Page 39 of Ride Me

Chapter 8

“Am I crazy?”

“No more than anyone in love, Legs. I think you might be on to something though. Are you sure you want me to leave?” Ben looked worried.

Allegra shrugged, climbing up onto the bed and straddling Rousseau’s thighs. He was still hard. Even when he was sleeping.

She wasn’t going to let that fact turn her on.

“No. But it might help him relax and let his guard down.”

“I’m handcuffed to a bed without a stitch of clothing on. How much lower does my guard have to be?”

Allegra jumped, nearly kneeing Rousseau in the groin.

“Careful now.” He shifted on the bed, rattling the cuffs. “I have a feeling you’re going to want use of that particular part of my anatomy. At least, I’m hopeful.”

Hazel eyes. For the moment. “Rousseau?”

His gaze was fixed, unblinking, on her breasts. “Mm-hmm?”

“I think that’s my cue. Try not to screw this up, buddy.” Ben leaned over and kissed Allegra on the forehead. “Good luck, Legs. And thank you. For everything.”

From the look in his eyes she had a feeling he was talking about more than what they’d done together. Michelle was going to kill her.

Rousseau snorted. “I’d call you a traitor if you hadn’t left a beautiful naked woman on my lap.”

“You’re welcome, lucky bastard.”

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Keep it to yourself. My story is I knocked you out and got you handcuffed to a bed. Who do you think people will believe?”

He flexed his biceps while looking over Ben’s leaner form with a raised eyebrow. “Depends. How good is their eyesight?”

A surprise chuckle escaped Allegra’s throat. It was such a simple exchange. Lighthearted. It reminded her of their first meeting. This was Rousseau. This was the man she wanted. A man who deserved to control his own destiny.

She stared at him as Ben’s footsteps faded, as she heard the door open, then slowly close behind him. Finally, he lifted his gaze. Still hazel. Still hers.

“Why am I tied up again?”

Allegra swallowed at Rousseau’s question. She wasn’t sure herself. She didn’t know if it would work or if he needed to be restrained. Bone Daddy was strong, but she was getting to know him. He might be intrigued enough to give her the time she needed. All she was sure of was that if he touched her, she might not be able to go through with her plan. And she needed to. Everything depended on it.

“My chute failed.”

His perfectly arched eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”

“My accident? It was my own fault. I wasn’t careful. I had too much experience, I was too cocky and I so badly needed my fix of clear blue sky. It was the one place I was free, you see. From the need to make something more of my life. From the driving ambition to prove myself. From my lack of ability to truly connect to the world below. Nothing can happen to me here, I thought.”

Rousseau’s smile was tinged with sadness. “I never understood why people jumped out of perfectly good planes until now. I can see the appeal of it.”

Her sigh was shaky. “Then my chute failed. It was torn. I aimed for the tree line, hoping it would break my fall, and it did. I got tangled in the ropes, hanging by my arms and legs, unable to free myself. For eleven hours I waited for search and rescue to find me. After I lost the feeling in my limbs, all I had was time to think.”

“Bebe.” He sounded pained. In agony for her. But she wasn’t finished with her confession.

“I came to the conclusion that my life was based on fear. I sought out physical danger, took challenges and dares no sane person would take, to prove I was brave, but I wasn’t. Not where it mattered. Not with other people.”

He made a sound of protest but she shook her head, rubbing the scars on her arms. “Even before the accident, something inside me was empty. I filled it by moving, traveling, never stopping long enough to find love or make any real friends. Every time I started to wonder if there was something missing inside of me, if my parents’ avoidance of strong emotions might have been passed down to their daughter, I ran again.” A watery chuckle escaped. “Michelle doesn’t count, of course. She adopted me. I had no choice in the matter, thank God. I’d be all alone if it weren’t for her.”

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