the straps. All the while, she felt his burning gaze on her back. She heard him inhale, and slowly breathe out, his breaths unnervingly labored. The menacing breaths were chaos on her nerves.
“At least tell me something. Who are you? What is your name? Why are you here?” The last muffled as she pulled a green turtleneck over her head. Her questions met silence.
He could at least answer her questions. What did it matter at this point? “This is ridiculous. You know that, right?” pulling her legs through her jeans she turned around in a half jump, pulling the zipper up and froze. He was standing, eyes skimming her from head to toe as if he could devour her. His grey eyes an eerie glitter in the moonlight, his fists clasping and unclasping at his sides. Quickly backing up, Evie hit the nightstand, turned and fumbled for the switch to the lamp, as if light would make her situation less precarious. Losing her balance, she cursed her wobbly knees as the back of them hit the bed, causing her to fall back. Before she could lift herself up, he was there, standing between her legs as his powerfully muscled body loomed over her. He licked his lips right before he dropped toward her. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the heavy contact of his body as mixed feelings of foreboding and something else thrummed through her body. What was the feeling? Could it be anticipation? Her body shuddered at the thought. Why would she anticipate his touch? No way possible she could be suffering from Stockholm syndrome already, right? Her thoughts and feelings were as if they were not her own, or from somewhere deep inside her subconscious mind. Seconds ticked by, but she did not feel his weight upon her. Opening her eyes, her body jerked at the proximity of his body to hers. His hands braced by her head, his face a fraction from her face, slowly he leaned towards her neck, inhaling her. She shuddered again. She felt his slow smile against her collarbone.
“You may call me…. Sid. I am here to retrieve you, bring you back home.” His voice was a seductive and low whisper as he answered her questions. What the hell was he talking about? She was home. His inhalation started at her neck, exhalation ending as his nose gently grazed her ear. His warm breath fanned the hair at her temple and then her neck as Evie heard his fingers scrape and grip her bedspread. She sucked in a breath as he ground himself into her, once. She felt light headed and turned on. What the hell was wrong with her? Her body was a traitor to her mind!
“In case you have not noticed, I am home. What do you want with me?” She said, her voice a quiet tremor, afraid of provoking him.
“I know about your dreams.” He whispered as his warm breath skated across her face as his lips traced the sensitive shell of her ear.
“I know that you are more comfortable with the dying than you are with the living. I also know that your dreams are always the same. Do you deny any of what I say?” His whispered words caused butterflies to form in her stomach at the truth of what he was saying to her. How could he know about her dreams?
She turned her head away, “How can you know anything about me?” Her voice sounded feeble and pathetic as her shallow breaths increased, spurting short bursts of air. If she breathed any deeper, her breasts would press against his chest.
Fuck. That.
He nudged her face toward his, their lips almost touching. His lips parted as his eyes fixed on her mouth for what felt like forever. A part of her she didn’t understand wanted to pucker her lips, press them to his. Another part of her was horrified at the thought. Her horrified self won the silent battle. She bucked her body against his. She would not submit to whatever was happening to her body or mind.
Abruptly he stood, laughing at her struggle as he pulled her to a standing position. The sudden departure of his body caused her to feel a disturbing