Page 20 of Gentle Giant

HAILEY

The Montikaans weren’tmindless beasts. Hearing that Brutus had lost friends and family members that he’d cared about and glimpsing the sadness in his eyes as he’d spoken of them made him seem almost human. It also made it impossible not to like him. If not for the fact that we came from very different worlds, I could easily picture myself falling for him.

I was already lusting after him. And each time I thought about leaving his side, an endless sadness clutched me.

Was I losing my mind? How could I even consider living amongst his people? How could I consider mating with him?

Sasquatches mated for life, and I had no intention of putting myself in the position of being stuck.Trapped.

No matter what, I had to resist him.

I needed to stop letting him rub his nose against mine. Needed to stop enjoying the cuddles he gave me. And I sure as hell needed to stop admiring his sexy bigfoot-bod. Whenever I stared at his muscular ass for too long, or snuck a peek athis huge cock, warm pulses surged to my core, and I became breathless with desire.

I had to resist him until an opportunity to escape arose. I couldn’t allow myself to become his prisoner forever. That was what would happen if I became his mate. I wouldn’t be permitted to leave the mountainside. I wouldn’t be allowed to return to the human world. The thought of just disappearing without a trace left me so unsettled, I found myself fighting off a shiver as I rummaged through the clothing in Brutus’s rooms.

To my delight, I discovered a small box of toiletries in one of the drawers, and I was now the proud owner of three tubes of toothpaste and an unopened jumbo pack of toothbrushes. Score!

At last, I found a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt in my size. The labels on the clothing were high-end, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the cabin he’d stolen the items from looked like.

But another thought struck me.

An idea.

He’d mentioned that the house he’d taken these supplies from was closer to the Sasquatch cavern than my rental cabin. And I would bet all the money Aunt Shirley had left me that the random stranger’s cabin had a working video comm.

Brutus planned to take me back to my rental cabin in five days, and I totally planned to attempt calling for help during that visit. But if it didn’t work out—if I couldn’t reach anyone willing to come rescue me—maybe I could try calling for help from the other cabin.

I felt a little less hopeless and trapped as I realized I might have several options at my disposal. I just needed to be ready.

I gathered the yoga pants and sweatshirt in my arms and turned to face my firm-assed captor. “These will work great,” I said. “Please turn around so I can change.”

With obvious reluctance, Brutus gave me his back.

I hurriedly removed the barely-there dress and donned the much more practical yoga pants and sweatshirt. I found a fresh pair of socks too, though I lamented that I couldn’t find any undergarments. I didn’t want to put my dirty panties back on, and unfortunately, I hadn’t been wearing a bra the night he’d kidnapped me.

“Well, at least I can get extra panties and bras in five days,” I mumbled to myself. “Until then, guess I’m free-vagging it.”

The clothes were so soft and comfortable, I nearly moaned after I finished putting them on. I gave a contented sigh and then set about tidying up the area. I realized this wasn’t my house (or cave), but I’d made the mess, and I physically couldn’t stand the sight of an unfolded shirt, so I folded the clothing I’d pulled from the dresser and placed it all back inside.

“Are you finished changing clothes?” Brutus asked, a note of impatience in his deep, rumbling voice.

“Yes, all done.”

He turned and looked me up and down, his eyes lighting with appreciation as he inspected my yoga pants. Damn. I should’ve looked for some baggy pants, rather than something that clung to my thighs and butt.

“Put your boots back on, sweet human, and I will take you on another walk. I will give you a tour of the cavern, introduce you to more of my people, and even take you for a walk in the forest if you wish.”

I opened my mouth, preparing to accept his offer, but quickly realized what a bad idea it was. The less time we spent together, the better, and I didn’t want to become any more attracted or attached to him than I already was. Didn’t want to make any friends among his people either. Doing so would only make leaving—running away—more difficult in the end. I wanted to spare both my feelings and his.

I shook my head. “No, thank you. I-I would prefer to stay here. Alone. You can go attend to your people without me.”

The hurt in his eyes gutted me, and I almost retracted my words. Almost. I looked away from him and studied a particularly thick patch of sun-moss on the wall.

“Why?” he asked in a crestfallen tone that wrenched at my heart. “Why do you wish for me to go away?”

“Because I want to be alone!” My frustration with myself caused my voice to come out harsh and ragged. God, I felt like the world’s biggest asshole. “Please go,” I added, my throat burning with emotion. Why did his sorrow feel like mine? Why did I hate myself at this moment?

I turned away from him and crossed my arms over my chest, praying he would listen and praying I hadn’t wounded him too badly.

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