Page 67 of This Time I'm Keeping You
Poppy watched the girl return Nick’s smile, which was the standard response for any woman exposed to the Atherton charm—especially this Atherton.
“Thanks, and you have a great night now, Janelle,” Nick said as she handed him his order.He then dumped it all in Poppy’s lap.
“You just ate,” she said, looking at the pile of food.
“So?I’m a big boy and need constant nourishment.”
They were soon back on the road and heading to his home.
“Nick, you need to listen to me.”
“I’m all ears,” he said, as if she were giving him a list of groceries to pick up.“I need to leave here.”
“We’ve covered this over and over, Poppy.You are not leaving.Now pass me one of those milkshakes.”
She did as he asked, and he took a loud slurp through the straw.
“The other one is for you.”
“I don’t want it!”She hadn’t meant to shriek, but it came out that way.
He lowered his milkshake into the cup holder and then flipped on his turn signal.And soon they were in a parking lot outside a Home Depot store.Nick then took the food she had in her lap and reached over to put it in the back seat.Next, he released her seat belt and dragged her into his lap.
“What are you—” He cut her words off with his mouth.The kiss tasted of strawberry milkshake, and in seconds all resistance in her had fled.He let her come up for air and then took her under again.The kiss was a steady and thorough destruction of all her resistance.
“Nick,” she whispered against his lips, pulling back the inch he’d allowed her.
“Shut up.”A warm hand slid under her sweater and tugged the other layers free.“You are not going anywhere.”His palm slid up to cup a silk-covered breast.
Poppy shuddered as delicious heat streaked through her.
“You think after what we’ve shared, I’ll let you leave?Let you fly away to hide somewhere?Somewhere he could find you.”His mouth brushed hers.“I’ll go crazy thinking about you and all the things that could happen.”
She sighed as his fingers tugged the silk.“I want to take you home and strip you.I want to lick every inch of your body and then be deep inside you, Poppy.”
“Yes,” she whispered as her bones melted and heat pooled between her thighs.
“So you understand?”
“What?”She arched as his finger stroked over her hard nipple.
“I’m not letting you leave, Poppy.Are we clear on that?”His eyes held hers now, his palm once again settling over her breast.It felt like ownership.
He gave her a final hard kiss and then removed his hand from beneath her clothes.
“Get in your seat before I take you here.”His words were harsh.
“You can’t kiss me every time I try to talk about this, Nick,” Poppy said, trying to clear her head from the lust-induced fog he’d created as she got back into her seat.“I’m an intelligent woman, it won’t work.”
“It just did,” he said, starting the car.He then drove them out of the parking lot and toward his home well above the speed limit.
Minutes later, they drove into the garage and got out.Nick waved her to go before him into the house.He then slapped her on the ass.
“Move it.I want you naked.Now.”
“Please,” she said and then took off at a run.Poppy had to jump over Hercules, who came to greet her.Then she sprinted up the stairs.The thud of his feet told her he was close behind.Pushing open the bedroom door, she ran inside laughing, it turned into a gasp.
“No!”There was blood smeared over the bedcovers and a photo of her naked with her hands and feet bound.A knife was stabbed through her chest.
