As her
eyes
opened
and
tried to
focus,
she saw
blurry
images
of
unfamiliar
furniture
and she
had the
chilling
sensation
that she
was in a
strange
place
and that
someone
was
watching
her.
Suddenly
it came
back to
her in a
flash.
She
remembered
leaving
work and
her
missing
car. She
remembered
the
black
Mercedes
and
then…and
then she
remembered
nothing.
Where
was she?
How had
she
gotten
here?
Who had
grabbed
her out
of her
office
parking
deck and
what
were
they
going to
do to
her?
She felt
panicked
again
and her
stomach
rolled
with
nausea.
Her eyes
darted
around
the dim
room and
then she
saw him.
She saw
a
beautiful
man
sitting
in a
chair
across
the room
from
her. He
watched
her with
a
mixture
of
curiosity
and
something
else.
What was
it? If
Tabby
hadn’t
been
such a
social
recluse
the last
few
years
she
would
have
been
more
certain
but
still
she
thought
he
looked
at her
with
lust.
She
blinked
her eyes
rapidly
to help
clear
the
remaining
fog that
seemed
to be
blocking
her
vision.
She
tried to
reach up
and rub
her eyes
and
realized
her arms
were
bound
behind
her
back.
She
looked
down to
see that
she was
still
wearing
her work
clothes,
which
felt
like
only a
small
relief
when she
saw that
her
ankles
were
also
bound to
the legs
of the
chair.
She
shook
her head
from
side to
side and
felt
tears
begin to
well up
in her
eyes.
“Settle
down
now.”
She
heard
the
smooth
voice of
the
mystery
man.
Something
about
his
voice
did seem
to calm
her
slightly
but
those
words
weren’t
enough
to stop
the
tears
from
spilling
over her
eyes and
down her
cheek.
He rose
slowly
from his
chair
and
reached
out to
her with
just one
finger.
She felt
herself
automatically
flinch
as his
hand
reached
for her.
He
stopped
his hand
in
midair
and her
dark
green
eyes
looked
up at
him with
what she
knew was
a look
of pure
fear.
He
seemed
to
consider
her look
and then
said
softly,
“I won’t
hurt
you. I
promise.”
In her
mind,
she knew
this was
a
promise
she
shouldn’t
believe,
but
something
in her
heart
ached to
try.
He began
reaching
for her
again
and
touched
her
cheek
delicately
with
just his
fingertip.
He wiped
the
tears
from one
cheek
and then
the
other.
As he
leaned
over
her, she
could
smell
his
scent
and it
smelled
like
evergreen
trees.
It
smelled
like
back
home in
the
country,
where
she’d
spent
her
childhood.
It
smelled
like
home.
She
shuddered.
He took
a step
back and
his eyes
moved
over
her.
“I’ll
take the
gag off
your
mouth if
you
promise
not to
scream.”
