizzy from the ferocity of his tongue alone, but combined with his muscular chest pressing into mine and his intoxicating smell of leather, it’ll take an ungodly force to make me let go of him. I know somewhere in the back of my mind my conscience is screaming at me at the top of her lungs, but she may as well be screaming under an ocean of water, because Travis is taking place front and center. My trembling fear has been replaced with unexplainable lusty cravings. This is aberrantly wrong, I know it is, yet my body cries out with untamed desire.
 

“You taste so sweet, Julianna,” he says, and then plunges his tongue in and out of my mouth again and again. My belly dips as I lose myself to his kiss. I’m glad his body has me pressed into the wall, because my legs are worthless. One hand moves to my breast, squeezing gently, while his knee moves between my thighs, spreading my legs open. The man exudes sex. My heart is beating a mile a minute. I know I’m not a cheater, nor a slut, so why am I letting a complete stranger—a known criminal, no less—seduce and take full advantage of me? All reasoning flies out the window when I notice half the buttons on my blouse have been undone. His calloused fingertips have slipped inside, running along my skin and underneath my bra. His touch sends me spiraling as we both pant heavily with uncontrolled want. I feel my panties growing damp, and my nipples harden. I find myself responding to him unashamedly as I arch my chest into his hands. Running my fingers through his short hair, I pull him deeper into the kiss.