We ran inside and he pulled me around behind him. Slamming the door and turning the lock before putting the chain and key back around his neck.

I slumped against the wall and slid down it. Breathing heavily in relief.

"Now, what the devil are ye?" I noticed that his accent had returned in full force after the commotion.

"Why is it that sometimes you speak very cultured and then in a moment, you go back to speaking like a barbarian?"

His head snapped to give me a quick look. "Always questioning the little things, aren't ye?"

I returned his look levelly.

At length, he shrugged as if deciding the secret wasn't worth keeping. "I've friends, much to your surprise, I'm sure. Cultured men that've tried for a long time to teach me to be a bit more...refined."

He said the word as if it made him feel dirty.

"Why would they do that?"

"Because they say I'm a bit rough around the edges." He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck as if somewhat ashamed of this fact.

I snorted. "You're certainly that."

"Are ye, one to talk, Little Bird?" He quirked that red brow. His light blue eyes dancing as they lit on me.

Perhaps not.

***

He snatched me up again. Caught me by the back of the neck and my back and dragged me toward him.

I stared at him through wide fearful eyes. Once I was molded against his length, I could feel the excitement thrumming through him. Feel his hardened arousal.

Oh, no.

"How you want it, Little Mate?"

I don't.

But I sensed the intensity of the question. If I spat something that nasty, it'd surely incite him which could make him a lot rougher with me.

I eyed him warily, chewing my lower lip.

His eyes drifted down to watch the motion and he gave a primal growl.

"Wh-wh-what do you mean?"

"Over the table again. Or on the bed." His gaze slid over.

I did the only rational thing I could do.

I bolted.

***

I made it to the edge of the bed and dived under. Worm crawling on my belly to get further in. Certain that if I could just make it under and to the back, he couldn't follow me under. It was very low to the floor. Barely enough room for me to fit under.

He caught one of my ankles and I froze in panic.

He chuckled. "Where are ye goin', Little Bird?"

I peered over my shoulder in the dark to see his laughing blue eyes peering beneath the coverlet to look at me.

"Did you really think you'd get away so easily?"

I grimaced.

"I'd just have tossed the thing over." He shook his head in amusement.

I looked around at the solid corners of the bed and the side rails beneath it and was sure that the thing had to weigh several hundred pounds.

It was sturdy and looked like it had been built right where it stood.

Probably had to be, to hold a creature of his parameters.

However, looking back at him I was very sure that he was bulky enough to toss the thing.

He'd have gotten to me anyway. What was I thinking?

Escape. I wanted to escape.

"Please don't." I whimpered.

He laughed. He began slowly dragging my ankle out.

I floundered to try and get a grip on the floor, but my hands just slid over smooth surfaces. I dug in my nails trying to catch onto something.

Soon, he had my lower half entirely out from under the bed.

I felt him stretching behind me and a dense pillow plopped to the floor.

He slid it over with a slight scrape. Then caught my hips and hoisted them up enough my back curved beneath the side rail of the bed. He shoved the heavy pillow under my pelvis and against the front of my knees.

Oh, no. I tried to lurch forward but folded as I was, I was stuck and found myself only more firmly lodging against the bedframe.

I was stuck. Naked as the day I was born with my ass jutting into the air and him just as unclothed behind me.

His knees settling behind me as he positioned himself.

"Please don't." I covered my face to block out the view. Sure that I knew what was to come and was jammed so tightly under that bed that I had no way to even wiggle against him.

"Ssh." He said.

Then I felt him.