All Mine (7 page)

I screamed anyway, shrieking until my
voice cracked in my throat. It didn't free my hands, but it might
be enough for someone to call the police.

His smile held approval.

"You didn't take my word for it. Good.
I could have been lying. You'll realize soon that I lie only if
there's no other choice."

"Yeah. I can tell you're a man of deep
integrity," I said mockingly. Probably a bad idea, but his calm
arrogance enraged me in spite of my fear.

"Don't count on your neighbors," he
went on. "Most of them aren't even home. Just sweet old Miss Evans.
That nice Holloway family. Wally Sikes and his loud-ass
Camaro."

He located something else in his bag.
Gloves. Black leather, sinister, plainly being made ready for some
sort of crime.

My heart thudded as he began to pull
them on. I barely heard his next words.

"It's convenient that all the units
have separate A/C ducts. It was very easy to get access and rock
everyone to sleep with a little whiff of gas."

He finished pulling on the gloves.
Again his fingers traced my face. This time the cool leather made
me shiver.

"I want to know if that was real Eva
on those fake panties," he said.

I worked my wrists harder as his hands
began to map my body. They skimmed my throat, then the heavy curves
of my breasts under the thin cloth.

Slowly his palms brushed over my
nipples, grazing them with the lightest of touches. Traitors that
they were, they rose up under his hands.

When he reached my hated lower
stomach, I turned my head away, unable to meet his eyes. I didn't
want to see myself reflected there, afraid of what I might
see.

"I'm not going to hurt you. You have
my word," he promised.

But you are hurting
me,
a silent little voice sobbed inside of
me.
Please just leave me alone.

The leather slid under the waistband
of my panties. My thighs pressed together on reflex, hard enough to
tremble.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he
repeated. "I could have done that months ago when I first found
you. I could have done it tonight when you slept."

"It's too late to say no," he went on.
"You already gave yourself to me, a long time ago. Now open for me,
Eva. I'm waiting."

Something in his voice made me more
helpless than whatever held my hands. In his mind, I really was
already his.

But there was something even worse. In
some dark and twisted corner, part of me agreed.

(END OF PREVIEW)

MASTERFUL and MASTERFUL 2 are now available.
MASTERFUL 3, the final chapter of Hex and Eva's story, will be
available in fall 2015.

ABOUT THE
AUTHOR

Jesse Joren is a life-long Southerner
who speaks fluent y'all. She understands the whole deal about sugar
and spice, but really thinks the spice should get top billing. Her
romances feature unexpected heroines who give their guys a run for
the money on the twisty road to true love.

J.J. currently resides
with her fiancé in Houston, along with a four-legged son who thinks
he owns the whole city.