Page 21 of Cutter's Hope

“Easy, Sweetheart,” I grated and whipped my belt out of its loops. I bound her arms above the elbows and reefed back on them, binding them tight.

“Marlin!” I called when she kicked out. Her heel connected with my back where I sat on the backs of her thighs. It fuckin’ hurt but not bad enough to make me let go. Not by a long shot. Girl was fucking dangerous. I liked that. I liked that a lot.

Marlin bound her ankles for me and I got off her ordering him, “Get her up,” he lifted her and she spat at me, struggling in his grip, glaring at me murderously.

“C’mon Baby, lets you and me have a talk,” I said and put my shoulder to her midriff and hauled her up like a sack of grain. Hope squawked her protest and I slapped her on her ass. She was fucking turning me on.

“Marlin, Radar, take care of Tiny, Hope and I will be on my boat if you need us.”

“The hell we will you son of a bitch! Put me down!”

“Cool it, Sweetheart, we’re going to have ourselves a little talk.” I marched in the direction of my boat, Hope wiggling and struggling the whole way, cussing my ass out with some pretty inventive shit.

“Such a dirty mouth,” I said grinning. I could feel the aches starting to set in and wasn’t too happy about that, but as rough as I was going to feel come morning I was betting Hope would be feeling it too. NowthatI did feel bad about. I really did.

I walked up the length of my dock and set her on her feet, she promptly spit in my face. I closed my eyes and wiped it away, counting slowly inside my head. I tolerated a lot of shit, disrespect pissed me the fuck off though.

“Untie me you son of a bitch,” she seethed.

“Not until we talk; now, if I undo your feet you gonna climb aboard yourself?”

“Fuck you!”

“Okay, have it your way, Beautiful,” I ducked and put her back up over my shoulder and leapt up onto my deck, it was awkward as fuck but it hurt her more than it hurt me, my shoulder digging into the soft of her belly. Wouldn’t be surprised if she were bruised all to hell from the ride. I took her below deck and set her down on the couch. She gasped and let out a breath.

“You okay?”

“No,” she glowered at me and I fixed her with a look. She searched my face, the fire of her anger dying down, transforming into concern.

“What happens now?” she demanded.

“You calm the fuck down, I look after you some, and we talk,” I told her and tucked her bangs back behind her ear. She was a mess. A spot of blood decorating the corner of her mouth, a bruise starting to flower along her jaw. I didn’t even remember hitting her there.

“Stay here,” I murmured and she snorted indelicately. I got up and went to the galley sink and wet a clean dish rag and brought it back.

“You gonna let me do this?” I asked and she nodded cautiously. I dabbed at the corner of her mouth and she flinched at first before leaning into the cool cloth signifying I should go ahead. I cleaned her up and she calmed down some.

“What happens now?” she repeated, softer than before.

“You going to fight me if I untie you?” I asked.

“Maybe,” she shot back.

“Then we talk like this.” I stood up and tossed the rag back into the sink. Hope’s gaze burning a hole right through me where I stood. God, after a good fight with her trussed up like that…

“Keep looking at me that way, Darlin’, I’m going to bend you over and fuck you.” She gasped and her brow crushed down into a frown but not before I caught the desire in her eyes. My cock throbbed in my shorts.

“Tell me about your sister,” I demanded.

“Why?” she demanded right back.

“Because I meant it, Sweetheart, I’m going to help you.”

Hope looked up at me and we stared each other down, I waited her out, my patience dwindling while she decided for herself how this was going to go.

“Why?” she asked again, her voice much less certain, her vulnerability peeking through. Fuck. I got that much harder in my shorts. I was such a fucking sucker for a damsel in distress and Hope was quickly adding it to her alluring mix of beauty, brains and strength.

“Good question,” I said and leaned forward, putting my lips against hers. She froze, hardening up beneath me, body stiff and unyielding. Maybe I had been wrong, maybe she wasn’t as attracted as I was, just when I was about to pull back she opened to me, her tongue tentatively flicking against my lower lip. I drew back just a touch, speaking against her mouth,

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