Page 4 of Cuffed Love
Her words sting as she pulls me around by my hair. “You win. I’ll leave tomorrow morning,” I say through gritted teeth. If I don’t do exactly what she wants, she’ll yank harder on my hair and I’m not sure I could handle it.
At least, I plan on leaving. But first, I want to see her reaction to my art skills.
“See that you do, or it will force me to have Clyde take care of you.”
I hold in a shudder as I think about the last time he dealt with me. She leaves the guest house, and I lock the door. Although, I’m sure there are plenty of keys that will allow anyone access to me. Still, I check all the windows, too. I find them locked andsecured, but don’t feel at peace. I tremble as I touch my stomach. The memory assaults me as my eyes close. I’m so damn tired of trying.
“Good girls don’t get punished,”my mother says as she puts me in a room I’ve never been in before. “Maybe after this you’ll learn to follow orders.”
The door slams, and I rush to open it before I hear the lock engage. “Mother, please, it’s my birthday. I didn’t mean to smart off.”
It was more than smarting off. So much more. I tremble as I hear rustling within the room. It’s pitch black in here, and I wonder what’s going on.
“Hello?”
A low chuckle greets me, and I see Clyde standing at the window as he turns on the light.
“Oh, it’s you.” Clyde has always been a good person to me. He listens to what I say and never judges. I walk over to him, and he grabs me.
“You really should have listened to your mother,” he taunts me. This isn’t my Clyde. My Clyde would never act like this.
“You’re hurting me, Clyde. What are you…”
I jerkfrom the dream as the alarm clock beeps at me. Ugh, I can’t believe it’s morning already. Getting out of bed, I grumbleabout it being cold. Pressing the button on the Keurig, I make my coffee and turn on the television. I see my mother looking pissed as the city workers try to get the paint off the building.
A knock on the door interrupts my moment of pure joy. Shit, I hope it isn’t the security team. Turning off the television, I look at the clock. It’s seven in the morning. Who’s here?
Opening the door, I groan. It’s the sheriff smirking at me. Surely, he doesn’t know it was me, does he?
“Looks like you forgot something.” His deep, sexy as sin voice washes over me, and I blush as he looks up and down my body.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I arch an eyebrow at him. My mind goes crazy thinking I might have missed a paint can or something.
He laughs and steps closer to me. “Your robe.”
I look down at what I’m wearing, and I gasp. My nipples are hard, and I can see them through my silk gown. “Damn it.” I rush to the couch and throw a blanket around me. “What do you want, exactly?”
“I’m here to escort you to the police station.” He’s walking toward me, crowding me against the couch. Taking a deep breath, I have to believe he really doesn’t know it’s me that did the vandalism.
“Um, no thanks,” I sass him, trying to deflect away from my nerves running awry.
I peek at him, and he’s laughing. He’s fucking laughing at me. “Well, you don’t have a choice, Othella.”
Bristling, I move away from him and fall to the couch. “I always have a choice,” I snarl. The need to get away from him courses through me.
“Not this time, ladybug. It seems I have you on tape vandalizing your mother’s building.”
What? When did they get cameras?“Your point?”
Sighing, he sits down next to me. “You committed a crime. Unfortunately, you are under arrest.” That stern tone of his does crazy things to me. The way he tells me I’m under arrest makes my temperature rise.
Ignoring that, I huff. “Sorry, I’m too busy to be under arrest.”
Chapter Four
I knewthis would be difficult when I came here this morning. Hell, I even expected her to show some remorse. She literally stands up, staring at me defiantly and looking like a sexy criminal that doesn’t give two shits about what I have to say. It makes me angry. Yet, it turns me on too. God, this woman is testing me.
With a shrug of my shoulders, I sigh. “Unfortunately, your mother has already called the station asking for the camera footage.” Another lie. I’m racking up the charges myself. “My deputy told her we couldn’t release it.”
