Page 17 of Knotty Escape
“Harrison?” I murmur, making my way further into the room.
He’s cuffed to a chair, with his hands behind his back. He wiggles and tugs at the handcuffs. The chair looks like it was made specifically to be cuffed to. Which is kind of wild. I can see his legs are spread so that his ankles can also be cuffed to the chair legs.
“Oh, my,” I whisper, my heart races in my chest so fast I feel a little dizzy. Or maybe that's just the effects of Harrison’s scent.
The wall before me, I realize, has a TV on it, and big digital red letters light up the screen, and flash, ‘FREE HIM.’
As I move to stand in front of him, I see that he’s wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, his eyes are covered with a blindfold, and his mouth is duct-taped shut. “How's he supposed to say the safe word?” I ask, mostly to myself, but River’s voice fills the room and crackles through a speaker.
“He doesn’t need one for this, I promise you. Make your knotty escape, Lila.”
I don’t respond as I pull his blindfold off and then remove the tape.
“Fucking hell,” he grumbles as he blinks at the lights in his eyes. It takes him a second to recognize me, but as soon as he does, he jerks forward. “Lila?” A smile lights up his face, but then he frowns. “Those shady fucks…” he hisses.
“River and Wes?” I guess, lifting a brow.
“Yep.” Harrison shakes his head. “They manhandled me in here.” Harrison lifts his head, raising his voice, clearly speaking to his pack. “You could have just told me Lila was coming!” he huffs. “Wait, how did they convince you to come?”
“I didn’t fully realize what I signed up for.” Harrison’s eyes go wide, his head jerking back. “It’s okay! I didn’t read the waiver. Or look into the escape room. My best friend said it was popular, and I just took her word for it,” I admit, my body heating up withembarrassment, but I didn’t want him panicking, thinking I was tricked or coerced or something awful.
“Well fuck.”
“It’s okay. Trix explained everything to me when I arrived, and I put the rest together myself once I saw the other two,” I tell him, before looking around. “So, how do I get you out? Is there a key?”
“You have to dance to get me free.”
“I think I just need to find the key,” I argue, propping my hands on my hips, but Harrison shakes his head.
“Nope, Beautiful. You dance, and they drop keys.”
“I can’t dance,” I shrug, but Harrison shrugs.
“I would also accept a kiss.” He wiggles his brows, and I gape at him.
“Harrison!” I sigh, narrowing my eyes, when a voice through the speakers cuts me off.
“There are three puzzles, Lila. Under the TV. Each one holds a key.” This was Wes, and I can hear the amusement in his tone as he speaks.
“Kill joy!” Harrison rumbles, nodding to the puzzles. “But you have to sit in my lap to solve them.”
“Not fucking likely, but nice try.”
The first puzzle is easy and only takes me a few moments.
“Nice,” Harrison grins, as I unlock his hands. I move to walk past him and reach for the next puzzle, but he grabs my hips and pulls me into his lap. “Are you still single, Lila?” he purrs in my ear, and I nibble my lip, but nod. “Thank fuck. Now free me so I can kiss you,” he growls, smacking my ass as I stand.
“What makes you think I’ll let you have a kiss?” I ask, as I work on the second puzzle. This one also seems overly easy, but I don’t question why that is, as I pull the key out and free his left leg.
“Your scent when you walked in here. The way you can’t catch your breath, the closer you get to freeing me.” Harrison’s voice is getting huskier with every word, and as I complete the final puzzle and undo the last lock, I step back.
Harrison jumps from his seat before scooping me into his arms. He palms my ass as he presses me into the side wall, my thighs wrapping around his waist easily.
“The fact that you figured out where you were, and who you were here with, but never hit that red button. You wanted to see me, didn’t you, Beautiful?” Harrison growls, pressing a trail of hot kisses in a line down my neck.
“Yes,” I admit, because I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Harrison since my birthday. About the way he held me in his arms, not expecting anything in exchange for the comfort he offered. Never pushing for more. Just being there with me. For me.
“I’ve thought of this moment constantly since your birthday, Lila. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured your lips. Your smile. Your eyes watching me as I devour you.” Our eyes lock, as he leans in slowly, and when he kisses me, everything feels so right. He clicks into place in my heart, like he was always meant to fit there. It’s terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.
