Chapter 7 - Attraction

I feel a stab of disappointment, I lean on the tree with my hands on my knees as I try to pull more air into my lungs, breathing hard. In my periphery, I see Bryant crouch next to me with a look of concern.

‘You’ve pushed yourself too hard,’ he observes but I can’t talk, I continue to gulp mouthfuls of air. He comes around in front of my and grabs me by the arms, I think I’m going to faint.

He pulls my hands up over my head and pins them to the tree with a strong, muscular arm. We are so close that my heaving chest is touching his.

‘You can’t stay bent over like that, you need to stand up straight, now slow your breathing, don’t pant,’ he instructs in a calming voice. I do as he asks and he’s right, in this position I’m able to get more air into my body and my breathing starts to slow.

He doesn’t step back though; he keeps my hands pinned above my head and stares at me intently. I know he can feel my breasts rubbing against his chest as I do my best to control my breathing. His eyes darken, his face is inches from mine.

‘Do you know how difficult that run was?’ he asks quietly, and I have no idea what he’s talking about, he didn’t look like he was struggling, and I tell him that.

‘Your barely sweating,’ I observe but he just shakes his head slowly.

‘I’ve had to watch your breasts and ass in the underwear you’re running in for the last thirty minutes and I’ve wanted to pin you to every tree we have passed in the last twenty nine of those minutes,’ he whispers quietly in my ear, it tickles and makes my breathing pick up again. He leans forward, so that our noses touch, pressing my breasts firming against his chest and kisses the corner of my mouth with a teasing, soft lingering kiss that holds promise of a lot more.

I let out a long sigh and the noise brings him to his senses. He lets out a sigh of his own, he drops and shakes his head, eyes closed like he’s in pain. Then takes a step back releasing my arms and letting them fall down my sides. The look on his face is hungry and his eyes are dark with desire and heat, his hands fist at his sides as he tries to hold himself in place.

‘You should go have a shower, don’t want you to get a chill,’ he says quietly, looking anywhere but at me.

A little hurt and confused by the sudden brush off, I push myself off the tree and run up the steps to the house without a backword glance.

Over the next few days, I fall into an uneasy routine in my new situation. I get up and run every morning, then I read on the decking and usually swim in the afternoon in the crystal blue, warm waters that surround the island. Bryant hasn’t joined me since my first run. In fact, he hasn’t spoken to me unless necessary since that day. Whenever I walk into a room, he either ignores me completely or glares lethally at me then stomps off to another part of the house. I honestly don’t know what the guy’s fucking problem is. Whenever I ask Chase about it, he just shrugs his shoulders and Michael’s behaviour isn’t much better than Bryant’s. He acts like I’m his own personal annoyance. Erm, you brought me here buddy remember! I do my best to spend as much time out of the house as possible, laying in the large hammock on the decking and reading every evening.

It’s my most peaceful time of day, my escapism from the reality of my fucked-up situation. I lay for hours and alternate between reading and staring, mesmerised by the million stars in the clear night sky. The noise of the door opening pulls me back to reality, I look over to see Bryant staring out over the water, he doesn’t acknowledge me, but he knows I’m there which just pisses me off and I can’t take it anymore.

‘What is your problem?’ I ask him, hotly, refusing to be ignored like some kind of lepper any longer.

He turns slowly, back stiff, glaring at me with deadly intent.

‘Excuse me,’ he asked through gritted teeth, his eyes glittering with malice. ‘I don’t owe you an explanation, prisoner. I don’t answer to you.’

‘YOU’RE A COMPLETE ASSHOLE,’ I screech at him, propelling myself off the hammock, readying myself to really let him have it.

He takes three large strides over to me until he’s towering over me. I back up and he follows me until my whole body is pressed tightly to the wall of the house. He pins me with his hips, grabs my arms tightly, and stares down at me.