Bargain With the Beast Read Online Free Page A

fucked-upness of the
situation, and the fact he had been looming over him. But now, with
him sat next to him, in an almost non-threatening manner, a smile
on his face, Tobias did become aware of it…and he didn’t like that
fact.
    Stockholm
syndrome , his mind hissed. And yet, Tobias
didn’t think there had been time for that, they’d been talking for
less than a half hour. No, it was simply more likely that his
abductor was just very good looking, and what did that mean?
Nothing, Tobias told himself, nothing at all!
    “ You can almost think of
us as circling the valley,” the Beast added. “We’re all around
it.”
    “ That makes no
sense.”
    “ No. I suppose it does
not.” He paused, his gaze fixed on Tobias. Tobias shifted, suddenly
uncomfortable now to be the recipient of that intense yellow gaze.
“Maybe if I show you,” he added, “you will understand.”
    “ Show me?”
    He leaned forward in the chair, eyes
still locked on Tobias. “Did you imagine I would keep you tied to
the bed forever?”
    Tobias shrugged, his heart giving an
odd little flip. “I have no idea what you plan to do.”
    “ No one is going to hurt you, Tobias,” he
said. “You do realize that, don’t you? You are safe
here.”
    “ Safe…”
    “ Safe.” He nodded. “You
are my guest for want of a better word.”
    “ Guest?”
    Another nod. “And no one mistreats my
guests.”
    “ But…I’m tied up,” Tobias
said.
    “ That was for your own
safety. We have no such thing as locked doors here. I didn’t want
you to wake up and start wandering.” The Beast paused. “These
manacles are not usually used to keep someone captive against their
will. This is my private bed chamber you see, and they have other,
more, personal uses.”
    “ I…” Tobias swallowed
uncomfortably, because he suspected he knew exactly what the Beast
meant by that and it made him shudder inside. And yet, even as he
did, it was in that moment, with his arms pulled up tight against
his body, his knees drawn high, that Tobias realized that manacles
or not, he wasn’t scared of this man. When the shift had occurred, Tobias
didn’t know. Perhaps when he spoke of giants, or talked about silly
thoughts, or even when he sat in the leather chair, and Tobias
couldn’t explain it, didn’t know if he was being sensible, but
those yellow eyes... As he looked into them, Tobias knew the man
was being honest. He wasn’t going to hurt him. He was safe…at least
for the moment...
    “ Come,” the Beast said,
jumping out of his chair. “I will show you.”

Chapter Four
     
    Despite his belief that he was safe
for the moment, Tobias tensed as the Beast approached the bed. The
chains clinked, the manacles bit into his skin, and he felt his
stomach clench. And then there was that scent again. It surrounded
Tobias as the male leaned over him, tickling his nostrils and
making him want to breathe deeper. He didn’t understand where the
impulse came from, or why, as the Beast reached out a long-fingered
hand, he felt like his skin was prickling.
    “ Don’t worry,” the Beast
said, and his breath feathered across Tobias’ cheek. “I am only
going to undo the manacles.”
    “ And then?”
    “ You’ll get to see where
we are.”
    He took Tobias’s hand in his, twisted
something, and the next thing Tobias knew the manacle fell on to
the bed. Tobias flexed his fingers, though they felt no different,
the manacle had not been so tight that it had stopped the normal
flow of blood to his hand.
    The Beast flashed him a quick
smile—Tobias couldn’t help but shudder—before moving down the bed
and undoing the manacle around his ankle. Again, Tobias wiggled his
digits, but they felt fine.
    “ I’m sorry for
this.”
    The Beast had his fingers around
Tobias’ other hand now. His thumb was stroking along the bottom of
Tobias’ wrist. It was then that Tobias noticed a small scratch on
the skin.
    “ It’s just a scratch,” he
said.
    The Beast sighed. “A mark on